86 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



called me, the other day, the person who confounds 

 all botany ? " Unable to evade so direct a 

 question, Dillenius took him to his library, and 

 showed him the sheet of his genera which he had 

 obtained. It was marked in sundry places with 

 notes of query. " What signify these marks ? " 

 said Linnaeus. " They signify all the false genera 

 of plants in your book," answered the other. This 

 challenge led to an explanation, in which Linnaeus 

 proved his accuracy in every instance. The result 

 was an entire change on the part of Dillenius, who 

 afterwards detained Linnaeus with him a month, 

 and found so much satisfaction in his company that 

 he kept him always in close converse, scarce leaving 

 him an hour to himself At last he parted from 

 him with tears in his eyes, after making him the 

 offer to stay and share his salary, which would 

 have sufficed for them both. 



Linnaeus never learned any language, not even 

 Dutch, although he lived three years in Holland. 

 " Nevertheless," he says, " I found my way every- 

 where well and happily." Despite this great 

 obstacle, Linnaeus appears to have counted among 

 his friends and correspondents some of the fair 

 sex, in several countries. Lady Ann Monson in 

 London, and Mrs. Blackburne at Oxford, were 

 among this number ; and he had a most enthusi- 

 astic admirer in Miss Jane Golden, of America, 

 who was introduced to his notice by one of his 

 correspondents, as the only lady known to be 

 scientifically acquainted with the Linnaean system. 



