OF PHYSIC GARDENS 19 



being far in advance of their own theories. How 

 often in turning over the pages of scientific works 

 of that date such petty jealousies are brought to 

 light, often sharply acrimonious in spite of the 

 thin veiling of studied politeness in which they find 

 expression ! The story of the meeting of Dillenius 

 with his younger fellow-labourer in the fields of 

 science is a case in point, though it had a happier 

 ending than mutual suspicions and animosities 

 often have. " This is the young man who would 

 confound the whole of Botany," Dillenius re- 

 marked in an undertone to the mutual friend who 

 had brought Linnaeus to the physic garden to 

 be introduced. The Swede was not an English 

 scholar, yet he was not slow to catch the drift 

 of the words, and was conscious that his presence 

 was not altogether welcome. How easy it is even 

 now, after the lapse of so many years the site 

 being the same and the general outline less altered 

 than might be expected to follow the group as 

 they wandered amongst the rarities of the garden, 

 feeling all the while mighty uncomfortable and ill 

 at ease, bristling at all points as they were with 

 thorny subjects of dispute. Presently there came 

 a pause before a wall mantled with the ivy-leaved 

 toad-flax, the structure and relations of which 

 were distracting the learned of the day. One can 

 scarcely come across the familiar little "Oxford 

 weed" without being reminded of the occasion; 

 for here Linnaeus was craftily pressed to give his 

 view of the matter, whereupon, far from being 

 posed, according to expectation, he gave so clear 

 and convincing an exposition of the difficulty that, 



