192 
LINNAEUS 
for the post appeared, Adjunct Dr. J. G. Wallerius, 
who in his application declared his readiness to 
submit a specimen of his capacity; this application 
stood over awaiting the Chancellor's intervention. 
That the latter would be satisfied with the action 
of the Consistory was inconceivable. He hastened 
to inform the King of what had taken place, and to 
beg his Majesty’s most gracious warrant and com¬ 
mand. The matter was referred to the Chancellery, 
and this body demanding an explanation from the 
Consistory, pointed out that this question had been 
grievously mishandled. The Chancellery demanded 
a reason for their disregarding for the first time 
a paragraph in the academic constitution of the 
Consistory by unanimously supporting Linnaeus in 
his claim for the then vacant chair to which Rosen had 
been lately appointed. The answer was simple, that 
the Consistory deemed it superfluous to require a 
proof by disputation, for his competence could be 
inferred from his published papers. For the new 
rule that Linnaeus should defend in Latin some 
printed or written thesis, the Consistory had only this 
weak excuse to offer, that it did not understand that 
he was proficient or experienced in those studies which 
belonged to Roberg’s professorship, and they also 
pleaded the need of keeping a strict hand over those 
who wished to escape delivering proofs. To this 
Professors A. Celsius and Beronius added their 
opinion, sharply criticizing the procedure adopted. 
In the paragraph above referred to, it is clearly 
stated, that the applicant for a vacant professorship 
shall produce proof by disputation or by some other 
satisfactory method, which latter clause had been 
excluded by the Consistory. What was specially 
requisite for a University teacher was erudition, 
particularly in the Latin tongue. Dr. Linnaeus was 
invited only to dispute, to know if he understood 
Latin; but they were satisfied that he could write it, 
as all his books had been published in that language, 
