L I N N ^ U S. 9 



testimonials, purporting that his son analyzed Hebrew better than his 

 fellow-students, that he excelled them in his theological progress, he 

 would have been far better pleased than with his improvement in 

 botany. 



Young Linn i£ us was not remiss in joining his intreaties to the kind 

 intercession of his proteftor. His eagerness, his enthusiastic zeal for 

 his favourite studies, had shut his eyes against the painful prospers of 

 futurity. Many times had he heard his father say, that a young man 

 ought to learn that which he felt the greatest inclination for, because 

 the natural propensity of a person always advanced him most in point 

 of perfeftion ; Linn^us therefore supplicated his father to extend 

 this lesson, this pattern of Nature to himself, since he felt but little in- 

 clination for all other studies, but the greatest propensity to the ex- 

 clusive study of Nature. 



The peculiar fondness and benevolent disposition of Roth man n, 

 at last struck the balance in the struggle between the opposite wishes 

 and designs of the father and son. The good natured Do6lor pro- 

 mised to take Linn^us into his own family during the rest of his 

 scholastic term, to find him in every necessary ; and that he might make 

 a more rapid improvement in physic, to initiate him himself in the 

 elements of medicine. 



The parents of Linnaeus yielded to these kind propositions, though 

 with reluftance and little satisfa6lion. The mother especially, felt her- 

 self much hurt to give up the hopes of once seeing her darling son in 

 a pulpit. The discontent of both remained manifest a great while 

 after. In the year 1718, their family was increased by the birth of 

 a second son, Samuel Linn^us, who was the only brother our 



G hero 



