Chapter XV: Ray. 1627-1705

John Ray, the founder of Botanical and, only in little less degree, of Zoological Science, was an _alumnus_ of the University of Cambridge. He was elected Fellow of Trinity College in 1649, and Lecturer in Greek in the following year. While at Cambridge he formed a collection of plants growing in the neighbourhood, a catalogue of which he published in 1660. Three years later, with his friend Francis Willoughby, he travelled over a large part of Europe, as during his academical life he had traversed the greater part of these islands, in pursuit of botanical and zoological science--an account of which tour he published in 1673.

He had been one of the first Fellows of the recently founded Royal Society. In 1682 appeared his _New Method of Plants_, which formed a new era in botany, or rather, which was the first attempt at making it a real science. It is the basis of the subsequent classification of Jussieu, which is still received; and its author was the first to propose the division of plants into _monocotyledons_ and _dicotyledons_.

His principal work is the _Historia Plantarum_, 1686-1704. “In it he collected and arranged all the species of plants which had been described by botanists. He enumerated 18,625 species. Haller, Sprengel, Adamson, and others speak of this work as being the produce of immense labour, and as containing much acute criticism.”

What, however, is more interesting to us is the fact that “in zoology Ray ranks almost as high as in botany, and his works on this subject are even more important, as they still, in great measure, preserve their utility. Cuvier says that ‘they may be considered as the foundation of modern zoology, for naturalists are obliged to consult them every instant for the purpose of clearing up the difficulties which they meet with in the works of Linnæus and his copyists.’”

Between 1676-1686 appeared _Ornithologia_ and _Historia Piscium_, the materials of which had been left him by his friend Willoughby. To his extraordinary erudition and industry the world was indebted for _A Methodical Synopsis of Quadrupeds_ as well as a very valuable history of Insects. Conspicuous amongst his merits are his accuracy of observation and his philosophical method of classification. With others, Buffon is largely indebted to the most meritorious of the pioneers of zoological knowledge.

Ray has delivered his profession of faith in the superiority and excellence of the non-flesh diet in the following eloquent passage which has been quoted with approval by his friend John Evelyn:--

“The use of plants is all our life long of that universal
importance and concern that we can neither live nor subsist with
any decency and convenience, or be said, indeed, to live at
all without them. Whatsoever food is necessary to sustain us,
whatsoever contributes to delight and refresh us, is supplied and
brought forth out of that plentiful and abundant store. And ah! [he
exclaims] how much more innocent, sweet, and healthful is a table
covered with those than with all the reeking flesh of butchered and
slaughtered animals. Certainly man by nature was never made to be
a carnivorous animal, nor is he armed at all for prey and rapine,
with jagged and pointed teeth and crooked claws sharpened to rend
and tear, but with gentle hands to gather fruit and vegetables, and
with teeth to chew and eat them.”[127]