44 CAROLUS LINN ^U 8 



Meanwhile, Linnaeus had used every endeavor 

 to see that great oracle of medicine and of 

 botany, old Boerhaave, but in vain. Pro- 

 vided with a letter from Gronovius, he had 

 called every day for a whole week, but to no 

 purpose. Ambassadors and princes had found 

 him accessible with some difficulty. Even 

 Peter the Great of Russia had been obliged 

 to wait two hours in an ante-room, to take 

 his turn in getting a conference with this 

 busiest and most imperious old prince of 

 learning and master of the healing art. Lin- 

 naeus now bethought himself to send a copy 

 of the new Systema Naturae. A letter came 

 back, naming the day and the hour when 

 he should be admitted to an audience. The 

 interview was prolonged and was carried into 

 Boerhaave's own private botanic garden, a 

 place well stocked with almost all plants 

 and trees that had been found to endure the 

 climate of Leyden. One beautiful tree which 

 Boerhaave thought was even very certain 

 had never been described, Linnaeus gave him 

 the name for, also the volume and page of 

 one of Vaillant's folios in which it was de- 

 scribed fully and clearly. When they returned 

 to the library the place was found and the 

 truth was admitted. The venerable doctor 



