150 LINN.EUS AT UPSAL. 



quite so well pleased with his situation as might have been expe6led. 

 He was, upon the whole, fonder of meddling with plants than with 

 patients. His love of Flora was still prevalent, notwithstanding the bad 

 return which that goddess made him when he first became her votary 

 in Sweden. The garlands of fame which she had made for him, leaving 

 him to expe£l others more beautiful, still possessed too many attraftions. 

 In 1740, he published a new edition of his Fundamtnta Botanica, and 

 dedicated that work to Dillenius, HallerjVan Roy en, Gronov, 

 JyssiEu, Bur MANN, and Amman n professor of botany at St. Peters- 

 hurgh. We mention this trifling circumstance, because it shows the 

 scale of gradation of the merits of the most eminent botanists of that 

 time, and their rank in the esteem of Linn.^us. 



His wishes had long been dire£led towards that university of his 

 country where he had laid the foundation of his greatness, and suffered 

 so many vicissitudes in the smiles and frowns of fortune. On the 3d 

 of June 1740, his former protestor, Olaus Rudbeck junior, de- 

 parted life in that city, by which demise the professorship of botany 

 became vacant. It was this office which Linn^us desired in prefer- 

 ence to all others. He offered himself a candidate, made interest, but 

 was disappointed. The laws of equity, and the university statutes op- 

 posed his success. Nicholas Rosen, his former antagonist attained 

 this academical charge, as he had taken his degrees before Linn^us, 

 and rendered himself more meritorious at Upsal, by a longer residence 

 and aftive service. 



Meanwhile Linn^us did not want for protection. The diet 

 which assembled in the beginning of the year 1741, extended 

 also their deliberations, to a mode of lessening the foreign pro- 



duClions 



