22 
LINN/EUS 
best be sketched in the latter’s own words. “ I had 
no books nor money to buy any, but I became 
acquainted with the amanuensis of Dr. Stobaeus, a 
German student, David Samuel Koulas (died 1743), 
whom I induced to lend me each evening books from 
Stobaeus’s library, which I returned each morning 
before the doctor rose. This went on for three 
months. But Dr. Stobaeus’s old mother, whose bed¬ 
room was next to mine, noticed that a light was burn¬ 
ing each night, and thinking that going to sleep with 
the light burning made it dangerous on account of 
fire, she told her son, who, to avoid so great a danger, 
came up at half-past one in the morning, expecting 
to find me sleeping with the candle still alight, but 
to his surprise found a pile of his own books on the 
table by the bedside and myself awake.” Our 
youngster related how he had succeeded in getting 
them, and returning them in the morning after using 
them the whole night. Stobaeus’s angry look at once 
was changed to a generous sympathy; he told him to 
go to bed immediately, saying that he would himself 
lend him his books the next day. From this time 
onward he had liberty to take out of Stobaeus’s 
library any book he wanted. Stobaeus noted from 
this night the youth’s diligence, for he allowed him 
to use all his lectures gratis, admitted him to meals 
at his table without payment, sent him to visit 
patients, and practically treated him as his son. It 
was noticed that the young fellow began to distinguish 
himself in the University; he learned from Stobaeus 
about fossils and shells, received the ground-work of 
certain special parts of medicine, while Stobaeus let 
him see that if he continued his diligence as he had 
begun, he was disposed to make him his heir, so highly 
did he esteem him. All this kindness which he 
received, Linnaeus reciprocated with the warmest 
gratitude and the highest regard. This is shown by 
the letters which, after he had left Lund, he wrote to 
his generous benefactor; shown also in his auto- 
