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Supaac Jp. 
 
 ZondtviJPnbUsTiedtyllarvty&Barhm . Grucedazrch Strut J&7. 
 
A SKETCH 
 
 LIFE OF LINNiEUS, 
 
 A SERIES OF LETTERS. 
 
 DESIGNED FOR YOUNG PERSONS, 
 
 " r Quel lieu desert n'est plein de sa memoire? 
 
 II fit de chaque plante un monument de gloire." 
 
 Delille. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOB HARVEY AND DARTON, 
 QRACECHURCH-STREET. 
 
 1827. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In the present day, when botany may be 
 reckoned among fashionable studies, it is 
 singular that the life of the great botanist, 
 Linnaeus, should be so little known. 
 
 There are few, we believeVjwho are ac- 
 quainted with the uncommon events that 
 marked his course, and the many difficul- 
 ties he had to contend with; or who have 
 any idea of the persevering industry with 
 which he pursued his object, until at last 
 every obstacle gave way, and success and 
 prosperity crowned his labours. 
 
 The following particulars are drawn 
 chiefly from the tour of Linnaeus in Lap- 
 land, written by himself, and translated 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 into English by Sir J. Smith; and from 
 Dr. Trapp's translation of the life of Lin- 
 naeus. The voluminous size of this last 
 work, arising from the minuteness of its 
 details, the diffuse style in which it is 
 written, and the quantity of extraneous 
 matter bound up with it, places it beyond 
 the reach of many who would gladly read 
 the simple history of Linnaeus. 
 
 We have endeavoured to furnish this 
 in a form which, we flatter ourselves, is 
 adapted for the library of the young bo- 
 tanical student. 
 
 May, 1827. 
 
A SKETCH 
 
 OF THE 
 
 LIFE OF LINNiEUS. 
 
 " See, Ellen," said Henry Vernon to 
 his sister, as he entered the library, 
 one fine summer morning, and found 
 her engaged in examiningl:he flowers 
 she had collected in a walk the 
 evening before : u see, Ellen," said her 
 brother, " although I laugh at you 
 for your love of botany, I have 
 brought you a flower to pull to 
 pieces; and I assure you I have 
 taken some pains to procure it for 
 you, as you will believe, when I tell 
 you that it grew on the summit of 
 St. Vincent's rocks. 
 
 B 
 
2 
 
 " Oh ! thank you, Henry : it is 
 quite a new flower to me ; and what 
 a long walk you have had for it. 
 How early you must have risen ; for 
 it is not yet eight o'clock. What 
 could have led you to Hartwell at 
 that time in the morning ?" 
 
 " To tell you the truth, Ellen, it 
 was this identical flower that led me 
 there; though you will ridicule the 
 idea, that any poor blossom should 
 have such a magnetic influence on 
 me. I will tell you how it was. 
 About ten days ago, when my cousin 
 George was here, you know we were 
 out in search of butterflies for his 
 cabinet. In the course of our ram- 
 ble we climbed Hartwell cliff, to see 
 what we could find there ; and while 
 he was busy watching some insect, 
 I espied this plant ; and it occurred 
 
3 
 
 to me, that, as it grew on a spot 
 which it was impossible for you to 
 explore, it was very probable that 
 you had never seen the flower. It 
 was, however, only in bud then ; and 
 I knew it was of no use to bring it 
 in that state. And now, how do you 
 think I found out the right time to 
 gather it, at last ? You know, Hart- 
 well is not so easily climbed as to 
 make an every-day business of it." 
 
 % Indeed, Henry," said Ellen, " I 
 can only suppose that you made a 
 very fortunate guess about the time 
 in which it might be fully in bloom." 
 
 " No, no, you will never find out 
 how I managed it. Look ! (holding 
 out a little pocket-telescope) this was 
 the messenger that brought me news 
 from my lady Flora on the cliff. 
 Every two or three days I went to 
 
4 
 
 the foot of Hartwell, and looked at 
 the plant through my glass; for it 
 was so situated, that I could clearly 
 distinguish it by means of the tele- 
 scope. During our walk to Leigh 
 Wood, last evening, while you and 
 mamma and papa rested yourselves, 
 I took another peep at Madam Flora, 
 and saw, to my great satisfaction, 
 that her ladyship was dressed out in 
 blossoms ; and this morning I was off 
 on my travels, before you were stir- 
 ring, early riser as you boast yourself 
 to be." 
 
 " Well, Henry," said Ellen, H it is 
 quite an adventure ; and I am sure 
 you have made up, by your kind at- 
 tention, for all the ridicule you have 
 bestowed on my favourite pursuit." 
 
 " Good morning, Henry," said Mr. 
 Vernon, who now came forward from 
 
a recess formed by a bay-window, in 
 which he had been writing, unper- 
 ceived by his son, " Good morning : 
 I am glad you have been out so early, 
 in this fine, pure air ; and I am still 
 more gratified that you have de- 
 voted your time and your labour to 
 contribute to your sister's pleasure." 
 
 " And it is quite a new flower to 
 me, papa," said Ellen, " and I dare 
 say it is to mamma too; so I shall 
 not examine it till she comes, that 
 we may enjoy it together." 
 
 " You are right," said her papa ; 
 " and now, as it is not quite break- 
 fast-time, suppose we take a turn 
 round the flower-garden, and see the 
 beautiful productions of other cli- 
 mates; which 
 
 ' Nice art, in beds and curious knots,' 
 
 has placed, as Milton says." 
 B i 
 
Ellen, now in her sixteenth year, 
 with a mind highly cultivated by the 
 constant assiduity of her parents, and 
 particularly of her amiable and intel- 
 ligent mother, was keenly alive to all 
 the beauties of nature. Her brother, 
 a year younger, was not devoid of 
 sensibility on the subject; but he 
 was of a less contemplative cast of 
 character than Ellen ; and besides, 
 he was still a true school-boy, and 
 rather prone to think lightly of wo- 
 men's pursuits, as unsuited to the 
 dignity of the manly character. As 
 they entered the garden, the fra- 
 grance of a thousand blossoms re- 
 galed their senses, and the young 
 people exclaimed together, " How 
 delightful !" " And now, papa," said 
 Henry, " after all, do you not like 
 these sweet roses and jessamines bet- 
 ter than all Ellen's wild plants?" 
 
" Really, Henry, at this moment 
 I think, with you, that nothing can 
 be more delightful, or more like 
 e flowers worthy of Paradise,' than 
 these roses and jessamines, and the 
 other fragrant blossoms by which we 
 are surrounded. You know, too, 
 that I am passionately fond of a gar- 
 den. Do you remember the begin- 
 ning of lord Bacon's chapter on gar- 
 dens, which I showed to you the 
 other day?" 
 
 " Oh ! yes, papa, I remember, he 
 writes as if he had so completely en- 
 joyed the thing himself, that he com- 
 municates some of his warm feeling 
 on the subject to his reader." 
 
 " That is, in truth, the case," said 
 Mr. Vernon. " Ellen, my love, you 
 are acquainted with lord Bacon's 
 name and character, though, I be- 
 
lieve, I have not introduced you to 
 a knowledge of his Essays; which, 
 however, I hope at some future time 
 to read with you. With regard to 
 the passage we have just alluded to, 
 I am sure, fond as you are of your 
 wild plants, as Henry calls them, you 
 will be charmed with his praise of 
 gardens. He says : * A garden is the 
 purest of human pleasures : it is the 
 greatest refreshment to the spirits of 
 man ; without which, buildings and 
 palaces are but gross handy-works ; 
 and a man shall ever see, that, when 
 ages grow to civility and elegancy, 
 men come to build stately, sooner 
 than to garden finely ; as if garden- 
 ing were the greater perfection.' But, 
 though I thus commend gardens, 
 Henry, observe, that I do not mean to 
 undervalue the many curious and 
 
9 
 
 beautiful plants which spring up un- 
 cultured in our fields and woods. 
 Neither do I like to hear you speak so 
 slightingly of your sister's favourite 
 study. My professional avocations 
 have left me little leisure for the pur- 
 suit of many branches of knowledge, 
 which were, at one time of my life, 
 very interesting to me. This has been 
 the case with botany. You have been 
 accustomed to see your mamma and 
 sister engaged in it with much more 
 ardour than any other members of the 
 family; and therefore, I believe, you 
 fancy that it is not a subject suited 
 to what you consider the stronger 
 powers of your sex. Tell me, is not 
 this your idea ?" 
 
 " Yes, papa, that is exactly what 
 I have thought about it; because, 
 though I knew you had some know- 
 
10 
 
 ledge of botany, I never saw either 
 you or my brother Charles appear to 
 take that continual interest in it 
 which mamma and Ellen do." 
 
 ". This is very true, Henry ; never- 
 theless, you will be surprised to hear, 
 that the study of botany must form 
 a part of your own education, as a 
 physician. Your brother's attain- 
 ments, in most respects, may be con- 
 sidered as precisely what you should 
 aim at; but there are some points in 
 which a difference will be necessary, 
 since your professions are so dissimi- 
 lar. It would have been no peculiar 
 advantage to Charles, as a special 
 pleader, to have acquired the particu- 
 lar branch of knowledge in question, 
 though it would have added to his 
 stores of intellectual enjoyment. But, 
 in the profession for which you are 
 
11 
 
 intended, it is indispensable ; as you 
 will find, when you arrive in Edin- 
 burgh to pursue your studies there, 
 if not before. Many of the medical 
 students, I believe, go with preju- 
 dices like yours, or such as are equally 
 unreasonable, and consider this study 
 the most uninteresting they are called 
 to engage in. Now let us see whe- 
 ther we cannot make your path plea- 
 santer, by awakening in your mind 
 an interest in the pursuit, before you 
 are compelled to enter on it. I 
 would advise you to take a few lessons 
 of Ellen, whenever you are at home 
 in the season of flowers. I fear I 
 shall be too much engaged, during the 
 short time that remains of your pre^ 
 sent holidays, to pay much attention 
 to you on this or any other subject ; 
 but I will undertake to do my part, by 
 
12 
 
 relating to you, in letters, some of 
 the most striking passages in the life 
 of Linnaeus, the great naturalist, 
 whose system of botany has now 
 completely supplanted that which 
 formerly prevailed. He was so in- 
 teresting and uncommon a character, 
 that I do not despair of communicat- 
 ing to you a portion of his enthusi- 
 asm, and throwing a charm around 
 the study, by the detail of his adven- 
 tures and difficulties, and the final 
 success of his persevering exertions." 
 Henry accepted his father's offer 
 with pleasure ; enlisted himself, as he 
 said, under Ellen's banners; and 
 sticking a daisy, he had gathered on 
 the lawn, in his hat, he declared that 
 he had assumed the order of Flora. 
 The whole party entered the break- 
 fast-parlour in high spirits. They 
 
13 
 
 found Mrs. Vernon seated at the ta- 
 ble ; and after exchanging the morn- 
 ing gratulations with her, they told 
 her of the plan which had been just 
 resolved on, and which, as might be 
 expected, received her approbation. 
 
 The breakfast-hour was usually a 
 cheerful and pleasant season at Mr. 
 Vernon's. It was only for a few 
 days more, that Henry was to enjoy, 
 for the present, this and other social 
 hours with his family. The holidays 
 passed quickly away, and the affec- 
 tionate and kind-hearted boy parted 
 from his family with sorrow. The 
 following week, he received with 
 great delight the first of the promised 
 letters from Mr. Vernon. 
 
14 
 
 > r 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 My dear Boy, 
 
 I seize the first leisure 
 half-hour that occurs, to fulfil my 
 promise of giving you some details 
 of the life of the great Swedish natu- 
 ralist. As your sister will write 
 of home-affairs, I have nothing to do 
 but to set out with you at once to 
 the shores of the Baltic. In the 
 tongue of land which so nearly ap- 
 proaches the territory of Denmark, 
 you will find the province of Sma- 
 land. In a small village in this pro- 
 vince, Linnaeus was born. His father, 
 
15 
 
 a clergyman of the Swedish church, 
 in very limited circumstances, was 
 descended from a race of peasants. 
 Some of these had 9 however, quitted 
 their rustic calling, to pursue the 
 study of literature ; and changing 
 their name with their occupation, 
 they had, in the seventeenth century, 
 assumed that of Lindeltus, or Tili- 
 ander, (linden-tree-man,) from a large 
 linden or lime-tree, which grew in 
 the vicinity of their dwelling. The 
 practice of adopting a new name 
 from some external circumstance, is 
 not unusual in Sweden. The father 
 of the naturalist followed the exam- 
 ple his kindred had set him. The 
 family linden-tree was still standing ; 
 and he borrowed from it the name of 
 Linnaeus, which the genius of his son 
 
16 
 
 has since rendered so celebrated in 
 every quarter of the globe. 
 
 Charles Linnaeus, the hero of our 
 narrative, was born on the 3d of 
 May, in 1707, at the village of 
 Rashult, where his father dwelt, 
 dividing his time between the duties 
 of his pastoral office and the culti- 
 vation of his garden. The elder 
 Linnaeus was a great lover of gar- 
 dening; and a very limited income 
 made the productiveness of his par- 
 terres, at the same time, an affair of 
 pecuniary jnterest; the sale of his 
 flower-roots making an important ad- 
 dition to his means of support. In 
 this simple scene of rural industry, 
 the first year of the life of Linnaeus 
 was passed. Flowers were his first 
 play-things ; and it is said that the 
 infant naturalist manifested unusual 
 
17 
 
 delight while gazing on their bright 
 colours, and inhaling their fragrance. 
 To use the words of a French poet : 
 
 ' Le Zephyre agitant ses ailes odorantes 
 Porta vers son berceau les doux parfums des 
 
 plantes ; 
 Deja ses yeux fixaient leurs formes, leurs cbuleurs, 
 Et ses mains pour hochet demanderent des fleurs." 
 
 Some persons have imagined, that 
 to this circumstance in his early life 
 may be traced that passion for flow- 
 ers which his later years exhibited. 
 Before he had reached his second 
 year, the circumstances of his father 
 were somewhat improved by the gift 
 of a more lucrative benefice. On re- 
 moving to the new living, the good 
 man was delighted to find an exten- 
 sive garden attached to the minis- 
 terial residence. Although the ad- 
 dition to his income was not such as 
 c 2 
 
18 
 
 to render him a rich man, he was no 
 longer compelled to cultivate his 
 ground as a means of contributing 
 towards the support of his family. 
 He now luxuriated in the indulgence 
 of his taste as a florist, and in a few 
 years his garden became one of the 
 finest in the district. He cultivated 
 there upwards of four hundred species 
 of flowers, and many of these were 
 rare exotics. In these simple plea- 
 sures the Swedish pastor sought re- 
 creation from the duties of his sacred 
 office. As soon as his little boy was 
 old enough to play in the garden, he 
 became his constant companion when 
 there. Whenever his father was em- 
 ployed in rooting up his curious bulbs, 
 or transplanting a valuable root, or 
 supporting a stem of a favourite 
 flower, Charles was to be seen gam- 
 
19 
 
 boiling by his side, ready to aid him 
 in his labours by watering the beds, 
 or doing any thing which the careful 
 florist would entrust to his youthful 
 assistant. 
 
 To encourage in him a love of 
 these pursuits, when he had attained 
 his eighth year a spot of ground 
 was set apa^t, and distinguished by 
 the name of " Charles's Garden." The 
 little naturalist was greatly delighted 
 with this acquisition. He resolved 
 to bring into his Lilliputian territory 
 every variety of flower within his 
 reach, and began to explore the 
 neighbouring fields and woods in 
 search of supplies. Many a prize did 
 he find in these sylvan retreats, and 
 often did he return home laden with 
 treasures, and as happy in the discove- 
 ries he had made, as though they had 
 
20 
 
 been of far greater value. Many of 
 the wild plants, thus introduced to a 
 richly-cultivated soil, spread and mul- 
 tiplied, and added so much to the 
 labour of the gardener, that his fa- 
 ther was obliged, at length, to set 
 some bounds to the practice. But 
 not content with the stores of the 
 vegetable kingdom, the* adventurous 
 youth began to seize on the insect 
 tribe; and having succeeded in tak- 
 ing prisoners some wasps and wild 
 bees, he brought them home to colo- 
 nize his garden. The new inmates 
 found themselves in a land flowing 
 with milk and honey, and soon made 
 desperate attacks on the hives of the 
 domesticated bees; and, like the Goths 
 and Vandals invading the nations of 
 civilized Europe, of which you were 
 reading last winter, threatened to de- 
 
21 
 
 stroy the inhabitants, and lay waste 
 the possessions of these little mo- 
 narchies. Poor Charles was severely 
 reprimanded for this inconsiderate 
 deed, and bound over to abstain from 
 such proceedings in future. Mean- 
 time, he continued to roam through 
 field and wood; and while he added 
 to his little fund of knowledge, by 
 the observations he made on the 
 flowers and insects collected in his 
 rambles, he deepened in his heart 
 that enthusiastic love of nature, which 
 was his marked characteristic through 
 life. 
 
 I flatter myself, Henry, that you 
 begin to feel some interest in Lin- 
 naeus; and that you even wish you 
 could climb Hartwell cliff or explore 
 Deerhurst wood with the young ad- 
 venturer. 
 
22 
 
 Good bye, my dear boy : I am 
 limited for time; besides, I cannot 
 proceed further, until you tell me 
 whether you wish to hear more of my 
 hero. 
 
 Your affectionate Father, 
 
 C.V. 
 
23 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 My dear Henry, 
 
 Since you-tell me that 
 you have added Linnaeus to your 
 list of friends, and are resolved that 
 he shall be the companion of your 
 future rambles, I feel happy to have 
 it in my power to promote the growth 
 of your acquaintance, without fur- 
 ther delay. We left him busy in cul- 
 tivating his little garden, and roam- 
 ing in search of flowers and insects. 
 He could not have found a mode of life 
 better suited to his age and to his ac- 
 tive propensities, or better calculated to 
 
gratify the inclinations of his enquir- 
 ing mind. His father promoted these 
 pursuits, as tending to keep the boy 
 in health by the exercise they in- 
 duced him to take. He considered 
 them too as safe and innocent diver- 
 sions, which would not interfere with 
 the acquisition of knowledge on other 
 subjects more important to him in 
 the profession for which he was in- 
 tended. The parents of Linnaeus 
 had determined that their son should 
 be a clergyman. His father laid the 
 foundation of his education, by in- 
 structing him in the elements of the 
 Latin tongue, geography, &c. He 
 had now nearly completed his tenth 
 year, and his paternal instructor saw 
 the necessity of adopting a more sys- 
 tematic course of study. He resolved, 
 for this purpose, to send him to the 
 
25 
 
 grammar-school in the adjacent town 
 of Wexicoe. 
 
 " In 1717, Charles parted from his 
 parents, and his garden, and all his 
 favourite haunts in field and wood, 
 and set out for Wexicoe, where he 
 was entered as a scholar. He did 
 not, in this new situation, relinquish 
 his former pursuits : on the contrary, 
 he devoted to them every interval 
 which could be obtained from his 
 school-studies. On holidays, no pupil 
 was found so little at home as Lin- 
 naeus. In fact, since the truth must 
 be told, he took more delight in ga- 
 thering and examining plants, than 
 in learning his phraseology or writing 
 his themes. Fortunately for him, 
 the rector of the school, whose name 
 was Lanmerius, was a lover of bo- 
 
 D 
 
26 
 
 tany : he soon observed the talents 
 exhibited by the young Linnaeus ; and 
 while Charles's schoolfellows consi- 
 dered him a vagabond truant, who 
 wasted his time in idle wanderings 
 and useless occupations, the rector 
 formed a high and well-founded 
 opinion of his genius and merits. 
 In this manner he passed seven years. 
 During this period he had out-strip- 
 ped all his companions as a botanist 
 and naturalist, but, unfortunately, he 
 had made little proficiency in some 
 of those studies which were intended 
 to qualify him for the sacred calling. 
 
 In his seventeenth year he left 
 the grammar-school, and was received 
 in the superior college at Wexicoe. 
 Here the deficiencies, before alluded 
 to, became more obvious; and the 
 slowness of his progress at length 
 
27 
 
 induced some of the professors to 
 complain of him to his father, and 
 to send him home with unfavourable 
 testimonials. His parents were over- 
 whelmed with sorrow and disap- 
 pointment. Linnaeus, with filial obe- 
 dience, professed his readiness to 
 pursue the study of divinity, if they 
 still desired it; but, at the same 
 time, avowed his disinclination, and 
 total unfitness for the sacred office. 
 They thought it in vain to press the 
 point further; and since their son 
 could not become a minister, they 
 saw no resource but to apprentice 
 him to some useful trade, that he 
 might at least have the means of pro- 
 curing a livelihood, which they be- 
 lieved the study of natural history 
 would never secure him. And now, 
 Henry, imagine the poor youth re- 
 
28 
 
 ceiving the final decision of his pa- 
 rents to bind him apprentice to 
 
 what trade, think you ? Alas ! to 
 that of a cobbler ! It was, indeed, an 
 honest calling. But only think of 
 the young naturalist, exchanging his 
 wild wanderings for close confine- 
 ment to a cobbler's stall; and the 
 fragrance of flowers, for the perfume 
 of shoemaker's wax. 
 
 From this sad predicament he 
 was rescued by the kindness of Dr. 
 John Roth man, professor of medicine 
 in 'the college of Wexicoe. This 
 gentleman had been early attracted 
 by the unusual degree of penetration 
 and knowledge evinced by Linneeus ; 
 and when he heard of his father's 
 determination to remove him from 
 college and bind him to a trade, he 
 hastened to prevent a measure so 
 
29 
 
 unfavourable to the happiness of his 
 young favourite, and so ill suited to 
 his talents. He addressed himself to 
 the father, setting forth his son's 
 diligence, and his peculiar qualifica- 
 tions for the study of physic and 
 botany. He entreated him to recon- 
 sider the subject, and not to exclude 
 his son from a profession, in which, 
 with his singular talents, he could 
 not fail of success. These encomi- 
 ums could not but be highly gratify- 
 ing to his parents, and probably con- 
 tributed, as much as the liberal offers 
 of Rothman, to incline them to adopt 
 his plan, This generous friend en- 
 forced his arguments by a proposition 
 too kind and well-timed to be refused. 
 He offered to receive the young 
 student into his own house, during 
 D 2 
 
30 
 
 the remainder of the scholastic term; 
 to provide him with every necessary; 
 and to instruct him himself in the 
 elements of medicine. His parents 
 at length gave their consent. With 
 great reluctance they had relinquish- 
 ed the fondly-cherished hope of see- 
 ing Charles in the church ; and en- 
 deavoured to console themselves, by 
 dedicating their second son, Samuel, 
 now in his seventh year, to the sa- 
 cred office. But Samuel soon began 
 to follow the example of his brother, 
 and to show that he preferred flowers 
 to books of divinity. Alarmed at 
 these symptoms, and fearing lest the 
 love of nature should again interfere 
 with her wishes, his mother sought 
 to suppress the rising inclination ; and 
 for this end, forbade his gathering 
 flowers, or even entering the garden. 
 
ai 
 
 She could not, however, eradicate a 
 propensity so deeply implanted in his 
 breast. Although he finally entered 
 the church, and, after the death of 
 his father, succeeded to his living, 
 natural history continued to be his 
 favourite pursuit, and in one branch 
 of it he became eminent as an au- 
 thor. He published a work on bees, 
 which was much approved, and which 
 procured for him the appellation of 
 Bi-kung, or king of the bees. To 
 return to his illustrious brother. 
 
 He found in the house of Roth- 
 man such advantages as he had never 
 before enjoyed. Hitherto, his only 
 opportunities for procuring know- 
 ledge on the subjects which peculiarly 
 attracted his attention, were the 
 short intervals stolen from other em- 
 ployments, and secretly devoted to 
 
his favourite study. Now he was at 
 liberty to pursue his career, unfetter- 
 ed by other engagements. In addi- 
 tion to the college routine, Rothman 
 gave him instructions in private ; and 
 facilitated his progress still more, by 
 allowing him the use of his well-fur- 
 nished library, where he found inex- 
 haustible resources. The works of 
 naturalists and men of science, were, 
 to the ardent mind of young Lin- 
 naeus, as fountains of water springing 
 up in the desert. Joyfully did he 
 drink of the streams of knowledge 
 which they supplied ; and Rothman 
 soon saw his pupil rise far above all 
 his fellow-students in botanical re- 
 search. The further he advanced, 
 the more he was enamoured by the 
 charms of nature ; and both at Wexi- 
 coe, and at his father's residence, 
 
when the recess at college led him 
 there, he continued to add to his col- 
 lections of plants and insects. 
 
 In employments so consonant 
 with his inclination, three years pass- 
 ed swiftly away; and the time ap- 
 proached when he must separate 
 from his kind patron, and leave the 
 college of Wexicoe for the university. 
 He had much to regret, in quitting 
 the hospitable dwelling of Rothman ; 
 but pleasant prospects unfolded be- 
 fore him at the university, and with 
 the buoyant feelings of youthful hope 
 he set out for Lund. Of the two uni- 
 versities of Sweden, Upsal and Lund, 
 the limited fortune of the elder Lin- 
 naeus obliged him to fix on Lund. 
 He had there a friend and relative 
 in professor Humerus, who had pro- 
 mised his support and interest to the 
 
34 
 
 young student. It was with a slender 
 purse that Linnseus began his jour- 
 ney to Lund. It was not in the 
 power of his parents to advance 
 much for him ; and probably they 
 did not yet think so favourably of 
 his plans, as to be willing to pro- 
 mote them to the utmost of their 
 power. But if he had little money, 
 he had an inexhaustible store of spi- 
 rits and mental energy ; and his kins- 
 man, the professor, had promised to 
 be his supporter and patron. 
 
 Arrived at Lund, he hastened to 
 present himself to Humerus. But a 
 stunning blow awaited him : — his pro- 
 mised friend was no more, and the 
 last duties had just been paid to his 
 lifeless remains. Disconsolate and 
 distressed, he returned to his lodg- 
 ings, to lament over the downfal of 
 
35 
 
 his hopes. Alone in Lund, without 
 one person to lend him countenance 
 in the university, and with small 
 means of support, there was now 
 nothing further to depend on but 
 the industrious exertion of his own 
 talents; and he therefore prepared 
 himself to make every effort in his 
 power. Solitary and unfriended, he 
 entered on the prescribed course of 
 study. Soon, however, he attracted 
 the notice of Killian Stobbaeus, pro- 
 fessor of physic and botany in the 
 university. He was a learned and 
 scientific man, and his lectures proved 
 highly valuable to Linnaeus. The 
 professor observed the attention of 
 the young student; and, delighted to s 
 behold the rapid progress he made, 
 he began to take him more particu- 
 larly under his protection. At length 
 
36 
 
 he became acquainted with his indi- 
 gent condition, which indeed his ap- 
 pearance had led him to suspect. 
 Touched with the sorrows and diffi- 
 culties of his pupil, like the generous 
 Rothman, he offered him accommo- 
 dation in his family free of all ex- 
 pense. The proposition was thank- 
 fully accepted; and, with a heart 
 glowing with gratitude, he became 
 an inmate in the house of Stobbaeus. 
 Here all his love of science was fos- 
 tered. 
 
 It was now that he began to 
 keep a regular herbal: a plan, of 
 which he soon discovered the im- 
 portance. It induced him to be more 
 diligent in collecting flowers, and 
 more careful in examining their in- 
 ternal structure, on which he was here- 
 after to found his botanical system. 
 
37 
 
 tern. Many were the excursions he 
 made to enrich his herbal, and to 
 add to his collection from the animal 
 kingdom. In one of these expedi- 
 tions he was stung by a venomous 
 worm, not uncommon in Sweden, to 
 which he afterwards gave J;he name 
 of Furia lnfernalis. As he was far 
 in the country when the accident 
 happened, the poison affected his 
 whole frame before it was possible to 
 obtain medical aid. To such ex- 
 tremity was he reduced by its effects, 
 that his life was despaired of: but 
 the skill of Stobbaeus saved him. 
 This circumstance, instead of damp- 
 ing his courage, seemed rather to 
 serve as a stimulus to prosecute his 
 researches with increased ardour. 
 But it was to the vegetable world he 
 
 E 
 
was the most strongly attracted. In 
 the library of Stobbaeus he found 
 an extensive collection of botanical 
 works. Anxious to read them all, 
 and finding the day did not allow 
 him sufficient leisure, he procured 
 volume after volume by stealth, to 
 study them at night as long as the 
 light of his lamp lasted. Stobbaeus 
 by some means heard of his vigils; 
 and knowing that his young friend 
 was rather of a convivial turn, it oc- 
 curred to him that he might possi- 
 bly have been tempted to invite the 
 upper servants into his room to play 
 at cards. He determined to see for 
 himself; resolving to dissuade him 
 from so incorrect and ungentlemaniy 
 a practice. He accordingly entered 
 the apartment of Linnaeus at a very 
 late hour. But what was his sur- 
 
39 
 
 prise and delight, to find his young 
 friend, not surrounded by companions 
 unsuited to his education, but en- 
 trenched in the works of the greatest 
 botanists, such as Cesalpinus, Bau- 
 hines, Tournefort, &c. Charmed with 
 a discovery so satisfactory to his feel- 
 ings, he became more warmly at- 
 tached than ever to his pupil; and 
 treated him with increased liberality 
 and kindness. 
 
 But it is time I brought my letter 
 to a conclusion ; and as we leave our 
 hero in a home so much to his taste, 
 I am the more willing to do so. You 
 may expect to hear from me as soon 
 as I return from the journey which 
 your brother has told you we have 
 in contemplation. 
 
 Your ever affectionate Father, 
 
 C. V. 
 
40 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 My dear Boy, 
 
 If the difficulties with which 
 Linnaeus had to struggle, serve to 
 excite an additional feeling of inte- 
 rest towards him, I need not fear 
 that this feeling will decline at pre- 
 sent. We left him peaceably pursu- 
 ing his studies at Lund, under the 
 favourable auspices of professor Stob- 
 baeus. But Linnaeus was not one 
 who would rest contented in the lap 
 of luxury, when the hope of increas- 
 ing his knowledge called him to other 
 scenes. The university of Upsal fur- 
 
41 
 
 nished him with such an inducement 
 to quit Lund and his kind protector 
 there. He was well aware that in 
 going thither he should draw upon 
 himself a complete reverse of cir- 
 cumstances ; and had every reason to 
 suppose, that he should find himself 
 in nearly as destitute a condition as 
 he had done at Lund during his 
 early attendance on the university. 
 But every objection of this kind gave 
 way to his love of study : and having 
 obtained the consent of his parents, 
 he took his departure from Lund, 
 and reached Upsal in the autumn of 
 1728; being then little more than 
 one and twenty years of age. 
 
 His intellectual stores were in- 
 creased ; but he entered Upsal, as he 
 had entered Lund, with a purse 
 e 2 
 
42 
 
 scantily filled, and with little skill in 
 the management of his contracted 
 finances. He commenced his studies, 
 however, with great energy; and gave 
 himself little anxiety about the means 
 of support. The professors' under 
 whom he was to study were Olaus 
 Rudbeck, and Roberg, both old men. 
 This circumstance, which at first 
 seemed unfavourable for him, proved 
 advantageous in several instances, as 
 you will hereafter see. But for the 
 present, clouds and darkness seemed 
 to rest on his path. 
 
 " Ah ! who can tell how hard it is to climb 
 
 The steep where Fame's proud temple shines 
 afar? 
 Ah ! who can tell how many a soul sublime 
 Has felt the influence of malignant star; 
 And wag'd with fortune an eternal war?" 
 
 The greatest naturalist and bo- 
 tanist in Sweden at that time was 
 
43 
 
 Olaus Celsius; first professor of di- 
 vinity, and afterwards head of the 
 chapter of Upsal. Linnaeus had 
 hoped to gain much from the learn- 
 ing and experience of this great man. 
 In this he was at first completely 
 disappointed, as, on arriving at Up- 
 sal, he found that Celsius had been 
 called to Stockholm on official busi- 
 ness. Ardent and indefatigable as 
 ever, but growing poorer every day, 
 he passed a year in close study. At 
 the expiration of that period he found 
 himself reduced to a deplorable state 
 of poverty : all his money was ex- 
 pended ; he had no hope of a supply 
 from home ; nor had he any cheering 
 prospect of future support, to mitigate 
 the feeling of present misery. He 
 found some relief from his distress in 
 the kindness of his fellow-students, to 
 
44 
 
 whose tables he was occasionally in- 
 vited. Yet even with the assistance 
 of this casual benevolence, it was not 
 without difficulty that he procured 
 from day to day the mere necessaries 
 of life. The deficiencies of his ward- 
 robe were supplied by the cast-off 
 clothes of his more fortunate com- 
 panions. So great was his poverty, 
 that he could not even purchase a 
 pair of shoes, and was compelled to 
 patch those which were given him by 
 his acquaintance, with pieces of card 
 stitched in with thread made from 
 the fibres of the bark of trees, in or- 
 der to enable himself to go out and 
 collect plants : thus putting in prac- 
 tice a branch of the very trade to 
 which his father had proposed to 
 bind him. 
 
 Imagine him, Henry, in this pre- 
 
45 
 
 dicament; scantily supplied with food 
 and clothing ; uncertain even where 
 to-morrow's meal might be found. 
 He does not fold his hands and sit 
 down to sigh over his sorrows. He 
 was too much in earnest in the course 
 he had traced out for himself, to be 
 checked by the first obstacles he met 
 with ; nor could 
 
 " Chill penury repress the noble rage, 
 Nor freeze the genial current of his soul." 
 
 In the midst of these depressing 
 circumstances, he continued his daily 
 researches, and his nightly studies, 
 with unremitted ardour. He had 
 long suspected that the botanical the- 
 ory which then prevailed was very in- 
 correct and unscientific; and, con- 
 firmed in this opinion by every ob- 
 servation he made, he revolved in 
 
46 
 
 secret that new plan of botanical ar- 
 rangement which was to displace the 
 long-established system, and form an 
 era in the science of natural history. 
 " Methinks," says a Swedish writer, 
 " Linnaeus saw Flora in all her beau- 
 ties, on a throne ; he saw her holding 
 forth a wreath to crown his head. 
 All nature in her magnificence bade 
 him draw nearer ; but he saw the 
 whole, as it were at an immense dis- 
 tance. He was obliged to penetrate 
 the labyrinth of Daedalus, to seek 
 the thread which could guide him to 
 the right path, through so many wan- 
 derings." 
 
 It was indeed a labyrinth he had 
 to tread, both as it regarded his out- 
 ward affairs, and the difficulties and 
 intricacies with which the errors of 
 those who had preceded him had 
 
47 
 
 surrounded his favourite science. A 
 less ardent mind might have sunk 
 under the weight of so many oppos- 
 ing circumstances; but he marched 
 firmly on, though not insensible to 
 the roughness of his path. He felt 
 his trials keenly, whilst he^aore them 
 manfully ; and when in a more pros- 
 perous period of his life, twelve years 
 afterwards, he entered on the office 
 of professor, in his installation-speech 
 he returned public thanks to the Al- 
 mighty for having so wonderfully 
 supported him under all his difficul- 
 ties, and eventually relieved him from 
 their pressure. 
 
 His poverty and distress had risen 
 to the greatest height, when once 
 more the scene brightened. Celsius, 
 whose acquaintance and patronage he 
 so much desired, returned from Stock- 
 
48 
 
 holm. He soon came to the botanic 
 garden. Linnaeus was there ; and 
 Celsius, hearing him describe the 
 plants with peculiar accuracy and in- 
 telligence, entered into conversation 
 with him, and quickly discovered 
 that the young stranger had exam- 
 ined the subject with no common de- 
 gree of care and attention. Pleased 
 with what he had seen and heard, he 
 made further enquiries about him ; 
 and soon became acquainted with his 
 merits, and with his distresses also. 
 And now another kindly heart was 
 warmed in his favour ; and Celsius, 
 as Rothman and Stobbaeus had done 
 before, offered him an asylum in his 
 house, where he might pursue his 
 studies free of expense. Here, as in 
 the former instances, he found a well- 
 stored library, and a kind and intelli- 
 
49 
 
 gent host willing and able to assist 
 him in all his researches. He had, 
 at the same time, the gratification of 
 making himself useful to his patron, 
 by the help he gave him in preparing 
 for the press a work on the trees and 
 plants mentioned in the Scriptures, on 
 which he had been for some time en- 
 gaged. Celsius treated his inmate 
 with the tenderness and indulgence 
 of a parent; and of ail the benefac- 
 tors of Linnaeus, there was not one 
 on whose kindness he dwelt with 
 such fond and grateful affection. In- 
 deed, kindness so well timed, succeed- 
 ing to so much neglect and misery, 
 must have been to the heart of Lin- 
 naeus like the oil and wine of the 
 good Samaritan. 
 
 It is difficult to ascertain how long 
 
 F 
 
50 
 
 he remained with Celsius ; but pro- 
 bably until a more eligible offer was 
 made him, arising out of the follow- 
 ing circumstances. In the summer 
 of 1730, Linnaeus composed a little 
 treatise on the subject of his favourite 
 study, which, though only in manu- 
 script, attracted considerable atten- 
 tion in the university. Olaus Rud- 
 beck, then professor of botany, heard 
 of this treatise; and, having obtained 
 a sight of it, was struck with the 
 acuteness of observation it exhibited. 
 A more intimate acquaintance with 
 the character and attainments of the 
 writer confirmed him in the high 
 opinion he had formed of the young 
 student, and determined him to take 
 him under his immediate patronage. 
 He received him into his house ; he 
 advanced him in his academical 
 
51 
 
 course ; and chose him as his assistant 
 lecturer in the botanic gardens: an 
 office which, at the advanced age of 
 seventy, he found too laborious to dis- 
 charge alone. It was no slight honour 
 for a young man of thre^-and-twenty, 
 to be selected as the representative of a 
 venerable professor. He filled his new 
 office with great approbation. The 
 novelty of his ideas, and his animated 
 style of lecturing, charmed all his 
 hearers; and the applause he met 
 with produced its effect in stimulat- 
 ing to yet greater industry and exer- 
 tion. Meanwhile, his plan for reform- 
 ing the botanical system was silently 
 advancing; and he wrote several 
 treatises on the classes and genera of 
 plants, which at a later period were 
 published, and served to diffuse his 
 opinions more widely. 
 
52 
 
 His talents were now justly appre- 
 ciated by those around him. In the 
 year succeeding that in which he be- 
 came lecturer to Rudbeck, he was 
 chosen by a literary society at Upsal 
 to make a tour of philosophical en- 
 quiry in Lapland; a part of the 
 Swedish dominions which, until that 
 period, had never been explored by a 
 naturalist, Celsius and Rudbeck, 
 who were leading members of the 
 above-mentioned association, united 
 in recommending him as the most 
 suitable person for such an under- 
 taking. 
 
 And now, Henry, I suppose you 
 picture to yourself our hero, much 
 delighted with the prospect of an 
 expedition, which was to give him an 
 opportunity to pursue his researches 
 in a country hitherto little visited. 
 
53 
 
 A tour in Lapland, however, under 
 the circumstances in which Lin- 
 naeus undertook it, would have pre- 
 sented little temptation to a less 
 adventurous mind. The perils of the 
 Lulean desert were neither few nor 
 trifling; and the sum provided to de- 
 fray the expenses of the journey, af- 
 forded no means of solacing the diffi- 
 culties of the traveller by indulgences. 
 The purse presented him for this 
 purpose, by the society whose mission 
 he was to execute, contained no more 
 than one hundred Swedish platens, 
 or £7. 10s. at the utmost. With 
 this sum he traversed a wilderness 
 region for six months; and even 
 economized so well as to secure from 
 it enough to purchase a complete fur- 
 dress. He accepted the proposition 
 F 2 
 
54 
 
 of the society, in the autumn of 1731; 
 but as it was vain to think of com- 
 mencing a journey in the Siberia of his 
 country before the approach of spring, 
 he passed the winter in making prepa- 
 rations, and in visiting his friends at 
 Lund, and his parents, who were 
 now reconciled to his views, and ap- 
 proved of his plans. This journey 
 will furnish a subject for my next 
 letter, which you may expect shortly. 
 
 In the mean time, whenever the 
 map of Sweden meets your eye, it 
 may serve to remind you at once of 
 the " Swedish sage," and of 
 
 ' Your affectionate Father, 
 
 C.V. 
 
55 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Now then, my dear boy, 
 we will set out on our Lapland tour; 
 but we must not allow it to take up 
 a great deal of time, as much of our 
 hero's history still remains untold. 
 Linnaeus has described the whole of 
 his equipments for this journey with 
 much amusing minuteness of detail; 
 but whether from a spirit of dandyism, 
 you must judge from the description of 
 this singular travelling costume. He 
 wore a light coat of linsey-woolsey, 
 lined with red shalloon, having a 
 collar and cuffs of shag ; leather 
 
56 
 
 breeches, a round wig, a green lea- 
 ther cap, and a pair of half-boots. 
 He had a hanger at his side ; and he 
 carried, besides, a small fowling- 
 piece, and an octangular stick, gradu- 
 ated for the purpose of measuring. 
 His luggage was contained in a small 
 leathern bag; and consisted of the 
 following articles : one shirt, two 
 half-shirts, two pair of false sleeves, an 
 inkstand, pen-case, microscope, and 
 spying-glass ; a gauze cap, to protect 
 him from gnats ; a comb ; a parcel of 
 paper, stitched together for drying 
 plants; his journal, and two or three 
 other manuscripts. 
 
 You will not admire his taste in 
 dress, I dare say ; but you cannot fail 
 to be pleased with the cheerfulness 
 with which he enters on his tour, 
 though so slenderly provided with 
 
57 
 
 the means of prosecuting it with 
 ease and convenience. With his 
 usual mental energy and light-heart- 
 edness of feeling, he sets forth, com- 
 mencing the first day's record of his 
 journal in the following words, which 
 are written in so pleasant and cha- 
 racteristic a style, that I cannot with- 
 hold them from you without injustice 
 to the writer. " I set out alone from 
 the city of Upsal, on Friday, May 
 12th, 1732, at eleven o'clock, being 
 at that time within half a day of 
 five-and-twenty years of age. At 
 this season, Nature wore her most 
 cheerful and delightful aspect; and 
 Flora celebrated her nuptials with 
 Phoebus. 
 
 4 Omnia vere vigent et veris tempore florent, 
 Et totus fervet Veneris dulcedine mundus. 
 
 ' Spring clothes the fields and decks the flow'ry 
 
 grove, 
 And all creation glows with life and love. 1 
 
58 
 
 " Now the ^winter-corn was half a 
 foot in height, and the barley had 
 just shot out its blade. The birch, 
 the elm, and the aspen-tree began to 
 put forth their leaves. The lark was 
 my companion all the way, flying 
 before me quavering in the air." 
 
 Thus gay as the bird whose song 
 cheered his path, the traveller passed 
 on ; now charmed with the scenery, 
 and now delighted by the discovery 
 of some rare plant or insect. In 
 order to economize as much as pos- 
 ble, he travelled alone, except where 
 the intricacies and difficulties of the 
 road made it necessary to have a 
 guide. As he penetrated into the 
 forest district, and approached the 
 Lapland Alps, he found his course 
 impeded by the thick growth of trees, 
 whose intermingled branches present- 
 
59 
 
 ed a barrier, rendered yet more for- 
 midable by the prostrate trunks of the 
 largest pine-trees, which recent storms 
 had brought to the ground. Besides 
 this, the country was ititersected in 
 every direction by streams, now great- 
 ly swollen, which were to be crossed, 
 almost at the peril of life, from the 
 ruinous state of the bridges. Some- 
 times he had recourse to riding on 
 horseback ; but, unfortunately, the 
 steed was often as ill-conditioned as 
 the road : a meagre stumbling animal, 
 accoutred with an un stuffed saddle, 
 and no bridle ; the place of this last 
 article being supplied by a rope, 
 which was fastened round the under 
 jaw. 
 
 He had reached the southernmost 
 province of Lapland, called Umea 
 Lapmark, by the end of May ; but 
 
60 
 
 the tardy spring had not yet visited 
 that remote district. Every one ex- 
 horted him not to persist in prose- 
 cuting his journey. He was told it 
 was impossible to proceed far in the 
 tract of country to which his course 
 was directed, whilst the roads were 
 inundated, and the rivers swollen by 
 the melting of the winter's snows, as 
 they always are during the summer 
 months. Linnaeus, however, was not 
 to be discouraged ; and having waited 
 awhile for more favourable weather, 
 he recommenced his wanderings. 
 A few solitary huts scattered over a 
 wide district, were all the human 
 habitations he was likely to meet 
 with. These were inhabited by a 
 race of poor but contented peasants, 
 who are generally kind and hospit- 
 able. Linnaeus esteemed himself 
 
61 
 
 happy if> after a day of fatigoe and 
 exhaustion, he could reach one of 
 their dwellings, and obtain food and 
 shelter for the night, ^though both 
 were of the humblest description. 
 The huts were usually filled with 
 smoke, excessively filthy, scented with 
 fish, and infested with tormenting 
 insects. The food chiefly consisted 
 of fish, and rein-deer's milk in vari- 
 ous forms : bread was a luxury rarely 
 to be met with. Ten years after- 
 wards, alluding to this journey, in a 
 speech he delivered before the uni- 
 versity, he protested that he had un- 
 dergone more danger and privation 
 in that solitary expedition to the 
 northern frontier of his native land, 
 than in all his subsequent travels in 
 foreign countries. 
 
 G 
 
62 
 
 I have omitted to mention one ac- 
 commodation to which he had re- 
 course, in the use of a boat wher- 
 ever the rivers were navigable. The 
 natives, an active and hardy race, 
 glide down their streams in small 
 light boats, until they reach a part 
 where their course is interrupted by 
 rocks or falls, or where the rapidity 
 of the stream renders it unsafe to pro- 
 ceed. When the Laplander reaches 
 such a spot, he lands, drags the 
 little vessel to shore, and placing the 
 two oars longitudinally, so as to cross 
 the seat, turns it bottom upwards 
 over his head ; the oars resting on 
 his arms, and enabling him to carry it 
 steadily. Thus equipped, he marches 
 over hill and dale at a swift pace, 
 apparently quite unencumbered by 
 the burden. Whenever it was ne- 
 
63 
 
 cessary for the guide to adopt this 
 plan, Linnieus was of course obliged 
 to take charge of his own luggage, 
 which, light as it was, added to his 
 toils. It should be recollected, too, 
 that he was in a country where the 
 protracted day-light tempts the tra- 
 veller to proceed on his journey 
 through many hours of the night, as 
 well as the day, until his declining 
 strength warns him to pursue more 
 prudent measures*. 
 
 * The light of what is termed the " mid- 
 night sun/' in countries approaching the North 
 Pole, new and delightful as it is to the more 
 southern traveller, often induces him to con- 
 tinue his journey through the night, till he 
 adds to the usual fatigues of travelling, ex- 
 haustion from want of proper rest. Dr. Clarke 
 has given an animated description of the en- 
 thusiasm with which himself and his fellow- 
 
64 
 
 After himself and his guide had 
 passed some days and greater part of 
 the night, traversing on foot the worst 
 
 traveller gave themselves up to the enjoyment 
 of this protracted day-light, in those very dis- 
 tricts through which Linnseus passed. They 
 could not resist the pleasure of travelling on, 
 night after night, beneath a light so new and 
 beautiful, until they began to feel the painful 
 consequences of over-exertion, added to the 
 oppressive effects of continued day-light on 
 their eyes. " It could not be called twilight," 
 observes Dr. C. " it was rather the glare of 
 noon; being reflected so strongly from the 
 walls and houses, that it was painful to our 
 eyes; and we began to perceive, what we had 
 never felt before, that darkness is one of those 
 benevolent gifts of Providence, the value of 
 which, as conducive to repose, we only become 
 sensible of it when it ceases altogether to re- 
 turn. There were no shutters to the windows ; 
 and the continued blaze which surrounded us 
 
65 
 
 roads imaginable, and wading through 
 marshes often in the midst of violent 
 storms of wind and rain, they found 
 themselves, early one morning, on 
 firm ground once more ; Uut with no 
 human habitation in view, nor any 
 track by which they might direct 
 their course. They kindled a fire; 
 
 we would gladly have dispensed with, if it had 
 been possible. When we closed our eyes, they 
 seemed to be still open: we even bound over 
 our handkerchiefs; but a remaining impression 
 of brightness, like a shining light, wearied and 
 oppressed them. To this inconvenience we 
 were afterwards more exposed; and although 
 use rendered us somewhat less affected by it, 
 it was an evil of which we all complained; and 
 we hailed the returning gloom of autumn as 
 a blessing and a comfort." 
 
 Dr. Clarke's Travels in Scandinavia. 
 G 2 
 
66 
 
 and Linnaeus, perfectly exhausted by 
 fatigue, after wringing some of the 
 wet from his garments, lay down, 
 hoping to obtain some refreshing re- 
 pose; but the gnats, which are par- 
 ticularly tormenting in that country, 
 and the cold north wind which blew 
 around him, chased sleep from his 
 eyes. Meantime, his more hardy 
 companion went in search of another 
 guide ; and the traveller left alone, 
 dispirited and exhausted in this deso- 
 late region, began to lament that he 
 had ever commenced a journey si) 
 hazardous and toilsome. He even 
 thought it probable that his former 
 companion, unable to retrace his steps 
 exactly, might never find him ; and 
 in this case he must expire from 
 fatigue and want of food, and ina- 
 bility to proceed alone in search of a 
 human dwelling. 
 
67 
 
 At length, however, his guide re- 
 turned, and with him a most extraor- 
 dinary-looking person, whose appear- 
 ance was such, that he was at first 
 doubtful whether it was-man or wo- 
 man he beheld. It was in fact a 
 woman of most unprepossessing as- 
 pect. She was very diminutive in 
 stature ; her face and neck were so 
 shrivelled and embrowned, by living 
 constantly in the smoke of a Lapland 
 hut, as to resemble the skin of a toad 
 rather than that of a human being; 
 the hue of her dark sparkling eyes 
 seemed deepened by the shade of her 
 black eye-brows ; and her long black 
 hair hung in loose and wild confusion 
 about her face. On her head she 
 wore a flat red cap: a kind of tippet, 
 two grey jackets, a petticoat of the 
 same colour, fastened by a girdle 
 
68 
 
 round the waist, and a pair of half* 
 boots, completed her costume. But 
 if this untutored daughter of the 
 Lapland wilderness had nothing in 
 her appearance to attract admiration, 
 she possessed a kindly heart, and was 
 touched with compassion at the for- 
 lorn appearance of the traveller. 
 " Oh ! thou poor man !" she exclaim- 
 ed, " what hard destiny can have 
 brought thee hither, to a place never 
 visited by any one before ? This is 
 the first time I ever beheld a stranger. 
 Thou miserable creature! how didst 
 thou come, and whither wilt thou 
 go?" He entreated her to direct 
 him how to contiuue his journey, 
 without returning by the perilous road 
 he had so recently passed. 
 
 " Nay, man," said she, u thou hast 
 only to go the same way back again ; 
 
69 
 
 for the river overflows so much, it is 
 not possible for thee to proceed fur- 
 ther in this direction. From us, 
 thou hast no assistance to expect in 
 the prosecution of thy^journey; as 
 my husband, who might have helped 
 thee, is ill. Thou mayst enquire for 
 our next neighbour, who lives about 
 a mile off, and, perhaps, if thou 
 shouldst meet with him, he may give 
 thee some assistance ; but I really 
 believe it will scarcely be in his 
 power." He enquired the distance to 
 Sorsele. " That we do not know," 
 she replied ; " but in the present 
 state of the roads, it must be at 
 least seven days' journey, as my hus- 
 band has informed me." 
 
 He was greatly in want of food ; 
 but she had nothing with her, except 
 a single fresh fish, as she called it 5 
 
70 
 
 which was literally alive with mag- 
 gots. The sight of it was so disgust- 
 ing to Linnaeus, as to take away all 
 desire to touch it. He asked if she 
 could not furnish him with some 
 dried rein-deers' tongues. She had 
 none. Had she no rein-deer cheese ? 
 " Yes, but it is a mile off," was the 
 discouraging answer. " If it were 
 here, would you allow me to buy 
 some?" he enquired ; knowing that 
 their very scanty supply of food made 
 them sometimes unwilling to part 
 with any, even at a high price. The 
 good woman replied, u I have no de- 
 sire that thou shouldst die in my 
 country for want of food." 
 
 She then undertook to show them 
 a path, by which they might avoid 
 some part of the road they had passed 
 in coming ; and having led them to 
 
71 
 
 her hut in the forest, she sold them 
 one of the three cheeses she possessed. 
 They then took their leave of her, 
 and pursued their way ; Linnaeus in • 
 wardly resolving that heTnever would 
 again visit so deplorable a spot. In 
 the midst of the difficulties of his 
 route, the spirit of investigation did 
 not desert him ; and he continued to 
 make minute observations on birds, 
 insects, and flowers. And here I 
 must remind you, that, far from mag- 
 nifying the toils of the way, or dwell- 
 ing on passing inconveniences, the 
 joyous feelings of a heart gratefully 
 alive to every advantage, break out 
 continually in the simple journal 
 which he has left us of this tour. 
 
 On the 24th of June, a few weeks 
 after the above adventure, he writes : 
 " Midsummer Day. — Blessed be the 
 
72 
 
 Lord for the beauty of summer and 
 spring; and for what is here in 
 greater perfection than almost any- 
 where else in the world — the air, the 
 water, the verdure of the herbage, 
 and the song of birds." 
 
 In another place, after ascending 
 and descending some of the Lapland 
 alps, he says: " When we arrived at 
 the plains below, how grateful was 
 the transition from a chili and frozen 
 mountain to a warm and balmy val- 
 ley ! I sat down to regale myself 
 with strawberries. Instead of ice 
 and snow, I was surrounded with 
 vegetation in all its prime. Instead 
 of the blustering wind so lately ex- 
 perienced, soft gales wafted around 
 us the grateful scent of clover and 
 various other plants. In the earlier 
 part of my journey, I had experi- 
 
7 
 
 3 
 
 enced a long-continued spring, whose 
 steps I pursued as I ascended the 
 Lapland hills ; then unremitting win- 
 ter and eternal snow surrounded me : 
 summer at length was truly welcome. 
 Oh ! how most lovely of all is sum- 
 mer here !" 
 
 It was in speaking of this very 
 tour that he afterwards declared, 
 that, having once sustained the toils 
 of travelling, he buried in oblivion 
 all the dangers and difficulties he had 
 encountered, and considered the in- 
 valuable fruits he had reaped from 
 his excursion a full compensation for 
 every toil. 
 
 At Upsal he had chosen the motto, 
 Tantus amor Florum, (thus great 
 is the love of flowers,) and never did 
 
 H 
 
74 
 
 any body select for himself a more 
 appropriate one. 
 
 " Surely," says a Swedish writer, 
 " he must be a faithful lover of Flora, 
 who suffers so much in her service, 
 and is contented with a favourable 
 smile of his beloved one; as Linnaeus 
 was with a plant growing on the 
 brink of some steep waterfall, to 
 which he climbed at the peril of his 
 life ; or with some unknown moss, 
 concealed in profound caverns or 
 clefts of the ruck." 
 
 Having completed his tour, which 
 he extended to the alpine hills separat- 
 ing Norway from Sweden, and from 
 thence to the shores of the Frozen 
 Sea, he returned to Upsal in the au- 
 tumn. The object of the expedition 
 was found to be completely fulfilled. 
 
75 
 
 Although Lapland is a country 
 poor in plants, Linnseus discovered 
 upwards of a hundred, which were 
 either entirely unknown #r undescrib- 
 ed before. Birds and insects, like- 
 wise, were added to his list, and their 
 peculiarities minutely marked. At 
 the same time, the manners and cus- 
 toms of the people were recorded 
 with an accuracy before unknown. 
 The Royal Academy of Science re- 
 ceived his report very favourably, and 
 inserted it in the annals of their 
 transactions. As an additional proof 
 of their esteem, they enrolled him a 
 member of their body. Thus, some 
 increase of knowledge acquired in 
 his travels, and the honour of being 
 elected an academician, were the 
 only rewards he obtained. The ter- 
 mination of the tour brings my letter 
 
76 
 
 also to a conclusion. For the pre- 
 sent, therefore, I take my leave of 
 you ; and wishing you all success in 
 your botanical researches, 
 I am, as ever, 
 Your affectionate Father, 
 
 C.V. 
 
77 
 
 LETTER Y 
 
 My dear Henry, 
 
 The honours earned by 
 the naturalist in his late tour, raised 
 up a bitter enemy in a young student 
 of the name of Rosen : so truly does 
 envy follow merit. Linnseus had not 
 taken his degree, and was therefore 
 excluded by an old law of the uni- 
 versity from the advantage of deliver- 
 ing public lectures. This restriction 
 would not have been enforced in his 
 case, but for the unfriendly offices of 
 Rosen ; who, having been chosen ana- 
 H 2 
 
78 
 
 tomical and medical professor, looked 
 upon Linnaeus as a formidable rival, 
 and resolved to crush him if possible. 
 Unfortunately, he took his measures 
 so well, as to succeed in obtaining a 
 decree, forbidding the offending lec- 
 turer to proceed in his undertaking. 
 
 This stroke seemed, for a time, a 
 death-blow to the hopes of Linnaeus ; 
 as his only means of support was the 
 profit arising from his lectures. Borne 
 away by the violence of his feelings, 
 he followed Rosen, as he left the 
 senate-house after the decree had 
 passed, and drawing his sword, would 
 have run him through the body, had 
 not the by-standers interfered, and 
 wrested the weapon from the infuri- 
 ated student. This violent assault 
 was not likely to pass unnoticed ; 
 and Rosen laid a complaint against 
 
79 
 
 his rival, for so gross a violation of 
 the public peace. He was near ob- 
 taining a decree of proscription against 
 the offender, which would have pre- 
 vented his ever appearing again at 
 Upsal. The friends and protectors 
 of Linnaeus, with Celsius at their 
 head, warded off this blow, and he 
 was spared from any legal punish- 
 ment. His revengeful feelings, how- 
 ever, took such complete possession 
 of his mind, that he was for a long 
 time in a wretched state of mental 
 tumult. At length, awaking once at 
 midnight, he was suddenly struck 
 with horror and consternation, under 
 a sense of his sinfulness in harbour- 
 ing these wrathful and malevolent 
 passions in his heart; and he proved 
 the sincerity of his repentance by 
 
80 
 
 seeking to overcome them, and by 
 abandoning his vindictive projects. 
 
 The tempest of his mind was hap- 
 pily calmed, but his external circum- 
 stances were as unpromising as ever. 
 He was, as we before observed, un- 
 able to proceed in lecturing, unless 
 he first obtained a degree. This 
 could not be done, without incurring 
 expenses such as his slender means 
 would not allow him to risk. His 
 friends endeavoured to obtain for 
 him an office in the university of 
 Lund, from which he might derive 
 some emolument ; but their efforts in 
 his favour failed of success. His 
 case now seemed almost hopeless: 
 indeed, there appeared no way of 
 extricating himself. But the ardour 
 of his mind and the buoyancy of his 
 spirits did not forsake him. He met 
 
81 
 
 his difficulties without murmuring or 
 dismay, and still looked forward 
 hopefully to brighter days. Many of 
 his former pupils witnessed his trials 
 with concern ; and the patience and 
 fortitude with which he bore them, 
 raised him yet higher in their esteem. 
 Affairs had remained in this state 
 some months, when several of these 
 young men resolved to make a mine- 
 ralogical excursion in the mountain- 
 ous districts of the kingdom; and 
 invited Linngeus to become their 
 guide and instructor. You may be- 
 lieve it was no unwelcome proposition 
 to him. A scientific tour, in com- 
 pany with those who had learned to 
 love and esteem him, could not fail to 
 be very agreeable ; at the same time 
 that the temporary assistance it af- 
 
82 
 
 forded him, in a pecuniary point of 
 view, was worth his consideration. 
 
 They travelled together into Dale- 
 cariia. At Fahlun, the capital of 
 that province, they were introduced 
 to baron Reuterholm. This noble- 
 man was governor of the province, 
 and director of the rich copper-mines 
 in that neighbourhood. He was pas- 
 sionately fond of the study of natural 
 history ; and occupied his leisure in 
 scientific researches. He was struck 
 at once with the uncommon talents 
 of Linnaeus ; and the acquaintance 
 thus begun, ripened into a warm 
 friendship, which became the source 
 of important events in after-life. 
 
 He seems to have waited but a 
 short time, after fulfilling his engage- 
 ment with his Upsai friends, before 
 this new friend furnished him with 
 
83 
 
 employment. The baron had two 
 sons, whom he was desirous to send 
 on a scientific tour, to explore the 
 mines in Norway, as well as to 
 make themselves thoroughly acquaint- 
 ed with those in the province of Dale- 
 carlia. He fixed on Linnaeus as their 
 travelling tutor. Several other young 
 men joined the party ; and they had 
 a pleasant and interesting journey. 
 Each of the young travellers fixed on 
 some particular branch of mineralogi- 
 cal knowledge, which he was more 
 especially to study ; and they all re- 
 turned home, highly satisfied with 
 their expedition and with the in- 
 formation they had obtained. 
 
 This tour completed, Linnseus had 
 again to consider what plan he should 
 adopt. At Upsal, it was quite cer- 
 tain he could not succeed under ex- 
 
84 
 
 isting circumstances ; he therefore de- 
 termined to fix himself for a time at 
 Fahlun, Here he took pupils, and 
 delivered lectures. He had a suffi- 
 cient number of pupils to answer his 
 present purpose ; and his lectures at- 
 tracted much attention, especially 
 those on mineralogy : the mines in the 
 neighbourhood rendering this subject 
 particularly interesting to the inha- 
 bitants. As yet, his labours did not 
 procure him any great increase of 
 wealth : but a little satisfied him ; 
 and here, as in other places, he ac- 
 quired fresh fame by his talents ; 
 while, by his good conduct and ami- 
 able manners, he added to the num- 
 ber of his friends. But amongst his 
 newly-formed acquaintance at Fah- 
 lun, there was one individual who 
 possessed more attractions for him 
 
85 
 
 than all others. This was a young 
 lady, the daughter of a physician of 
 the name of Morseus. In a letter to 
 his friend, the celebrated baron H al- 
 ter, he has detailed some of the cir- 
 cumstances of this connexion. 
 
 After informing his friend that he 
 had settled at Fahlun, and com- 
 menced lecturer, he proceeds : — " The 
 physician of that place passed for a 
 rich man : considering the poverty of 
 the province, he might justly be 
 deemed opulent. His name was 
 Moraeus, He was eminent for his 
 learning and skill: physic, especially 
 practical medicine, was the science 
 which he esteemed and preferred 
 above all others. He grew fond of 
 me : I visited him frequently, and 
 always met with an amicable recep- 
 i 
 
86 
 
 tion. He had two daughters. Sarah 
 Elizabeth, the eldest, was a beautiful 
 girl : a certain baron had paid his 
 addresses to her without success. I 
 saw her; was amazed, smitten, and 
 fell in love. My caresses and repre- 
 sentations won her heart. She pro- 
 mised her consent, and vowed to be 
 mine. But as a poor young man, I 
 was much perplexed to ask her of her 
 father. At last I ventured. Morbus 
 consented, and refused. He loved 
 me, but not my uncertain and ad- 
 verse fate. He finally declared that 
 his daughter should remain unmar- 
 ried three years longer, and at the 
 expiration of that time, he would 
 give his ultimate decision." 
 
 It appears that Morbus thought, 
 as the father of Linnaeus had done, 
 that botanical and mineralogical stu- 
 
87 
 
 dies were little likely to secure for- 
 tune, whatever fame might await the 
 student. He therefore advised him 
 to apply himself more completely to 
 the study of practical medicine, and 
 urged him to procure a doctor's de- 
 gree. Want of money rendered it 
 impossible for him to take the neces- 
 sary steps for securing this advan- 
 tage. He made every effort to save 
 a sum sufficient, from the profits his 
 pupils afforded him. But these were 
 so little beyond what was required to 
 supply his daily necessities, that it 
 would have been very long indeed 
 before he had economized enough; 
 and he must still have remained un- 
 able to go in search of his degree, 
 had he not been assisted by his Eliza- 
 beth. 
 
 Out of the stipend allowed her by 
 
88 
 
 her father, she economized so much 
 as to lay by a hundred dollars. This 
 sum she gave her lover, to aid him in 
 an undertaking in which they were 
 both so much interested. This, and 
 the fruits of his own labour, furnished 
 a stock, sufficiently limited indeed, 
 but large enough to justify his enter- 
 ing on the undertaking. At this 
 time, it was the custom of the 
 Swedes to travel into foreign coun- 
 tries to take their degrees. Holland 
 was the country most in repute with 
 medical students; and there the 
 Swedish physicians generally gradu- 
 ated. Among the Dutch universities, 
 that of Harderwyck was the least 
 expensive, and therefore best suited 
 to the straitened finances of Linnaeus. 
 The following spring, he set out on 
 his travels ; and after various adven- 
 
89 
 
 tures, reached Harderwyck ; where he 
 succeeded in obtaining a degree, in 
 June, 1735, being then in his twenty- 
 eighth year. ^ 
 
 His talents and acquirements ought 
 certainly to have secured him this 
 honour at a much earlier period. 
 The great business of his journey 
 w r as now completed ; but he was un- 
 willing to return home, without reap- 
 ing some further advantage from his 
 travels. From Harderwyck he passed 
 on to Leyden. Taking up his abode 
 there for some time, he formed an 
 acquaintance with many celebrated 
 scientific men ; and, encouraged by 
 their approbation of his views, pub- 
 lished his first work, the Systema 
 Natures. Among the advantages 
 arising from the publication of this 
 I 2 
 
90 
 
 volume, it served to draw on him 
 the notice of the great physician and 
 botanist, Boerhaave ; at that time so 
 celebrated a person, as to have re- 
 ceived a letter from China with this 
 address simply, " a l'illustre Boer- 
 haave, Medecin en Europe." So 
 numerous and important were the 
 visitors of various nations who sought 
 his acquaintance, that he had often 
 as crowded a levee as if he had 
 held a little court ; and ambassadors, 
 princes, and even so powerful a 
 monarch as Peter the Great, had been 
 obliged to wait several hours in his 
 antichamber before they could obtain 
 admittance. Linnaeus, therefore, es- 
 teemed himself particularly fortunate 
 when he received an invitation from 
 Boerhaave ; who, having read his 
 work, had become eager to make 
 
91 
 
 acquaintance with an author whose 
 views, on a subject he had long stu- 
 died, were so new and striking, 
 Linnaeus presented himself at the 
 hour appointed; and the conversa- 
 tion which followed raised him still 
 higher in the estimation of the vener- 
 able Boerhaave, who was delighted 
 with the talents and acquirements of 
 the young physician. 
 
 Tins introduction was productive of 
 most important consequences. Boer- 
 haave advised him not to quit Hol- 
 land ; assuring him that his talents 
 could not fail of receiving their due 
 reward in that country. Linnaeus, 
 however, found his little stock of 
 money reduced too low, to allow of 
 any prolonged stay. He proceeded, 
 therefore, to Amsterdam; intending 
 from thence to embark for Sweden, 
 
. 92 
 
 and by this means return home at the 
 least possible expense. But here the 
 friendship of Boerhaave came to his 
 aid. He had given Linnaeus a letter 
 of introduction to John Burman, pro- 
 fessor of botany at Amsterdam. This 
 secured to him a friendly reception 
 from Burman; who, on his part, was 
 as much pleased with the northern 
 student as his friend had been. He 
 was at that time overwhelmed with 
 business, and was particularly earnest 
 to complete a description of the 
 plants found in the island of Ceylon ; 
 a work which had for some time 
 been on his hands. He quickly per- 
 ceived how useful such an assistant 
 as Linnseus would be, in the prosecu- 
 tion of his undertaking. At the 
 conclusion of a long botanical con- 
 versation he said, " Will you help 
 
93 
 
 me in my Ceylon collection ? Will 
 you, and can you, stay at Amster- 
 dam ?" The traveller frankly con- 
 fessed that his poverty rendered a 
 long residence in Amsterdam impos- 
 sible, however agreeable it might be 
 to his inclinations; and that he was 
 under the necessity of proceeding 
 home with as little delay, and at as 
 little expense, as possible. This diffi- 
 culty Burman instantly removed, by 
 assuring him that, if he consented to 
 stay, he would gladly receive him as 
 an inmate in his house, free of all 
 charge. 
 
 As he had no settled plans, or cer- 
 tain prospects of success in Sweden, 
 it seemed advisable to accept the 
 present offer; since it might here- 
 after lead to something more eligible. 
 His situation at Burman's gave him 
 
94 
 
 valuable opportunities of increasing 
 his knowledge; and under the roof 
 of his new friend, occupied with pur- 
 suits so congenial to his taste, the 
 winter season glided pleasantly and 
 rapidly away. On the approach of 
 spring, he was again on the point of 
 setting out for Sweden, when the 
 kindness of Boerhaave once more in- 
 terposed, and prevented his return 
 home by recommending him to ano- 
 ther patron. 
 
 The Dutch merchants and burgo- 
 masters had long been remarkable 
 for their love of gardening, and for 
 the large v sums they expended on rare 
 plants. Among these munificent dis- 
 ciples of Flora, was George Cliffort, 
 burgomaster of Amsterdam, and one 
 of the directors of the East India 
 Company. His fortune was princely ; 
 
95 
 
 and his connexion with these traders 
 in the Eastern Ocean, gave him par- 
 ticular opportunities for obtaining 
 plants and other natural curiosities, 
 from the islands and continent of 
 Asia. In fact, he collected treasures 
 from all quarters of the globe, to fill 
 his museum and enrich his garden at 
 Hartecamp; a villa which he pos- 
 sessed near Haarlem. He spared no 
 expense in the purchase of these 
 valuable articles ; had succeeded in 
 making a very large collection of 
 plants and natural curiosities; and 
 now began to feel the necessity of 
 having some person to arrange them 
 in scientific order for him. 
 
 While uncertain on whom to fix, 
 he went one day to Leyden to visit 
 Boerhaave, who was his physician 
 and his friend. In the course of con- 
 
96 
 
 versaticm, Boerhaave said, " Shall I 
 give you some good advice ? You 
 have plenty of every thing: yet there 
 is one thing you want to render your 
 life happy. You are accustomed to 
 live high ; hence it is that you are 
 so frequently troubled with hypo- 
 chondriac complaints. You must 
 keep a physician of your own, to 
 prescribe and order your diet, and 
 to take daily care of your health : in 
 cases of a more serious nature, he 
 may consult me." 
 
 " Well proposed," replied ClifFort ; 
 " but where shall I find such a clever 
 and skilful man ?" 
 
 ■* This I shall make my own busi- 
 ness," said Boerhaave : " I know a 
 young Swede who is now at Amster- 
 dam ; he is the person I shall recom- 
 mend, as the best to answer your 
 
97 
 
 purpose. Besides, he is also an excel- 
 lent botanist; and he will arrange 
 your garden at Hartecamp.*' 
 
 Cliffort was delighted^ with this 
 plan : it seemed calculated to meet 
 all his wants and wishes. Burman 
 and Linnaeus were invited to Harte- 
 camp. The Swede more than equal- 
 led the expectations of Cliffort, who 
 was charmed with his new acquaint- 
 ance. Terms were soon proposed 
 and accepted ; and the spring of this 
 year saw Linnaeus established as an 
 inmate at Hartecamp, with a salary 
 of one thousand florins per annum. 
 This sum, though I believe you will 
 find it to be less than a hundred 
 pounds English money, was an in- 
 come far greater than he had ever 
 before enjoyed. He had accepted 
 
 K 
 
98 
 
 the offer with joy and gratitude; and 
 he found in his new situation every 
 advantage for the prosecution of his 
 own private studies, as well as for 
 the completion of the task under- 
 taken for his employer. Here was a 
 splendid library ; plants and natural 
 curiosities from every quarter of the 
 globe ; and a munificent patron, ready 
 to procure any thing which might be 
 wanting. All this was combined 
 with the luxuries of life; and every 
 enjoyment was heightened by the 
 society of the most intelligent and 
 scientific men in Harlem, Amster- 
 dam, and Leyden. 
 
 In this paradise, as he called it, 
 surrounded by social and intellectual 
 advantages, he classed his flowers and 
 his insects; and studied and wrote. 
 Here he had leisure to mature the plans 
 
99 
 
 which had long occupied his mind ; 
 and from this retreat he sent out to 
 the world many of his most valuable 
 works. And here we will for the 
 present take our leave of him. Like 
 the students and professors from Ley- 
 den, and Harlem, and Amsterdam, I 
 can make only passing visits to Harte- 
 camp. My duties call me away to 
 other scenes ; but I shall be glad to 
 return to those flowery shades with 
 you, at my first leisure moment. 
 Ever, my dear boy, 
 
 Your affectionate Father, 
 C. V. 
 
100 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 My dear Henry, 
 
 We will now repair to 
 Hartecamp, to see how it fares with 
 Linnaeus. The spring had passed 
 most pleasantly away, and the sum- 
 mer was advancing, when he found 
 he had nearly completed the task 
 assigned him, and placed the garden 
 and museum in scientific order. Clif- 
 fort now proposed to him to under- 
 take, at his expense, a voyage to 
 England, in order to establish con- 
 nexions for him with naturalists in 
 that country, and to procure for him 
 
101 
 
 some of the beautiful North Ameri- 
 can shrubs ; which were even then 
 cultivated in the nurseries of London 
 and Oxford, although as yet they 
 were not .generally dispersed through- 
 out Europe. There was no country 
 Linnaeus more ardently desired to 
 visit than England, and he gladly 
 acceded to the wishes of his patron. 
 Cliffort, however, was become so at- 
 tached to him, that he stipulated for 
 as short an absence as the business 
 he went on would admit. 
 
 Linnaeus set out on his expedition; 
 and besides other recommendations to 
 men of science, he carried a letter of 
 introduction from Boerhaave to Sir 
 Hans Sloane, who was in England as 
 important a character, as a physician 
 and a naturalist, as Boerhaave was in 
 K 2 
 
102 
 
 Holland. The letter contained this 
 high eulogium of Linnaeus : " The 
 bearer of this letter is alone worthy 
 of seeing you ; — alone worthy of be- 
 ing seen by you. He who shall see 
 you both together, will see two men 
 whose like will scarcely ever be found 
 in the world." Linnaeus received 
 much attention in England ; and hav- 
 ing formed many valuable acquaint- 
 ance, he returned to Holland, laden 
 with plants and natural treasures for 
 Hartecamp. He was joyfully wel- 
 comed back by Cliffort ; with whom 
 he continued the remainder of this 
 year, and great part of the next, busily 
 engaged with his friend's plants, and 
 his own writings. During this period, 
 he sent no less than six original works 
 to the press. They were, it is true, 
 the fruits of his labour in former years. 
 
roe 
 
 By means of these publications, his 
 system of botanical reform was spread 
 over Europe. One of these works 
 was a complete list of the plants he 
 had found in Lapland ; accompanied 
 with a description of each, according 
 to the new system, as well as of the 
 soil in which they grew, and their 
 utility in medicine or in husbandry. 
 At the solicitation of a scientific 
 friend, he gave to one of the Lap- 
 ponian plants his own name ; calling 
 it the Linncea Borealis. A sprig 
 of this elegant little flower was 
 introduced as a decoration in his 
 coat-of-arms, when, in aftertimes, his 
 talents and industry had been re- 
 warded with riches and honours. In 
 his crest, it surmounted the helmet ; 
 the branches hanging gracefully over 
 it. But these times were not yet 
 
104 
 
 come. While at Hartecamp, he 
 published a splendid work, entitled 
 Hortus Cliffortonianus ; being a de- 
 scription of Cliffords garden, with 
 fine engravings of the rarest plants. 
 
 At the expiration of the year 1737, 
 he could no longer be induced to 
 think of delaying his return to his 
 native country and his betrothed 
 bride, by any fresh engagement. 
 Boerhaave, who was still resolved to 
 befriend him, offered him the situ- 
 ation of physician in ordinary to the 
 Dutch colony in Surinam ; to which 
 he was empowered to appoint any 
 one whom he thought fit to succeed 
 the late holder of it. Linnaeus had 
 so many inducements to remain in 
 Europe, that he declined the offer 
 without hesitation ; but asked and 
 obtained it for his friend, professor 
 
105 
 
 Bartseh, who was desirous of such 
 an appointment. This young man, 
 of. whom he had formed the highest 
 expectations, did not long enjoy the 
 advantages his friend had procured 
 him. The climate undermined his 
 health, and he survived his arrival in 
 Surinam only six months. Linnaeus 
 was greatly afflicted by his death ; 
 and transmitted his name to poste- 
 rity, by giving to a plant the ap- 
 pellation of Bartsia. 
 
 He now with regret took leave of 
 Cliffort, and went to pay his part- 
 ing visits at Amsterdam and Ley den. 
 At this last place, he was tempted 
 to prolong his stay awhile, notwith- 
 standing his previous anxiety to pro- 
 ceed homeward. In compliance with 
 the request and even entreaties of 
 professor Van Rozen, he agreed to 
 
106 
 
 give him his assistance in arranging 
 the botanical garden there; and in 
 preparing for the press a work with 
 reference to it. 
 
 After this engagement was ended, 
 he again prepared himself for his 
 journey. But the Dutch, who had 
 learned to appreciate his talents, were 
 still desirous to retain him in their 
 service, and to induce him finally to 
 settle in their country. 
 
 It was proposed to him to make 
 a botanical voyage, at the expense 
 of the republic, to the Cape of Good 
 Hope ; and to receive, on his return, 
 a professorship at one of the Dutch 
 universities. By this time, however, 
 his impatience to return to Sweden 
 had become so harassing as to oc- 
 casion extreme depression of spirits. 
 This, together with his close applica- 
 
107 
 
 lion to the affairs he had undertaken 
 for Van Hozen, affected his health ; 
 and before he could set out home- 
 ward, he was attacked with a severe 
 fever, which confined him six weeks. 
 Cliffort visited him during his illness, 
 and kindly reproached him for having 
 ever quitted his roof. " If it was 
 your wish to stay in Holland," said 
 he, " I had the first right to your 
 company; and I would have paid 
 you your annual stipend as formerly." 
 He pressed him to return to Harte- 
 camp as soon as he was sufficiently 
 recovered ; and to remain there until 
 his health was completely re-esta- 
 blished. Linnaeus gladly escaped from 
 Leyden, as soon as his strength would 
 admit; and once more enjoyed the 
 sweets of spring in this beloved re- 
 treat, the scene of so many plea- 
 
108 
 
 sures. The restoration of his health 
 once more warned him to quit Harte- 
 camp and its kind and generous 
 owner. He took leave, at length, 
 of all his kind friends, and of that 
 country were his fine talents had 
 been so well appreciated; and tra- 
 velled home by way of France : 
 being anxious to see Paris, and to 
 be introduced to the literary men 
 there. 
 
 He was extremely well received 
 in that city ; and indeed his agree- 
 able manners seemed to have made 
 way for him every where; but the 
 predilection the Parisians naturally 
 felt for their countrymen, Tourne- 
 forte and Vaillant, who were then 
 the great authorities in botany, made 
 them little disposed to receive the 
 reformed system from the hands of a 
 
109 
 
 young man and a foreigner. They 
 said, " He is a young enthusiast, who 
 confuses every thing, and whose sole 
 merit consists in having plunged bo- 
 tany into a state of anarchy." 
 
 " Don't laugh, good people," said 
 the French naturalist Guettard, who 
 perceived at once the merit of the 
 new system ; " don't laugh at Lin- 
 naeus : the time will come when he 
 will laugh at you all." 
 
 Before he left Paris, a most un- 
 usual compliment was paid him, by 
 his being admitted as a correspond- 
 ing member of the Academy of Sci- 
 ences. After deriving much pleasure 
 from a month's residence in the 
 French metropolis, he proceeded to 
 Rouen ; from whence he sailed to his 
 native land. But here another state 
 
 L 
 
110 
 
 of things awaited him. Abroad he 
 had been treated with the utmost 
 kindness and consideration ; in Swe- 
 den he met with coldness and neg- 
 lect. It was true he was affection- 
 ately welcomed home by his immedi- 
 ate friends and relatives: but he had 
 no patrons to forward his views ; and 
 he was still too poor to marry. He 
 commenced the practice of medicine 
 at Stockholm, as the only means of 
 obtaining support. But, notwith- 
 standing all the celebrity he had ac- 
 quired, he met with little success. 
 Several causes probably conspired to 
 produce this unfavourable result. 
 There was a strong prejudice against 
 employing, as a medical attendant, a 
 person who was supposed to have de- 
 voted almost all his attention to the 
 
Ill 
 
 study of botany, rather than to the 
 healing art. 
 
 Besides this, his great scheme of 
 botanical reform, which was a com- 
 plete innovation on long-established 
 opinions, raised many opponents ; 
 some of whom treated him and his 
 opinions with harshness and bitter 
 injustice. Amongst these, the fore- 
 most was Siegesbeck, professor of bo- 
 tany at St. Petersburgh, whose criti- 
 cisms were not merely severe ; they 
 were really abusive. The odium 
 thrown on him by such ungenerous 
 opponents, operated greatly to his dis- 
 advantage. He detailed his difficul- 
 ties to baron Hatter, who loved and 
 valued him, and wrote to him in 
 reply, in a style of condolence highly 
 flattering. " Be happy in your desti- 
 nies," he said ; " you, of whom Flora 
 
112 
 
 conceives greater hopes than of all 
 other botanists. Return once more 
 to gentler climes." He then offered 
 to relinquish the professorship of bo- 
 tany at Gottingen to him, and the 
 direction of the botanic garden there, 
 if he would come into Germany. 
 
 At the moment this offer reached 
 Linnaeus, his prospects were evidently 
 brightening at Stockholm ; and he 
 therefore declined it with grateful 
 thanks, since he now had hopes of 
 succeeding in his native land. An 
 apparently trifling circumstance led 
 to this improvement in his fortunes. 
 He had succeeded in relieving a 
 friend, who applied to him on account 
 of a complaint in the chest. This 
 friend, grateful for his cure, recom- 
 comended the physician wherever he 
 went. Many suffering from affec- 
 
113 
 
 tions of the chest were induced to 
 consult him. At length it began to 
 be considered that no person was so 
 successful in cases of this kind. The 
 lady of an aulic counsellor, who had 
 a troublesome cough, was benefited 
 by his prescriptions. The medicine 
 was made up in a form which al- 
 lowed of her carrying it always about 
 her, and using it at any time. One 
 day, while at a card-party at court, 
 her cough was troublesome, and she 
 had recourse to her usual remedy. 
 The queen observed her, and asked 
 what she was using. This question 
 called forth praises of the new physi- 
 cian. Her majesty had a cough at 
 the time, and she resolved to take 
 the advice of Linnseus. He pre- 
 scribed for her, and she speedily lost 
 her cough. 
 
 L 2 
 
114 
 
 Once more I must bring my epis- 
 tle to a speedy conclusion. In finish- 
 ing my last, we left our hero in the 
 luxuriant villa of a Dutch burgomas- 
 ter; now we leave him in loftier 
 society. My next will inform you how 
 far the atmosphere of a court proved 
 congenial to his fortunes. It is not 
 every man, you know, whose virtues 
 and talents would flourish in such a 
 soil. 
 
 Your affectionate Father, 
 
 C.V. 
 
115 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 My dear Henry, 
 
 " There is a tide in the 
 affairs of men, which taken at its 
 turn leads on to fortune." Linnaeus 
 now experienced this very thing. 
 Being, as you observe, " fortunately 
 coughed into notice," he soon found 
 himself in the high road to prefer- 
 ment ; and Moraeus now consented to 
 give him the hand of his daughter. 
 They were married on the £6th of 
 June, 1739. 
 
 Writing to baron Haller, he gives 
 him the following lively sketch of his 
 
116 
 
 varying and improving circumstances. 
 " I took up my residence at Stock- 
 holm. Every body laughed at my 
 botany. No one could tell how 
 many restless nights and toilsome 
 hours I had bestowed on it; but 
 every corner resounded with the hu- 
 miliating lesson I had received from 
 this Siegesbeck. I began to set up 
 for a practitioner; but my success 
 was very slow. They would not 
 even employ me in a servant's cure. 
 But in a short time adversity ceased 
 to persecute ; and, after many cloud- 
 ed days, the lucid sun broke through 
 my obscurity. I rose — was called to 
 the great : every thing turned out 
 prosperous. No patient could be 
 cured without me: from four in the 
 morning till late at night I visited 
 the sick, spent nights with them, and 
 
117 
 
 earned money. ■ Alas !' said I, 
 " iEsculapius affords all that is good; 
 but Flora yields only Siegesbecks.' 
 
 " I renounced botany, and resolved 
 a thousand times to destroy all my 
 collections. Soon after, I was ap- 
 pointed first physician to the fleet; 
 and, after a short lapse of time, the 
 states chose me botanist to the king, 
 and assigned me an annual salary to 
 teach that science at Stockholm. I 
 now grew fond again of plants ; and 
 married my bride, who, after five 
 long years, still thought me worthy 
 of her love." 
 
 The patron to whom he owed 
 many of the advantages above al- 
 luded to, was count Tessin ; who 
 united to high rank great influence 
 as a statesman, and an ardent love 
 of science. He was one of the first 
 
118 
 
 to notice Linnaeus, on his introduction 
 to court; and he continued to be his 
 powerful and generous friend till his 
 death. Thus, after encountering 
 many hardships and difficulties, Lin- 
 naeus at length found the reward of 
 his industry and perseverance. I say 
 industry ; for what would his genius 
 have done for him, without that inde- 
 fatigable diligence, with which he 
 pursued his researches in the midst 
 of every obstacle ? Men of talent 
 are too apt to suppose that the gifts 
 of nature will effect every thing for 
 them ; and that it is beneath their 
 dignity, and the mark of an inferior 
 spirit, to submit to mental drudgery 
 or bodily labour. Linnaeus never 
 drew back from either; and in the 
 end, you see, he literally verified the 
 truth of Solomon's proverb: " Seest 
 
119 
 
 thou a man diligent in his business ? 
 He shall stand before kings ; he shall 
 not stand before mean men." 
 
 Linnaeus continued to reside at 
 Stockholm ; except that he made 
 some excursions in pursuit of his 
 favourite objects. Honours and af- 
 fluence now flowed in on him. Three 
 years after, being chosen physician to 
 the fleet, he was appointed profes- 
 sor of botany at Upsal ; that very 
 university where he had heretofore 
 met with so much contumely and 
 disgrace. 
 
 On receiving this desirable and 
 important appointment, he removed 
 thither with his family; and began 
 to re-model the botanic garden, and 
 to pursue other plans for scientific 
 improvement in the university. Hav- 
 ing put the garden in order, he 
 
120 
 
 sought for rare plants to enrich it : 
 these were sent to him from every 
 quarter. A vast number of scientific 
 men were at that time travelling 
 over various countries, exploring in 
 every place the secrets of nature : 
 among these were many of the per- 
 sonal friends of Linnaeus. From 
 these sources, in the course of a few 
 years, he obtained seeds, plants, and 
 other natural curiosities; not only 
 from the most distant parts of Eu- 
 rope, but likewise from the continent 
 and islands of Asia, from Africa, and 
 from North and South America. 
 He publicly expressed the satisfaction 
 these acquisitions afforded him, in 
 his address to the university, on the 
 anniversary of the king's birth-day, 
 1752. " I thank Providence," he 
 said, " who has guided my destinies, 
 
121 
 
 that I now live ; nay, that I live hap- 
 pier than a king of Persia. You 
 know, fathers and fellow-citizens, 
 that I am wholly occupied with this 
 academical garden ; that it is my 
 Rhodus, or rather my Elysium. There 
 I possess all the spoils of the east and 
 the west which I wished for ; and 
 which, in my belief, are far more pre- 
 cious than the silken garments of the 
 Babylonians, and the porcelain vases 
 of the Chinese. There I receive and 
 convey instruction. There I admire 
 the wisdom of the Creator, which 
 manifests itself in so many various 
 modes, and demonstrate it to others." 
 He commemorated his gratitude 
 to his friends, and especially to those 
 who had contributed to his collec- 
 tions, by affixing their names to 
 
 M 
 
plants; either such as were newly- 
 discovered, or such as required a 
 change in their names, to accommo- 
 date them to the new arrangement. 
 
 The Kalmia was named in honour 
 of his friend and pupil, professor 
 Ralm, who explored the forests of 
 North America, and brought from 
 that country, this and many other of 
 the beautiful shrubs which now adorn 
 our gardens. 
 
 The Magnolia was so called after 
 a French botanist; the Sherardia 
 after an English one; the Celsia 
 after a Swede, one of his earliest 
 patrons. We might enumerate a 
 multitude, did our time admit. His 
 lectures at Upsal were resorted to by 
 students from Russia, Norway, Den- 
 mark, Great Britain, Holland, Ger- 
 many, and even from America. The 
 
hall in which he delivered his lec- 
 tures, was crowded to overflowing. 
 
 It was thus the winter was occu- 
 pied. In the summer he made bo- 
 tanizing excursions, accompanied by 
 a numerous band of his pupils. 
 Every day, on entering the district 
 they intended to explore, they di- 
 vided into small parties, each of 
 which took a different direction, in 
 order that they might leave no quar- 
 ter unobserved. When any of the 
 company found a new flower or in- 
 sect, he blew a few notes on a horn 
 or bugle. At this signal all the scat- 
 tered parties hastened to assemble at 
 the spot, and Linnseus then pro- 
 ceeded to examine and demonstrate 
 the subject before them. When this 
 was done they again separated, and 
 pursued their researches as before. 
 
124 
 
 In this manner, many of the long 
 days of summer were delightfully 
 passed. The knowledge of the stu- 
 dents was increased, and their love 
 of nature deepened, by being led to 
 read her ample volume in the midst 
 of her own green recesses, afar from 
 all uncongenial sights and sounds. 
 At the same time, many j rare pro- 
 ductions, hitherto unnoticed, were 
 brought to light. Thus, the interests 
 of science were promoted in every 
 way ; and the pupils became still 
 more attached to their amiable and 
 interesting instructor. Indeed, he was 
 at once their teacher, their companion, 
 and their friend. 
 
 Time passed on, and fortune and 
 fame still attended his steps. Dis- 
 tant countries offered him flattering 
 testimonials of esteem, by voluntarily 
 
125 
 
 conferring on him memberships in 
 their different universities and scien- 
 tific societies. He was a member of 
 three in Germany, three in France, 
 three in England, three in Italy, two 
 in Holland, one in Switzerland, one 
 in Denmark, and one in America, 
 besides three in his own country. He 
 received from many of his opulent 
 pupils splendid presents of plate, &c. 
 One of these, who travelled in China, 
 sent him from thence a service of 
 porcelain, decorated with a delicate 
 representation of the Linncea Borea- 
 lis, as its only ornament. 
 
 Nor were literary men the only 
 persons who were anxious to show 
 their esteem for him: kings and 
 princes paid tribute to his genius. 
 Two kings of Sweden, in succession, 
 M 2 
 
126 
 
 Frederic the First and Frederic 
 Adolphus his successor, were his 
 patrons. The latter created him 
 Knight of the Polar Star, and granted 
 him a diploma which raised him to 
 the rank of the hereditary nobility 
 of the country. Previously to this, 
 the king of Spain had caused him to 
 be invited to that country, to become 
 his botanist ; offering to give him a 
 handsome salary, to allow him the 
 free exercise of his religion, and to 
 create him a nobleman. Such ho- 
 nours had never been granted to a 
 protestant by the catholic court of 
 Madrid. Linnaeus, however, declined 
 the offer; and no doubt received his 
 rank from his own sovereign, some 
 time afterwards, with much more 
 satisfaction than he would have felt 
 
127 
 
 had it been conferred by a foreign 
 monarch. 
 
 The empress of Russia, who was a 
 liberal patronizer of the sciences, and 
 of scientific men, sent him presents ; 
 as also did the king of Denmark. 
 
 Louis the Fifteenth complimented 
 the king of Sweden, when he was at 
 Paris, on possessing such a man as 
 Linnseus in his kingdom ; and gave 
 orders that plants and seeds of the 
 rarest description should be selected 
 from his garden at Trianon, to send 
 to him. The empress of Germany, 
 likewise, and the king of Sardinia, 
 complimented the Swedish ambassa- 
 dor in a similar way ; and Frederick 
 the Great spoke of him in the highest 
 terms of praise. 
 
 Meanwhile, as his fortune in- 
 creased, he began to long more 
 
128 
 
 ardently than ever for some country- 
 retreat, which, though less princely 
 than Cliffords, might secure to him 
 many of the enjoyments of Harte- 
 camp. He purchased the villa of 
 Hammarby, a league from Upsal; 
 and for the last fifteen years of his 
 life he made it his summer residence. 
 His pupils, unwilling to lose the ad- 
 vantages of his instruction, followed 
 him thither; and many of those who 
 came from a great distance, took lodg- 
 ings in the villages of Honby and 
 Edeby, which were both contiguous to 
 his estate. It was his practice to de- 
 liver his lectures to his private pupils 
 in a familiar manner, and not with 
 the form and solemnity of a profes- 
 sor. One of these students has left 
 us an account of the way in which 
 their time passed, when himself and 
 
129 
 
 two other young foreigners were in 
 attendance on Linnaeus. His descrip- 
 tion conveys so pleasant an idea of 
 the terms on which he lived with his 
 pupils, that I cannot deny myself the 
 pleasure of giving it you, in the words 
 of the writer. 
 
 " For two whole years have I been 
 so fortunate as to enjoy his instruc- 
 tion, his guidance, and his confiden- 
 tial friendship. Not a day elapsed 
 in which I did not see him — in 
 which I did not either attend his 
 lecture, or, as it frequently happened, 
 spend several hours in familiar con- 
 versation with him. In the summer 
 we followed him into the country. 
 We were three, all foreigners. In 
 winter we lived directly facing his 
 house; and he came to us almost 
 every day, in his short red dressing- 
 
130 
 
 gown, with a green fur-cap on his 
 head, and a pipe in his hand, He 
 came for half an hour; but stopped 
 a whole one, and many times two. 
 His conversation, on these occasions, 
 was extremely pleasant and sprightly. 
 It either consisted in anecdotes rela- 
 tive to the learned in his profession, 
 with whom he got acquainted in 
 foreign countries; or in clearing our 
 doubts, or giving us other kinds of 
 instruction. 
 
 " Our life was much happier when 
 we resided in the country. Our 
 habitation was about half a quarter 
 of a league distant from his house at 
 Hammarby, in a farm, where we 
 kept our furniture and other requi- 
 sites for house-keeping. He rose 
 very early in summer ; mostly about 
 four o'clock. At six, he came to us, 
 
131 
 
 because his" house was then building ; 
 breakfasted with us, and gave us lec- 
 tures on the natural orders of plants, 
 as long as he pleased ; generally till 
 about ten o'clock. We then wander- 
 ed about till twelve upon the adja- 
 cent rocks, the productions of which 
 afforded us plenty of entertainment. 
 In the afternoon we repaired to his 
 garden ; and in the evening we most- 
 ly played at the Swedish game of 
 trisset, in company with his spouse." 
 
 Nor was it only students he at- 
 tracted to his retreat. It was in fact 
 a little court. No stranger of im- 
 portance, however high his rank, ever 
 came to Upsal without visiting the 
 naturalist at Hammarby. His family, 
 consisting of one son and four daugh- 
 ters, grew up around him ; and as he 
 advanced in years, he had the satis- 
 
132 
 
 faction of seeing his son appointed 
 his assistant in the botanical profes- 
 sorship, with a promise that he should 
 succeed his father in the office. 
 
 And now, Henry, let me call your 
 attention to one circumstance par- 
 ticularly worthy of notice. 
 
 In the midst of his prosperity, Lin- 
 naeus did not forget that he owed all 
 to a merciful God. He said, not in 
 the boastful spirit of unhallowed self- 
 sufficiency, " By my own might and 
 my own wisdom have I gotten me 
 the victory ;" but was ever ready, in 
 public and in private, to acknowledge 
 the gracious hand that led him safely 
 through so many perils, and showered 
 unhoped-for blessings on his path. 
 He could never look back on the 
 scenes through which he had passed, 
 without being affected by the consi- 
 
133 
 
 deration of the mercy and goodness 
 which had attended him. 
 
 He drew up a little memoir of the 
 most striking circumstances in his 
 life, and concluded it with these 
 words : " The Lord was with thee 
 wherever thou didst go." It is said, 
 that whenever an opportunity of ex- 
 patiating on the wisdom and good- 
 ness of the Almighty occurred in his 
 lecture, he seized it with avidity. 
 On such occasions, he spoke with 
 even greater animation than usual, 
 and the finest bursts of eloquence 
 broke from his lips. 
 
 Such was Linnseus: highly gifted 
 by nature, amiable in his dispositions, 
 and exemplary in his conduct in no 
 common degree. You will say with 
 Ellen, " Alas ! that any shade should be 
 
 N 
 
134 
 
 cast over so fair a picture !" But since 
 we know that He whose word is 
 truth, has declared that the heart of 
 man is deceitful above all things, and 
 desperately wicked ; and that there is 
 none wholly righteous, no, not one, 
 we ought not to expect that any 
 human being should pass in review 
 before us, without our discovering 
 some of his errors; while many of 
 them will remain known only to Him 
 who seeth all things. The besetting 
 sin of Linnaeus is said to have been 
 the love of money. He was, how- 
 ever, kind, and even liberal, to many 
 of his pupils. 
 
 His health and spirits were con- 
 tinued to him till his sixty-eighth 
 year ; when his intellectual and bodily 
 vigour both began to give way. A 
 gradual decay broke down his consti- 
 
135 
 
 tution ; and he died in his seventy- 
 first year. All Sweden mourns his 
 loss : it was felt by the university of 
 Upsal in particular. His lifeless re- 
 mains were conveyed to the cathedral, 
 with every mark of respect ; all the 
 professors, officers, and students of 
 the university following in procession. 
 In the opening of the diet, or senate 
 of the kingdom, in that year, the 
 king of Sweden commanded his 
 chancellor to read a sketch he had 
 drawn up, of his government and en- 
 terprises, during the six preceding 
 years. In this paper he made the 
 most honourable mention of Lin- 
 naeus ; lamenting his loss as irrepar- 
 able, and thus making his public 
 eulogium. Medals were struck in 
 honour of him ; busts were cast, and 
 many other honours paid to his me- 
 mory. 
 
136 
 
 His manuscripts and his collec- 
 tions, which were sold by his widow 
 some years after his death, are now 
 in the hands of an Englishman, Sir 
 James Smith. They had been offer- 
 ed to Sir Joseph Banks, who recom- 
 mended Sir J. Smith to become the 
 purchaser. But scarcely had he 
 agreed to the terms proposed, when 
 munificent offers were made from 
 Russia. At the same time the king 
 of Sweden, who had been absent 
 from his kingdom, returned; and 
 finding what had been done in his 
 absence, sent a vessel in chase of 
 the ship which was conveying them 
 to England, with orders to bring back 
 these scientific treasures. The British 
 vessel had made such good progress 
 that she could not be overtaken, and 
 the cargo arrived in safety at its 
 place of destination. 
 
137 
 
 The son of Linnaeus, though he 
 did not possess his father's great 
 talents, inherited his love of natural 
 history, and was treading in his steps 
 with great ardour, when a severe 
 fever gave an irrecoverable shock to 
 his health ; and five years after, he 
 sunk into the grave, in the forty- 
 second year of his age. He was 
 buried in the cathedral of Upsal, by 
 the side of his father. By his death, 
 the male branch of the ennobled 
 family of Linnaeus became extinct; 
 and according to the custom of the 
 country, his coat-of-arms was conse- 
 quently broken to pieces. The gar- 
 dener of the university then strewed 
 flowers over the tombs of the two 
 Linnaeuses. 
 
 Thus, " the boast of heraldry" 
 proved truly a fleeting honour in the 
 family of Linnaeus. But his fame 
 
138 
 
 rested not on so frail a basis. Few 
 persons, comparatively, are aware 
 that he ever attained to the rank of 
 nobility; but in every civilized coun- 
 try, multitudes are familiar with his 
 name, as a naturalist and man of 
 science. In fact, his memorial is 
 found wherever the green earth 
 spreads abroad her treasures. 
 
 I rejoice to hear you pursue your 
 botanical researches with so much 
 energy; as, besides the advantages 
 hereafter to be derived from the 
 study, the pleasure it will afford you, 
 even in the present moment, will 
 more than compensate for any exer- 
 tion you may have to make. 
 
 Ellen, who is sitting by me, has 
 just said, " Papa, there are Handel 
 commemorations; and many other 
 great men have had honours paid to 
 
139 
 
 their memory in the same way : why 
 should not we have a Linnseus's 
 commemoration ?" 
 
 " Well, my dear Ellen," I replied, 
 " we will have one, since you wish 
 it." Time and place, however, we 
 have not fixed on. What say you, 
 Henry, to the 3d of May, as the an- 
 niversary of the birth-day of Lin- 
 naeus ? But I shall leave you to 
 talk over the affair with your sister, 
 when you meet; which I trust you 
 will do next week. 
 
 We are all impatient to see you ; 
 and no one more so, than 
 
 Your affectionate father, 
 
 C. Vernon. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 Printed by Harvey, Darton, and Co. 
 Gracechurch-street, London. 
 
H