CAROLUS LINNAEUS 43 



in Holland, and was now at once the most 

 famous physician in Europe and without a 

 rival as an authority upon systematic botany. 

 He was living in age and retirement not far 

 from Leyden, and there was not another man 

 upon the face of the earth whom Linnaeus 

 so much wished to see. He could not endure 

 the thought of returning to Sweden without 

 having visited this great Mecca of botanists, 

 Leyden. Once there, he found friends in 

 learned botanists nearer his own age who 

 had not yet published books, and of whom 

 he had not heard. Among these, Adrian van 

 Royen, professor at the University in succes- 

 sion to the illustrious Boerhaave; also Dr. 

 Gronovius, a well-versed and ardent botanist. 

 Others at Leyden who became Linnseus's 

 cordial and helpful friends we must not stop 

 to name. Both van Royen and Gronovius 

 became enthusiastic over the young man and 

 his manuscripts. Gronovius was so charmed 

 with his Systema Naturae that he proposed, 

 with Linnseus's permission, to have it pub- 

 lished at once, and the printing of it was 

 begun. It came out, as a mere outline sketch 

 of a new natural history. It was a folio 

 tract of but fourteen pages, but it was every- 

 where received with the greatest applause. 



