OPPONENTS OF LINNTUS. 
129 
mineral reign into three classes, which Wallerius had divided into 
six. “ Li nn.su s,” says he* “ has planned his classification more from 
“ a spirit of innovation than from well-founded truth. His hypothesis 
“ that stones were never created is also false. Linnaeus has asserted, 
“ that the intermitting fevers, especially in the province of Upland , 
“are endemical.” Wallerius endeavours to turn this proposition 
into ridicule as an hyperbolic representation, and alledges a chronolo- 
gical list of the distempers at Upsal, which had been communicated 
to him by professor Rosen, in behalf of his dissertation. 
Wallerius hoped to gain celebrity by the different contents of this 
treatise, and to make his fortune, but it only served to undermine both. 
Linn^us enjoyed too much popularity and protection at Stockholm , 
for this worthless injury of his reputation to please or to remain with- 
out consetiucmial resententment Had Waeeerius had ten times more 
merit it would not have been valued, owing to this literary feud. He 
felt its sinister effe&s for upwards of ten years, and it was not till after 
the demise of Frederick I. that he obtained the ordinary professor- 
ship at Upsal, which had so long and so vainly been the objeCt of his 
ambition. The real cause of this aggression was occasioned by his rival’s 
concurrence to obtain the professorship of physic, to which Linn.eus 
was appointed. 
These circumstances evince sufficiently the profound indignation 
which Wallerius’s attacks had excited in Linnaeus. He felt them 
the more poignant as they proceeded from a countryman and an 
academical colleague. In order to avert the unpleasant sensations 
which Wallerius might have created in the mind of persons who were 
strangers to the merits, distin&ion, and celebrity of Linn je us abroad, 
s and 
