LINN^US. 



219 



fied him for such an office ; and a rival, Dr Nicholas 

 Rosen, professor of anatomy, instigated, it would 

 appear, by motives of envy, denounced him to the 

 senate of the university. He was summoned to 

 appear before that august body; and, although 

 several of its members were disposed to favour him, 

 he was prohibited from continuing his course. 



Fortune then seemed bent upon thwarting him 

 in all his projects. Stimulated by revenge, he laid 

 wait for Rosen, and, assailing him with the utmost 

 fury, attempted to run him through with his sword, 

 when the bystanders interfering, wrested the wea- 

 pon from his hand. For this offence he would 

 have been expelled, had not Celsius interposed, and 

 got him off with no other punishment than a repri- 

 mand. Men of quick tempers seldom cherish hatred ; 

 but Linnaeus was of a peculiar disposition, — ambi- 

 tious, confident of superiority, irritable, and obsti- 

 nate. Moreover, he was in desperate circumstances, 

 utterly destitute of all means of subsistence, and 

 the world seemed to have conspired against him. 

 He was still determined to stab his enemy to the 

 heart, should he ever meet him in the streets. The 

 conflict of his mind, under such excitement, must 

 have been truly painful. He awoke one night from 

 a dream of horror, seriously consi.dered what he 

 was about, and resolved, instead of assassinating 

 Rosen, to expel the demon from his own breast. 



An assistant-professorship being vacant in the 

 University of Lund, he endeavoured to procure it, 

 but, although his claims were supported by Stobseus 

 and others, was unsuccessful. Prohibited from lec- 

 turing, he was only prevented from falling into de- 

 spair by the consciousness of superior intellect, by 



