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From that time, Linnæus devoted all his leisure to his favourite study. In early life he had to struggle with many difficulties; being so poor, as frequently to depend upon chance for a meal; and without the means of paying for a patch upon his shoes, which he sometimes endeavoured to repair himself, by the aid of folded paper. But merit and industry will always find their reward, and rise proudly superior to all impediments. The lustre of his abilities soon drew the attention of some of the most learned men in Europe, who encouraged and patronized him. He was, after a time, elected a member of various scientific academies throughout Europe; and, in his own country, made Secretary of the Upsal Academy, the only one then in Sweden; besides many other distinguished marks of the high estimation in which he was held in his native country, and in the literary world.

His studies were not wholly confined to botany, but extended to other branches of natural history, as may be seen by the publication of his many scientific and varied works.

In the spring of 1732, he received from the Academy of Sciences at Upsal, an appointment to travel through Lapland, under the royal authority, and at the expense of the Academy. He was but slenderly provided with baggage, travelled generally on horseback, but visited the Lapland Alps on foot-descending to the coast of Norway, he returned by Tornea, &c. to Upsal, by the 10th of October, having performed a journey of near 4000 English miles.

When in Lapland, he gathered at Lyksele, May 29th, 1732, an elegant and singular little plant, formerly known to botanists as the Campanula Serpyllifolia. Linnæus, by his study of vegetables on the only certain principles, the structure of their parts of fructification, soon found this to constitute a new genus; but he reserved the idea in his own breast, till such time as his discoveries and publications had entitled him to botanical commemoration: and his friend Gronovius, in due time, undertook to make this genus known to the world under the name of Linneait having been chosen by himself for this purpose.

In the course of his tour having learned the art of assaying metals, he in the following year gave a private course of lectures on this subject, which had never before been taught at Upsal.

The arts of his rival Rosen having disappointed him of his anticipated medical advancement in the college at Lund, and, by his intrigues, put a stop to all private medical lectures in the university of Upsal, thus depriving Linnæus of his only present means of subsistence, our indefatigable naturalist directed his energies into another channel; in furtherance of his study of mineralogy, he visited the mines of Sweden, and, at the close of the year

assaying. Here he first became acquainted with Browallius (chaplain to the governor of the province of Dalecarlia, afterwards bishop of Abo) who advised him to take his doctor's degrees, in order to pursue the practice of medi. cine, in which he had already acquired some celebrity while at Fahlun.

In pursuance of this advice, Linnæus, having amassed the sum of fifteen pounds sterling, now commenced his travels, with a view of obtaining his degree at the cheapest university he could find, and, at the same time, seeing something more of the literary world. He spent five years in visiting the principal countries of Europe; his merit raised him up patrons and friends wherever he was known; through many difficulties, it is true, did he have to work his way, but still he went onward, supported by the native energy of his character, gaining information at every step, and extending his own fame. He tells us himself, he would perhaps never have returned to his own country, "had he not been in love;" but hearing that he had a powerful rival in the affections of her to whom he had plighted his faith, he suddenly returned to Sweden, and, after a time, having acquired such a degree of prosperity as to induce the father of his betrothed to consent to their union, he was married June 26, 1739.

How distant oft the thing we dote on most,
From that for which we dote, felicity!

This consummation of his ardent aspirations for the last five years of his life, brought with it no access either of happiness or prosperity. This idol of his heart, is represented as altogether unworthy; and of a kindred spirit with the unnatural mother of the unfortunate poet Savage, displaying the same hatred of her only son, and persecuting him by every means within her power, during the life of her husband, who was made miserable by her misconduct and petty tyranny, and, after his death, still pouring out the dregs of her wrath upon the admirable and sensitive being who naturally looked to her for support and comfort.

But let us turn from so disgusting and painful a theme, to bestow a double portion of admiration upon that being, who, amidst all these chilling blights to his happiness, still laboured with untiring zeal in the cause of literature.

About the year 1751, the queen of Sweden, Louisa Ulrica, sister to the great Frederic of Prussia, having a taste for natural history, which her royal consort, king Adolphus Frederick, also patronized, showed much favour to Linnæus, and employed him in arranging her collection of insects and shells, at her country-palace of Drotningholm, or Ulricksdahl, and he was frequently honoured with the company and conversation of their majesties, during his attendance there. The queen also interested herself in the education of her son, and was altogether gracious and

obliging in all that concerned him, promoting his wishes and his interest, whenever opportunity offered. She took so much pleasure in the conversation of her distinguished naturalist, that she allowed him his habitual indulgence of smoking, even in her royal apartments, that he might continue his labours with the more satisfaction to himself. Nor were his services accepted without suitable returns of royal munificence.

In 1753, he received, from the hand of his sovereign, the order of the Polar Star; an honour which had never before been conferred for literary merit. A still more remarkable, if not more grateful compliment, was paid him, not long after, by the king of Spain; who invited him to settle at Madrid, with the offer of nobility, the free exercise of his religion, and a splendid botanical appointment. This was handsomely declined by Linnæus, who declared, that if he had any merits, they were due to his own country. This patriotic moderation received its just reward in November, 1756, when he was raised to the rank of Swedish nobility, and took the name of Von Linné.

As the habits of Linnæus were temperate and regular, he retained his health and vigour in tolerable perfection, notwithstanding the immense labours of his mind, till beyond his sixtieth year; when his memory began, in some degree, to fail him. In 1774, at the age of sixty-seven, an attack of apoplexy greatly impaired his constitution. Two years afterwards, he had a second attack, which rendered him paralytic on the right side, and materially affected his faculties. He died of a different complaint, in 1778,

aged seventy-one. His sovereign, Gustavus III. commanded a medal to be struck, expressive of the public loss his country had sustained in him; and honoured the Academy of Science, at Stockholm, with his presence, when the eulogy of this ornament to his country was pronounced there by his intimate friend Black. A still higher compliment was paid to his memory by the king, in a speech from the throne, in which he did justice to the splendid talents and acquirements of his illustrious subject, and testified his royal sympathy with the sorrow of a whole nation, in their irreparable loss. Nor was this sorrow limited to the narrow bounds of his native soil: the whole literary world, with whom he had become intimately connected, and to whom he was endeared, felt the shock of such a bereavement. Eulogies were pronounced in the several scientific institutions of which he was a member. In his own country, there was a general mourning proclaimed at Upsal-his remains were deposited in a vault near the west end of the cathedral of the university, where a monument of Swedish porphyry was erected by his pupils. His obsequies were performed in the most respectful manner, by the whole university, the pall being supported by sixteen doctors of physic, all of whom had been his pupils.

Five years after this, the remains of his only son (then in his forty-second year, successor to his father in his botanical professorship, which he supported with ability) were laid by the side of the parent; the family coat of arms broken over them, and their mingled ashes strewed with flowers.