Letter 4549

Posted on February 23, 2019 by -

Dr. Hans Sloane to Mr John Ray – November 11, 1684.


Item info

Date: November 11, 1684.
Author: Dr. Hans Sloane
Recipient: Mr John Ray

Library: The Correspondence of John Ray: Consisting of Selections from the Philosophical Letters Published by DR. Derham and Original Letters of John Ray, in the Collection of the British Museum
Manuscript: The Correspondence of John Ray: Consisting of Selections from the Philosophical Letters Published by DR. Derham and Original Letters of John Ray, in the Collection of the British Museum
Folio: 156 - 158


Original Page


Transcription

SIR,-I am heartily glad to hear that you are about so useful a work as the history of plants, done by you, will be; I am sure we want it extremely, and that it will be very much esteemed by the botanists beyond sea, parti- cularly Monsieur Tournefort, the king’s professor at Paris, with whom I correspond, who told me he desired it ex- tremely, and that he had a very great respect and honour for you, desiring me to give you his most humble service; and if you will be pleased but to let me know anything you may have occasion for that can be procured at Paris or Montpellier, I will do all in my power to help you to it. I have several plants that I brought from both places; amongst which are several nondescripts; all which shall be at your service, with what remarks I made about them, either as to their growth or virtues.

The following plants are thought rare at Chelsea and Fulham:*

Arbor Indica Bensoinum fundens.     N.D.     It smells very strong, just like
balm.
Cedrus Nova Angliae.     N.D.
Cedrus Bermudae.    N.D.
Cedrus fol. laricis Conifer.    B. pin.
Acer florescens, Tradescanti.
Sassafras.
Polypodium Mexicanum. Reccii.
Arbor Amara Reccii.
Lonchitis aspera major Math.
Amygdalus Afr. Fl. pleno fruct.
Holoser. Breyn.
Polypodium Plumosum.    N.D.
Pseudo-dictamnum Tingitanum acetabulis Moluccae spinosae Mor.
Pinus Hierosolymitana.    N.D.
Convovulus peregrinus fol. hederaceo anguloso.    B. pin.
Cedrus ex Goá.    N.D.
Evonymo affinis Afr.    Herm.
Oxycantha Virgin.     N.D.
Styrax fol. aceris Virg.    N.D.
Galegae affinis Hexaphyllos Zeilanica.    N.D.
Senecio arboresc.    N.D.
Genista Platyphyllos Zeilanica Fl. purpureo siliq. bullat.    N.D
Geranium arboresc.    N.D.
Hemionites multifid.    Park.
Anonymus fol. et fruct.  Ribes.
Amomum Novae Angliae.    N.D.
Arbutus Virgin.    N.D.
Nerium Odoratiss.    Herm.

I believe you may have seen most of these, they being

survivors of the last winter, and probably the most of
*I can determine but few of them, and so omit them altogether.  C.C.B
them will keep out this. Mr. Watts having a new con- trivance (at least in this country), vis. he makes under the floor of his greenhouse a great fire-place with grate, ash-hole, &c., and conveys the warmth through the whole house by tunnels, so that he hopes, by the help of weather- glasses within, to bring or keep the air at what degree of warmth he pleases, letting in upon occasion the outward air by the windows. He thinks to make, by this means, an artificial spring, summer, winter, &c.
London, November 11, 1684.
 

Edwin Lankester, ed. The Correspondence of John Ray: Consisting of Selections from the Philosophical Letters Published by Dr. Derham, and original letters of John Ray in the Collection of the British Museum (London: Printed for the Ray Society, 1848), pp. 156 – 158.

Letter destination presumed as Black Notley as Ray’s location in his prior and letter and response to Sloane is Black Notley. Ray was also considered not to have left Black Notley after 1679.

Notes from the original transcription have been entered. As per the preface, C.C.B. is C.C. Babington, ‘In preparing these letters for the press, I have been materially assisted by my friend C. C. Babington, Esq., M.A., of St Johns College, Cambridge’



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