132 Anecdotes ofLinnaiis, 



This great man was still eager to augment the stock 

 of kno\vledge which he had hoarded in, for so many- 

 years. He, therefore, thankfully received authentic facts 

 from any persons, and, in matters of reasoning, paid at- 

 tention to the arguments of others, however inferior to 

 himself. His energetic mind could still support ardu- 

 ous meditations. He once told me, that a fruitless endea- 

 vour to explain an extraordinary phenomenon had kept 

 him awake for two nights. 



His evening of life was also enlivened by the usual 

 flow of spirits, a gift from the God of Nature. His 

 conversation was, on proper occasions, facetious, and he 

 was pleased with decent mirth in others. This rendered 

 him the more agreeable to the academic youth, and pro- 

 cured him festive compliments. The following fell un- 

 der my own observation. 



The first day of May has, for many centuries, been 

 celebrated in Sweden, as the harbinger of spring, by a 

 variety of rejoicings. The students of Upsal take a full 

 share in these. On the evening of that day, in 1769, at 

 a late hour, three hundred, or more, of them went to 

 the house of Linnseus, and gave him a handsome saluta- 

 tion, with cordial wishes for the long life of a man so 

 ^aluablc to Sweden, and to the world. He rose from 

 his bed, opened a window, thanked them heartily, and 

 requested them to come in. On their declining to trou- 

 T)le him, he insisted on sending out wine and beer, for 

 their refreshment : but they begged to be excused, as 

 they had already drunk his health, hi fio\ving bumpers, 

 and bade him good night, with many a " Vivat Lin- 

 naeus." 



