OF THE LIFE OF LINN^US. 



^39 



ion, which will serve to illustrate and to charafterize his liberality of 

 mind. 



t/^ia/, May 2, 1773*. 



" Long ago have I been informed, that my countryman Dr. Troil 

 " has brought with him your presents, which I so eagerly expefted. 

 " He lastly arrived here the day before yesterday, and delivered me 

 " your Synopsis Quadrupedum and your Indian Zoology. I return you 



my warmest thanks for each. I will peruse and re-peruse your Sy- 

 « nopsis a thousand times. I find much beauty and utility in it, and 

 « will study it thoroughly. After having read the work, I will ask 



you many questions, and never prove ungrateful to you. I will 

 " enter into no dispute about methods. Whether nature is Lutheran 

 « Calvinistic, Jewish, or Mahometan is all one to me, and the know- 

 « ledge of tine species is the only thing I shall look to. I wish to God 

 " I could see your other works, especially that on birds, how much 

 " knowledge, which I am still deprived of, might I collect from them ! 

 "Your Indian Zoology is a very beautiful work, with excellent 

 " figures of the rarest birds, and with the most accurate descriptions. 



Farewell — you'll hear more from me next time, &c. &:c," 



* Dill audivi, D. Troil secum adduxisse dona tua, quae avidissime expectavi. Rcdux 

 tandeni pridie ad nos accessit et mihi obtulif Synupsin tuam af ^idruapeds. (Chester 1771, 

 in 8 vo. with plates) et Zoologiam Indicam {Land. 1 769, in fol. with coloured plates). Pro sin- 

 gulis grates reddo, quas unquam possira calidissimas. Synopsin tuam legam et relegam mil- 

 lies. Malta ill ea occurrent leftu mihi jucundissima et maxime utilia, qua; in succum et san- 

 guinem vertam. Perlecto hoc opere, multa a te quaeram ; nec unquam me ingratum senties. 

 Non de meihodo disputabo ; mihi perinde erit, utrum nature color sit Lutheranus, Cal- 

 vinianus, Judaicus aut Mahometanus : unice notitiam specierum quaeram. O, atiuuiu vide- 

 rem reliqua opera tua, imprimis de avibus ; quam multa inde addiscerem, qme ctiyninuiii 

 me fugiunt! tua Indian Zso/o^j perpulchra erat, pulcherrimas figuras rarissimarum certe 

 avium, descriptiones etiam exaitissimas. Vale ! &c. 



Though 



