Ioannes Raius

Ioannes Raius,^[1] vulgo John Ray (Nutleae Nigrae^(en) in Essexia die 29 Novembris 1627 natus; ibidem mortuus die 17 Ianuarii 1705) fuit naturalista. Anglice et Latine opera systematica scripsit de piscibus, de avibus, atque praesertim de plantis. Magnum opus Historia plantarum generalis inter annos 1693 et 1704 prodiit.

Fabri filius, Reines Magnae^(en) prope oppidum nativum educatus, in Collegio Trinitatis apud Cantabrigienses eruditus est, ubi anno 1649 socius minor factus est. In eadem universitate litteras Graecas artemque mathematicam docuit, sed iam annis 1650 scientiae naturali studebat: inde ortus est libellus quem anno 1660 divulgari iussit de plantis circa Cantabrigiam repertis.^[2] Protestans admodum inflexibilis, ratione theologica officium socii Collegii Trinitatis anno 1662 abiuravit.

Ab hoc tempore itinera botanica et zoologica plura cum amicis suscepit, interea aut domi ad Nutleam Nigram aut apud intimum collaboratorem Franciscum Willughbeium opera sua conscribebat. Cum discipulis Willughbeio, Philippo Skippon, Petro Courthope itinera botanica per Angliam et Cambriam iam perfecerat. Anno 1663 itinere continentali Franciam, Germaniam, Helvetiam, Italiam et Siciliam visitavit. E quibus regionibus anno 1666 reditus, anno insequenti socius Regalis Societatis electus est. Catalogum maiorem plantarum Anglicarum anno 1670 edidit.^[3] Anno 1873 acidum formicum invensit. Raius Willughbeiusque iam diu opera profundiora paraverant de systematica animalium plantarumque classificatione:

Nutleae Nigrae a domino Raio ipso die 15 Maii 1704 certior factus sum hos viros generosos ambos, historiam rerum naturalium usque eo valde imperfectam censentes, itinere transmarini non iam facto, inter se consentivisse ut varios viventium tribus in unam methodum cogerent, singularumque specierum descriptiones accuratas e stricta observatione darent. Willughbeius, animalibus praesertim dedicatus, aves quadrupeda pisces insecta sibi assignavit, Raius autem vegetabilia.^[4]

Willughbeius autem pleuritide affectus die 3 Iulii 1672 mortuus est; e cuius testamento Raius heres minor modicam annuitatem nactus est. Officium accepit confectionis operum zoologicorum amici mortui. Ergo annis insequentibus ad Middleton^(en) Warwicensis comitatus paedagogus liberorum Willughbeii operam dedit, e quibus laboribus opuscula lexicographica evenerunt, de verbis proverbiisque Anglicis, de vocabulario Latino et Graeco;^[5] narrationem insuper peregrinationis Europaeae anno 1673 divulgavit, enumeratione plantarum observatarum addita.^[6] Cui libro subiunxit collectionem itinerum ab aliis factorum, a se editam, praecipue botanicorum (peregrinatio Leonharti Rauwolfii, tunc primum Anglice versa, inter alias notabilis est).^[7] Ab his annis usque ad mortem suam opera Willughbeii ad prelum paravit, videlicet Ornithologiam anno 1676, Historiam piscium anno 1686, Historiam insectorum non ante 1710 post Raii mortem auspiciis Regalis Societatis editam. Historiam piscium Samueli Pepys, Regalis Societatis praesidi, dicavit.^[8] Ipse Raius opus ornithologicum mox Anglice vertit variisque locis auxit. In praefatione de his laboribus scripsit:

Manuscripta eius post mortem spectans animalia varia, scilicet aves quadrupeda pisces insecta, in methodum a se inventam iam digesta, descriptiones autem (nisi paucas) nec plenas nec perfectas, sicut ipse voluisset, repperi; id quod ipse adeo recognovit ut moriens mihi an divulganda essent quaerenti se nolle respondisset neque tantum considerabilia censere ut quae editionem meruissent. Nihilominus aliquas novas callidasque de insectis observationes inter ea latere confessus est. Denuo, illo non abnuente, divulgare statui.^[9]

Opera satis brevia, e collaboratione orta, divulgavit quorum forma est tabula et enumeratio classificationis "tribuum" (vocabulo recentiori "phylorum") diagnosisque specierum tam plantarum vel stirpium quam animalium.^[10] Librum etiam de variis methodis classificationis plantarum composuit.^[11] Sed magnum opus, eisdem annis confectum, tribus voluminibus inter annos 1693 et 1704 divulgavit sub titulo Historia plantarum generalis, plantas Europaeas sed praesertim Britannicas sine imaginibus describens; quibus voluminibus fasciculum supplementarium statim addidit.^[12]

↑ Ioannis Raii, Societatis Regiae socii, Historia plantarum generalis: sic titulus operis 1686-1704
↑ Catalogus plantarum circa Cantabrigiam nascentium
↑ Catalogus plantarum Angliae
↑ I had it from Mr. Ray himself when I waited upon him at Black-Notley, May the 15th, 1704: These two gentlemen, finding the History of Nature very imperfect ... had agreed between themselves, before their travels beyond sea, to reduce the several tribes of things to a method, and to give accurate descriptions of the several species, from a strict view of them. And forasmuch as Mr. Willughby's genius lay chiefly to animals, therefore he undertook the birds, beasts, fishes, and insects, as Mr. Ray did the vegetables. Derham (1760) p. 48; G. S. Boulger, Michael Hunter, "Willughby, Francis (1635–1672)" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography edd. H. C. G. Matthew, Brian Harrison (Oxonii: Oxford University Press, 2004) Situs venalis
↑ English Words, English Proverbs, Dictionariolum
↑ Observations
↑ Collection of Travels
↑ Ornithologiae libri, Historia piscium, Historia insectorum
↑ Viewing his manuscripts after his death I found the several animals in every kind, both birds, beasts, fishes, and insects, digested into a method of his own contriving, but few of their descriptions and histories so full and perfect as he intended them; which he was so sensible of that when I asked him upon his deathbed whether it was his pleasure they should be published, he answered that he did not desire it, nor thought them so considerable as to deserve it ... though he confest there were in them some new and pretty observations about insects. But ... he not contradicting, I resolved to publish them. Ornithology fol. A 3
↑ Methodus plantarum, Synopsis stirpium, Synopsis animalium, Methodus aucta, Synopsis avium et piscium
↑ De methodis
↑ Historia, Fasciculus

[1] Ioannis Raii, Societatis Regiae socii, Historia plantarum generalis: sic titulus operis 1686-1704

[2] Catalogus plantarum circa Cantabrigiam nascentium

[3] Catalogus plantarum Angliae

[4] I had it from Mr. Ray himself when I waited upon him at Black-Notley, May the 15th, 1704: These two gentlemen, finding the History of Nature very imperfect ... had agreed between themselves, before their travels beyond sea, to reduce the several tribes of things to a method, and to give accurate descriptions of the several species, from a strict view of them. And forasmuch as Mr. Willughby's genius lay chiefly to animals, therefore he undertook the birds, beasts, fishes, and insects, as Mr. Ray did the vegetables. Derham (1760) p. 48; G. S. Boulger, Michael Hunter, "Willughby, Francis (1635–1672)" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography edd. H. C. G. Matthew, Brian Harrison (Oxonii: Oxford University Press, 2004) Situs venalis

[5] English Words, English Proverbs, Dictionariolum

[6] Observations

[7] Collection of Travels

[8] Ornithologiae libri, Historia piscium, Historia insectorum

[9] Viewing his manuscripts after his death I found the several animals in every kind, both birds, beasts, fishes, and insects, digested into a method of his own contriving, but few of their descriptions and histories so full and perfect as he intended them; which he was so sensible of that when I asked him upon his deathbed whether it was his pleasure they should be published, he answered that he did not desire it, nor thought them so considerable as to deserve it ... though he confest there were in them some new and pretty observations about insects. But ... he not contradicting, I resolved to publish them. Ornithology fol. A 3

[10] Methodus plantarum, Synopsis stirpium, Synopsis animalium, Methodus aucta, Synopsis avium et piscium

[11] De methodis

[12] Historia, Fasciculus

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Ioannes Raius

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