§4 LIXN^US IN HOLLAND. 



knowledge of which he had devoied the whole diligence of his life, and 

 spurned all obstacles. Next day his body is found; Linnaeus in- 

 formed of his fate hastens to the spot, and with a torrent of tears 

 beholds the inanimate rerriains of the best of friends, and causes them 

 to be ccmmitted to the tomb. 



When Art ED I and Linn^us were at Upsal, they had already reci- 

 procally constituted themselves heirs to each others books and manu- 

 scripts. LiNN^us was now ready to assert his right, that he might 

 rescue, at least, the fame of his deceased friend from obUvion. But the 

 landlord of Artedi, at whose house his situation had compelled him 

 to contraft some small debts, would not deliver up his effefts, which he 

 threatened to sell by public auftion. Through the generous liberality 

 of Cliffort, the wish of Linnaeus was accomplished. Cliffort 

 purchased the manuscripts, and made him a present of them. The 

 principal one was the general work on fishes*; which Linnaeus pub- 

 lished in 1738. 



« Who could have been more adequate to this task," says Linn^us, 

 *' in the preface, " than the man to whom the style, the ideas, and whole 

 «' method of Artedi were so familiar? How fortunate shall I deem 

 « myself, if I have perpetuated the memory of my deceased friend, and 

 " rescued from oblivion a work which is one of the best and most 

 " meritorious of its kind. Artedi has rendered his science the most 

 *' easy, though it is one of the most difficult. May there be more 



Artedis to describe the animal reign with similar exaftness 1" 



• Petri Artedi, Sued Medici Tchthyologia, sive opera omnia depiscibus— Edid. Carol. 

 LjnnjEus, Lugd. Batav, 1738, in small quarto. 



In 



