14 EMINENT NATURALISTS. 



On their return, Linnaeus established a little college 

 under the auspices of the baron, and here his lectures 

 and experiments on the assaying of metals and 

 other subjects brought him friends and money. They 

 did something more : they brought across his path 

 a young lady who was destined to become his wife. 

 She was the daughter of a physician, to whom a certain 

 baron had paid his addresses, but without success. 

 After having won the heart of the young lady, the 

 lady's father had next to be consulted, and although 

 he was partially inclined towards Linnaeus, the un- 

 certain income of the wooer, was the barrier; and the 

 father finally declared that his daughter should remain 

 unmarried three years longer, and at the end of that 

 time he would give his decision. 



The three years passed, and at the age of twenty- 

 seven Linnaeus had a bride ; but even then his prospects 

 were far from bright. His father-in-law advised him 

 to study medicine more closely. He became anxious 

 to obtain his degree ; but poverty stood as a great 

 barrier. With the aid of some earnings of his wife, 

 he started with £15 in 1735 for Holland, to obtain 

 there a diploma which would enable him to practise 

 physic as a livelihood, or to lecture at the universities. 



He took a circuitous route in order that he might 

 have an opportunity of visiting collections of literary 

 curiosities as well as of natural history, of which 

 several cities boasted. At Hamburg there was one 

 of such collections which occupied his attention for 

 some considerable time. An amusing incident occurred 

 at the museum in this city, which, although it added 



