74 , LINN.EUS IN HOLLAND. 



journed with great pleasure for about a month, notwithstanding such 

 a delay little corresponded with his pecuniary resources. 



He now continued his journey to Holland, and at the end of May 

 reached Hardcrwyk in Guelderland. Botany had always been his chief 

 study, and physic that of his leisure-hours. Even in the latter he dis- 

 played his original spirit of investigation. He had chosen for his thesis 

 of installation a new hypothesis of the causes of the cold intermitting 

 fevers, especially in his own country. In this dissertation he assigns as 

 one of the principal causes, the water impregnated with argillous sub- 

 stances ; — an hypothesis, which he took pains to render valid by many- 

 arguments and ingenious asseverations. " These," Baeck says, " make 

 " one willing to credit the author, though the principal point might 

 " still be subjeft to doubt." The envy of the celebrated Waller, 

 his countryman, raised afterwards a thousand objeftions to this dis- 

 sertation. After a triple examination and public defence of his 

 treatise, Linn^us obtained on the 24th of June, in the 28th year 

 of his age, that dignity which he had long ago deserved*. Baron 

 Haller, one of the greatest geniuses of our age, whom Linnaeus 

 respefted as a friend and dreaded as a rival, had it conferred upon 

 him nine years before at Leyden, in the i8th year of his age. 



The chief end for which Linn ^us had undertaken this journey 

 with the assistance of his future bride, was now accomplished. His 

 intended father-in-law had advised him to return to Sweden immediately 

 after he had taken his- degree of do6lor, to settle there as a pra6tical 

 physician. Linn^us was willing to comply, but he would not quit 



* Hypothesis Nova dc Fcbrium hitermittent'ium causa, quam pro gradu doBoris olil- 

 nen-do froposmt Car. Linn^us, Siiecus 3 Harderovki Die 24. Jun. iiZ5' 



Holland 



