150 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



held the botanical chair, Linnaeus that of anatomy and 

 physics. 



There is a magic in the memory of schoolboy 

 friendships, says Disraeli ay, and in the recollection 

 of college enmities ; the twilighted memory is a veil of 

 forgiveness. Linnaeus did not know half the integrity 

 and worth there was in Rosen, and Eosen took all the 

 warmth that was in Linnaeus for pepper. Now he 

 found out Rosen as a good kind of fellow ; the other 

 discovered Linnaeus was ' a plaguy pleasant one too.' 



Linnaeus and Rosen were each put in the chairs 

 the other desired the most and was best fitted for ; so, 

 with a frankness which did honour to both, they pro- 

 posed an exchange of their professorships, which was 

 amicably effected early in 1742, with the consent of the 

 chancellor. The two professors, by their united zeal 

 and abilities, failed not to exalt, together with their own 

 fame, that of the university. Linnaeus had longed for a 

 place at Upsala, but above all for the chair of botany. 

 ' He was eager to teach his favourite science in the halls 

 he had entered with boyish awe.' Now at the compara- 

 tively early age of thirty-four his hope was a dream come 

 true, 1 ' The age of thirty-four was his year of perfect 

 enjoyment calm, settled, happy with wife and child, 

 he had now his garden to create, his mind to expand, 

 and further to enlarge his mind by constant communica- 

 tion with the wide new world.' At full maturity while 

 yet in youth, he rejoiced in the dedication of his c powers 

 1 Smith. 



