xxiv.] HIS GENEROSITY. 223 



had not enough friends or assistants around him. His 

 home was a sort of "phalanstery" of savants. He 

 was always inclined to trust too much to his persuasive- 

 ness ; and if it often helped him, sometimes it acted 

 otherwise, and was the cause of very regrettable mis- 

 takes. He would take for genuine any compliments 

 which flattered some hobby or weak point, and no other 

 explanation can be given of some of his blunders. He 

 repeatedly let escape him --at least in America --sev- 

 eral very able savants, retaining instead persons whom 

 he very well knew were not so capable. 



I have already had occasion to notice his generosity. 

 Agassiz was a kind-hearted man ; he helped many with 

 money, and always in an unostentatious way. It is true 

 that he was often deeply in debt ; but as soon as he 

 had money he distributed it almost lavishly, without 

 thinking of the morrow. One anecdote will show how 

 full of liberality and charity he was. A Neuchatel 

 merchant, established at New York, had suffered 

 pecuniary misfortunes, and become a pauper, perhaps 

 on account of his bad habits. This man had abso- 

 lutely no claim on Agassiz, who came to Neuchatel 

 several years after he had left there ; but he had 

 kindly received the artist, Burkhardt, at New York, 

 in 1844, and this was reason enough for Agassiz, 

 who ordered the agent of his cousin, M. Auguste 

 Mayor, to pay fortnightly to this poor Neuchatelois 

 an allowance sufficient for his support until he died, 

 several years after. This occurred during and at the 

 end of the Civil War, before any of Agassiz's children 

 became wealthy. 



