(Sir Charles), a celebrated botanist and natural historian, was born on May 24, 1707, O.S., in a village called Roeselund, in Smaland, where his father, Nicolas Linnæus, was then vicar, but afterwards preferred to the curacy of Stenbrohult. On the farm where Linnæus was born, there yet stands a large lime-tree, from which his ancestors took the surnames of Tillander, Lindelius, and Linnæus. Of such surnames, derived from some natural object, there are many other instances in Sweden, which seem to evince, at least, that the taste for natural knowledge is of a very ancient standing in that country. Charles's father, who was a great florist, regaled his wife, during her pregnancy with this her first son, with the choicest flowers; with which he also often betrewed the child's cradle, and presented him with flowers instead of the usual toys. As soon as little Linne was able to run after his father, he made gardening his chief amusement. He soon knew garden-plants, and then began to gather such as grew wild in his neighbourhood; for which he found yet better opportunity at Wexioe, whither he was, in 1717, sent to school.

In 1727, Linnæus went to the academy at Lund, Linnæus, where the celebrated Kilian Stobæus favoured his genius for natural knowledge with his patronage. Even at his native farm he had already hunted after insects; neither did he lose that taste, though he was at Lund once flung by the faria infernalis; and had very narrowly escaped with life. From Lund he, in 1728, proceeded to the university at Upsal, always pursuing his favourite studies; but found himself, within less than a year, involved in debts for board and clothing, without prospect of being extricated by any remittances from his indigent parents. Olof Celsius, the excellent author of the Micro-botanicum, happening once to find him in the botanical garden, baffled with describing plants, and being surprized to hear him name them all, took a liking to him, and received him to his house, his table, and his library. By this and some other unexpected and fortunate incidents, our Linnæus was enabled to pursue his studies, notwithstanding the original lowness of his finances. So early as the 25th year of his age, he planned a considerable part of his system of botany. He was afterwards patronized by Rudbeck junior; who being then old, entrusted Linnæus with reading the botanical lectures in his place, which he did with great zeal and success. In 1732, Linnæus at the expense of the Society of Sciences at Upsal, made a scientific tour to Lapland, where he encountered hunger and cold, with a variety of dangers and hardships. The plants which he found in this tour, he, in the same year, exhibited in the memoirs of the society, classified according to his own system. During this tour, he had opportunities for cultivating the art of assaying minerals; on which art, and on mineralogy, he, after his return, read lectures at Upsal. For the same scientific purposes he also made journeys to the principal Swedish mines, during which he was greatly assisted by the liberality of Mr de Reuterholm; and, after having thus enlarged his acquaintance with the slate of his own native country, he, in 1735, with a very slender support, began his travels into foreign countries.

He visited Hamburgh, Amsterdam, and the university of Harderwyck, where he was created a doctor in physic; and then hastened to Boerhaave at Leyden, who valued and recommended him to Mr Clifford, whose natural collections at Hatecamp Linnæus was to describe. At Gronovius's persuasion, he, in 1736, published the original edition of his System of Nature in Holland; and, after this, many other of his works in the same country. In the mean time Linnæus came over to England. His System of Botany was first adopted by Gronovius, in his Virginian Flora; and his names of plants by Van Royen, in his Prodromus; yet, though he lived very happy in Holland, and had the most advantageous offers made him there, he left that country and went to France, where he entered into the most intimate friendship with M. Bernard Jussieu. In 1738 he returned to Stockholm, where he began with practising physic, and was appointed professor of mineralogy, and physician to the admiralty. In 1739, he married the provincial physician Moræus's daughter, to whom he had been betrothed before his departure from Sweden. His spirit and zeal were now encouraged by a variety of rewards. The Royal Academy of Sciences, established in the same year at Stock- Stockholm, chose him their first speaker. At the public expense he made tours into several provinces of the kingdom, in order to explore their respective productions. In 1741, after professor Roberg's death, he succeeded to the chair of physic at Upsal; and as he had the celebrated M. de Rosenfelin for his colleague in that profession, the faculty of physic became uncommonly flourishing in that university. The botanical garden of Upsal, which had been long ago founded by Rudbeck the elder, but destroyed by a fire in 1702, and afterwards neglected, was now soon restored by Linnæus, and in three years brought to a degree of perfection equal at least to that of any other botanical garden whatever.

In the new green house, a particular room was designed for a collection of natural curiosities, which was partly furnished by the court and wealthy individuals. Nor were the other branches of physic left unimproved by Linnæus. His delivery in his lectures was exceedingly sprightly, and animated by a native eloquence peculiar to him; as he held them not merely for the sake of money, but inspired with a lively affection for their subjects. While his health and spirits remained, his school was always more crowded than that of any other professor; and on his botanical excursions, he was surrounded by still greater numbers of pupils. There is hardly a professor who can produce so many disciples, who, chiefly at his persuasion, have, for the enlargement of his favourite study, undertaken voyages and travels to the remotest parts of the globe. The celebrated names of Kalm, Hasselquist, Trefrostom, Toren, Olbeck, Roland, Loefling, Berlin, Forskal, Solander, Thunberg, Sparman, Rothman, with many others, such as Clas Alstroemer, Kehler, &c. who, in the pursuit of natural science, travelled through many countries of Europe, will ever do credit to Linnæus's memory. He kept up a most extensive correspondence; every one strove to give him an early account of any new discovery made, and increase his collections, to which even many sovereign princes contributed. He was highly distinguished and favoured by the late king, the queen dowager, and the present king of Sweden, who often honoured him with their visits. No system or method of botany has ever yet been more generally adopted than his. Some noblemen of the first distinction caused a medal to be struck to his honour; and the late excellent count Tessin, who had ever been his chief patron, honoured him with another. In 1747, he had the title of physician to the king conferred on him; in 1753, he received the honour of knighthood of the polar star; and, in 1757, he was ennobled. In 1776, the present king of Sweden accepted his resignation of his place, and conferred on him a double pension, with a noble donation of two farms for himself and his children.—He did not live long after this period; dying in January 1778, aged 70 years and 8 months.

As to the private and personal character of this illustrious philosopher: His stature was diminutive and puny; his head large, and its hinder part very high; his look was ardent, piercing, and apt to daunt the beholder; his ear not sensible to music; his temper quick, but easily appeased; his memory good, though, in the latter period of his life, sometimes liable to fail him; his knowledge of languages confined, yet Linnæus no interesting discovery remained unknown to him. In summer, he used to sleep from ten to three o'clock; in winter, from nine to six; and instantly to cease his labours when he found himself not well disposed for them.—Both in his younger years, and in the decline of life, he was afflicted with various corporeal infirmities; and the disorder of which he died, an ulceration of the urinary bladder, was long and painful. The severity, however, even of his last illness did not interrupt the ardour of his scientific pursuits. And, to the fruits of his labours which the world already enjoy, future additions still remain to be made. Before his death he had finished the greatest part of the Mantissa Tertia. And, we are told, that his son, who has already given several specimens of his taste for botany, and other branches of natural history, labours hard in completing this work. After this, we are informed, that he intends to publish a large collection of plants which his father had lately received from the Cape of Good Hope, from Mutis in Mexico, from Koening in India, and several other places. These, added to the ineffable works which he has already published, will be the most lasting monuments of a man, who, in the eyes of posterity, must be considered not only as a glory to his country, but as an ornament to the age in which he lived.

His contemporaries, however, and surviving friends, have not been neglectful in paying due marks of respect to his memory. At Upsal, a general mourning took place on the death of the man whose industry and genius had promoted the interest, and exalted the reputation, of that seminary of literature to the highest pitch. His funeral procession was attended by the whole university, as well professors as students; and the pall was supported by 16 doctors of medicine, all of whom were his own pupils. The Swedish monarch also ordered a medal to be struck to his honour; of which one side exhibits Linnæus's bust and name; and the other, Cybele in a dejected attitude, holding in her left hand a key, and surrounded with animals and growing plants, with the legend, Deam luctus augit amicit; and beneath, Post obitum, Uppsalia, d. x. Jan. MDCCCLXXXVIII. Regis jubente. But an honour never yet conferred on any other learned man in so high a degree, was still referred to Linnæus's memory by his king, who, in his speech from the throne, to the late assembly of the estates of the kingdom, lamented Sweden's loss by the death of Linnæus. Nor must we omit mentioning, that, at Edinburgh, Dr Hope, professor of botany, on opening his course of lectures for the ensuing summer, delivered a discourse in honour of this great master of the science which he has there cultivated with so much assiduity and success; and, at the same time, in presence of the students, he laid the foundation-stone of a monument (which has since been erected) to his memory, in the botanical garden at that place. While this monument cannot fail to suggest the merits of Linnæus to the students, it will also be a mark of respect to his memory from one of his greatest and most sincere admirers.