SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES XO<^ 

 foreigners; for the reorganization of the botanical garden (which existed 

 in Rudbeck's time, but which had now fallen into decay), making it one 

 of the finest in Europe; for the production of extraordinarily fine scientific 

 works and an extensive correspondence. As a founder of schools and an organ- 

 izer of work he has had few equals in the history of biology. Every year 

 he sent out pupils on research expeditions, whose collections and observa- 

 tions were afterwards worked up under the master's own guidance. He him- 

 self was acknowledged throughout the whole civilized world as an authority 

 on natural-scientific questions, his advice being sought by governments as 

 well as private individuals. His native country also learnt to appreciate him; 

 he received several high honours; among other things he was ennobled and 

 took the name of von Linne. 



The climax of Linnxus's greatness falls within the period of the seven- 

 teen-fifties; then he published the last of his great works, and then, too, 

 he received his highest honours. The quarter of a century of life that still 

 remained to him was a period of decline. The hardships suffered in his youth 

 and the cares of his m^turer years had undermined his health. By the begin- 

 ning of the fifties he had already become seriously ill, but he still managed 

 to work during the succeeding decades — in part producing results of con- 

 siderable importance — although his powers of movement ■ began to fail. 

 During the seventies, however, he was subject to repeated paralytic strokes, 

 which dulled his intelligence and finally paralysed him entirely. In 1778 

 death brought release. 



In 1763 Linnaeus had taken a step which was certainly the most unfor- 

 tunate he ever took in his life; he had obtained from the Government the 

 right to recommend his successor and he appointed his only son, Carl von 

 Linne the younger, who thus at the age of twenty-two became aspirant to 

 the professorship, possessed no brilliant gifts and had never passed any tests 

 of scholarship. Although his promotion was by no means so ridiculous in 

 the eyes of his contemporaries as it would have been in modern times — it 

 was quite usual for people to purchase a "survivance" to an official post 

 similar to that which young Linne obtained on account of his father's serv- 

 ices — nevertheless this step had the most unfortunate consequences. The 

 feelings entertained by the large crowd of far more competent pupils were 

 naturally very bitter and were enhanced the more the worthlessness of young 

 Linne's character manifested itself, as it unfortunately did very soon, no 

 doubt hastened on by his unmerited promotion. And, to make matters worse, 

 it caused also a division in the Linne family. On his father's death the son 

 laid claim to his collections, which his mother and sisters, supported by a 

 will, refused to allow. The quarrel was finally settled by arrangement, and 

 shortly afterwards Linne the younger died, at the early age of forty-two, 

 after a life which brought little honour to the name he bore and which died 



