L I N N U S. 5 



him from farther attempts of this sort, which his innocent simplicity had 

 induced him to consider as an aft free from mischief. Meanwhile his 

 colleftions and excursions increased his little stores of knowledge, and 

 roused in him that love of Nature, which at his farther advance into 

 life, derived additional energy as he gradually became more acquainted 

 with her beauties. Thus minute and accidental circumstances have 

 frequently become the sources of great results ! 



The father was the more willing to indulge his son in those botani- 

 cal occupations and wanderings, since they constituted the most inno- 

 cent and best of diversions, became serviceable to his health, and did 

 not interfere with his diligence in receiving instruftion. He initiated 

 him in the elements of the Latin tongue, religion, geography, &c. All 

 this was done to qualify him for the pulpit; and in order to condu6l his 

 studies more systematically, and to foster his love and desire of science, 

 he resolved to send his Charles to the Latin school in the adjacent 

 town of Wexicoe, in the province of Smaland. 



At the epoch of this determination Linn^us had seen his second 

 lustre. He arrived at Wexicoe in 1717. The love and pursuit of his 

 favourite occupation did not quit him on his journey thither. He 

 spent in it every moment which respited him from his studies. On 

 holidays no pupil was so little found at home as Linn^us. The boy 

 took more delight in gathering plants, and examining them, than in 

 learning his phraseology, or writing out his themes. Had he re- 

 mained under the immediate direftion of his father, his zeal for the 

 science of which he was once to shine the luminary, would have much 

 suffered by lessons of divinity ; but it fortunately so happened, that 

 the reftor of the school at Wexicoe^ whose name was Lanaeriusj 



v/as 



