CAROLUS LINNAEUS l6j 



birch bark and pasteboard, and his clothes were worse 

 than shabby. Nevertheless, he continued the study 

 of botany with enthusiasm, and was once describing 

 some plants in the botanic garden when an eminent 

 professor of the University, Celsius by name, passed by. 

 Celsius questioned Linnaeus, and was so impressed by 

 his knowledge of plants that he took him into his house 

 and became his enthusiastic patron. Through this new 

 influence the poor student became prosperous, and was 

 even permitted to give lectures on botany, taking the 

 fees of those who chose to attend. In many European 

 universities the privat docent system is maintained ; 

 certain men, after due examination, are permitted to 

 lecture, though not professors. If they are successful, 

 they may have very large classes, and receive more in 

 fees than the salary of a regular member of the faculty. 

 So it happened with Linnaeus, that he drew students 

 from the established department of botany, and it 

 seemed as though the tail were about to wag the dog. 

 This aroused jealousy and indignation, and a rule was 

 passed that henceforth no undergraduate should be per- 

 mitted to give public lectures. This cut off Linnseus's 

 source of income, but he was now ready for other enter- 

 prises. 



5. The Academy of Sciences at Upsala requested Botanical 

 Linnaeus to make a journey to Lapland, to collect and 

 study the products of that country. We have his 

 narrative, showing the enthusiastic spirit in which he set 

 forth : 



'I journeyed from Upsala town the I2th of May, 

 1732, which was a Friday, n o'clock A.M., when I was 

 25 years old, all but twelve hours. Now began all the 

 ground to delight and smile, now comes beautiful Flora 

 and sleeps with Phoebus. . . . Now stood forth the 



