Heroes of science

by P. Martin Duncan

CHAPTER IV.
THE LIFE OF LINNÆUS (Continued).

The publication and reception of the artificial system of classifying plants.

Linnæus had many difficulties to contend with, however. He found his old rival, Rosen, at work; and Linnæus accuses this man of the meanness of obtaining, partly by entreaty, partly by threats, his manuscript lectures on botany, which he valued more than anything he possessed, and which he afterwards detected his rival in copying. This formidable enemy next proceeded to prevent Linnæus from obtaining the means of subsistence. There was no room for the young botanist at Upsala, and, indeed, botany appeared to be a bad profession. So he turned again to mineralogy, and got up a students’ expedition to Fahlun and Dalecarlia. He settled down at Fahlun for a while as a teacher, and found himself as it were in a new world, where everybody loved and assisted him. He earned money by his medical knowledge. The Bishop of Abo asked Linnæus to give him some instruction in botany and mineralogy, and became much attached to the young man. The bishop advised Linnæus to go abroad and get his doctor’s degree, and also to marry. The last was as difficult as the first, but being more to his taste at the time, he wooed the daughter of Dr. John Morœa, a man of considerable property. The young student made his proposals with considerable trepidation, and had he not been satisfied that the lady was willing, he would have let the matter alone. The worthy doctor thought well of Linnæus, but not of his prospects in life, but he decided that after a lapse of three years he would give his reply. Thus, at the age of twenty-nine, Linnæus found himself with a betrothed, no occupation, and a great deal of knowledge and perseverance. He had to live, and so he determined to stick to physic, and to get a doctor’s degree. He contrived to scrape together £15, and went on his way to the University of Harderwyk. First, like a good son, he went to see his father, and to console him on the loss of the mother—a loss greatly felt by the young man at this critical period of his life. Then Linnæus journeyed to the south, and arrived at Hamburg, where his whole time was employed in viewing the fine garden, and everything else worthy of attention. The public library he examined, and also the principal cabinets of natural history, and he read there for the first time the botanical works of Ray, whom he esteemed as one of the most penetrating observers of the natural affinity of plants. Amsterdam was the next place, and then Harderwyk, where, after being examined, and publishing a paper on the cure of intermittent fever, he was dubbed M.D. He left for Leyden, and met Dr. Gronovius, to whom he showed his classification. Gronovius was so delighted with it that he had it published at his own expense in eight large sheets. He called on the celebrated Boerhaave, and after eight days’ waiting obtained an audience. Boerhaave took a liking to the young man, and recommended him to Dr. Burmann, of Amsterdam, in whose house he remained for many months. During that time Linnæus printed his “Fundamenta Botanica,” of which a great writer has said, “it contains the very essence of botanical philosophy, and has never been superseded nor refuted.” He commended his book to his friend Artedi, who had just finished a work on Fishes. Death put an end to this friendship with Artedi, who was accidentally drowned.

This stay at Amsterdam determined the future career of Linnæus, for he was introduced there to an English banker, Mr. Clifford, whose garden at Hartecoup was one of the finest in the world. Linnæus removed to Mr. Clifford’s house, where he said he lived like a prince, had one of the finest gardens in the world under his inspection, permission to procure all the plants that were wanted in the garden and such books as were not to be found in the library, and of course enjoyed all the advantages he could wish for, in his botanical studies, to which he devoted himself day and night. He got his description of the plants of Lapland printed, and everybody recognized the charms of the descriptions in the book.

In the year 1736, Linnæus paid a visit to England. He did so by the request, and at the expense, of Mr. Clifford, who was desirous to procure various plants for his collection, and that he should communicate with the most celebrated botanists and horticulturists of the day. He carried with him a letter from Boerhaave to Sir Hans Sloane, who was a mere rich collector in natural history, and afterwards founder of the British Museum. This letter is still preserved among the archives of that institution, and it is written in the strongest language of recommendation. Notwithstanding such an honourable introduction, however, the old baronet, who was a sort of highly cultivated curiosity-shop keeper and not a scientific man, was indisposed to do justice to the merits of a young man whose innovations on established systems he viewed with suspicion and dislike. He therefore treated the stranger with coldness, and dismissed him without any marks of regard. One of the principal objects of interest to Linnæus, in this country, was the botanical garden at Chelsea; and from the keeper of that collection, Philip Miller, an excellent botanist, he experienced much attention, and was supplied with many rare plants. The garden at Chelsea was the first in Great Britain that was subsequently arranged according to the Linnæan system. Dr. Shaw, the Oriental traveller, Professor Martyn, Peter Collinson, and many other men of true science, received Linnæus consistently with his testimonials, and admiring his genius, forwarded his objects by all the means in their power, and, on his return to the Continent, continued to correspond with him on subjects of mutual interest in science.

From London our traveller proceeded to Oxford, where he paid his respects to the celebrated Dillenius, justly considered one of the first botanists of the time. This learned man was not by any means disposed to regard Linnæus favourably. He had received from Gronovius a sheet of the “Genera Plantarum,” and conceiving it to be written in opposition to him, was irate, and, pointing to the young Swede, said to a gentleman who chanced to be in his company at the moment of Linnæus’s entry, “See, this is the young man who confounds all botany!” Linnæus did not understand English, but the word “confound,” so similar to the Latin confundere, let him into the secret of the professor’s words. He, however, showed no sign of comprehending him.

Linnæus almost despaired of gaining the friendship of this learned man, and obtaining from him the plants he wanted. At length, on the third day of his visit to Oxford, he went to take leave of Dillenius, and, in parting, said, “I have but one request to make of you; will you tell me why you called me, the other day, the person who confounds all botany?” Unable to evade so direct a question, Dillenius took him to his library, and showed him the sheet of his genera which he had obtained. It was marked in sundry places with notes of query. “What signify these marks?” said Linnæus. “They signify all the false genera of plants in your book,” answered the other. This challenge led to an explanation, in which Linnæus proved his accuracy in every instance. The result was an entire change on the part of Dillenius, who afterwards detained Linnæus with him a month, and found so much satisfaction in his company that he kept him always in close converse, scarce leaving him an hour to himself. At last he parted from him with tears in his eyes, after making him the offer to stay and share his salary, which would have sufficed for them both.

Linnæus never learned any language, not even Dutch, although he lived three years in Holland. “Nevertheless,” he says, “I found my way everywhere well and happily.” Despite this great obstacle, Linnæus appears to have counted among his friends and correspondents some of the fair sex, in several countries. Lady Ann Monson in London, and Mrs. Blackburne at Oxford, were among this number; and he had a most enthusiastic admirer in Miss Jane Colden, of America, who was introduced to his notice by one of his correspondents, as the only lady known to be scientifically acquainted with the Linnæan system. She had drawn and described four hundred plants, according to his method, using English terms.

Pleased with the favour and interest thus manifested, Linnæus acknowledged his sense of them, by preserving the names of these ladies in the vegetable kingdom, and, among others, he named two genera of beautiful plants, Monsonia and Coldenia. The study of botany was so greatly promoted and facilitated by the easy and pleasant method introduced by Linnæus, that it is no wonder the ladies acknowledged, with gratitude, their obligation to the naturalist who first originated a method by which this delightful study could be brought within the attainment of all who loved it.