8 CAROLUS LINNAEUS 



still find ourselves in the presence of a man 

 of the highest educational accomplishments 

 and general culture, clear-headed and original 

 as a thinker, a philosopher, religionist, eth- 

 nologist, evolutionist, traveller, geographer, 

 and a most able and polished man of letters. 

 These are but so many more aspects of a great 

 character, the presentation of which, one by 

 one in a discourse, might interestedly engage 

 the attention of others besides nature students. 

 Confronted by so very much that may be 

 said, and which it might seem ought to be 

 said on this day dedicated to Linnaeus, and 

 checked by the consideration that only a few 

 selections from out the whole mass may at 

 this hour be taken, where shall one begin? 

 Whither shall one proceed? What thrilling 

 passages in a career so almost marvellous 

 shall be left unnoted for want of time, and 

 of what few of them shall the rehearsal be 

 attempted? Or, reducing these questions 

 down to two: Shall the man be presented 

 with citation of his struggles with adverse 

 circumstance, and of the almost incredible 

 patience, industry, zeal and resolution with 

 which he conquered and rose to high renown? 

 Or shall one consider rather the work of the 

 great master of botanical theory and taxo- 



