MEMOIR OF LINNAEUS. 5.9 



So lavish, indeed, was Mr Clifford upon his favourite 

 pursuit, that he proposed to send Linnaeus to England 

 to procure the botanical novelties, and to communicate 

 with the most celebrated botanists and horticulturists, 

 Linnaeus could not resist the offer, and we find our 

 enthusiastic naturalist sailing for Great Britain, instead 

 of making his way to Sweden. On his arrival at 

 London, he waited upon Sir Hans Sloane, to whom 

 he had a letter from Boerhaave, which recommended 

 him in the strongest language. But neither he nor 

 Dillenius, whom he met at Oxford, showed such 

 attention as might have been expected from these 

 high testimonials. They looked upon him as a young 

 innovator, who wished to overturn the old systems, 

 only to exalt his own name upon a fleeting eminence. 

 Dillenius spoke of him as the " young man who 

 confounds all botany," treating him with reserve 

 and haughtiness, until his discoveries were truly 

 made known to him. 



He visited also Martyn, Ward, Miller, Dr Shaw 

 the celebrated traveller, Peter Collinson, &c. ; and on 

 his return to the continent, long continued a corre- 

 spondence with these naturalists in the terms of the 

 most sincere friendship ; exchanged plants and other 

 objects of natural history with them, and freely 

 canvassed the different opinions set forth by each ; 

 and although these were not always unanimously 

 decided, they appeared to have had no influence in 

 disturbing the alliance previously formed.* 

 * Sir J. E. Smith's Letters. 



