SIR CHARLES LINN^US. 19 



gardens then situated at Chelsea. Philip Miller was 

 then curator of the grounds, and several amusing 

 incidents are related of the early interviews between 

 the young Swede and this celebrated botanist, who 

 died, it may be mentioned, in 1771. 



Singular to say, at the elaborate explanations of 

 Miller in showing the various specimens, Linnaeus was 

 silent, and this somewhat tried the patience of Miller, 

 who was indiscreet enough to say to a friend near 

 him at the time, but sufficiently loud to be heard 

 by Linnaeus — " Sure, the botanist of Burgomaster 

 Cliff ort is a great man — he knows nothing at all of 

 plants." Miller was particularly fond of giving the 

 ancient names to the various plants. Linnaeus said, 

 " Why do you apply these, pray ? We have better 

 and conciser appellations." Linnaeus very soon showed 

 the curator that he had more knowledge of botany 

 than he would at first have given him credit for ; 

 and it is significant to note that in after years 

 the collection at Chelsea was arranged according to 

 the Linnaean system. 



It is told of Linnaeus that when he first saw a 

 common near London, covered with furze bushes in 

 full bloom, he fell on his knees (see frontispiece), 

 and, with tears, uttered his thankfulness for so glorious 

 a sight. When he returned to Sweden he took with 

 him some plants of furze, but they could not live 

 through the northern winter. 



From London Linnaeus went on to Oxford, where 

 there was a capital botanical garden. Here he was 

 made sport of just as he had been at Chelsea, the curator 



