340 
LINNAEUS 
and Danmark’s Church to God, who granted me so 
many years and blessings. 4. Let my countrymen 
carry me to the grave, and give them each a little 
medal, one of those with my portrait. 5. Entertain 
nobody at my funeral.” In the summer of 177 5 » he 
had a big elm at Hammarby felled, with the remark 
that his coffin should be made of it. These instructions 
were carried out except number 5. His widow, against 
his wishes, provided on the day after the funeral, 
January 23rd, an ample dinner. 
An account of the funeral itself on the 22nd 
January, in the Cathedral, is given by two who were 
present. A. Afzelius relates, “ It was a dark and 
still evening, the darkness only dispersed by the 
torches and lanterns carried by the mourners, the slow 
progression of the procession whose silence was only 
disturbed by the murmur of the multitude of people 
assembled in the streets and the great bell’s majestic 
heavy tolling, were the only sounds to be heard. This 
great bell, annoying to Linne in his lifetime, now for 
the first time was heard only as an unusual and 
impressive accompaniment in the procession to the 
grave of a distinguished man, forming an example for 
future important funerals. The entire University and 
a great company were in the procession, many doctors 
of medicine (all former pupils of Linne) bearing the 
dust of the great man.” This may be completed by 
the following extract from a letter by J. ITallenberg to 
C. G. Gjorwell: “ Archiater Linne’s burial taking 
place about six o’clock in the evening, was lit up on the 
way to the church by lanterns, accompanying twenty- 
one carriages, and in the church by candles, with which 
all the candelabra were filled; besides these and the 
organ there was no other preparation in the church. I 
never saw so many people in the building as on this 
occasion. Dean Hydren buried the late professor, 
and that in so striking a manner, that everyone 
wondered at his ability in so old a man; he then being 
eighty-three years of age. The Chancellor’s Secretary, 
