CHRISTMAS AT FALUN 
129 
people have tried to defile his character and actions. 
If during this period he really had enemies, and if 
this were the real reason for his travels in Lapland 
and Dalecarlia, his stay at Falun and so on, then 
assuredly they directed his progress in science in so 
fruitful a manner, that not even his best friends and 
helpers could have devised a better or happier result. 
With what feelings Linnaeus himself looked back 
upon his student years at Uppsala appears from the 
words which, on his hour of departure, he wrote in 
his diary : 
“ 1734, Dec. 19. At eight in the morning I said 
good-bye to Uppsala Academy, to which Almighty 
God so marvellously conducted me, living now in 
difficulty, now in enjoyment, now in poverty, now in 
abundance; now in blame, now in honour. To Thee, 
Great God, be thanks.” 
The journey which was now entered upon was not 
to foreign parts, many reasons inducing Linnaeus to 
go to Falun. Through rain and sleet the way lay to 
Sala silver workings, which he reached on the 20th, 
quite cold and frozen, where he received the hospi¬ 
tality of Assayer Stockenstrom for a couple of days. 
Next he arrived at Hedemora and lodged with sub¬ 
dean Anders Sandel, resuming his travels the next 
day, and arriving at Falun on Christmas Eve. Here 
he was a guest in Inspector Sohlberg’s house, where 
the whole of Christmas passed in the greatest pleasure, 
the festivities being continued till past Twelfth Day. 
It must not be supposed that all his time was given 
up to pleasure. On the contrary, he devoted himself 
with great energy to the revision of certain of his 
writings, which he was taking with him. He has 
recorded that he made a new edition of “ Systema 
mineral.,” began “ Sponsalia plantarum,” and com¬ 
pleted his “ Flora dalecarlica ”; besides this, he wrote 
letters, visited the sick, and investigated a mineral 
spring. 
However, it was something quite different which 
I 
