206 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



the senate of the university, and insisted that in virtue 

 of the academical statute Linnaaus should be no longer 

 suffered to give public lectures.' 1 He thus meanly sought 

 to strangle the reputation of Linnseus and deprive the 

 world of the benefit of his knowledge because it was 

 not sanctioned by academic forms. 



The proud spirit of Linnaeus had to submit to all the 

 vexations and restrictions entailed on him by his poverty 

 griefs more galling, perhaps, to bear than were his actual 

 hardships when an undistinguished student. Poverty 

 is a mighty strengthener as well as tamer and chastiser ; 

 but for this discipline at Upsala Linnaeus would probably 

 never have vanquished the world with his system. He 

 had now nothing but private lectures to depend upon. 

 'Ah ! ' cries Dante (in the ' Paradiso '), 'if the world but 

 knew the heart of him who goes from trouble to trouble, 

 begging his life ! ' 



Linnaeus was summoned to appear before the senate. 

 Many of the members were anxious to waive the pro- 

 hibition in consideration of the virtues and talents of 

 him at whom it was now pointed ; 2 but Rosen pleaded 

 the inviolability of the statutes, which the senate was 

 bound to enforce, and Linnaeus was forbidden to con- 

 tinue his lectures. Rosen was prepared with his special 

 edict, pointed directly against Linnaeus and his lectures, 

 public or private, in case of the votes going against 

 him. 



This was a dreadful blow to Carl. His ambition 

 1 Stoever. 2 Ibid. 



