THE LIFE OF THE YOUNGER LINN^US. 293 



One of his kinsmen once made him a present of a great coat; — she 

 " also envied him this gift, and when it was worn out — he clandes- 



" TINELY WENT INTO THE GARDEN, AND THERE TURNED IT HI?.I- 



" SELF. Thus was the son, notwithstanding the affluence of his pa- 

 " rents, reduced by the singular inextinguishable antipathy of his 

 " mother, to circumstances and offices as low as those to which ne- 

 «' cessity had once driven his father." 



Galled by these shackles of slavery and constraint, the flower of his 

 mind faded, and he lost that eagerness of zeal which he formerly mani- 

 fested in his studies. His disgust lessened also the alieftions of his 

 father. One of his German friends took leave of him, after he had 

 completed his thirtieth year, previous to his departure from UpsaL 

 — " Ah ! how I envy you AND YOUR GOOD fortune!" said, he, 

 penetrated with sentiments of friendship, blended with melancholy dis- 

 content.: — "You are at full liberty; you return now to 



" your country to enjoy prosperity AND CONTENTMENT." 



*' How much more do I envy you," replied his friend, " your fortune 

 "is made, and I must first go in quest of one; you are your 



"father's successor." " PoH !. MY father's successor," 



replied he; " I would, rather be any thing else; I would 



•' even prefer BEING A SOLDIER*!" 



This lowness of spirits and depression of mind was fortunately re- 

 moved some time after.. He was quite overjoyed when his father 

 made him a present of all the duplicates of plants which his herbarium 

 contained. He received also many encouragements from other quar- 

 ters; — and, all on a sudden, his soul was roused from its lethargyj 



* Communicated by the person to whom he said these words, 



and 



