I 
OF THE LIFE OF LINN/EUS. 237 
« rarest articles. His herbarium contained even then 7000 specimens, 
« some of which were extremely scarce and curious. The plants are ar- 
w ranged according to his own excellent system, and preserved in two 
« presses divided into shelves, as he describes them in his Philosophia 
“ Botanica. His collection of fishes which he kept pasted on paper, was 
« also considerable. He had, moreover, a numerous and choice col- 
« leQion of stones and fossils. But nothing could be compared with 
« his collection of inseCts, in which not a singlp inseCt till then disco- 
u vered in Sweden was wanting ; and which contained likewise a great 
u number of rare specimens from China , Palestine^ Surinam^ and almost 
“ from every quarter of the globe. He had also a good number of skele- 
« tons and stuffed animals of the most curious kinds. His library is very 
« numerous. In the hall of his dwelling house there are painted por- 
“ traits of several celebrated naturalists and botanists, and the plans of 
« the most celebrated botanical gardens.” 
In the spring of 1772, the Chevalier Murray paid a visit to Lin 
N,£US.— « Even then,” says the Chevalier, when speaking of this visit, 
“ I found in that great man the same alacrity and vivacity of mind, and 
ci the same zeal to promote his favourite science, which I had formerly 
« admired in him as a youth, and as his disciple. With regard to 
14 his opponents, who wished to diminish his celebrity, I found in him 
“ those sentiments of placability, and in general, that equity of opinion 
“ respecting the merits of other men, which, had they been heat d, even 
« by the most unjust and most rigorous critics, must necessarily have 
ct conciliated to him their love and affeCtion *. 
Linn^us 
/ 
• Earn turn in summo viro animi wriumque mtegritatem fiorcmque, el ilium in scientia sua 
hcufeltianda ardor cm cognovi, quern juvenis olim et auditor miratus fueram ; et ilium simu! 
in 
