MEMOIR OF LINNAEUS. 67 



without the least regard to his predecessors. He 

 almost dares to place a man and a monkey in the 

 same category." Zimmerman, too, complained that 

 the Swedish Naturalist, in a few years, had entirely 

 demolished hotany, and raised his own fantastic 

 theories on the ruins of every other. 



The only vengeance Linnaeus resorted to in reta- 

 liating upon his enemies, was either to treat their 

 attacks with silent indifference, or to reply in pithy 

 epigrams, which might expose the malice without 

 tarnishing the memory of his critics. Sometimes 

 he would affix their names to prickly shrubs, or 

 stinging plants, or ohscure flowers ; but rarely 

 deigned to make any public vindication of himself. 

 His usual remark was, " I mean to employ the 

 years that Providence allots me in making useful 

 observations, and not in answering the cavils of my 

 opponents. The errors of Natural History cannot 

 be defended ; its truths cannot be concealed. It 

 remains for posterity to judge, and to that tribunal 

 I appeal." 



Some of his revilers lived to retract their calum- 

 nies, and withdraw their opposition to his system 

 The son of Haller addressed to him letters of apo- 

 logy, expressing regret at having written against 

 him. Siegesbeck, the most fiery of his antago- 

 nists, also testified his sincere repentance for having 

 assailed his reputation, and implored him to forget 

 the wTongs which he might have sustained at his 

 hands. He even reckoned so far on the generosity 



