230 LINNJEUS. 



choly satisfaction of depositing his remains in the 

 grave ; and having induced Cliffort to purchase his 

 manuscripts^ which were detained for debt, he ar- 

 ranged and committed them to the press. This 

 tract, in his opinion, was the best that had appeared 

 on the subject of fishes. He also published his own 

 Classes Plantarum, in which he presented a general 

 view of all the botanical systems that had been pre- 

 viously proposed. 



His ambition was now on the point of being at- 

 tained. Not only were his works received with ap- 

 probation, but his principles had been adopted by 

 several teachers. He had also formed connexions 

 in Holland which promised to be of the great- 

 est advantage to him; and the Dutch, desirous 

 of securing his services, proposed that he should 

 make a botanical voyage to the Cape of Good 

 Hope, with the promise of a professorship on his 

 return. 



But Linnaeus about this time was seized with an 

 ardent desire to revisit his native country, and fell 

 into a state of extreme depression of spirits, suc- 

 ceeded by a violent fever, which lasted upwards of 

 six weeks. His excessive application to study may 

 be considered as the source of his complaints ; and 

 perhaps to this may be added his disquietude con- 

 cerning the daughter of IMoraeus. But it does not, 

 however, appear that his love for Elizabeth was 

 equal to that for botany or even for his own re- 

 nown ; for though the stated period had elapsed, 

 he still resolved to make a journey to Paris before 

 returning to the place of his birth. 



He reached that capital in the beginning of May 

 1738, and was kindly received by the two Jussieus, 



