188 The Life and Work of John Ray.
literature of one of whom it has been said that he became,
"without the patronage of an Alexander, the Aristotle of
England, and the Linnaeus of his age."
I would submit, however, that even this is not due justice
to this hero of science ; since, though it cannot be urged that
he occupies a position in the history of philosophy approaching
that of Aristotle, yet as a zoologist he was infinitely the
superior of the ancient Greek naturalist; whilst, preceding
Linnaeus by nearly a century, he not only established a
natural, as distinguished from a merely artificial, system of
classification for both plants and animals, but may be truly
said to have been the first to recognise the paramount im-
portance of system, not merely for purposes of reference, but
as representing natural relationships.
The memory of John Ray is thus adorned with the triple
laurel crown of botanist, zoologist, and theologian, and as
such should be honoured as one of the glories, not of Essex
only, but of England and of the whole world of Science.
[Prof. Boulger is preparing a complete bibliographical cata-
logue of all Ray's works, with notes on the various editions,
which will form an appendix to the above paper. This cata-
logue will probably be printed in a future part of the 'Trans-
actions.']