HIS WORK FOR POSTERITY 235 



China. Our friend Peter Collinson' [a Quaker, and 

 therefore to be believed] ' says he saw two plants about 

 twenty-five years ago in England, which grew freely 

 and blossomed, but they were destroyed through the 

 ignorance of a gardener.' 



Ellis is now appointed king's agent to West Florida, 

 which puts him in correspondence with many gentle- 

 men gone to reside there. 



Linnseus eagerly asks Ellis, ' What news have you, 

 to whom Nature is every day revealing some secrets ? ' 



In this correspondence peeps out the usual jealousy 

 of scientific men. Linnaeus replies : c You need not fear 

 my communicating it ' the discovery of the Asteria, a 

 coralline, one of those lilies of living stone c prema- 

 turely to anyone. I am not accustomed to deprive 

 ethers of their discoveries.' Ellis congratulates Lin- 

 nseus on the honourable recognition of his services by 

 his sovereign. 



Mlis to Linnceus. 



May 1762. 



' Sir, the honours you have lately received from the 

 King of Sweden could not add greater lustre to your 

 name than they have given pleasure to all your friends 

 in this corner of the world. Long may you enjoy 

 them, and long continue to enlighten the understand- 

 ings of mankind, hitherto prejudiced, and groping in 

 the dark, till your excellent works brought nature 

 into a method to be understood and cleared away those 



