220 I GUIS AGASSTZ. [CHAP. 



meetings, he wore over his coat the ribbon and cross 

 of the Red Eagle of Prussia, but after leaving Neu- 

 chatel he wore no decorative ribbon of any kind, not- 

 withstanding that he possessed that of knight and 

 officer of the Legion of Honour of France, besides the 

 Prussian order. On the whole, Agassiz was extremely 

 simple, and did not like to make an appearance differ- 

 ent from that of ordinary people in his neighbourhood. 



Being a good pedestrian, he carried on his back in 

 all his excursions in Switzerland and Southern Ger- 

 many a knapsack of the kind now called " sacs de 

 tourists." At Neuchatel one was always lying in the 

 library at the foot of his desk, with hammers and 

 papers and specimens. He did not bring one with 

 him to America, using a carpet-bag instead. 



In religion, Agassiz was very liberal and tolerant, 

 and respected the views and convictions of every one. 

 He was opposed to all form and exaggeration, and 

 did not like theology, but avoided, as far as possible, 

 all discussion of the subject. He was neither a sceptic 

 nor a scoffer, and Dr. Karl Vogt, with his unceasing 

 sceptical and cynical attacks against the Bible, shocked 

 him so much that, notwithstanding Vogt's great talents 

 as a naturalist, Agassiz was glad when he left Neu- 

 chatel. 



In his youth and early manhood, Agassiz was un- 

 doubtedly a materialist, or, more exactly, a sceptic ; 

 but in time, and little by little, his studies led him to 

 a belief in a divine Creative Power. He was more 

 in sympathy with Unitarianism than any other Chris- 

 tian denomination. He was married to his second wile 



