248 LINN^US. 



many years ago wei-e held in considerable estima- 

 tion. By injuring tlie shell, probably by means 

 of puncture or perforation, it is supposed that he 

 succeeded in causing a deposition of the pearly 

 matter, so that one might procure a certain quan- 

 tity at pleasure. The precise method, however, 

 is still uncertain, nor is it believed to have been 

 generally successful ; at all events the secret has 

 been entirely lost. 



At this period, says Linnaeus, botany v^as culti- 

 vated at Upsal with unparalleled ardour. Fre- 

 quent excursions were made for the purpose of col- 

 lecting plants, insects, and birds. Every Wednes- 

 day and Saturday herbarizations took place, which 

 continued from dawn to night. The pupils, having 

 their hats covered with flowers, returned to the 

 town, and preceded by musical instruments accom- 

 panied their professor to the garden. 



But amid all this success he was harassed by 

 the malice of his enemies. A decree of the se- 

 nate appeared, which prevented any native of Swe- 

 den from publishing a work in a foreign country. 

 This was evidently directed against him alone, for, 

 as he says, it could apply to no other person. In a 

 fit of bad humour he flung his pen from him, and 

 swore that he would never write another book. At 

 this period also a person named Fick endeavoured, 

 by disgraceful calumnies, to injure him in the es- 

 teem of his fellow-citizens. This conduct he felt so 

 much the more severely, because the slanderer was 

 one of his familiar friends, which was also the case 

 with respect to Halenius, who openly censured one 

 of his dissertations, although he had approved of it 



