EARLY EDUCATION 
21 
in Sweden are both generally known and recognised. 
This man was Dr. Kilian Stobaeus (1690-1742). To 
avail himself of his instruction was now Linnaeus's 
earnest desire; a preliminary step was taken when he, 
through Hook’s care, obtained lodging in the house 
of Stobaeus, to which he removed on the 21st August, 
and where he continued to reside during the whole 
of his stay in Lund. 
This Stobaeus—assuredly the most eminent of the 
five distinguished professors of the same name, who 
were at Lund—is described as a “ sickly man, one- 
eyed, lame in one foot, constantly troubled with sick- 
headache, hypochondria and backache, but neverthe¬ 
less of unsurpassed genius.” At his house the young 
student was enabled to see an excellent museum of 
all kinds of natural objects; stones, shells, birds and 
herbarium of collected and glued-down plants, such 
as he had never seen before. At first he did not 
attain his wish to obtain private tuition, for Stobaeus 
“ saw the youth, but found neither in appearance, 
dress nor habits, anything to recommend him, more 
than an ordinary stranger who wished to devote him¬ 
self to the study of medicine.” For this reason the 
only means Linnaeus had to gain his favour, was to 
attend Stobaeus’s lectures on shells, which he did in 
the company of Benzelius (afterwards Secretary of 
State, who died in 1791) and Nils Retzius, later Pro¬ 
vincial Doctor in Skane, who died in 1757. A good 
opportunity for a nearer approach between teacher 
and pupil was lost as he himself narrates. Stobaeus 
“ had become medical man for the higher ranks in 
Skane, and as his consultations gave him no rest, on 
one occasion he called Linnaeus to help him by writing 
a letter and attending a patient, but Linnaeus’s 
unpractised hand in writing caused him to be 
rejected.” 
How the relations between Stobaeus and Linnaeus, 
through a happy occurrence which immediately led 
to the most intimate and affectionate relations, may 
