Si INTRODUCTORY NARRATIVE. [lesson I. 



rare and foreign plants. Here the young Carl followed his father as soon as ho 

 could walk, so that, as one of his pupils has remarked, "from the very time that lie first 

 left his cradle, he almost lived in his father's garden." There cannot he a doubt that 

 his eariy acquaintance with the beauties of nature laid the foundation for the study of 

 those sciences which he afterwards so greatly adorned. His own relation of the manner 

 in which his first lessons in botany were given, are worthy of notice. When about four 

 years old, he went to a feast at Mokler with his father ; and, as the evening was fine, 

 the young Carl was seated upon a flowery bank with many of the guests, listening to 

 the eloquent and instructive remarks of the curate upon the various plants around 

 them. His curiosity was awakened; hut one so young could only ask questions, the 

 answers to which were speedily forgotten, especially the names of the plants. As he 

 grew older, his inaptitude to remember names was a source of constant annoyance to 

 his father; but, by perseverance and practice, he overcame the defect. When Linmmis 

 was seven years old, he was placed under the private charge of John Tiliander, and two 

 years afterwards, was sent to school at Wexio, being intended for the church ; and 

 here, and at the gymnasium of the same place, he remained until nearly eighteen, 

 without making much progress in languages, literature, or the studies his father 

 desired, although he eclipsed most of his schoolfellows in physical and mathematical 

 science. All his leisure hours were devoted to the study of botany; and his library, 

 consisting of a few books, showing a decided taste for that science, his fellow-students 

 dubbed him the "little botanist." The father was so disgusted with his son's distaste 

 for clerical studies, that he determined to bind him apprentice to a shoemaker, or 

 tailor, but was fortunately prevented by the kind offer of Dr. Rothmann, a provincial 

 physician, who proposed to receive the young Linnaeus into his own house, and instruct 

 him in medical literature. This offer was not without its service, for we find that he 

 made considerable progress in physiology and botany, and therefore, the following year, 

 was sent to the university of Lund, with the following introductory certificate from the 

 head master of the gymnasium : " Youth at school may be compared to shrubs in a 

 garden, which will sometimes, though rarely, elude all the care of the gardener, but if 

 transplanted into a different soil, may become fruitful trees. With this view, therefore, 

 and no other, the bearer is sent to the university, where it is possible he may meet with 

 a climate propitious to his progress." An old tutor and friend suppressed this 

 extraordinary document, and introduced him as his private pupil. 



At Lund, he lodged in the house of Dr. Stobaeus, physician to the king, and 

 professor of medicine, who soon became aware of his acquirements, and was delighted 

 to find he possessed such a knowledge of botany. This excellent man allowed Linnaeus 

 free access to his library and collection of shells, minerals, birds, and plants ; instructed 

 him how to form a hortus siccus, and first turned the attention of Linnaeus to other 

 branches of Natural History. Next year he repaired to the University of Upsala, with 

 only eight pounds in his pocket, which was all the money his parents could give him; 

 and after a short time was reduced to such a state, that he was often obliged to trust to 

 chance for a meal, and mend his shoes with folded paper instead of sending them to a 

 cobbler. 



Linnaeus, notwithstanding all these difficulties and privations, studied early and late, 

 and soon attracted the attention of Professor Rudbeck and Dr. Celsius; and the latter, 

 requiring an assistant, received him into his own house. It was here that he contracted 

 a friendship with the celebrated ichthyologist, Artedi, and composed his Spolia Hotanica, 



