TEACHER AND PUPILS 
219 
generously, sometimes in princely fashion. Thus he 
received for a course of lectures which he conducted 
for the Russian Barons Demidoff not less than 
3,500 dalers [^262 10s. if in silver or ^87 10s. if in 
copper], but these teachings were specially intensive, 
as in September, 1760, he devoted three hours daily 
to them : at ten o'clock, botany, at eleven, zoology, and 
at twelve, mineralogy. 
Their lodgings in Uppsala during term, were in 
the neighbourhood of the botanic garden, that is, in 
the least pretentious part of the town, Svartbacken, 
where were mostly low timber houses, on whose 
thatched roofs such plants as Linne gave the name 
tectorum , as Crepis , Bromus , etc., found a favour¬ 
able site. During the summer, on the other hand, they 
obtained quarters in the humble peasant cottages in 
the vicinity of Hammarby, where convenience was 
reduced to a minimum. At stated times daily lectures 
were held, and in consequence of Linne's ignorance of 
current foreign languages, exclusively in Latin, in 
which he easily expressed himself, though not always 
in classic diction or construction. The superlearned 
laughed compassionately at his “ Svartback’s Latin,” 
as in his eagerness, he did not give proper regard to 
the niceties of the Latin grammar, correctness of 
meaning weighing more than words. He owned his 
weakness in Latin, but also declared that he would 
rather have three slaps from Priscian, than one from 
Nature—Malo tres alapas a Prisciano quam unam a 
Natura. 
Of the relations between Linne and his pupils, the 
best account is from one of them, afterwards the 
celebrated entomologist, Fabricius. “ For two whole 
years, 1763 and 1764—Linne being then in his fifty- 
sixth and fifty-seventh years—I had the happiness of 
enjoying his teaching, his guidance, and his intimate 
intercourse. No day passed that I did not meet him, 
hear his lectures, often spending several hours with 
him in friendly talk. In summer we three foreigners, 
