LINN.EUS IN ENGLAND. 89. 



He had followed Ray's system ever since the last century, and 

 observed the alphabetic order in his colleftions. He was too oidj 

 in faQ, and too self-sufficient to feel any inclination to learn the 

 innovations of our young man, and to do homage to the laws of his 

 system. He very readily permitted Linn^us, as he did other fo- 

 reigners, to see his cabinet ; a treasure unequalled in its kind all over the 

 world. He also showed him his herbal, which consisted of near 250 

 divisions. 



One of the principal motives of the journey of Linn^us to Eng- 

 land, was the botanical garden at Chelsea. Cl if fort wished to pro- 

 cure, some foreign plants from it. The great botanist Philip Mil- 

 ler, who died on the 18th of December, 1771? in the 80th year of his 

 age, was then keeper of that garden, Linn.^us waited on him, 

 Miller -conduaed him into the garden, showed him the plants, and 

 gave them their ancient and inaccurate names. Linn^us was silent, 

 his silence was ascribed to ignorance, and Miller jocosely said to 

 one of his acquaintance : Sure^ the botanist of Burgomaster Cliffort 

 is a great man, — he knows nothing at all of plants. — Linn/eus heard of 

 this, and saw Miller again, firmly resolved to teach him to know 

 better. Miller made use a second time of the ancient names. 

 " Why do you apply these, pray?" asked Linn^us, " we have better 

 " and conciser appellations." — Miller still retained the ancient terms, 

 was somewhat offended at the lesson he had received, but began how- 

 ever, to conceive more esteem for the knowledge of Linn^us, 



the said sum to his two daughters, to purchase at the same time the manuscripts colleiSled by 

 Harley, to add to these coUeffions Cotton's library; to ere£t a particular edifice to keep 

 them in, by raising the expences by means of a lottery of seven hundred thousand pounds ster- 

 iing— this is the origin sf the British Museum. 



N The 



