book n0f however, obftrudt.his ufual exertions. His poverty is
, _ ~ ,faicl to have keen fo .g r fa t, that he frequently; wanted
the common, neeeiTaries o f life ; and wag even accuftomed to
wear the caft-off ihoes o f his fellow ftudents, which he
J mended withpafteboard for his aw® ufe.S,. .
From this ftateof penury, when tie had no profpe£t of.the
fmalleft .affiftancé either from pis family or ¡friends, he was
fuddenly relieved by the learned Olaus Celfius, profeffor of
divinity, and-, reftorer of. -natural hjjftory in Sweden, whofe
patronage he -cafually acquired in; the following manner':
Celfius, having frequently noticed him making ohfervations
in the ¡botanical garden, was, a$qniihed at his proficiency in
botany, the fmalleft knowledge o f which was at that time
efteemed a rare qualification in Sweden ; and being informed
o f his diftrefled fituation, immediately received him into his.
houfe, admitted him to his table, gavé him atcefs to his li-
. brary, and engaged his affiftarice in completing his Hiero-
botanicon, a work afcertaining < the plants mentioned in the
Holy Scriptures.., The .favours of this refpedfable patron,
conferred in fuch extreme neceffity, he always remembered
and acknowledged with the ftrongeft expieffions of reverence
and gratitude.
•Soon afterwards he attracted the notice, and obtained the
patronage, o f Olaus Rudbèck profeftpr o f phyfick and.botany;
on the following occafion.: "An academical’ difiertatidfi,X>S
Nupttiiarborum\, being readfin the publick fchools, Linnæus
wrote upon it fomé obfefvatibns, wherein he'introduced fe-
veral remarks upon the’ generation o f plants; to which he
had particularly turned his attention. ... Thefie obfer.vations
. * Fab.ric.ius. £' T h ilo lo g ieo -c iitic a ir i’ ptiblicb'bonétfiim e x -
f T h e thefes .is icyled raf-.*ç (f>v\uty five de amini iu bmittit P e t r lis U l g a , :23 Dec.' x 72 9 *
N u p tiis À rb o rum de guibus D iffe rta tieuem
3 : ■ ■ ' • . ■ - ' 1 fe ll
fell into the hands o f Olaus Rudbeck, who was fo ftruckwith CHAP-
•their fagacity and juftnefs, as immediately to commence an
acquaintance with the author : his abilities and knowledge
being developed upon a nearer intimacy, the profeflfor appointed
him tutor to his fans, in fome mealure directed
his ftudies; and thought him fufiiciently qualified, though
only in the 23d year of his age, to read occafional leitures ¡11
the botanical garden, by which means he obtained a fmall
income. At this period Linnaeus paffed his days in herbo-
rifing and giving ledlures ; and employed great part o f the
night in laying the foundation o f the new fyftem, which he
had already planned. About this period he began to arrange
his Bibliotbeca Botcifiicci^ his clcpjes and ^Bust'd plcmtdvutH ;
from whence we may colled how early he had fixed the
principles o f that method, which he afterwards carried to
fuch perfection.
His knowledge was confiderably improved by a jotjrney
into Lapland in 17 31, to which, at the recommendation o f
Rudbeck and Celfius, he was deputed by the Royal Society o f
•Sciences at Upfaia, in order to inveftigate tlae natural hiftory
of that unknown region : but as he received only a gratuity
of about ¿ 8 towards.defraying his expences, he was obliged
to travel almoft the whole way on foot, which he performed
with great alacrity apd fpirit. He commenced this expedition
on the n t h of May, 173.2 ; ftayed -feme time at the mines o f
Fahlun ; vifited various parts of Lapland ; underwent many
hard ¡hips; efcaped imminent perils,; and returned to Upfaia
in the month of October of the following year, after having
traverfed near 4000 miles A.
During his tour he tranfmitted to theRoy al Society o f Sciences
zblorula Lapponiea, which was printed in their ails,.,and was,
Ba?ck.