LETTERS FROM THE REV. WM. DERHAM, D D. 
181 
Not only did he attend professionally the stepson, and also the 
son of Dacre, but the latter’s daughter, by his second wife, 
married a nephew of Sir Hans, who was a trustee of their Marriage 
Settlement. 
g May 24. 1710. 
I suppose I have told you I am drawing up a Survey of the 
Creation, & I can now tell vou y e I believe I may have occation to 
use it next year for Mr. Boyles Lectures. I am now about the 
vegetables, in which nothing to be done w th out Mr. Rays help, 
& therefore I beg the favour of you to lend me that part of Mr. 
Rays Hist. PI. w bh you think will be most usefull to my design, 
vt will acquaint me w th y e parts, Divisions &c. of Vegetables, w cb 
I suppose his first part doth. If you led me one or more Volumes, 
I have given my man a. strict charge not to bruise or any way injure 
them ; Sc I will take all care my self of so valueable Book}. I hear 
send you one of your 3 Vol : of Acta Erud : the other- two not 
being yet perused for want of time by reason I have been harrassid 
with journeys every week to y e Council of y e R.S. about the contest 
between DDs. Sloane, & Woodward, w ch is as far from an end as 
at y e first, & appointed to be ended this day, but I believe will not 
be so. I have not time at present, nor have had for a good while 
(my family having been very ill) or I would have waited on you, 
& acquainted you w th our unhappy squabbles at Gresh : Col, w ch 
are very prejudicial to the honour of our most famous Society, 
& I fear may be more so, if matters come to such extremities as 
I believe they will. I am w th great respect. 
Your much obliged humble Servant 
W. Derham. 
John Woodward, born 1665, died 1728, was a geologist and 
physician. He served more than once on the Council of the 
Royal Society. He was author of several books, and his col¬ 
lections now form the nucleus of the Woodwardian Museum at 
Cambridge. He appears to have been a very bad tempered 
person. In 1710 at a meeting of the Royal Society, he grossly 
insulted Sir Hans Sloane, and in spite of the efforts of mutual 
friends he refused to apologise, and so was at last expelled 
the Society, against which body he then unsuccessfully brought 
an action. Some years after, in 1719, he had a fracas with Dr. 
Richard Mead when entering Gresham College, with the result 
that they both drew swords and were only separated by the 
intervention of the bystanders. 
The Royal Society met for some years at Gresham College, 
near Broad Street, and afterwards at Arundel House. Then 
they returned to Gresham College, where they held their meetings 
B 
