CHAPTER V 
LINN/EUS AS MEMBER OF SMALAND’s NATION IN UPPSALA 
-PRETENDED INTRIGUES AGAINST LINNHLUS- 
CHRISTMAS AT FALUN, 1 734-35 -JOURNEY 
ABROAD 
The delineation of Linnaeus’s career and activity 
during his student years at Uppsala, as previously 
narrated, is so far incomplete in that it does not give 
any account of his relations to the nation club to which 
he belonged. It is not specially important, but for 
understanding his student life, a short statement of it 
may be given. 
It has already been stated on p. 29 that Linnaeus, 
during his stay at Lund, neglected to inscribe himself 
as a member of any nation, the reason being his 
intention to remain only a twelvemonth at Lund, and 
his wish to escape the continuous, mortifying, and 
time-wasting “ penalism ” (fagging) which existed in 
spite of a Royal decree forbidding it. At Uppsala 
the conditions were essentially better, so he found 
himself obliged to inscribe himself of some nation as 
he intended to study there for a series of years; for 
without such inscription he would not have been able 
to obtain any scholarship, of which he was in the 
greatest need. He therefore became a member of the 
Smaland’s nation, being admitted on the 25th Sep¬ 
tember, 1728, as from the University of Lund, after 
payment of 27 copper dalers [13s. 6d.] to the nation’s 
treasury. 
By this, Linnseus not only attained membership of 
the SmMand’s nation, but also entire freedom in the 
privileges such as taking part in disputations, posting 
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