366 LINN^US. 



for having been a little too fond of money, when I 

 consider those extremes of poverty which so long and 

 so heavily overwhelmed him. It may also be said 

 in his defence, that the parsimonious habits which 

 he had contracted under the most pressing necessity 

 remained with him ever after^ and that he found it 

 impossible to renounce them when he lived in the 

 midst of abundance." This apology may perhaps 

 suffice, especially when we find it asserted that his 

 frugality never degenerated into avarice. 



Towards his pupils he conducted himself with 

 the most praisew^orthy liberality. To those who 

 were poor he remitted the fees due to him as pro- 

 fessor, and even from the rich he on many occa- 

 sions refused to receive any recompense. Dr Gieseke, 

 when about to leave him in the autumn of 1771;. 

 pressed upon him a Swedish bank-note, as a remu- 

 neration for the trouble which he had taken in afford- 

 ing him instruction; but he was unwilling to accept 

 it, and it was not till after the repeated entreaties of 

 his pupil that he acceded to his request : — " Tell me 

 candidly," said he, " if you are rich, and can afford 

 it ; — can you well spare this money on your return 

 to Germany ? If you can, give the note to my wife ; 

 but should you be poor, so help me God, I would 

 not take a farthing from you !" — " To the praise of 

 Linnaeus," says Mr Ehrhart, " I must farther own, 

 notwithstanding his parsimony, that he neither would 

 nor did accept a single penny as a fee for the lec- 

 tures which he gave me. You are a Swiss," he 

 once said to me, '' and the only Swiss that vi- 

 sits me. I shall take no money of you, but feel a 

 pleasure in telling you all that I know gratis." 



His excitable temper not unfrequently betrayed 



