THE KNIGHT OF THE POLAR STAR 319 



The termination us is confined to the plebeians of 

 Sweden. The universal custom of that country prescribes 

 the prefix Von, and abolishes the affix us, in the names 

 of those who are ennobled. 1 



He designed his own coat of arms. The shield was 

 divided triangularly in a manner common in Swedish 

 heraldry in three fields, gules, vert, and sable, with a 

 crown in each to denote the three kingdoms of nature ; 

 an earar in the middle, in allusion to his fundamental 



oo ' 



position ' Omne vivum ex ovo.' The crest was the Lin- 

 ncea borealis, between two aloe leaves, which are also 

 frequent in armorial bearings of the Swedes. The 

 motto was ' Famam extendere factis ' (* To spread fame 

 by deeds'). Tilas, the censor of heraldry, had entirely 

 altered the original design of his shield, but we are not 

 told who had the last word to say about the blazonry. 



Beginning now to feel the frequent failure of his 

 overtaxed powers, he was glad to have Hammarby to 

 retire to, and to be away from court ceremonial, . from 

 the whirl of students and visitors, and talk and per- 

 petual correspondence of admirers. It is too arduous 

 work for one man to be king of natural history ; it is 

 better for all that it should be a republic. Ham- 

 marby united, in a sense of hope fulfilled, the remem- 

 brance of his birthplace with the scene of the victorious 

 struggles of his youth. There was a sense of peace and 

 repose about it, combined with the gratification of being 

 still within reach of his cherished university and the 

 1 Brightwell. 



