_Commencement of Linnaeus's Academical Career._
Linnaeus restores the Botanic Garden at Upsal--Takes
Possession of his new Residence--Founds a Natural History
Museum--Publishes Catalogues of the Plants and Animals of
Sweden--In 1746, makes a Journey to West Gothland--Medal
struck to his Honour--He publishes a Flora of Ceylon from
the Herbarium of Hermann--His alleged Discovery of a Method
of producing Pearls--Success as a Professor--Malice of his
Enemies--Journey to Scania--Is appointed Rector of the
University--Attacked by Gout--Sends several of his Pupils to
travel in foreign Countries.
Under the fostering care of Linnaeus, the botanical garden of Upsal was
gradually enriched by donations from numerous friends. In the year 1742,
he introduced into it more than two hundred indigenous species, while he
sent a student to Norway to collect rarities. An experienced gardener,
whom he had formerly known with Mr Cliffort, was engaged to take charge
of it. Some idea may be formed of his zeal, from the circumstance of his
having the first year sown seeds of 567 different species, the next year
of 600, and the third of more than 1000. Plants and seeds were liberally
transmitted from Berlin by Haller and Gleditsch, from Leipsic by Ludwig,
from Yevern by Dr Mochren, from Stutgard by Gesner, from Paris by
Jussieu, from Montpellier by Sauvages, from Oxford by Dillenius, from
London by Collinson, Miller, and Catesby, from Leyden by Gronovius, from
Amsterdam by Burmann, and from Petersburg by Gmelin and Ammann. He even
received seeds from Louis XV.; and the Baron Bjilke brought him from
Russia a great number of plants, collected in Siberia by Messerschmidt,
Gerber, Heller, Heinzelman, and others, most of them not previously
described. From Holland he also obtained the Musa, a tree which he
considered himself extremely fortunate in possessing.
Six years after the restoration of the garden, he published a
description of it under the title of the Hortus Upsaliensis. At this
time, the number of exotic plants which it contained amounted to 1100. A
learned traveller, who visited it in 1771, writes as follows:--"An iron
gate of excellent workmanship leads to it from the road. At the top of
the gate are displayed the Swedish arms, and those of Count Gyllenborg,
who so zealously promoted its restitution. Within, a large court
presents itself to view; on the right stands the house of Linnaeus, who
is the director of the garden, and on the left are some other buildings.
A straight avenue leads by another gate to the garden, which is
separated from the court by a neat wooden railing. The garden itself is
laid out in a superb style. The greater part consists of two large
tracts of ground, one of them containing the perennial, the other the
annual plants. Each of these tracts is divided into forty-four beds,
surrounded with a low hedge and small doors. The plant-house is divided
into the greenhouse, the hothouse, and the thriving-house, which form
the northern side; the gardener's cottage, which is on the southern;
the thriving-bank on the west; and the grass-bank on the east. The
sun-house faces the ponds, into which fresh water is conveyed by pipes."
The professor took possession of his beautiful residence in 1743, and
delivered a course of lectures on dietetics, which was numerously
attended. The same year he was elected a corresponding member of the
Academy of Montpellier. In 1744, Prince Frederick visited the university
for the first time, when the professors were presented to him. Celsius
and Linnaeus were complimented with the title of _lumina academiae_, on
account of their great learning and reputation. Some months after this
occurrence, the same prince was received at Upsal by the rector and
professors; on which occasion Linnaeus alone was invited to follow him to
Ekhelsund, where he had a private interview. In October, he was
appointed secretary to the university, in the place of Andrew Celsius,
professor of astronomy, who had died in the preceding spring, and in
November was made medical inspector of Smaland, an office which had also
been possessed by the same individual.
In the following year, he founded a museum of natural history at the
botanic garden; the prince-royal and Count Gyllenborg furnishing the
first collection of animals. In autumn, he published two important
works, the Flora Suecica and the Fauna Suecica, in the composition of
which he had laboured occasionally during fifteen years. The former
contained descriptions of 1140 species of plants indigenous to Sweden,
with their medical and economical uses, their stations, and other useful
information; the latter exhibited the characters of 1350 animals
occurring in the same country. In a subsequent edition this number was
increased to 2266.
In the summer of 1746, he made a journey to West Gothland, accompanied
by several of his students, and, on returning, devoted himself to the
completion of his work on the species of plants. To favour his views,
and contribute to the extension of science, Count Tessin obliged the
East India Company, who at this time had their charter renewed, to send
out every year to China, at their own expense, a young naturalist, to be
selected by Linnaeus. The same year he received a very flattering
testimony of respect from four patriotic noblemen, the Barons Harlemann,
Hopken, Palmstjerna, and Count Ekeblad, who caused a medal to be struck
in honour of him as well as of his patron, the Count Tessin. One side
represented the bust of Linnaeus, with these words:--
Carol. Linnaeus, M. D., Bot. Prof. Ups. AEtat. XXXIX.
On the other were the following:--
Carolo Gustavo Tessin et immortalitati effigiem Caroli
Linnaei Cl. Ekeblad, Andr. Hoepken, N. Palmstierna, et Car.
Harlemann. Dic. MDCCXLVI.
This mark of respect to the distinguished naturalist and his illustrious
friend proved so agreeable to the latter, that it induced him to order a
piece to be stamped, representing on the one side a likeness of the
professor, and on the other three crowns, indicative of his dominion
over the three kingdoms of nature, with the sun casting his beams on
them, as emblematic of the genius of the North illuminating the mundane
system. _Illustrat_,--He illumines,--was the appropriate motto. It is
not in infancy only that men are "pleased with a rattle, tickled with a
straw;" nor are flattery and presumption peculiar to any age.
In January 1747, the King of Sweden conferred on Linnaeus and his issue
the title of First Physician, or Dean of the College of Physicians; and
soon after he was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Berlin.
Professor Hermann of Leyden, who, towards the end of the preceding
century, had been sent to Ceylon and other parts of India, for the
purpose of examining the spice-plants, died soon after his return, and
his collections fell into the hands of Mr Gunther, apothecary at
Copenhagen. This person, desirous of knowing what they contained, sent
them to Holland; but receiving from thence information that Linnaeus was
the only person who could satisfy him, he finally addressed them to
Upsal. Delighted with this oriental treasure, which had been lost half a
century, the botanist examined it with the greatest attention, and, on
completing his laborious task, published the result under the name of
Flora Zeylanica. At the same time he gave to the world an account of his
journey to West Gothland.
It is stated, that about this period he made an important discovery
relative to the formation of pearls in the river-mussel (_Unio
margaritifera_), a shell of common occurrence in the northern parts of
Europe as well as in our own country, and from which are obtained all
our indigenous pearls, which not many years ago were held in
considerable estimation. By injuring the shell, probably by means of
puncture or perforation, it is supposed that he succeeded in causing a
deposition of the pearly matter, so that one might procure a certain
quantity at pleasure. The precise method, however, is still uncertain,
nor is it believed to have been generally successful; at all events the
secret has been entirely lost.
At this period, says Linnaeus, botany was cultivated at Upsal with
unparalleled ardour. Frequent excursions were made for the purpose of
collecting plants, insects, and birds. Every Wednesday and Saturday
herbarizations took place, which continued from dawn to night. The
pupils, having their hats covered with flowers, returned to the town,
and preceded by musical instruments accompanied their professor to the
garden.
But amid all this success he was harassed by the malice of his enemies.
A decree of the senate appeared, which prevented any native of Sweden
from publishing a work in a foreign country. This was evidently directed
against him alone, for, as he says, it could apply to no other person.
In a fit of bad humour he flung his pen from him, and swore that he
would never write another book. At this period also a person named Fick
endeavoured, by disgraceful calumnies, to injure him in the esteem of
his fellow-citizens. This conduct he felt so much the more severely,
because the slanderer was one of his familiar friends, which was also
the case with respect to Halenius, who openly censured one of his
dissertations, although he had approved of it before it was sent to
press. About the same time he received a letter from Haerlem, which he
says nearly cost him his life, and prevented him from sleeping for two
months. The purport of this communication has not been disclosed; but,
surely, if he had not placed too much value on the opinion of the world,
he would have allowed the malice of his enemies to vent itself in
impotent rage.
His self-love, however, was soon gratified by the arrival of a pupil
from Paris, the first who had come to him from a foreign country, and by
the presence of several persons of distinction at his excursions. This
year he had a hundred and forty students at his lectures.
The following year, after publishing a work on Materia Medica, he was
directed by the Diet to make a journey to Scania or Schonen, the most
northern of the Swedish provinces, for the purpose of examining its
natural productions. This was the sixth and last tour which he made in
his native land. On returning he visited his brother Samuel at
Stenbrohult. During his absence he was appointed rector of the
university, and towards the end of the year entered upon the duties of
his new office.
In 1750, he continued his lectures with his wonted energy and success.
The king and queen had commenced a collection of objects belonging to
natural history, which were kept at Ulrichsdahl or Drottningholm, about
eight Swedish miles from Upsal. Thither he used to repair during the
summer and winter vacations, for the purpose of arranging and describing
the various specimens. But a violent attack of gout obliged him to
relinquish for a time all his occupations.
On his recovery he laboured at his Philosophia Botanica, which appeared
in the following season, together with an account of his journey to
Scania. During this and the preceding year, he sent out several of his
most distinguished pupils to travel in various parts of the world.