FAMILY OF LINN^US. 



scaled the conjugal bond v/ith Samuel Duse, proeurator of the sc 

 nate of the university of Upsal*. 



It was this daughter whom LiNN.i:us cherished as the darling of his 

 family; and the following extraordinary occurrence will account for 

 this predileQion. She was— all appearances at least bespoke her to 

 be — still-born. " No !" said Linn^us, " she must not, she shall not 

 " die !" He pressed her to his bosom, emitting his breath from his 

 mouth into hers, — and behold ! She revived and lived t. 



The brother of our luminary, who holds the reftory Stenhrohull 

 is still alive, but without any male issue. 



Elizabeth Christina, the eldest daughter of Linn^us, acquired 

 a learned reputation in the literary annals of Sxoedcn. The knowledge 

 which she had of natural history was considerable, and even rare for a 

 person of her sex J. In the year 1762 she first discovered that the 

 herb Tropceolum emitted sparks of fire like an eleftrical machine. This 

 happened at the fall of day, and ceased when it became quite dark. 

 The discovery of this remarkable and interesting phenomenon was in 



* I have for the most part extradled this new and interesting information from a letter 

 addressed to me by a friend, dated Upsal, August 12th, 1791, who thus expresses himself: 

 . " Praedia Hammarby et Soefja, uno miliiari ab Upsalla distantia, possidet vidua Linnj!E?, 

 adhuc in vivis superstes. Filiarum ejus natu maxima nupsit nobili viro Bergen- 

 '« CPANTZ, raagistro equitum, ante plures vero jam annos raortua est. Natu minima ma- 

 " Irimonio duxit virum nobil, Sam. Duse, litium academiae curatorem et habitat Ufsalia, 

 " Duae reliqux cum matre in praedio Hammarby vlvunt. Filium etiam habuit Linn.^us Jo- 

 "HANKEM, in prima pueritia mortuum. Frater ejus, qui de apibus scripsit, vita adhuc 

 *' fruitur." 



+ Communicated to the author by a most intimate friend of Linn^us in Germany, 

 J Several erroneous and hyperbolic statements have been made in this respeft. In a work 

 entituled, " Foyage en Suede, par un OJficier Hollandis, 1789," it is alledged that she ex- 

 celled LiNN.tiJs, jun. in every sort of knowledge, and had written many excellent works on 

 botany. It is however well known that LiNH>9ius jun. wss not ahve at that time. 



honour 



