FAMILY OF LINNAEUS. 
260 
sealed the conjugal bond with Samuel Duse, procurator of the se-> 
nate of the university of Upsal*. 
It was this daughter whom Linnaeus cherished as the darling of hb 
family; and the following extraordinary occurrence will account for 
this predileftion. She was — all appearances at least bespoke her to- 
be — still-born. ** No !” said Linnaeus, <s she must not, she shall not 
“ die !” He pressed her to his bosom, emitting his breath from hij' 
mouth into her’s, — and behold! She revived and lived t. 
The brother of our luminary, who holds the re£tory of StenbrohuU 
is still alive, but without any male issue.- 
Elizabeth Christina# the eldest daughter of Linneus, acquired 
a learned reputation in the literary annals of Sweden. The knowledge 
which she had of natural history was considerable, and even rare for a 
person of her sex£. In the year 1762 she first discovered that the 
herb Tropxolum emitted sparks of fire like an eleftrical machine. This 
happened at the fall of day, and ceased when it became quite dark. 
The discovery of this remarkable and interesting phenomenon was in- 
* I have for the most part extra&ed this new and - interesting information from a letter 
addressed to me by a friend, dated Upsal, August 12th, 1791, who thus expresses himself: 
" Pnedia Hammarby et Soefja, uno miliiari ab Upsalia distantia, possidet vidua Linn je I, 
“ adhuc in vivis superstes. Filiarum ejus natu maxima nupsit nobili viro Bergen- 
« cranti, magistro equitum, ante plures vero jam annos rjortua est. Natu minima ma- 
“ trimonio duxit vimm nobil. Sam. Dus- , litidia academix curatorem et habitat Upsalitc. 
14 Dux reliquse cum matre in prxdio Hammarby vivunt. Filium etiam habuit L I N N A U s J o- 
“HANNEM, in prima pueritia martuum. Frater ejus, qui d e apibus scripsit, vita adhuc 
•• fruitur." 
-J- Communicated to the author by a most intimate friend of Linnjbus in Germany, 
t Several erroneous and hyperbolic statements have been made in this respefl. In a work 
entituled, u Voyage en Suede, par un Officier Hellandis, 1789,” it is alledged that she ex- 
celled Linnaus, jun. in every sort of knowledge, and had written many excellent works on 
botany. It is however well known that Linnaus jun. was not alive at that time. 
honour: 
