LEYDENTHE FAT OF THE LAND 293 



his ' Systema Naturae,' consisting of eight large sheets, 

 in the form of tables ; l this edition is now a great biblio- 

 thecal curiosity. It contained a view of the animal, 

 vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, and was the germ of 

 that scheme of natural history which was a few years after- 

 wards adopted throughout the world. ' In this way was 

 the foundation laid of that system upon which almost all 

 those of the present day are in many ways most inti- 

 mately connected, and by which the arrangements of 

 the older systematists were almost at once superseded.' 2 



By the advice of Gronovius, 3 Linnseus waited on 

 Boerhaave in Leyden. Carl had particularly wished to 

 see this eminent man, who was renowned throughout 

 the world, so that a letter reached him from the Emperor 

 of China, directed simply, ' To Boerhaave, the famous 

 physician in Europe.' Not so very long after this it 

 was Linnaeus's own turn to meet with similar recogni- 

 tion. 4 Bjoernstahl saw at Therapia, in Turkey, a Greek 

 walking in a field reading a book ; the man (formerly 

 first physician to the Pasha) told him it was by ' the 

 great man in Europe.' It was Linnaeus's c System of 

 Nature.' 



Boerhaave, 5 through press of occupation, had great 

 difficulty in granting audiences even to his friends. Peter 

 the Great had waited several hours in an antechamber 

 for an interview : 6 how could Linnaaus, poor and a 



1 Carr. 2 Sir W. Jardine. 3 Diary. 



4 Carr. 5 Ibid. 



6 This was many years before in 1716, or perhaps in the Czar's 

 earlier visit to Holland, in 1697. 



