LINN^US. 53 



Of his father, Linnaeus has given us a few 

 glimpses in his diary, which prepossess us in his 

 favour, and make us wish that we knew more of 

 the worthy pastor. He was brought up by his 

 maternal uncle, Sven Tiliander, himself a clergy- 

 man, who educated the lad with his own children, 

 and, being fond of plants and gardening, inspired 

 in his nephew also a love for horticulture ; so that 

 this predilection appears to have been, in some 

 degree, hereditary. Young Nils was sent, in due 

 time, to school, and afterwards to the University of 

 Lund, where he had to struggle, for some years, 

 with poverty, and to apply very diligently to his 

 studies, in order that he might qualify himself for 

 the profession of his choice. Returning to his 

 native place, he was admitted to holy orders, and 

 was first curate, and afterwards co-pastor. Soon 

 after he attained to this degree, he was married to 

 the eldest daughter of the pastor, Christina Broder- 

 sonia, of whom her son says — " She possessed all 

 the virtues of her sex, and was an excellent 

 economist." No doubt she found ample room for 

 the exercise of this her distinguishing excellence, 

 for her husband's stipend was small, and she 

 brought him a goodly family of two sons and 

 three daughters. We may well believe that thrift 

 and frugality were necessary in the manage of this 

 small household. Linnaeus tells us that the young 

 couple welcomed their first-born with joy, and 

 reared him with the tenderest solicitude, " devoting 

 the utmost attention to impressing on his mind the 



