40 
MEMOIR OF LINN.EUS. 
He returned again to Holland, withstanding most 
pressing invitations to remain longer in Great Britain, 
deeply impressed with the importance of England as 
a country to forward the interests of natural science. 
London he calls “ punctum saliens in vitello orbis 
and certainly, in this respect, its reputation has not 
decreased ; it perhaps now possesses advantages supe- 
rior to any city in the world for pursuing this study 
in all its branches. 
During this excursion, Linn reus had greatly enriched 
the garden and herbarium* of his kind patron, with 
novelties from the English nurseries, and particularly 
with American plants, which Mr Clifford had long 
desired to possess. He now completed the arrange- 
ment of this fine collection, and undertook the super- 
intendence of the Hortus Cliffortianus, a work bear- 
ing ample testimony to the liberality of Mr Clifford, 
and brought out in a style much superior in every 
respect to the productions of that period. The, whole 
was arranged, written, and 'orrected, in nine months ; 
and during that period, Linnaeus even found time 
or, as he termed it, recreation, to forward l>is Critica 
Botanica, Genera Plantarum, &c. This constant 
exertion and study appears, however, to h),ve affected 
his health, and he became weak and reduced. Not- 
withstanding these symptoms, he was ultimately 
prevailed to remain for a few months Iwger in Hol- 
land, and arranged the botanic gardertat Leyden for 
* The Cliffortian Hortus Siccus is now Jn the Banksian 
library, and was purchased by Sir Joseph Bank for L.25. 
