MEMOIR OF GESNER. 27 



a scholar and naturalist were well known. His 

 reception was highly flattering, and led the way 

 to several important favours, which he afterwards 

 received from the hands of the emperor. On this 

 journey, Gesner likewise visited Ulm, and ulti- 

 mately repaired to the warm baths of Baden, that 

 he might try their effect on his health. These 

 proved more beneficial than he anticipated, and he 

 returned to Zurich greatly invigorated both in body 

 and mind. 



The following year he was much occupied in 

 forming a new botanic garden, to facilitate the study 

 of plants, which now engaged a large share of his 

 attention, as he designed to publish a general his- 

 tory of vegetables. Shortly after his appointment 

 to the professorship of natural history, he had em- 

 ployed his increased means in building a museum, 

 of such extent, that it contained fifteen windows. 

 These windows (we translate the description of his 

 biographer, Schmiedel), he ornamented in a manner 

 as unusual, as it was agreeable ; on each of them 

 he painted most elegantly on the glass, arranged 

 according to their classes, different species of marine, 

 river, and lacustrine fishes. His shelves contained 

 an immense quantity of metals, stones, gems, and 

 other natural productions, which he had either ob- 

 tained as presents from his friends, or purchased. The 

 most liberal of the contributors to his museum was 

 his friend Kentmann, who, among other objects, 

 presented him with a collection of fossil fishes, and 

 a great many different kinds of metals. Amidst 



