Life of Lanneus. 151 
of heat and light. evolved by combustion of the vapor of water mixed 
with that of spirits of turpentine or alcohol, and duly modified’ by com- 
mon air. The results are very striking and beautiful, and we can see 
no reason why they should not prove of great practical utility —Ep. 
Arr. XX.—Life of Linneus; by A. L. A. Frx :—in 1 vol. 8v0., 
forming the first part of the Memoirs of the Royal Society of 
Sciences, Agriculture and Arts of Lille for 1832. 
(FaeeS for this Journal from the Bib. Univ., by J. H. souls M.D. 7 
Mucuy has been written upon Linnzus; and the eminent rank which 
he held, and the prodigious influence which he exerted over natural 
history, render what has been written sufficiently intelligible. But of 
the biographical works which we possess in French upon this man of 
genius, some are either too devoid of details, to give much account of 
his history, or written too soon after his death to enable their authors 
to appreciate his influence with impartiality. Men are, in truth, like 
edifices; in looking at them when close at hand, we can form a just 
estimate only of those which are made up of details and do not rise 
to avery great height; but with regard to temples and elevated obe- 
lisks, we can judge of. them only at a distance. With respect to 
men who have been predominant in their age, and have impressed 
upon it a new direction, we can judge of them properly only after 
their works have borne their fruits, and prejudices have become ex- ° 
tinct. Mr. Fee has therefore rendered a real service to the history 
of science, in collecting and arranging carefully all the most authen- 
tic statements which could be found, either in works published in 
Sweden or Germany, or in the manuscripts which he was able to 
procure, relative to the life of the Reformer of natural history. 
His work is composed, Ist, of the translation of the life of Lin- 
nus, written by himself, and published by his disciple Afzelius ; 
2d, of extracts from his correspondence with naturalists of his time ; 
3d, of a collection of anecdotes relating to Linneus and _his labors ; 
4th, of a bibliographical notice of his works. 
Linnzus has on many occasions related the story of his own life, 
and the narrative which forms the first part of Mr. Fee’s work is the 
most complete of these different auto-biographies. Even in the trans- 
lation, the peculiar style of Linnzus may be recognized ; it is a rapid 
recital, precise, full of fact, with occasional flashes from the fire of 
a poetic imagination. 
