LINN^US. 



361 



SECTION XI. 



Character of Linnceus. 



Specific Character of Linnaeus — Remarks of Condorcet — Linnaeus's 

 Appearance and bodily Conformation — His Habits, mental Cha- 

 racteristics, Socialit}'^, domestic Relations, Parsimon}', and Gene- 

 rosity — His Forbearance towards his Opponents, Inaptitude for 

 the Acquisition of Languages, Love of Fame, moral Conduct, re- 

 ligious Feelings — Character of his Writings — Remarks on his 

 Classifications. 



The character of Linnaeus, marked as it is by fea- 

 tures which the least reflective mind can hardly 

 fail to distinguish as indicative of qualities that sel- 

 dom present themselves in so high a degree of deve- 

 lopment, is not difficult to be appreciated. 



The method which he employed for characteriz- 

 ing the genera and species of animals and plants, he 

 applied to himself as an individual, and the de- 

 scription which he gave of his own person and mind 

 is too remarkable to be omitted here. It is this : — 



" Occipite gibbo, ad suturam lambdoideam trans- 

 verse depresso, pili in infantia nivei^ dein fusci, in 

 senio canescentes. Oculi brunnei, vivaces, acutis- 

 simi, visu eximio. Frons in senio rugosa. Verru- 

 ca obliterata in bucca dextra et alia in nasi dextro 

 latere. Dentes debiles, cariosi ab odontalgia haere- 

 ditaria in juventute. 



"Animus promptus, mobilis ad iram et leetitiam 

 et mseroreSj cito placabatur ; hilaris in juventute, 



