1849-52-] JEAN JACQUES A. AMPERE. 41 



gotten by his numerous Paris friends. Both were great 

 and most agreeable talkers ; and reminiscences of all 

 kinds so rapidly succeeded each other, and time passed 

 so quickly, that M. Ampere was persuaded to pass the 

 night at Agassiz's house. 



It may be said that Ampere 1 was engaged, when a 

 young man, to marry the daughter and only child of 

 George Cuvier, an engagement which was broken by 

 the early death of the young lady. The acquaintance 

 of Agassiz with Ampere dated from their constant 

 meeting at the house of Cuvier. Next day, late in 

 the morning - - for both Ampere and Agassiz were 

 confirmed noctambules, and they had not retired until 

 nearly two o'clock in the morning, --their conversation 

 was resumed ; and the whole day passed rapidly, the 

 only interruption to their reminiscences being a visit 

 to Mount Auburn Cemetery, where Ampere was much 

 interested not only in the beauty of the place, but also 

 in finding the tomb of Spurzheim, an old acquaintance 

 made in Paris in the twenties ; and he lingered also a 

 long time before the tomb and statue of the mathe- 

 matician, Nathaniel Bowditch, an old correspondent of 

 his father. 



Postponing his departure from day to day, Ampere, 

 who came only to pay a visit of a few hours, remained 

 a week. Agassiz gave a great dinner party, to which all 

 the Cambridge professors were invited to meet Ampere, 

 who thus had an opportunity to see Longfellow, Sparks, 



1 Jean Jacques Antoine Ampere, born at Lyon, August 12, 1800, died 

 at Pau, March 27, 1864. 



