A STUDENT AT UPSAL. 
*7 
Artedi had projected the happy plan of introducing a new method 
and classification in Ichthyology, which cheered and strengthened Lin- 
naeus in his design to effefl the same in botany. The zeal of reform 
animated both in their new hypotheses, and both were equally fortu- 
nate in their exertions and discoveries, but not in their fate. Fate, 
relentless Fate parted them — they once more had the joy to meet, but 
far from their country ; the imperious mistress of men tore, by the 
most melancholy accident, a friend from Linnaeus, who was the com- 
panion and promoter of his studies, and the delight of his academical 
life. 
Meanwhile a new prospeft opened itself before Linnaeus, to ex- 
tend his learning. In 1710, when the plague raged at Up sal , and 
forced the students to fly from this university, a private literary societ' 
was instituted under the auspices of Olaus Celsius, which was fully 
incorporated in 1719, and confirmed by royal sanction and privilege in 
the year 1728. This society was in its flourishing infant state, and for 
this reason the zeal for public researches anci enterprizes was the 
greater at that period. Its chief tendency was to objebls of domestic 
natural history. Among all the Swedish domains, none was more 
unknown in point of its productions and natural curiosities than the 
remote, vast, and wild region of Lapland . Already in the preceding 
century pains had been taken to remove this want of know- 
ledge. Olaus Rudbeck senior, undertook in the year 1695 to 
travel through this extensive northern province at the expence of 
Charles XI. king of Sweden . He collebted many natural curiosities, 
which were, however, destroyed by the great fire at Up sal in 1702, with 
the 
E 2 
