Mr. Ray (or, as he wrote his name for a while about this period, Wray), having thus the world before him, made an arrangement with Mr. Willughby for a tour on the Continent; and in this plan two of his pupils were included, Mr. Nathaniel Bacon and Mr., afterwards Sir Philip, Skippon. They sailed for Calais in April, 1663, but being prevented by the state of political affairs from prosecuting their journey through France, they traversed the Low Countries and Germany, proceeding by Venice into Italy, most of whose cities they visited, either by sea or land, as well as Malta and Sicily; and returned by Switzerland, through France, into England in the spring of 1666. Mr. Willughby, indeed, separated from the rest of the party at Montpellier, and visited Spain. An ample account of their observations was published by Ray in 1673, making a thick octavo volume. The travellers studied politics, literature, natural history, mechanics, and philosophy, as well as antiquities and other curiosities; but in the fine arts they assume no authority, nor display any considerable taste or knowledge. Mr. Willughby’s account of Spain makes a part by itself, and a rich critical catalogue of such plants, not, for the most part, natives of England, as were observed in this tour, concludes the volume. There is no doubt that Ray has the credit of having discovered several species of plants in Switzerland not previously known to belong to that country. Ray passed the summer of 1666 partly at Black Notley, and partly in Sussex, studying chiefly the works of Hook, Boyle, Sydenham, on fevers, and the “Philosophical Transactions,” “making few discoveries,” says he, “save of mine own errors.” The following winter he was employed at Mr. Willughby’s, in arranging that gentleman’s museum of seeds, dried plants, birds, fishes, shells, and other objects of natural history and coins, and in forming tables of plants and animals for the use of Dr. Wilkins. He began to arrange a catalogue of the English native plants which he had gathered, rather for his own use than with any immediate view of publication at present. He wrote to Dr. Lister, “The world is glutted with bungling;” “I resolve never to put out anything which is not as perfect as is possible for me to make it. I wish you would take a little pains this summer about grasses, that so we might compare notes.” The above resolution of our author is no doubt highly commendable, but the world has rather to lament that so many able men have formed the same determination, at least in natural science. If it were universally adhered to, scarcely any work would see the light, for few can be so sensible of the defects of any other person’s attempt to illustrate the works of nature, as a man of tolerable judgment must be of his own. This is especially the case with those who, like Ray, direct their aspiring views towards system and philosophical theory. Happily he did not try this arduous path, till he had trained himself by wholesome