16 
LINNAEUS 
for a plant was nothing, but for proper naming of 
plants, in describing and classifying, the greatest 
weight must be laid upon the structure of the flower 
such as was set forth by Tournefort.” His valuable 
work “ Institutiones Rei Herbariae ” (Paris, 1700) 
seems certainly not available, but in its place the 
young investigator was lent Valentin’s “ Historia 
Plantarum ” (probably “ Tournefortius contractus,” 
Francof. 1715), so that he could copy the figures in 
their “ classes plantarum.” Henceforth his whole 
effort was to know and refer each and every plant to 
its class after Tournefort’s method. Many of the 
plants that he had already met with in his home, gave 
him trouble enough, as he was not sufficiently a 
botanist to disentangle or to> know them. 
At last the day dawned when Carl Linnaeus should 
quit the scholastic dust of Vaxjo which he had trodden 
for twelve whole years. His friends bade good-bye 
to him on the 1st May by holding a feast at the 
house of Munthe, one of the most respected citizens, 
on the night of that day. The following morning he 
betook himself to Stenbrohult, taking with him his 
testimonial, that is, a Latin notice to the Rector of 
the University where his studies should be continued, 
which Nils Krok, the then Rector of the Gymnasium, 
had drawn up for him. 
This certificate has played a notable part in the 
description of Linnaeus’s youth, and has caused a 
belief in some people on the ground of its supposed 
contents, to pass a harsh judgment upon those who 
gave it to a youth proceeding to the University as 
of an unjust and disgraceful character. Later on, the 
document has been presented in its original and true 
form—and not in a very free and highly coloured 
version, which Linnaeus in his later days, left as a 
representation of its contents. All such accusations 
must be silenced, and in place thereof, it must be 
realized that Rector Krok was a professor very well 
disposed to Linnaeus, who did what he could to pre- 
