A VISIT TO ENGLAND 329 



apple-blossomed market gardens gone, but all its learn- 

 ing manifest in the magnificent scientific garden lying 

 close behind its river. Kew Church and the youthful 

 games on the green fill up the picture. 1 



The first time Linnaeus crossed Putney Heath the 

 sight of the gorse blossom in its blaze of May made him 

 fall on his knees in rapture to thank God for making 

 anything so beautiful. 2 



Impulsiveness like this must have astounded the more 

 stolid Englishman who saw the action. Foreigners, 

 and particularly the Swedes, are more impulsive in 

 their movements than we are. An action of this sort 

 with us would be set down to extravagance or affecta- 

 tion. But the vivacious Linnaeus, excited by the long 

 unfamiliar fresh breeze of the heathland he, a stranger, 

 and well-nigh a dumb creature, felt that the flowers 

 were his friends : they spoke the language that he knew. 

 He was touched by the sight of this flowery wilderness 

 as many persons are moved by hearing grand organ 

 music in a foreign cathedral, where one can without 

 remark indulge the feeling of rapturous thankfulness 

 to the Creator for making so exquisite an universal 

 language. If music spoke not to Linnaeus it was not 

 that the grand music of his time was weak in the im- 

 pressions it could make : it was that Linnaeus ' had not 



1 There is a caricature portrait of Linnaeus in the Museum at 

 Kew, said to have been drawn from life. 



2 It should be remembered that our common furze is entirely 

 confined to Western Europe, and Linmcus had possibly never seen 

 it before. 



