LINN1EUS, CHARLES, ( Carl von Lima) the most eminent naturalist of this age, and the founder of modern botany, was born in 1707, at Rashult, in the province of Smaland, in Sweden, where his father resided as assistant minister to the parish of Stenbrohult. The father Nils, who was the son of a peasant named Bengtson, had, on going into orders, assumed .the name of which was therefore the proper name of young Charles. Nils was attached to the culture of his garden, which he had stocked with some of the rarer plants in that climate, and it is to the delight with which this spot inspired Charleg, from his earliest childhood, that he himself ascribes his botanical passion. A remarkable quickness of sight, a hardy constitution, and a retentive memory, gave him the corporeal and mental requi sites for indulging his disposition, and thus he was marked out for a naturalist almost from his cradle. His father in tending him for his own profession, sent him to the grammar school at Wexio at the age of ten, whence he was removed at the age of seventeen years to the higher seminary, called the gymnasium. In nei ther of these situations was he distin guished for his proficiency in the ordina ry studies of a literary education ; but he made a rapid progress in the knowledge of plants, which he ardently pursued, both by frequent excursions in the fields, and by the unwearied perusal of such books on the subject as he was able to procure. When his father, in 1726, came to Wexio for the purpose of in quiring into his improvement, he was much mortified to find his son declared utterly unfit for a learned profession by tutors, who advised that he should be put to some handicraft trade. In this per plexity he applied to the physician, Roth man, who was also lecturer in natural philosophy, the only branch of academic study for which young Linnxus had shewn any inclination. This person discovered in him talents, which, though not fitted to make him a theologian, were not ill adapted for another profession, and he proposed that of physic. As the father's
circumstances were very narrow, Roth man offered to take the youth gratui tously into his own house during the year that remained for him to finish his course in the gymnasium; he also gave him pri vate instructions in physiology-, and put him into a systematic method of studying botany, according to Tournefort's arrange ment, which was then looked upon as the most scientific.
In 1727, Linnmus was entered at the University of Lund ; he lodged in the house of StObceus, a physician, who pos sessed a good library and museum of na tural history. He appears here to have paid for his entertainment by various lit tle services, such as that of forming a hortus siccus, and acting as an amanuen sis. It was, however, only by accident that his host came to know the extent of his studious ardour. The mother of Stn. bceus having observed that the candle in his chamber was burning at unseasona ble hours, was induced, through fear of fire, to complain of it to her son. Sto bans thereupon entered his chamber at a late hour, and found him diligently oc cupied with reading. Struck with this proof' of his thirst after improvement, he gave Linnxiis the free use of his library, and admission to his table. The advice of Rothman, however, caused the young student, in 1728, to quit Lund, and to re move to Upsal, for the sake of the supe rior advantages it affiirded. His father advanced him the sum of about eight pounds sterling, which he was informed was all the paternal assistance he was to expect. Thus he was turned out upon the world while yet but a learner in the profeSsion by which he was to get his bread. His little patrimony was soon ex hausted, and he was reduced to depend upon chance for a meal. Unable to pay even for the mending of his shoes, he was obliged to patch them himself with folded paper, and notwithstanding his sanguine temper, be could not forbear repenting that he had left his comfortable situation at Lund.