LINN £US. 
9 
testimonials, purporting that his son analyzed Hebrew better than his 
fellow-students, that he excelled them in his theological progress, he 
would have been far better pleased than with his improvement in 
botany. 
Young LinnjEus was not remiss in joining his intreaties to the kind 
intercession of his proteCtor. His eagerness, his enthusiastic zeal for 
his favourite studies, had shut his eyes against the painful prospers of 
futurity. Many times had he heard his father say, that a young man 
ought to learn that which he felt the greatest inclination for, because 
the natural propensity of a person always advanced him most in point 
of perfection ; Linnaeus therefore supplicated his father to extend 
this lesson, this pattern of Nature to himself, since he felt but little in- 
clination for all other studies, but the greatest propensity to the ex- 
clusive study of Nature. 
The peculiar fondness and benevolent disposition of Rothman n, 
at last struck the balance in the struggle between the opposite wishes 
and designs of the father and son. The good natured DoCtor pro- 
mised to take Linnaeus into his own family during the rest of his 
scholastic term, to find him in every necessary ; and that he might make 
a more rapid improvement in physic, to initiate him himself in the 
elements of medicine. 
The parents of LinnjEUs yielded to these kind propositions, though 
with reluCtance and little satisfaction. The mother especially, felt her- 
self much hurt to give up the hopes of once seeing her darling son in 
a pulpit. The discontent of both remained manifest a great while 
after. In the year 1718, their family was increased by the birth of 
a second son, Samuel Linnaeus, who was the only brother our 
hero 
c 
