4 8 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



ference to Greek and Latin : but the latter is my father's 

 command, and it is my duty to obey him. I will, how- 

 ever, make myself acquainted with all these different 

 plants for my own pleasure and gratification.' l He 

 immediately began to teach himself botany. Banks 

 was a rich man's son, and might with more impunity 

 than Linnaeus have been idle. 



I admit the faults of my immediate hero Linnaeus ; 

 I have no wish to make him out perfect : he had many 

 weaknesses. He was a great man for all that. 



After much hesitation the parents at length con- 

 sented to let their son follow the new line. How 

 ardent became Carl's love of nature now ! how happy his 

 life henceforth till he was twenty ! Linnaeus entered 

 with redoubled eagerness into his now encouraged 

 studies ; only disturbed by such hard facts as certain 

 Swedish plants not being reducible to the rules of 

 Tournefort's System, he could expand freely in the 

 career he had hitherto pursued by secret and inter- 

 rupted steps. The certainty and limitation of a settled 

 plan of study concentrated his zeal and spirit. 



Rothman gave his willing pupil instructions in 

 physiology and botany, and pointed out, somewhat 

 superfluously perhaps, the advantage of studying the 

 latter science according to the system of Tournefort. 

 Carl's lynx eyes had discovered the text-book before. 

 He had already begun to arrange every plant in its 



1 The somewhat priggish sound of this is due to the sym- 

 pathising biographer. 



