Volume 1

Further correspondence of John Ray / edited by Robert W.T. Gunther.

  • Ray, John, 1627-1705.
Date:
1928
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Further correspondence of John Ray / edited by Robert W.T. Gunther. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    at Cambridge, which caused his father to take him home : he is impatient of labour, and indeed his temper will not admit long study. I must needs with gratitude acknowledge and commend his kindnesse, civility, and respectful carriage towards me, whom he studies, as much as he can, to please, gratify, and oblige. I busie myselfe in enquiring out and describing such birds as frequent the channel near us. I have gotten some and cased them, among the rest a bittern and a curlew, and a yarwhelp ; the fourth was like a duck, with a bill hooked at the top, for which we had no name. The yarwhelp* is a name that I never read or heard of before or since, and therefore imagine it was coined by William Bates.f ... I long since received a letter from Mr. Willughby, wherein he assures me of his firme adherence to his resolution for travel, and that he hath almost conquered all opposition of his friends, and made his way clear ; he despairs of your company, and relies upon me, and I intend not to frustrate him. I am told your house's old master, the Earle of Norwich,J is dead ; it falls out well for Mr. Willughby (as I remember), his father paid him a considerable annuity out of the estate. If you be resolved to sell Danny, I wish you may meet with a chapman to your content that will come up to your terms, which I presume are not unreasonable. I should be glad to hear of the health and welfare of your relations known to me, especially the much honoured your mother, not omitting the little child : my humble service to them all, and thankes for their civilities and kindnesse when I was in Sussex. . . . [John Bay.] In the same collection are two letters from Mr. Willughby, the first alludes to their projected travels and is undated : * Limosa lapponica, the bar-tailed Godwit, from its cry on taking wing, t Perhaps W. Bates, the theological author (D. N. B.) t George Goring, Earl of Norwich owned Danny.