AN OVERDOSE OF PROSPERITY 5 



young/ The ' Hortus Cliffortianus,' containing 501 

 folio pages and an index, is a work of prodigious labour 

 and research. It includes a description of coffee and tea, 

 comprising 1 what was at that time the most complete 

 history of the tea shrub, and chocolate, which Linnaeus 

 thinks the most salubrious of the three. As a rule 

 the plants depicted in this work are still rare in our 

 hothouses. The knowledge gained in cultivating these 

 rarities was of immense value to Linnaeus. It was a 

 business in itself to learn the treatment of such plants, 

 and a valuable addition to his studies on climate. Two 

 hundred copies of the book were printed at Mr. Clifford's 

 expense, and never published, but distributed among the 

 banker's friends and a few learned societies. He gave 

 ten copies to Linnaeus. The ' Viridarium Cliffortianum ' 

 is a resume of this work, arranged in the form of a manual 

 for general use. It is a classified catalogue of the green- 

 house, in 104 pages. From Professor Adrian van Boy en 

 Carl obtained the greatest rarities for Clifford's garden. 

 In the intervals of this occupation, when he was fatigued 

 by it, Linnaeus used to amuse himself with his own ' Critica 

 Botanica,' which he had printed at Leyden. He worked, 

 overworked, and made money, though he is understood 

 never to have received more than a ducat a sheet for any 

 of his writings. 1 The interest of the garden and hot- 

 house at Harteeamp was increasing daily. The diary of 

 May 1 says, ' The Musa now flowering in our garden 



1 I think this was meant only of his works published later in 

 Sweden. 



