J [CONTINUED FROM OUR LAST NUMBER, P. 419.] 1 HE great number of friends mifs this opportunity of seeing Paris, us had found in Holland, afforded him fine profpects and fecured his fubfequént welfare. The Dutch wished to prevail on fo valuable a man not to leave their country. It was propofed to him to make a botanical voyage at the expence of the republic to the Cape of Good Hope, with the promife of giving him, on his return, a profefforship of botany in a Dutch univerfity. But Linnæus allo flighted this offer, because he violently longed after his country, and after thofe bright hopes which he flattered himself he would realize there. The beginning of the year 1738 was the dulleft time Linnæus paffed in Holland. Formerly he always was of a ferene, unruffled,, and cheerful temper; but now difquietude and melancholy preyed upon him. The celebrity which he had gained, the remonftrances of his friends, in fhort, nothing could raise his depreffed fpirits. The Herculean labours to which he had devoted the elapfed year,could not but act with malign influence npon his health. Towards the close of January he was feized with a violent fever, which lasted upwards of fix weeks. In March he vifited Hartecamp for the laft time, to enjoy the fweets of the vernal year, and to effect a complete restoration of his declining health. He intended to pay a visit to Haller at Goettingen, and to profeffor Ludwig at Leipzic, on his way back to Sweden, and had propofed to him felf to pass through Upper and Lower Saxony, and the Danish dominions, Both, according to his promife, expected him with impatience. But he altered his refolution. Being fo near the confines of France, he would not Ed. Mag. Jan. 1796. ral acquaintances by his correfpondence. He reached the capital in the be-, ginning of May, where Anthony and Bernard de Juffieu, two brothers, were the principal botanifts. The. former was the fucceffor of Tournefort, and died in 1758, and his brother in 1777. They gave Linnæus a most kind and flattering reception. though Anthony was a bigotted a d herent to Tournefort's fyftem, an too old to begin to learn a new one. Through them he became acquainted with the most eminent French literati, and faw all the botanical and other natural curiofities at Paris. He left, with fome reluctance, a city, where he had enjoyed fo much plea. fure and entertainment. After one month's refidence in the French me tropolis he went on board a ship at Rouen, in which, after a paffage of five days, he reached Helfinburgh in Scania, whence he fet out to Stock, holm. After an abfence of three years and an half, Linnæus returned to his country, and reached Stockholm in September 1738. The thought of his arrival made his heart vibrate with the utmoft joy. He now expected to reap honours and respect, as the reward of his long and noble exertions. But how foon did he experience the truth of the adage, which tells us that a prophet is no where lefs valued than in his own country! The winter of 1738 nipt the laurels he had gathered in Holland. The rude climate of Sweden did not feem propitious to their growth. For the fake of his daily fupport he now ber gan to follow the advice of his intended father in law, by applying himself to the practice of medicine. ·B But But Efculpaius, at his first fetting out, proved as unkind as Flora. Nobody would entrust a botanist with the cure of patients. The following account of his refidence at Stockholm, and the happy alteration in his circumftances, is given by himself: "I took up my re"fidence at Stockholm. Every body 66 laughed at my botany. Not one "could tell how many reftless nights "and toilfome hours I had beftowed 66 on it; but every corner refound"ed with the humiliating leffon I "had received from Siegefbeck. I "began to fet up for a practitioner, "but my fuccefs was very flow. They would not even employ me in a fervant's cure. But in a short "time, adverfity ceafed to perfecute, "and after many clouded days the lucid fun broke through my obfcurity. I rofe.was called to the ἐσ great, every thing turned out profperous; no patient could be "cured without me; from four "o'clock in the morning till late at night I visited the fick, fpent "nights with them, and earned mo" ney. Alas! faid I, Efculapius affords all that is good, but Flora yields but Siegesbecks. I renoun"ced botany, and refolved a thou"fand times to deftroy all my col"lections for ever. Soon after I was "appointed first phyfician to the "fleet, and after a fhort lapfe of time "the States chofe me botanift to the "King, and affigned me an annual "falary to teach that fcience at "Stockholm. I now grew fond a gain of plants, and married my "bride, who, after five long years, "ftill thought me worthy of her "love. My father-in-law, however, is dearly fond of money, he does not like to part with it. For my own part I can do without, and "thus leave it to my offspring." 66 66 Having received the diploma of phyfician to the Navy, and botanist to the King, and thus acquired a fet tled income, which was farther in creafed by his medical practice, he haftened to obtain his bride. Old Moraus was now very glad to give his confent without much intreaty, and the hymeneal bond was fealed on the 26th of June 1739. The fame year which favoured him with the fmiles of fortune, proved equally propitious to his name, and to the ftate of the fciences in Sweden. A general fcientific zeal gave birth to the idea of raising a learned corporation. The most active promoter of this plan was a young man of noble birth and great parts, Count A. G. Hoepken, who held afterwards the dignity of counsellor of ftate and chancellor of the Univerfity of Upfal. The fociety, which in the beginning only confifted of fix members, held their first meeting on the fecond of June 1739—and Linnæus had the honour of being elected prefident. None could have been worthier of that distinction than himfelf; none of the members had fo well deferved of any one feience, and gained fuch early celebrity as he. The fixed period for the duration of the prefidency was limited by the ftatutes to three months only. Linnæus refigned his charge on the third of October, and made on that occafion a fpeech in his mother tongue, on the remarkables in infects. This fpeech contained excellent obfervations and the most beautiful sketch of the economy and wifdom of nature. "The author of this fpeech," fays the Chevalier Bæck, was an "animated and fprightly painter, "who captivated his readers, and "excited in them a kind of ecftatic rapture." 66 66 This fociety, however small in the beginning, foon rofe to the most honourable public greatnefs. The number of its members kept pace with its fame; and through the patriotic exertion of Count Teffin, it was raifed to the honourable title of Royal Academy Academy of Sciences at Stockholm on the 31st of March 1741. This example fet by Sweden foon excited the emulation of Denmark. The royal Danish academy was confequently inftituted in 1742 at Copenhagen, under the direction of the beneficent Count of Holstein, then minister of ftate. The learned fociety of Stockholm was not gifted with any particular funds on the part of the crown, nor did its members receive annual falaries. The only ftipends allowed were thofe affigned to the profeffor of natural philosophy, and to the two fecretaries. Thefe, befides the prizes and prize-medals, were drawn from the fund arifing from prefents or legacies. The members had already published their tranfactions, which at the expiration of 1779 amounted to forty volumes, and have been tranflated into German, French, and other languages, and are continued down to the present time. Thefe tranfactions contain the richest ftore of ufeful knowledge and difcoveries. This advancement of the fciences in that country is originally due to Linnæ us. Having enjoyed the utmost popularity in the capital of Sweden, and being bleft with the refources of a plentiful income, Linnæus was not quite fo well pleased with his fituation as might have been expected. His wishes had long been directed towards that univerfity of his country where he had laid the foundation of his greatness, and fuffered fo many vicillitudes in the fmiles and frowns of fortune. On the 3d of June 1740, his former protector, Olaus Rudbeck junior, departed this life in that city, by which demife the profefforship of botany became vacant. It was this office which Linnæus defired in preference to all others. He offered himfelf a candidate, made intereft, but was disappointed. Nicholas Rofen, his former antagonist, attained this a cademical charge. Meanwhile Linnæus did not want protection. The diet which affembled in the beginning of the year 1741, extended alfo their deliberations to a mode of leffening the foreign productions of art, and of promoting the progrefs of the domeftic manufactures of Sweden. They refolved, that travels be undertaken through thofe Swedish provinces, which were the least explored. The choice fell on Linnæens, who accepted the offer. His first tour was to the islands of Orland and Gothland. He fet out on this expedition, in the fpring of 1741, accompanied by fix naturalifts. He had particular inftructions to examine all the plants and productions which might be useful in dying, oeconomy, and medicine, and to fee if there was not a kind of earth in thofe islands fit for the fabrication of porcelain-ware. The zeal of Linnæus even exceeded the bounds of his charge, he discovered many new plants, collected a great variety of obfervations. on the antiquities of thofe islands, their mechanical arts, the manners of the natives, their fisheries, and many other objects; but he was not able to accomplish the chief end of his voyage. He could find no porcelain earth, as the foil of both iflands confifts of a calcareous earth and crystal rocks. His tour was however of great utility; the flates gave him a public teftimony of their fatiffaction, and, four years after, he publifhed the narrative of this tour. The infirmities and advanced age of a man finally realifed those hopes of Linnæus, which had been frustrated in the preceding year. Soon after Rudbeck's death, M. Roberg, fenior of the Univerfity of Upfal, and profeffor of phyfic and anatomy, requefted his difmiffion. His request was granted with the appendage of his whole falary, as he had exercifed his academical functions longer than the fixed term of thirty years. Linnæus put up for this vacancy,-and through B 2 the During the unfortunate reign of Charles XII there were no hopes of its eftablishment. There was, indeed, no money to purchase plants. Rudbeck grew old, and none remained after him to take care of it. In short, the garden had decayed into a tract of pafture ground to graze sheep and cows. It did not even contain fifty foreign plants. the intereft of Count Teffin, obtained the best part of Upfal into a heap ed the profefforfhip of phyfic and a- of ruins in 1702, destroyed it entirenatomy, 1741, being then in the 34th ly. year of his age. Though this office was not what he abfolutely wifhed for, yet it put him in a better fituation of exerting himself to obtain what he really wanted. His lady prefented him with a young heir, on the 20th of January 1741, who was baptized after his own name, and remained the only male offspring that furvived him. Having become a father, he now fet off in September with his family to Upfal, the theatre of his fame and his conftant refidence. Rofen was to teach botany, aud Linnæus anatomy, Both were fenfible of the impropriety of their respective stations, and by a friendly agreement, with the confent of the Chancellor of the Univerfity, the two profeffor fhips, whofe emoluments were equal, were mutually exchanged in the beginning of 1742. Thus Linnæus was raised to that fphere of operation wbich he confidered as the happiness of his life, and which was fo adequate to his zeal and endowments. He directed his firft efforts towards the improvement of the botanical garden at Upfal, which had been established after the middle of the last century by the celebrated Swedish naturalift Olans Rudbeck fenior. The novelty of the enterprise afforded to the latter great applaufe and fupport. Through the liberality of King Charles Guftavus, and the zeal of the Chancellor of the University, the garden was foon put in a good ftate. It ftill remained in an improved condition in the reign of Charles XI. The two Rudbecks, both father and fon, en riched it with the plants they had collected in their travels, But at the beginning of the prefent century it ceafed to be one of the most flourish ing botanical gardens of Europe. The dreadful conflagration which convert Linnæus now became its fecond creator. In a few years he raised fuch a temple to Flora as had never before graced that northern tract. It became at last one of the most beautiful and most valuable in Europe. The Swedish Government refolved to fpare no expence for the total improvement of the botanical garden. Baron Charles Harlemann, the king's architect furnished the plan. The latter was alfo a profeffed friend of Lin. næus, aud by the interceffion of feve, ral great men, it was further refolved to build a dwelling-houfe for the profeffor of botany adjoining to the garden.. Thus Linnæus, having the family of nature so near him, he could give them much better attendance, ftudy their peculiarities, and communicate the knowledge of them to his pupils. The execution of the propofed plan was begun in 1742, and compleated in the courfe of the following year. On the 18th of July, 1743, Linnæus took poffeffion of his new. and beautiful premises. : In the year 1745 he gave a defcription of the new garden, with all its difpofitions, and establishments, mentioning in the moft grateful terms all thofe who had contributed to its restoration and embellishment. The garden was not laid cut on a very extenfive fcale, but arranged in a tafty manner. We fhall here communicate a concife defcription of it, given by a learned traveller, who visited Upfal in the year 1771. The The academical garden of Upfal has been arranged by Linnæus. An iron gate of excellent workmanship leads to it from the high road. At the top of the gate the Swedish arms, and those of Count Gyllenborg, who has fo zealously promoted its reftoration, are difplayed. From within a fpacious yard prefents itself to view; on the right ftands the dwelling of Linnæus, who is the director of the garden, on the left appear fome other buildings. A ftreight avenue leads by another gate to the garden, which is parted from the yard by an elegant wooden inclofure. The garden itself is laid out in a fuperb ftyle. Its moft confiderable part confils of two large tracts of ground. One of them contains the perennial plants; the other those from which the feeds are annually gathered. Each of thefe tracts is divided into forty-four beds furrounded with a low hedge and little doors. The plant-houfe is fituate caftward. It is divided into the planthall (frigidarium,) which lies in the centre; into the thriving houfe (cal. darium,) and the hot-houfe tepidarium,) which form the north wing, and the gardener's cot forms the fouthern wing. To the weft lies the thriving-bank (vaporarium,) and to the fouth the glass-bank; the fun-house (folarium,) lies facing the ponds, into which fresh water is conveyed by pipes. The fouthern apartments of this edifice contain the large cabi net of natural curiofities belonging to the royal academy of fciences, which are very confiderable. Linnæus had thus obtained the finest repofitory that could be wifhed for, but he only wanted plants. His zeal, and the connections which he had with the greatest botanists in Eu rope, foon remedied this defect, and rendered the garden one of the richeft in Europe. In 1742 he introduced more than two hundred indigenous plants into it, and sent a student to Norway to collect there the.moft valuable botanical treafures. The embellishment and enriching of the botanical garden at Upfal, was the favourite ftudy of his life. His anxious and tender care triumphed over the rigour and inclemency of the frigid climate of Sweden. The plants which grow even in the most southern countries were now cultivated in the garden at Upfal, which prefented treafures from every quarter of the globe. Six years after the re-establishment of this garden, Linnæus in 1748 publifhed its defcription. The number of the foreign fpecies of plants a mounted to one thousand one hundred. The hall in which Linnæus delivered his lectures overflowed with a crouded audience. The ufual num◄ ber of ftudents was 500, which proportion continued alfo after his death. But during the feptennial war in 1759, while Linnæus was rector for fix months, the number of ftudents amounted to one thousand five hundred. & To profit by his knowledge pu pils came from Ruffia, Norway, Den mark, Great Britain, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, nay, even from America. Thus he deferved well of foreigners, and became the benefac tor of the mufes at Upfal. He made fummer excurfions at the head of his pupils, who frequently attended him to the number of upwards of two hundred. They then went in small parties to explore different diftricts of the country. Whenever fome rare or remarkable plant, or fome other natural curiofity, was difcovered, a fignal was given with a horn or trumpet, upon which the whole corps joined their chief, to hear his demonftrations and remarks. Linnæus now divided his labours into the occupations for his pupils, for his country, and for the learned world at large. We will compress the fphere of his exploits to the year |