LETTERS FROM THE REV. WM. DERHAM, D D. 183
Henry appears to have been the trustee who took the leading
part in the management of the trust. Created a Baronet in
1668, he was the eldest son of a leading merchant in London,
who was an intimate friend of R. Boyle, and who (the Dictionary
cf National Bibliography says in error, mistaking father for son),
was one of the Trustees for Boyle's lectures.
These lectures are still delivered, but now the Bishop
of London nominates the lecturer, who holds office for three
consecutive years.
* Aug. 23. 1710.
Sr
Harvest being backward in our North-end, confines me as yet
at home ; else I would have paid my respects to you before now,
& given you the trouble of these Papers I now send. To ease you
of some trouble, you may begin at pag. 8 & I will beg the favour
of you to note as you go along, in a square paper, anything y' may
any ways conduce to y amending, or improving & enriching what
I have done. If you will do me the favour to look over these 3,
when I wait upon you in some short time I will bring you more.
I am in the next succeeding volumes noting some things out of your
Malpighi, else I would have troubled you with some of them. I
shall add large notes all along in these Lectures, out of Authors,
& from my own, or my friends observations, a specimen whereof
I will shew you in relation to Plants, wch altho' the last branch
of my survey, yet is the only & best finished, by reason in drawing
it up, I had Ray, Grew, & other the best Authors on ye Subject ;
except Tournefort wch I have not seen, & knew not whether
he hath any thing to my purpose : I beg the favour of you to lend
me Dr. Sloanes Jamaica : wch with the rest of your Books I intend
for safety sake to bring in my Chaise, when I wait upon you, if
so large a number of Books will ly in that little room. I am
Sr
Your much obliged humble Servant.
Wm. Derham
In those times when rectors took their tithe in kind, it was
incumbent on them, in order to avoid delaying the harvest, to
be at hand to mark their tithe sheaves as soon as they were tied.
Marcello Malpighi, born 1628, died 1694, was a distinguished
anatomist and physiologist ; the founder of microscopic anatomy ;
one of his works was printed by the Royal Society.
Nehemiah Grew, born 1641, died 1712, was a prolific writer
on botanical subjects, and at one period was Secretary to the
Royal Society. The book the Doctor referred to was probably
Grew's Anatomy of Plants, published 1682.
Joseph Pilton de Tournefort also wrote several books on