324 
LINNAEUS 
value as a natural history fact, deserving of honour 
and national reward. The Committee determined to 
find out how the money could be raised, but wrote 
down the reward to one half [^450]. 
One person who played a not unimportant part 
in these negotiations, though he was not on the 
Committee, was Linne’s old friend, Bishop Mennander, 
who put forward the catalogue of Linne’s merits, and 
did his best to advance the project. But Linne’s 
concern was not for himself but for his son’s future, 
hoping he might obtain the chair in the University 
after his own death, and urging that nobody but his 
son could in future better take care of the botanic 
garden, now in such condition, that it could be 
valued at a “barrel of gold” [,£1,400]. Mennander 
then told him in confidence that a reward was being 
discussed. Meanwhile negotiations were opened with 
a member of the Pearl Committee, P. Bagge, a 
merchant at Gothenburg, with a view to his advancing 
the said sum, promising that he should enjoy the 
monopoly of artificially made pearls, except with the 
obligation of sharing half of the proceeds with the 
Crown. 
The next day Mennander related to Linne how 
matters stood, the latter being delighted. “ If I 
should get that, there would be nobody happier than I; 
free from all debt, my children well to do, what can 
mortal man wish for more?” The proposal passed 
three of the Estates, but the House of Nobles post¬ 
poned it to see if the manufacture actually took place. 
Confirmed by the King, however, a national reward 
was made to Linne, which had not cost the Committee 
a farthing! 
The right to nominate his successor in the botanic 
garden which Linne had gained, he used at the close 
of 1762. He wrote privately to the Chancellor, 
Hopken, “ that he felt a desire for rest after his heavy 
academic difficulties.” The Chancellor agreed that 
the request was reasonable, but put two considerations 
