374 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



He died November 1, 1783, at forty-two, of an 

 apoplectic stroke, leaving no issue. He was interred 

 November 30, 1783, close to his father's remains, and 

 the coat of arms was broken to pieces on his tomb, as 

 is usual in Sweden on the extinction of the male line. 1 

 There was a public funeral oration, and the gardener 

 of the university strewed flowers over the tomb which 

 shelters the Linnaei. Nature broke the family symbol too. 

 The Linden tree of Linnhult withered from this day. 



Linnaeus's brother Samuel was still alive when 

 Stoever wrote his ' Life.' He had no sons. ' It is said 

 that at the extinction of the Lindelius family one of 

 the three branches of the old lime-tree withered and 

 died ; with the death of the last daughter of Linnasus a 

 second ceased to put forth its golden leaves, while when 

 the last of the Tiliander family was called away all 

 vegetation ceased.' The three races of Jons are now 

 ' out ' ; but the trunk of the lime-tree still stands o'er- 

 shadowing, with its three sapless branches, the old farm- 

 house ; nor would the peasant owner, for its weight in 

 gold, allow one twig to be cut. ' It shall remain for 

 ever,' say the villagers ; ' as long as the name of our 

 great Carl is unforgotten, we'll preserve the old lime- 

 tree.' 2 I suspect this is a legend ; it is a very pretty 

 legend all the same. Linnaeus's botanical system has 

 died out likewise : it was broken up soon after his death. 



1 Carl von Linne's arms did not bear the motto Famam extendere 

 factis. 



2 H. Marry att. 



