360 HISTORY OF BOTANY. 



Sect. 6. Reception and Diffusion of the Linncean 



Reform,. 



WE have already seen that Linnaeus received, from 

 his own country, honours and emoluments which 

 mark his reputation as established, as early as 1740; 

 and by his publications, his lectures, and his per- 

 sonal communications, he soon drew round him 

 many disciples, whom he impressed strongly with 

 his own doctrines and methods. It would seem 

 that the sciences of classification tend, at least in 

 modern times, more than other sciences, to collect 

 about the chair of the teacher a large body of 

 zealous and obedient pupils ; Linnaeus and Werner 

 were by far the most powerful heads of schools of 

 any men who appeared, in the course of the last 

 century. Perhaps one reason of this is, that in 

 these sciences, consisting of such an enormous mul- 

 titude of species, of descriptive particulars, and of 

 previous classifications, the learner is dependent 

 upon the teacher more completely, and for a longer 

 time, than in other subjects of speculation : he 

 cannot so soon or so easily cast off the aid and 

 influence of the master, to pursue reasonings and 

 hypotheses of his own. Whatever the cause may 

 be, the fact is, that the reputation and authority 

 of Linnaeus, in the latter part of his life, were im- 

 mense. He enjoyed also royal favour, for the King 

 and Queen of Sweden were both fond of natural 

 history. In 1753, Linnaeus received from the hand 



