CARL LINNAEUS. 59 



to collect specimens for him. This was indeed a 

 blessing. "Here in England," he says, "I lived 

 like a prince, and had one of the finest gardens of 

 the world under my inspection." A society in 

 Amsterdam advanced the money to pay for the 

 plates for his "Mora Lapponica," and fame seemed 

 really to be coming at last. 



In his visit to England, Sir Hans Sloane, who 

 founded the British Museum, looked upon him 

 coldly because he had suggested a different sys- 

 tem in natural history from his own ! At Oxford, 

 Dillenius said to friends, sarcastically : " See, this 

 is the young man who confounds all botany!" 

 Linnaeus felt hurt, and, when about to take his 

 departure from the city, asked the scientist why 

 he had treated him thus. After the young student 

 had explained his work, Dillenius became his warm 

 friend, and pressed him to stay, and even to share 

 his salary with him. Linnaeus was greatly pleased 

 with London, and when he saw the golden furze in 

 its green leaves, fell on his knees before it. 



On his return to Germany he went to the death- 

 bed of Boerhaave, whose parting words were : " I 

 have lived out my time and done what I could. 

 May God preserve thee, from whom the world 

 expects much more ! Farewell, my dear Linnaeus ! " 



He now hastened to the idol of his heart in 

 Sweden, and what was his amazement to find that 

 the friend to whom he had intrusted his correspon- 

 dence with Sara Elizabeth had been trying to win 

 her for himself! Perhaps it would have been 



