336 LINN^US AND THE JUSSIEUS 



so readily accords to those who have succeeded in over- 

 coming its unreasoning distrust. 



When we look back from the point of view familiar 

 to the biologists of the twentieth century, we cannot 

 help observing how completely Cuvier's estimate of 

 Linnaeus {supra, p. 329) ignores the philosophic weak- 

 ness of Linnaeus, and especially his inferiority in this 

 respect to his great contemporary, Buflfon, who grasped 

 the conception of a reign of law, and hailed the faint 

 dawn of an evolutionary theory. Linnaeus had advanced 

 no further in this direction than St. Augustine. 



Our regard for this practical, vivacious, rapid, labori- 

 ous man, is enhanced by such a little domestic picture 

 as that which Fabricius gives of him : — " We only 

 resided at Upsala for his sake. We did not see nor 

 hear anybody but him and his family. He loved like- 

 wise the company of his young friends, as he called us, 

 and every day, in town or on his estate, he came to our 

 room with his pipe, and stayed three or four hours in 

 liberal discourse, but always on topics of natural history. 

 He always took our observations in public and private 

 with true benevolence, refuted or reproved them, and 

 laughed heartily when we could find ingenious argu- 

 ments to puzzle him."^ 



All defects in the mind and character of Linnaeus 

 seemed to be made good by his boundless energy. 

 Confident of his own powers, he dealt rapidly, some- 

 times impatiently, with every difficulty as it arose, 

 passing on without delay to another and yet another 

 task. Men of this temper accomplish great things in 

 business or politics ; in science too they often win dis- 

 tinction, but it is not they who read the deeper secrets 

 of nature. 



1 Freeman's Life of Kirhy, p. 200. 



