44 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



systematic comprehensiveness ; but they admired their 

 own still more. The royal garden at Trianon was, out 

 of compliment, arranged in conformity with his system ; 

 but the French generally, and naturally, preferred the 

 systems of Tournefort and Vaillant. Linnaeus was not 

 jealous of this ; these men were also the guides of his 

 mind. Personally the French liked him much : they 

 liked his cordial, frank, expansive character ; his charm 

 of manner modified the dryness of his books. 1 The 

 French have always found the books which come from 

 the North abound with too much learning. French 

 readers require clear expression joined to poetry of 

 motive : the converse of the Gothic intellectual need, 

 which is a solid motive half hidden in a mysteriously 

 poetical expression. The French mind glances into a 

 new world of ideas like lightning. 



Books and museums, alternating with travel, had 

 formed the young Swede's mind, and he was able 

 intensely to enjoy perfecting and polishing it in con- 

 versation with these charming yet superior people, 

 lighter of spirit than the solid Dutchmen he had 

 recently associated with; though he missed the chief 

 charm of French society that sparkling atmosphere of 

 wit which surrounds the ideas they diffuse. 



Here he acquired, or perfected, the gift of precision 

 and easy brevity, which is generally only attained ' by 



1 ' One must civilise ; it is really quite essential,' found out 

 Carlyle, when men would only turn their worst, least profitable side 

 to him because of his rude, overbearing manners. 



