HIS CORRESPONDENCE 
277 
who for many years was intimate with Linne till the 
lapse of years caused coolness and even estrangement 
between them. The first sign of this breach of 
friendship was caused in 1746, by one expression in 
“ Flora suecica 55 to which Haller took exception, in 
spite of all that Linne could do to disarm bitterness. 
Haller’s self-love was deeply wounded; but even as 
late as 1760, Linne persevered with his endeavours to 
placate his former friend, though vainly. Linne kept 
to his principle not to embark in disputes, but to let 
others decide between them. “ After we are dead, 
children who now are playing will be our judges; 
and he refrained from reading Haller’s attacks, 
although in his old age, he was stirred to the depths 
by Haller publishing confidential letters and pointing 
out errors in Latinity. 
Now what was the reason of Haller’s implaca¬ 
bility? He accused Linne of aping Adam by naming 
all animals afresh, and of being an autocrat in botany 
and zoology, while Linne was lamenting that Haller 
regarded himself as an infallible Pope, his restless 
misguided disposition driving him to decry Linne’s 
merits, and refusing to hear him praised. “ Judging 
impartially,” says a most competent critic, Dr. O. E. 
Hjelt, “ in the lamentable severance of two such 
distinguished men, Haller seems to deserve the 
greater blame, and in spite of his splendid powers and 
extent of knowledge, he was at times subject to the 
demon of ambition. In the wonder and respect which 
were accorded him in his lifetime, in the excessive 
praise and flattery which he constantly received, lay 
a temptation, stronger perhaps than for any other 
person.” It was perhaps his misfortune to live at the 
same time as Linne and to work in the same field. 
“ They resembled,” said Back, “ in botany, Caesar and 
Pompey. One, our Linne, suffered no equal, and 
the other, Haller, suffered no greater one, or the 
reverse.” 
Linne had a constant habit of naming new genera 
