LINNAEUS IN ENGLAND. 
8 9 
He had followed Ray’s system ever since the last century, and 
observed the alphabetic order in his collections. He was too old, 
in fa£t, and too self-sufficient to feel any inclination to learn the 
innovations of our young man, and to do homage to the laws of his 
system. He very readily permitted Linnaeus, as he did other fo- 
reigners, to see his cabinet ; a treasure unequalled in its kind all over the 
world. He also showed him his herbal, which consisted of near 250 
divisions. 
One of the principal motives of the journey of Linn a: us to Eng- 
land, was the botanical garden at Chelsea. Cliffort wished to pro- 
cure some foreign plants from it. The great botanist Philip Mil- 
ler, who died on the 18th of December , 1771, in the 80th year of his 
age, was then keeper of that garden. Linnaeus waited on him, 
Miller conduced him into the garden, showed him the plants, and 
gave them their ancient and inaccurate names. Linnaeus was silent, 
his silence was ascribed to ignorance, and Miller jocosely said to 
one of his acquaintance; Sure, the botanist of Burgomaster Cliffort 
is a great man , — he knows nothing at all of plants . — Linnaeus heard of 
this, and saw Miller again, firmly resolved to teach him to know 
better. Miller made use a second time of the ancient names. 
« Why do you apply these, pray?” asked Linnaeus, « we have better 
« and conciser appellations.” — Miller still retained the ancient terms, 
was somewhat offended at the lesson he had received, U began how- 
ever, to conceive more esteem for the knowledge of Linnaeus. 
the said sum to his two daughters, to purchase at the same time the manuscripts collected by 
Harley to add to these colleftions Cotton’s library ; to ereft a particular edifice to keep 
them in, by raising the expences by means of a lottery of seven hundred thousand pounds ster- 
ling— this is the origin of the British Museum. 
