358 
LINNAEUS 
correspondents was Baron Otto von Miinchhausen, 
Chancellor of the University of Gottingen, where 
Haller was a professor. When the latter, because of 
his restless disposition, quitted his post, Miinchhausen, 
offered it to Linne, although Haller threatened to 
return, an event which the Chancellor considered 
undesirable, as Haller had shown himself intolerant of 
his colleagues. Certainly, the Swedish King would 
have done his utmost to retain Linne, but the offer 
was received. Linne at first seemed somewhat 
irresolute; he had already heard the complaint in 
Uppsala that natural science was put in too high a 
position, and therefore feared a future decadence, but 
on the other hand, he hoped if he undertook this 
professorship, that he would be able to draw half 
Germany’s youths to Gottingen for the sake of natural 
history, where, during the vacancy, the deputy teacher 
of botany had had no more than a dozen hearers, and 
these so ignorant that one can hardly credit it. These 
feelings soon vanished, and Uppsala retained her 
Linne. 
Another temptation came shortly afterwards from 
Spain. Linne kept this offer so secret that in Sweden 
it only became known through a German scientific 
journal. Back, who saw this announcement, was 
greatly astonished, but upon his questioning Linne he 
confirmed it, and added, that though he could not 
write about it, he would impart the news verbally on 
a visit to Stockholm. It was explained that he was 
invited to become president of the medical college 
and museum, with the botanic garden in Madrid, with 
a salary not below that of a Swedish Councillor of 
State. Linne decided to withstand this temptation and 
refuse the offer which seems to have been made with¬ 
out any doubt as to its acceptance. 
The contemporaneous idea of Linne’s life-work 
has already been narrated; there now remains only to 
answer the question: how he and his work were 
