The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12

stead, MS rendering him less conspicuous.
II.
In society Agassiz was fond OF meeting rich
and influential men, being always DESTROYS Of
acquaintance with those possessing a great
name and in high social or official stations. He
was. we are told. an aristocrat by nature. with n
strong admixture of popular and democratic
habits and manners. He was always ready to
distribute large doses Of "redu b6nite des cOurs,"
having been at n GOOD school for this purpose
with Alexander Won Humboldt. who was n per-
feet courtier. He was not fond, 1t seems, of the
society of other savants. often having occasion
to complain Of their conceit and curiosity. The
biogrnpher says that ARassiz did not know
how to repulse the too familiar man.
ners and even insolence to which cele-
brated men are frequently exposed at the hands
of their confreres. Poets, literati. historians,
philologists. lawyers, and especially merchant
princes were more to his taste. Military officers
had no attraction for him; on the other hand.
ho was very fond of naval officers and captains
Of merchant steamship lines. Agassiz was not
only n brilliant conversationalist, but he had
also tho most winning manners: he easily In
duced those around him to accept and even to
share his enthusiasms. IL any one resisted. he
was not discouraged, but displayed a veritable
coquetry in his efforts to conquer. Easily
approached. he met you most openly with
expressions of frankness mingled with agree
able surprises, and brought you to his view
or to his side almost before you were
aware of 1t. At the same time he possessed the
shrewd simplicity Characteristic of the vaudois
peasants; in his determination to discover what
was at the bottom Of your mind. he would lead
you to say all, and even more. than you knew
and thought. But, presently, you would be
obliged to admit that your first impression of
the man was erroneous. for you would encounter
an insurmountable opposition to anything OF
which he disapproved. According to the pres
ent biograrher. Agassiz was very ready to make
promises; he asked favors in every direction, and
then was apt to forget the conditions under
which they were granted. He was. at once. a
dreamer and a man OF action, dreaming aloud
and taking the public into mis- confidence with
regard to everything which came into his mind.
He was not to be taken at his own word: 1t WAS
necessary to allow a large margin for contingent
c!es and changes. When surrounded by mate
rial difficulties. he could fortify himself by a re-
markable power of always hoping for better
times. having an absolutely unshakable con-
fdcnce in himself.
DIR. Marcou. who knew him. as we have said,
for thirty years. ~testifles that Agassiz was one
OF those whose hands and heart are always open.
To him is applied the sentence of the French
author: He only lived for others. and, had
there been nobody to gaze at him all the time,
he could not have existed" He never thought
that he had enough friends or assistants around
him. His home was a sort Of phalanstery OF sa-
wants or would be savants. We say would-be.
because he would take for genuine any compli-
ment which fiattered some hobby or weak point,
and no other explanation can be given of certain
plumbers. Repeatedly, in the United States, he
suffered to escape him very ablo scien-
tisIs retniDiny iDstenI peraona whom,