LINN^US. 323 



celebrated men. After the death of his father, who 

 was an advocate and citizen of Berne, he chose the 

 medical profession ; and in 1723, went to Tubingen, 

 where he studied comparative anatomy under Du- 

 vernoi. In 1 725, he removed to Leyden, then the first 

 medical school in Europe. After taking his degree 

 at the former seminary, he visited England, whence 

 he went to Paris, and dissected under Le Dran. He 

 then proceeded to Basil, to study mathematics un- 

 der Bernouilli. There he imbibed also a taste for 

 botany, — a science in which he subsequently made 

 great progress. In 1729, he returned to Berne, and 

 commenced his professional career as a lecturer on 

 anatomy. In 1736, he was appointed by George II. 

 to the professorship of surgery and botany in the 

 University of Gottingen. Here he resided seven- 

 teen years, in the course of which he distinguished 

 himself by his numerous and important disco- 

 veries. But, in 1753, having taken a journey to 

 Berne, where his countrymen received him with 

 the honour due to his talents, he settled there, and, 

 having been elected a magistrate, entered with zeal 

 on the duties of a citizen. The correspondence 

 of Linnaeus with this eminent naturalist and phy- 

 sician commenced when the latter w^as at Gottiv!- 

 gen, and originated in a report that he was hostile 

 to the proposed system of the j^oung Swede, who 

 thus supplicates his forbearance : — 



" From Mr Cliffords Museum, April 3, 1737- 



1. I must declare, that I am anxious 



to avoid, if possible, all anger or controversy with 

 you j my wish is rather to act in conjunction with 

 you. I should detest being your adversary, and. 



