LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 53 



his professorial chair flocked a multitude of devoted scholars, not 

 only youths from the University, but also hoary-headed pillars 

 of Church and State ; not only his own countrymen, but strangers 

 from afar as well. The produce of the soil of Sweden, heretofore 

 looked on with indifference or learned contempt, became the 

 object of more careful examinations ; but even far fi'om tbe 

 borders of his native country the disciples of Linnaeus extended 

 their exploring excursions. Light-hearted, in good spirits and 

 glowing enthusiasm, they went to unknown regions, so that they 

 might collect for their beloved teacher treasures of nature till 

 then undescribed, and many of them perished in foreign lands 

 as the martyrs of natural science. That was the Viking- epoch 

 of Swedish scientists, and the whole cultured part of Europe 

 looked with astonishment and admiration towards that land, 

 recently thrown from its eminence of poKtical greatness, but 

 now, through Linnaeus, elevated to a high place in the realm of 

 thought. 



More than a hundred years have since passed ; much, very 

 much, then considered great and of primary importance has by 

 a closer investigation proved itself of no moment or below the 

 standard. Has the honour of Linnaeus shared the same fate ? 

 Attempts have not been lacking to overthrow or drag down to 

 the mire his noble form by low-minded self-conceit and ignorant 

 perverseness ; but, as the poet says, 



" The hooting mob of yesterday in silent awe return, 

 To gather up the ashes into history's golden urn." 



And even more unanimously investigators in all lands admit 

 that, with Linnaeus, scientific research took a giant step in 

 advance, and that his memory will always be entitled to grateful 

 veneration. 



Nowhere, next to his own native laud, has the name of Linnaeus 

 been so highly revered in years gone by as in England. Even 

 150 years ago, when he first appeared as an author, and many 

 looked at him suspiciously as a reckless revolutionary, he was re- 

 ceived during his short visit in England (1736) with so hearty 

 a welcome that he might, had he so chosen, have remained there 

 for good. The venerable botanist Dillenius, of Oxford, according 

 to Linnaeus's autobiography, " kept him at his house a whole 

 month, not leaving him out of sight an hour a day, and when he 

 finally allowed him to go, he embraced him with tears ; before 

 that, he had begged him to live and die with him, adding, that 

 his professorial salary was sufficient for both." During the 

 whole of his life he remained in active and friendly correspond- 

 ence with well nigh all of England's naturalists, several of whom 

 had enjoyed his instructions during their sojourn in Upsala. 

 One of these English students. Lord Baltimore, in his " Gaudia 

 poetica," enthusiastically sung his praise ; another, Rotherham by 

 name, was one of the two persons at Linnaeus's death- bed wheu 



