366 
LINNAEUS 
wide knowledge of the plant-world in different foreign 
countries, which, at that time, were entirely unknown, 
or only insufficiently explored. What he obtained by 
dispatching his pupils abroad on research work has been 
narrated in earlier pages. We must also remember 
his own work concerning the flora and fauna of Sweden, 
for which he obtained and worked up the material 
placed at his disposal by others. 
In various quarters there has grown up an article of 
faith, that Linne devoted his time and strength to such 
work as laid him open to the charge of regarding 
giving of names, describing and classifying as the only, 
or at least the highest, attainment. But he declared 
in distinct words that he held quite a different view. 
The works specified were only drawn up as necessary 
stipulations for the study of botany in its still important 
parts. For the acquisition of a foreign language, he 
says in his noteworthy speech on “ Deliciae naturae,” 
are needed knowledge of its letters, and grammar; only 
when those are learned, can one enjoy all that it offers. 
Such is the case with the speech in which the plant- 
world’s history is written, being comparable to botanic 
letters, plant-naming to words, and system to grammar. 
This was not an empty comparison idly made by 
Linne. On the contrary, it would be hard to find a 
single botanic cultivator who studied the world of plants 
from so many sides, and who displayed so many new 
points of view from which plants ought to be observed. 
It is quite erroneous to deny or conceal this, because if 
Linne, in many cases, after full investigation of details, 
was not able to settle certain questions, he enjoyed 
bringing them forward and in quick, striking words, 
gave a first sketch to be filled by his successors, who 
not seldom obtained credit for the whole explanation. 
It may be pointed out that it was Linne who first 
laid down the lines of geographic distribution of plants, 
though Humboldt and Wahlenberg have usually 
gained the credit. Also the first to introduce the 
doctrine of metamorphosis, though many believe the 
