230 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



They had now the actual things, the treasures of the wide 

 and deep, before them to speak for themselves. These 

 were Elysian fields indeed so glorious and beautiful, 

 that the grey-haired students would have been unable 

 to see the truth for the glory had not Linnseus held up 

 a smoked glass through which he explained to them the 

 marvels of this great light. To Linnasus may fairly be 

 applied Emerson's epithet, l the splendid bridge from 

 the old world to the new.' 



As Dr. Garden who himself lived unenlightened 

 but eager in Carolina and in Florida wrote to Ellis : 

 ' To you and Linnaeus I owe the placing of me in a 

 land of wonders.' That is, they opened his eyes to the 

 wonders that were there. 



Garden, whose name is embalmed in the exquisite 

 Gardenia, writes to Linnaeus, March 15, 1755 : c When 

 1 read your works I learn from you not only things of 

 which I was previously ignorant, but even what I 

 thought I had learned from other teachers.' He writes 

 to Ellis : You will no doubt think it odd in me, who 

 live so far from the learned world, to have such an 

 avaricious desire after new correspondents. I cannot 

 help it. I find that nothing is a greater spur to in- 

 quiries and further improvement than some demands 

 from literary correspondents. I know that every letter 

 I receive not only revives the botanic spark in my 

 breast, but increases its quantity and flaming force. 

 Else ce feu, cette divine flamme, as Perrault calls it, 

 would be evaporated in a few years, and we should rest 



