352 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



who was chancellor of Upsala University from 1764 to 

 1771, and who frequently went to Hammarby. The 

 tables were spread with many interesting trophies. A 

 service of porcelain was sent to Linnaeus from China, 

 purposely manufactured for him, and having the Linncea 

 lorealis, in a Chinese interpretation, on the outside, 

 a portion of which is still displayed on a table at Ham- 

 marby. Beside this was the finely carved rhinoceros- 

 horn, all wrought in Chinese carving with lotus and 

 nelumbium flowers and leaves, made expressly for him. 1 

 Here, seated on the two brocaded wedding-stools, at the 

 head of the six tables set end to end in two lines, Yon 

 Linne and his wife entertained their family and friends, 

 royalty, and all the professors and chief dignitaries of 

 Upsala. 



The family pleasures were enhanced by the fact of 

 Samuel Linnaeus, the pastor of Stenbrohult, having 

 written a work on the breeding of bees (published in 

 1768), which met with so favourable a reception that 

 they gave the author the name of King of the Bees. 2 

 This promising manuscript was shown to Linne, by 

 the author, who now also brought his wife to visit the 

 chief of his family. Songs were sung, both national 

 and in Latin. Glasses were clashed, glasses full of wine 

 bottled twenty-five years ago. Ah, what had happened 

 in those years ! What changes had taken place in the 

 world and in themselves ! The enthusiasm of twenty- 

 five years ago now seems the dream instead. 



1 Engraved in Smith's book. - Bi-Kung, Stoever. 



