AN OVERDOSE OF PROSPERITY 31 



post. She continued faithful. In the course of last 

 year, 1738, which I passed at Dr. van Royen's, with the 

 approbation of the young lady, though it was the fourth 

 year of my absence, and her father had required but 



three, B thought he had himself made considerable 



progress in her favour. By my recommendation he had 

 been made a professor, and he took upon him to persuade 

 my betrothed that I should never return to my own 

 country. He courted her assiduously, and was very 

 near obtaining her had it not been for another friend, 

 who laid open his treachery. He has since paid dearly 

 for his conduct by innumerable misfortunes.' l 



This fact of its being some one who filled a pro- 

 fessor's chair by his recommendation points to the 

 nattering Brouwallius as trying to supplant him ; but 

 excepting the initial B in the letter I cannot find any 

 other indication that he was the traitor. Turton calls 

 B (rouwallius ?) ' this faithless wretch.' ' He insinuated 

 these doubts to Dr. Morgeus. Linnaeus was overcome 

 by the news of this ingratitude, and sank into a fever, 

 of which he nearly died, and which hindered his depar- 

 ture.' 2 It was no longer intellectual nor physical fever 

 which consumed him, but the mad burning jealousy 

 of an exile who knows his place at home taken, his 

 crown of joy seized, while he is yet in life He felt ' that 

 convulsion of the throat and sickness of the heart which 

 accompany the sense of catastrophe.' 



His only consolation now was the thought of his 

 1 Diary. 2 Tarton. 



