132 
late acquisition of the Linnean cabinet. The dis- 
appointment I feel in not possessing it myself is in 
great measure alleviated by the kind opportunity 
you offer me of consulting it upon my return to 
England. We were competitors from a laudable 
ambition, and I trust are not worse friends for 
our competition. You have left me only one wish, 
that in case you should ever be disposed to part 
with it, you will give me the first refusal. You 
very fortunately closed with Acrel a short time be- 
fore he received a letter from me offering him a 
thousand guineas; and, as I was told by your banker 
Wilkieson at Amsterdam, you got it for nine hun- 
dred. The Swedes I hear are very angry at Acrel’s 
disposing of it; and indeed Sweden must have very 
little money, and very little respect for the memory 
of Linneus, to suffer his collection to be so soon 
expatriated. 
If I can render you any service in the course of 
my travels, I beg you will command me. I am now 
in Gottingen, a German university of much learned 
labour and sober science, with a library the richest 
in modern books of any in Europe. The facility of 
procuring these books, the opportunity of learning 
the German language, with the civility and lite- 
rary society of the professors, give me the utmost 
satisfaction. Should you think of spending some 
time on the continent, I know of no situation more 
eligible, or that Ishould recommend to you more 
strongly than Gottingen. Pray have you a printed 
catalogue of Linnzus’s books? If you have, will 
you do me the pleasure to send it me * or could you 
