BICENTENARY OF LINNMUS 51 



Linnaeus, who had the use of Strobaeus's library, and who took upon himself 

 secretly to lend his young friend what books he required in botany. The old 

 mother of the learned host had observed that a light burned in the small 

 hours of the night in Linnseus's room, and, fearing fire, told her son, who 

 quietly one night went up to Linnseus's room to surprise the negligent fellow, 

 but was himself surprised to find the student in the dead of night busily 

 comparing the varying opinions of the greatest botanists of his time. This 

 surprise won the admiration of the teacher and his affection, and he at once 

 gave Linn8gus the use of his library freely, and the keys to his collections, and, 

 like Rothman, took the liveliest interest in the gigantic strides of progress. 



In 1728, Linnaeus changed to the University of Upsala to study under the 

 renowned professors Roberg and Rudbeck. Here Linnaeus suffered much 

 from poverty, often having barely enough food to sustain life. At length, 

 under dire necessity, he was about to start for home to his father, when he 

 made a last visit to the garden of the university. Just then there was a 

 rare exotic plant in bloom. Linnaeus picked the flower, and was sharply 

 reprimanded by a voice behind him. He explained that it was for a me- 

 mento of the place, which he was now obliged to leave permanently. This 

 aroused the interest and question of the dean, as it proved, — Celsius, senior. 

 A result of this incident was, that Celsius saved Linnaeus to science then and 

 there by taking him to his own house, giving him new and large opportunities 

 at the university, tiding over the time of distress, and procuring for him 

 opportunities as private tutor to some of the students below him. 



Here Linnaeus brought out his little thesis developing his sexual system 

 of grouping plants. From now on, Linnaeus had a constant chain of promo- 

 tions, spiced, disagreeably now and then, by jealousies wrought against him, 

 but consisting of the delights of extensive, dangerous and economic travels, 

 new positions of teaching and lecturing at home and abroad, and finally the 

 full chair of botany at the University of Upsala. 



His greatest and ultimate joy was in the knowledge that his system of 

 plant relationships became, before his death, the commonly accepted system 

 of the civilized world. 



To his credit be it recorded again, that his system is the foundation of all 

 modern concepts of the sexual evolution and differentiation, and consequent 

 relationships, of all knowTi plants and animals, and especially of their nomen- 

 clature. 



His personal and professional interest were so broad as to include special 

 studies in insects and birds and in general zoology, as time allowed diver- 

 gence from his life-work in botany. His writings covered the living things 

 of the Old and New Worlds, and comprised some seventy or more titles. 



His personality was of the kind which inspired every pupil coming under 



