HONOURS 
307 
wisdom? To realize one’s own ignorance. What is 
power? The foremost place among fools. What 
are riches ? Guardianship for other fools. What are 
clothes? Parts in a comedy to frighten children.” 
There is more truth in the claims that he heard and 
read praises of his writings and views with satisfaction, 
and disliked to find that questions which he had 
4 . £>**4 j^yr/nJL, 
1. SIGNATURE ON MATRICULATION AT UPPSALA. 23 SEPT., 1728 . 
2 . SIGNATURE IN 1755 . 
3 . SIGNATURES IN 1765 . 
4 . THE LAST SIGNATURE KNOWN, 1777 . 
thoroughly settled, were sometimes denied or assailed 
with bitter words. It must be admitted that few men 
of eminence exist of whom that cannot be said. Some 
have asserted that he wished to elevate himself to a 
position as absolute in natural history, and have cited 
such instances in his “ Species plantarum,” where he 
omitted mention of plants discovered by others, or 
