SIR CHARLES LINNJEUS. 7 



and himself a botanist of no mean order, discovered 

 Linnaeus one day in the gardens surrounding the 

 college, intently examining a plant, and on entering 

 into conversation with him he was astonished at the 

 extent of the botanical knowledge which Linnaeus 

 displayed. This was the first of many conversations 

 with him, and these eventually led to Celsius, where, 

 for the literary assistance which he woidd be able to 

 render his benefactor, he was to receive board and 

 lodging free. The professor was engaged on an 

 elaborate work on the plants and trees mentioned in 

 the Bible, and it was in the compiling of this that 

 he was to help. Celsius treated him with great 

 paternal care and gave Linnaeus free access to the 

 extensive library which he possessed. Among the 

 quiet of the books of Celsius and Rudbeck, another 

 professor, Linnaeus first conceived those schemes of 

 classification, by which he was to revolutionise 

 botanical science. He set to work to consider the 

 plants, especially from their new and unimproved 

 side, by their sexes, by the number of stamina, and 

 compared them with the ancient system, and the 

 divisions which had till then been used. As he 

 progressed with his studies the more deficient did he 

 find the ancient system. The sexes of plants now 

 occupied his thoughts night and day, and the fresh 

 knowledge which he obtained by these studies soon 

 paved his way to better fortune. 



The steps taken in Sweden at this time for the 

 furtherance of botanical science deserve never to be 

 forgotten. Professor Rudbeck travelled at the expense 



