LINNAEUS AND THE LINNEAN CLASSIFICATION. 53 



investigate the scientific productions of Lapland. In the 

 discharge of the commission thus intrusted to him, he 

 undertook a toilsome and solitary expedition, which con- 

 sumed six months' time, and was attended with many 

 hardships, but which was fruitful in scientific results. The 

 next two years of the life of Linnaeus may be passed over, 

 as being little more than a record of the struggles of a 

 proud, poor, and irritable genius to wring from his country- 

 men the recognition and position which his talents 

 deserved, but which were withheld from him on account of 

 his poverty. Being prohibited from lecturing at Upsala, 

 on the ground of his not having taken his academical 

 degree, he ultimately (1734) commenced to give lectures 

 on mineralogy at Fahlun, where he fell in love with his 

 future wife, the daughter of a Dr Moraeus. The lady in 

 question had saved about one hundred dollars, which sum 

 she gave to Linnaeus, in order that he might take his 

 degree as was commonly done at that time at some 

 foreign university. With this end in view, he journeyed 

 to Holland, and graduated as doctor of medicine in the 

 university of Harderwijk. Proceeding to Leyden, Lin- 

 naeus made the acquaintance of Gronovius,* who induced 

 him to publish (1735) his 'Systema Naturae.' This work, 

 afterwards so famous, comprised a classification of all 

 natural objects, animals, plants, and minerals; and in 

 this, the first edition, it consisted of only fourteen folio 

 pages. 



From Holland, Linnaeus journeyed to England, where, 

 however, he did not experience a warm reception, his 



* Lorenz Theodor Gronovius, a naturalist ; author of the ' Museum Ichthyologi- 

 cum,' published at Leyden in 1754. 



