Tandem, tandem desideratissimum Hortum Cliffortianum,[2] opus merito celebratissimum, monumentum tuae doctrinae et Cliffortianae magnificentiae aere perennius,[3] accepi. Stupui, cum tam nitidas imagines, tam numerosas plantas, tot vera specierum nomina mihi tamen ex Flora Leydensi[4] ut plurimum nota perspexi.
Illud immortalis tui operis Exemplar misit medicus Amstaelodamensis. Scripsi tamen Massilias inquirens, utrum exemplar tuum cum aliis quae misisti dudum muneribus cum navibus duabus Suecicis appulisset. Iam vero patientia illud praestolabor. Demonstrationes botanicos [sic] hoc ipso mense incepturus hoc libro carere vix poteram. Suo tempore seu postridie a missa ultima ad te responsiones [mittam]. Accepi illustriss[i]mae societat[is] reg[iae] Suecicae diplomata[5] eique illico gratias egi debitas. Si quid deficiat, suppleas, quaeso!
Fasciculum seminum recentium pedem longum[a], pollic[em] latum et cylindricum cum dissertationibus medic[is] et academicis ad te mitto. Navis, cui commissus est, Amstaelodamum petit. Et ibi est D[ominus] Grill,[6] frater illius quem Stockholmiae nosti, qui eum fasciculum, cum acceperit, Stockholmiam mittet, modo tamen utrumque fratrem monueris se fasciculum accepturos. Ideo mitto duplicem syngrapham Jacobi Froppes, navis capitanei, qua se D[omi]no Grill Amstaelodamensi fasciculum traditurum[b] promittit. Ex his Syngraphis unam ad D[omi]num Grill Amstaelodamensem mittas, alteram tibi serves. Cum[c] eodem fasciculo sunt dissertationes societatis regiae, quas ad te mittit Secretarius noster. Quas volueris, offeras, quaeso, meo nomine Regiae et illustriss[im]ae Scientiarum Societati, cujus colendissimos socios venerabunde saluto. Vale et me amare perge, amice honoratissime. Haec scribo ophtalmicus a mense et oculis male lippus inunctis.[7] Tu utinam bene valeas et Plantarum species nostris studiosis promissas et desideratissimas cito in lucem edas.[8]
SUMMARY
De Sauvages has received Hortus Cliffortianus, a monument to Linnaeus’s learning and George Clifford’s magnificence, more eternal than bronze. He was much impressed by the beautiful plates, the numerous plants and the names of the species, though most of them were known to him through Flora Leydensis.
A copy of this immortal work was sent to him by a doctor in Amsterdam. All the same de Sauvages wrote to Marseille to inquire if a copy, and other gifts sent by Linnaeus, had arrived by two Swedish ships. The book is needed for the botanical demonstrations this month. He is very grateful for the diploma he received from the Royal Society of Sciences.
A box with seeds together with medical and academic theses will be sent by ship to Amsterdam, from where a certain Grill will send them on to Stockholm. In the same box there will be dissertations from the Académie des sciences in France. Linnaeus is asked to deliver them to the Royal Society on behalf of de Sauvages.
It is to be hoped that Linnaeus will soon publish his Species plantarum.
NOTES
[1] This letter is a reply that from Linnaeus of 16 January 1744.
[2] Linnaeus, Hortus Cliffortianus.
[3] Horace, Carm., 3, 30, 1.
[4] Van Royen, Flora Leydensis.
[5] Linnaeus’s letter of 16 January 1744 states: “In medio mensis decembris in conventu Societatis Regiae Scientiarum Sueciae electi fuêre socii nostrae societatis, qui confirmati apud Praesidem Illustrem nunc sunt. Inter eos qui assumpti fuêre, erant tres Botanici et totidem Mathematici, quorum:
1 Franciscus de Sauvages.
2 Bernard de Jussieu.
3 Fr. Gronovius.
4 Mathematicus quidam Parisinus.
5 Mathematicus quidam Petropolitanus.
6 Mathematicus quidam Germanus.”
The French editor of Linnaeus’s letter, being a relative of de Sauvages, had in his possession the diploma from the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala, signed by O. Celsius, C. Linnaeus, A. Celsius, S. Klingenstierna and O. P. Hiorter (Lettres inédites de Linné à Boissier de la Croix de Sauvages, 58-59).
[6] See Uggla, “Några Linné-fynd i uppländska gårdsarkiv. Till kännedom om Linnés förbindelse med handelshusen Grill och Arfwedson”.
[7] Horace, Sat., 1, 3, 25.
[8] Species plantarum was not published until 1753.