60 



He was silent : Sherard and Dillenius walked up and down in the 

 garden with their new acquaintance^ and stopped by a wall over- 

 grown with Antirrhinum {Linaria) Cymhalaria ; a plant upon which 

 they were desirous to have the opinion of Linnseus, as much doubt had 

 existed respecting it. Linnaeus removed these difficulties with his 

 natural perspicuity. The gentlemen again pointed to a second, and a 

 third plant, of which they felt uncertain ; and again the Swede explained 

 the dubious points wdth perfect ease. Dillenius was surprised ; and 

 Sherard observed to him that he could perceive *' no confusion at all" 

 in Linnasus. "He invited the stranger to dine with him; and during 

 the several days that Linnaeus remained in Oxford, he found that the 

 dislike w^hich Dillenius had at first entertained towards him, wore 



gradually away, and gave place to esteem and friendship. On taking 



leave, Linnaeus remarked to Dillenius, that he should be very sorry 



'/ 



sion into the Garden at Oxford. Dillenius 

 blushed, and apologized for the hasty word which had escaped his 

 lips. — I entertained Dr. Williams with an anecdote of .Dillenius, in 

 consequence of which this meritorious man is, in Geimany, regarded 

 as a kind of simpleton. " Most of my countrymen," replied Dr. 

 Williams, '* look upon him as not a hair better." 



After having gathered some tw^igs of trees^ planted here by the 

 hands of Dillenius, as a kind of memento of him, we quitted the 

 garden, and followed Professor Williams into his temple the Biblio" 

 theca Radcliffiana. A richer collection than this in works of natural 

 history, physic^ and medicine, except perhaps that of Sir Joseph 

 Banksj does not exist in any country. — I pass over the description 

 of the beautiful building which contains it, though one of the finest 

 in Oxford ; and from the cupola of which a most noble view of the 

 city is obtained, being the situation whence the panorama of Oxford 

 was taken. The foundation of this edifice was laid in 1737, and it 

 was opened in 1749 by the executors of Dr. liadcliffe ; who had left 

 to the University a sum of 40,000/- to build the Library, wdth 150/. a 

 year for the librarian, and 100/. annually to purchase new books, and 

 as much more to defray the expense of needful repairs. This income 

 would be quite inadequate to cover the cost of procuring yearly the 

 requisite new publications ; but this desirable object has been attained 

 by an arrangement with the Bodleian Library. To the latter institu 



every 



is by law compelled to send a copy ^* 



