Title:
Albrecht von Haller to Carl Linnaeus
Type:
Image
Licence:
Contact [email protected]
Repository:
The Linnean Society of London
Collection:
Linnaean Correspondence
Reference number:
LC/6/83
Archival level:
Item
Date:
24 November 1738
Placement:
Volume 6: 169-170
Extent:
169-170
Language:
la
Description:
Albrecht von Haller has received Linnaeus’s letter from Rouen but none from Stockholm. He has visited the Hercynian forest and given a narrative of his journey with a description of an almost new genus of Sisymbrium. The history of the Gymnospermae is completed. The “Synopsis” lacks only the grasses, trees, Gymnodispermae, Gymnotetraspermae, Gymnopolyspermae and Monangiae. These will be ready for the press in the summer of 1739. The work will be published by Abram Vandenhoeck, since there are problems with Conrad Wishoff. The Fungi are very difficult, but Haller has 300 illustrated in colour. Moreover, he has many Agarici truly fungous and with a tender substance, which he wants to arrange so that the Agarico-fungi will be referred to the Fungi, the Agarico-suilli to the Suilli, the Agarico-polypori to the Polypori, but the Agarici plani to the Fungoidastrum and Fungoides. He is busy with anatomy. Haller will publish a commentary on Herman Boerhaave’s Institutiones medicae. This work needs corrections and proper references. Johannes Jacobus Huber is finishing his dissertation on his Rhaetian journey, in which almost 400 plants are described and delineated. Huber is planning another, much longer journey. Haller has sent some fossils to George Clifford. He has not received Linnaeus’s Hortus Cliffortianus. Johannes Burman has improved the original stirpes Africanae, which Haller reviewed in Göttingische Zeitungen von Gelehrten Sachen. He has sent Adriaan van Royen more than a hundred mosses, but he has not received anything in return. But August Ludwig von Hugo has sent Haller Hercynian plants and Malabar grasses. Haller hopes next summer to go to Valais and the Pennine Alps. Orchis muscam referens is distinct from fuciflora. If Haller should return to Switzerland, he wants Linnaeus to succeed him.
Sender:
Haller, Albrecht von
Recipient:
Linnaeus, Carl
Sent to location:
[Stockholm, Sweden]
Transcription:
Clarissimo Viro, Magno Botanico, Carolo Linnaeo, S[alutem] p[lurimam] d[icit] A[lbertus] Haller. Rothomago datas Tuas accepi. Exspectavi diu, an alias Holmia acciperem. Exspectatio autem vana fuit. Quare, ne mihi deessem, hasce literas incertus de earum fato nolui tamen retinere diutius, quibus de communibus studiis confabulari constitueram. Ab eo tempore ego Hercyniam sylvam adii ejusque itineris dedidi descriptionem, in quo sisymbrii genus pene novum depingi curavi. Deinde Gymnomonospermarum historiam perfeci, ut desint de universa Synopsi Gramina, Arbores, Gymnodispermae, Gymnotetra, Gymnopolyspermae & Monoangiae, quas omnes aestate 1739 ad prelum parabo. Sculptae sunt icones decem. Erunt autem quinquaginta nativa magnitudine. In quarta forma prodibit hic apud Vandenboekium, siquidem Wischoffius moras nectit neque respondet. Saepius jam sollicitatus fungos acerrime persecutus sum. Depictos habeo vivis coloribus 300 multo labore posito in delendis spuriis speciebus, quae ab aetatibus & morbis ortae sunt. Inveni Agaricos plurimos fungosae plane et tenerae fabricae. Sed vellem ita disponere, ut Agarico-fungi cum fungis, Agarico-suilli cum suillis, Agarico-polypori cum Polyporis, Agarici a[utem] plani cum fungoidastro & fungoide conjungerentur. Nunc & Anatomicis incumbo & edendo commentario BOERHAAVIANO in Institutiones Medicas, in quem laborem praeceps me dedi dudum poenitens, quando ejus molem proprius adspicio in homine aliunde non ocioso pene insuperabilem. Tota enim Anatome passim reformanda est, adspergendi loci scriptorum, quos vage citavit. Ipsi codices sancte tamen servata mente Auctoris habitu mundiore ornandi. Caeterum Huberus noster multus est in perficienda diss[ertatione], qua iter Rhaeticum nostro communi sumtu factum describit. In eo multae eximiae plantae, quas vel nunquam videram vel indigenas esse non noveram, describentur, depingentur; sunt pene CD. Accingit se ad iter multo amplius, de quo pene certa spes est. Interim ego hortum ornabo, conseram. Cliffortio lapides misi. Scripsi me missurum alios. Hortum non accepi, quod me male habet. Dicitur enim non alia ratione haberi posse nisi dono editoris. Burmannus interim, cujus Stirpes Africanas recensui in Diario nostro, excitat dudum paginas libri. Van Royen muscos accepit ultra centum neque respondit, cum ab eo enixe peterem id, quo abundat, stirpes siccas quascunque et omnium maxime maritimas, indigenas Bataviae. Sed Ill[ustrissimus] Hugo Hercynicas plantas & gramina Malabarica dedit. Ego vero instante ae[s]tate Valesiam Alpesque Penninas favente Deo adibo, ut demum finem imponam diuturno labori. Regio calidissima est, necdum satis pervestigata, nisi a Bursero & me. Sed facile video multa superesse legenda. Orchis muscam referens certo diversa est a fuciflora, sed hujus varietas ambitu labelli rotundo non est diversa ab altera, cui ex labello medium acumen prodit. Valeo, mi Linnaee, et optime valeo, cupidus Botanices & ad subeundos labores omnes paratissimus, nisi me mea studia & justi labores in diversum distraherent. Semper tamen animus ad florae delicias revocat. Huic meum ocium, meum senium destino measque fortunas parandis Iconibus, plantis, libris. Tu etiam, a quo Flora sperat plura quam ab omni alio Botanico, utere, quaeso, felicibus fatis & aliquando ad mitiora climata redi! Si unquam me Patria repetit, sed spero repetituram, Te quidem, si tunc placuerit conditio, destinavi horti heredem & qualiscunque honoris et eam in sententiam coram eis locutus sum, in quorum manu sunt omnia. Quam primum de Te audivero, mittam mea nova & ad amata commercia redibo. Vale & me ama! Gottingae die XXIV Nov[embris] 1738. [address] A Monsieur / Monsieur Linnaeus Docteur en / Medecine et Correspondent de l’Academie Royale des sciences / de Paris / a Stockholm / en Suéde
Previous reference number:
L0261
Condition note:
seal tear, prominent seal
