LIXX^US AND NATURAL HISTORY 121 



though he lacked the necessary funds, one circumstance con- 

 tributed to bring about this end: he had formed an attach- 

 ment for the daughter of a wealthy physician, named More 

 or Moraeus, and on applying for her hand in marriage, her 

 father made it a condition of his consent that Linnaeus should 

 take his medical degree and establish himself in the practice 

 of medicine. The young lady, who was thrifty as well as 

 handsome, offered her savings, amounting to one hundred 

 dollars (Swedish), to her lover. He succeeded in adding to 

 this sum bv his own exertions, and with thirty-six Swedish 



^ + 



ducats set off for Holland to qualify for his degree. He had 

 practically met the requirements for the medical degree by 

 his previous studies, and after a month's residence at the 

 University of Hardewyk, his thesis was accepted and he was 

 granted the degree in June, 1735, m the twenty-eighth year 

 of his age. 



Instead of returning at once to Sweden, he went to 

 Leyden, and made the acquaintance of several well-known 

 scientific men. He continued his botanical studies with great 

 energy, and now began to reap the benefits of his earlier 

 devotion to natural history. His heart-breaking and harass- 

 ing struggles were now over. 



The Systema Naturae. He had in his possession the 

 manuscript of his Systema Nature, and with the encourage- 

 ment of his new friends it was published in the same year. 

 The first edition (1735) of that notable work, which was 

 afterward to bring him so much fame, consisted of twelve 

 printed folio pages. It was merely an outline of the arrange- 

 ments of plants, animals, and minerals in a methodical cat- 

 alogue. This work passed through twelve editions during 

 his lifetime, the last one appearing in 1768. After the first 

 edition, the books were printed in octavo form, and in the 

 later editions were greatly enlarged. A copy of the first 

 edition was sent to Boerhaave, the most distinguished pro- 



