CHAPTER II 
EARLY STUDENT YEARS AT UPPSALA (SEPTEMBER, 
1728 -DECEMBER, I 73 I) 
Upon his arrival at Uppsala, Linnaeus still lacked his 
Academic testimonial, and he was unable before he 
obtained it, to become inscribed in the University, 
whose pupil he now desired to become. How he 
spent the weeks during which he awaited the said 
certificate, nothing is recorded; probably he did as 
other new arrivals, spent at least the first few days 
in making himself at home in a strange place, where 
he had the intention of remaining for a number of 
years. At last, the Lund certificate came, and he 
applied to the then Rector, Professor John Hermans- 
son, and wrote his name in the register in which new¬ 
comers to the University noted their contributions to 
the University library; thus his signature appears: 
“ Carolus Linnaeus, Smolandus.” He paid as pre¬ 
scribed by law, as “ others than the nobility,” six 
dalers in copper [three shillings]. His name was 
also inscribed on the same day by the Rector himself 
in the University Matriculation List. 
With this, Linnaeus had completely exchanged 
Lund for Uppsala. The motives which his old 
teacher Rothman alleged caused him to take this 
step, were principally that Lund University was not 
serviceable for his aim in studying medicine, whilst 
at Uppsala, there were Professors of Medicine, the 
learned Roberg in medicine itself, and the great 
Rudbeck in botany; there was a splendid library and 
a handsome University garden, with many scholar- 
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