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244 TRAVELS
firmly believing that her high encomium had wounded the feel-
ings of the great philofopher. One day, being in a melancholy
temper, he gave orders that no perfon fhould be admitted to him,
and placed himfelf, in his bed-gown and night-cap, fad and pen-
five upon his fofa. An officer in the Swedith fervice arrived with
a party of ladies, who had made a journey for the exprefs pur-
pofe of feemg the Linnzan collection. The officer was denied
admittance; but being aware of Linnzus’s caprice, he would not
be refufed by the fervant, but pufhed by him, and entered the
chamber where Linnzus was fitting. At firft fome indignation
was fhewn at this intrufion; but the officer introduced the ladies
with a moft extravagant panegyric, to the ilufirious philofopher,
who was the fole objec? of their journey ; to the man whom the whole
world allowed to be the greateft; to that man whohad put nature
herfelf to the rack in order to difcover her deareft fecrets, Sc. Lin-
nzus’s furly humour inftantly forfook him, and he never af peared
more amiable in his manners than to this officer, whom he em-
braced tenderly, calling him his true friend, &c. &c. He was fo f
fingularly enamoured of praife, that his mind was never in that:
fedate ftate which would have enabled him to diftinguith true
commendation from flattery and deception. The clergyman,
who at firft could not credit fuch reports, was convinced of their
reality by one of his friends, who compofed fo ridiculous an eu-
logy for Linnzus, that the weakeft child might have treated it as
a farce or fatire: it was worded in the bombaft of the middle
ages, or in the Afiatic ftyle: he called him the fun of botanitts,
heal the
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