L/ife of Linnceus. 159 



am sorry to excite doubt upon a story so interesting and honorable 

 to science, but I am, in conscience, obliged to add that Mr. J. E. 

 Smith told me that there was not the least truth in it. 



I may add that this learned man has used these collections, in a 

 manner the most worthy of their origin. He has published several 

 works in which by having the original samples, he has removed diffi- 

 culties to which the laconicisms of Linnaeus had given rise ; he has 

 often had the complacency to resolve the doubts which naturalists 

 have had respecting the sense of the writings of Linnaeus ; finally he 

 has permitted those who had difficulties on particular points, to con- 

 sult the herbal, and has granted this permission with all the grace and 

 goodness which enhance the price of it. I cannot recall without 

 emotion the hours I have passed with him, occupied in running over 

 this precious depot, and I cannot speak of it without rendering hom- 

 age to his memory. 



At the death of Smith, the Linnaean Society of London of which 

 he was the President, and which was founded about the time that 

 this herbal was brought to England, acquired the collections of Lin- 

 naeus enlarged with all those of Smith ; these herbals deposited in a 

 place consecrated to the sciences, are thus preserved for the future 

 exploration of botanists. 



After thus furnishing, both from the work of Mr. Fee, and from 

 our own recollections, the facts which appear to us the most valuable 

 in the life of Linnaeus, this would appear to be the place to endeavor 

 to appreciate the services which he has rendered to science ; but this 

 undertaking would be immense, and would deserve to be treated of 

 in a special work. We shall hmit ourselves to the remark that the 

 eminent and incontestible service which he has rendered to natural 

 history, has been to create a language for it, in relation both to terms 

 and to names. 



Before his time, the terms had no precise meaning, and every 

 body in describing animals and especially vegetables, employed 

 either vague terms or periphrases, which rendered their writings 

 long, obscure, and difficult of comparison with each other. Linnaeus 

 gave precision to the terms, and created, especially in botany, many 

 which were clear and elegant ; he employed this new language with 

 remarkable address and ability, and thus changed the face of all 

 works of description. Doubtless, in proportion as natural beings 

 have become better known in their details, it has become necessary 

 to modify the sense of some terms and to add others ; but it has 



