23 



his bounden duty, to redeem out of the landlord's keep- 

 ing Artedi's effects, including his manuscripts, and to 

 retain them until such time as Linnaeus should have 

 succeeded in procuring the necessary means from Swe- 

 den to discharge the debt himself. As matters then 

 stood, Linnaeus could not but entertain fears lest the 

 landlord might dispose of the possessions by auction 

 to recoup himself for the money he was out of pocket, 

 and that by that means the precious manuscripts would 

 be scattered in various directions. This appeal to Seba, 

 however, justifiable as it was, proved of no avail. The 

 purse-proud man revealed himself in his true colours 

 by making shuffling excuses to the effect that he had 

 no desire to be mixed up in the affair, that it was no 

 concern of his, etc. He even went the length of en- 

 deavouring to persuade Linnaeus that the best solution 

 would be for the things to be put up for auction, for 

 there was no one in Amsterdam but himself who would 

 trouble about purchasing them, and that when they 

 had, by that means, come into his possession, Linnaeus 

 would be able to have access to them. Plausible as 

 that reasoning might seem to its originator, Linnaeus 

 was too shrewd to be taken in by it. He considered 

 the advice "utrinque cornutum, anceps et periculosum", 

 and determined to look elsewhere for the assistance he 

 so sorely needed for rescuing his friend's property. For- 

 tunately he was not obliged to search long; his newly 

 acquired patron and friend, George Clifford \ on hear- 

 ing of the matter, at once promised to pay the sum 

 desired. When he had thus acquired the proprietary 

 rights to the manuscripts, he had them copied and then 

 handed over to Linnaeus the copies so made. Thus it 

 was that, after much anxiety and considerable labour, 

 LiNNiEus was able, thanks to Clifford's generosity, to 



1 An Englishman by birth who was resident in Holland. He 

 was the owner of very fine botanical gardens at Hartecamp, situated 

 between Haarlem and Leyden. He was also Head of the Dutch East 

 India Company. Concerning his liberality in promoting Linn^us' 

 studies, see Prof. Th. M. Fbjes's work, entitled "Linne". 



