BIRTH AND EARLY EDUCATION 13 
before I was grown up, and since then have only seen 
them as a migratory bird, as I only visited them a 
few times, when passing to Oland and Skane, and 
then without a long stay.” Besides this he busied 
himself to gain knowledge from certain old botanic 
books, such as Manson’s “ Ortabook,” Til-landz’s 
“ Catalogus Plantarum prope Aboam inventarum ” 
and Palmberg’s “ Serta Florea Suecana,” which 
nevertheless were found “ wretched guides,” with 
Bromelius’s “ Chloris Gothica ” and the elder Olof 
Rudbeck’s “ Hortus Upsaliensis,” although the latter 
were yet too learned for him. Still, whatever these 
books were, they tempted him more than schoolbooks, 
so that he read them day and night, till he had them 
at his fingers’ ends, with extracts from Pliny and 
Colerus, chiefly botanical and medical. 
His occupation with a “ useless science,” as they 
called it, drew the attention of his comrades and 
teachers. His exertions were approved, however, by 
two of his professors, Lannerus and Rothman, and 
even his father, a warm friend of flowers, encouraged 
him in these occupations. Partly in order to avoid 
hindering him in these pursuits during his summer 
holidays, and partly because he knew Carl’s too hasty 
disposition, he freed the Gymnasium scholar from 
supervising his eleven years old brother Samuel. 
The mother also seems to have thought that his time 
could not be better employed, and was glad that he 
occupied himself with diligence on virtuous tasks, 
and not on vicious ones. 
During this period it became evident to all 
members of the family that their earnest hopes regard¬ 
ing the ultimate priesthood for Carl must be 
abandoned. Linnaeus himself realized that he was 
amongst the worst of his schoolfellows in the subjects 
of eloquence, metaphysics, morality, Greek, Hebrew 
and theology; but on the other hand was always one 
of the best as regards mathematics and particularly 
physics. Notwithstanding this his knowledge in at 
