Cultivation of Botany in England. 361 



specting Linnaeus, which is traditionally preserved in the Ox- 

 ford garden, and which deserves to be also known in Germany. 

 Linnaeus presented himself at Oxford toDillenius and Sherard, 

 bein<j- then a very young man, and his system having as yet 

 made but little noise in the world of science. The latter re- 

 ceived him with cordiality ; but Dilleniiis was very cool, and 

 said to Sherard, " This is the young fellow who is putting all 

 botanists and botany into confusion." Linnajus did not un- 

 derstand the English language, in which this remark was made, 

 but yet he recognized in the word canfuschjen (so pronounced 

 by Dillenius in his German accent), the Latin epithet confusio. 

 He was silent : Sherard and Dillenius walked up and down in 

 the garden with their new acquaintance, and stopped by a wall 

 overgrown with Antirrhinum {Linaria) Cymhalaria ; a plant 

 upon which they were desirous to have the opinion of Linnaeus, 

 as much doubt had existed respecting it. Linnaeus removed 

 these difficulties with his natural perspicuity. The gentlemen 

 again pointed to a second, and a third plant, of which they felt 

 uncertain ; and again the Swede explained the dubious points 

 with perfect ease. Dillenius was surprised ; and Sherard ob- 

 served to him that he could perceive " no confusion at all " in 

 Linnaeus. He invited the stranger to dine with him; and 

 during the several days that Linnaeus remained in Oxford, he 

 found^'that the dislike which Dillenius had at first entertained 

 towards him, wore gradually away, and gave place to esteem 

 and friendship. On taking leave, Linna:us remarked to Dil- 

 lenius, that he should be very sorry to have brought confusion 

 into the garden at Oxford. Dillenius blushed, and apologized 

 for the hasty word which had escaped his lips.— I entertained 

 Dr. Williams with an anecdote of Dillenius, in consequence of 

 which this meritorious man is, in Germany, regarded as a kind 

 of simpleton. " Most of my countrymen," replied Dr. Wil- 

 liams, " look upon him as not a hair better." 



After having gathered some twigs of trees, planted here by 

 the hands of Dillenius, as a kind of memento of him, we quitted 

 the garden, and followed Professor Williams into his temple 

 the BiUiothcca Rafldifiana. A richer collection than this in 

 works of natural history, physic, and medicine, except per- 

 haps that of Sir Joseph Banks, does not exist in any country. 

 —1 pass over the description of the beautiful building which 

 contains it, though one of the finest in Oxford ; and from the 

 cupola of which a most noble view of die city is obtained, be- 

 ing the situation whence the panorama of Oxford was taken. 

 The foundation of tiiis edifice was laid in 1737, and it was 

 opened in 174 9 by the executors of Dr. liadclifle; who had left 

 to the University a sum of 10,()()()/. to build the library, with 

 N.S. Vol. 6. No. 35. Nov. 1829. 3 A 150/. 



