FRANCIS WILLUGHBY. 
105 
ligiblc, yet dared I not to omit or alter any 
thing. 
“ Viewing his MSS. after his death I found the 
several animals in every kind, both birds, and 
beasts, and fishes, and insects, digested into a 
method of his own contriving, but few of their 
descriptions or histories so full and perfect as he 
intended them ; which he was so sensible of, that 
when I asked him upon his deathbed whether it 
was his pleasure they should be published, he 
answered, that he did not desire it, nor thought 
them so considerable as to deserve it, or some- 
what to that purpose, though he confest there 
were some new and pretty observations on 
insects. 
“ But considering that the publication of them 
might conduce somewhat to, first, The illustra- 
tion of God’s glory by exciting men to take 
notice of and admire his infinite power and wis- 
dom displaying themselves in the creation of so 
many species and animals ; and secondly, To the 
assistance of those who addict themselves to this 
most pleasant and no less useful part of philo- 
sophy ; and, thirdly, Also the honour of our nation 
in making it appear that no part of real know- 
ledge is wholly balked and neglected by us, (he 
not contradicting,) I resolved to publish them, 
and first took in hand the Ornithology.” Mr 
Ray proceeds to state, that “ it was neither the 
author’s nor his design to write pandects of birds, 
comprising whatever had before been written by 
others, whether true or fabulous ; that having been 
performed already by Gesnerand Aldrovandus,nor 
