316 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



the gold he had failed alchernically to make. He began 

 now to think of himself rather than his aims 



To dare let down 



My strung, so high-strung brain, to dare unnerve 

 My harassed o'ertasked frame, to know my place, 

 My portion, my reward, even my failure, 

 Assigned, made sure for ever ! To lose myself 

 Among the common creatures of the world, 

 To draw some gain for having been a man. 



BROWNING'S Paracelsus. 



c I was delighted with his familiar converse,' says 

 Linnaeus, ' yet meanwhile, overwhelmed with business, 

 I grew impatient at his detaining me too long. Alas, 

 had I known that this was the last visit, the last words 

 of my friend, how fain would I have tarried to prolong 

 his existence ! ' It was September 25. 1 Artedi had at 

 length so far completed his undertaking for Seba that 

 only six fishes remained to be described. This even- 

 ing he was in company at Seba's, and on leaving 

 Seba to return to his own home he fell into a canal and 

 was drowned. The night dark, unknown the way, he 

 came to the brink of a canal not enclosed by rails. 

 His calls for help unheard, next day his body was 

 found. 2 As soon as Linnaeus heard of this he went to 

 Amsterdam to see what could be done to honour the 

 name of his poor dead friend and save the ichthyo- 

 logical MSS., to which he was heir according to the 



1 Diary. 



2 Preface to Artedi's PJiilosopliia Ichtliyologica, edited by 

 Linnasus. 



