Martins on the Life and Labours of DeCandolle. 19 



From temperament he was impetuous^ rapid in determination, 

 firm and unfaltering in execution ; he had the practical skill to 

 carry his plans into effect in every variety of occupation. A prac- 

 tised physiognomist would detect these characteristics at a glance* 

 DeCandolle was of a sanguine temperament^ of middle stature, 

 firm, broad-chested, mth proportionably long and muscular arms, 

 quick and elastic in his walk, light and brisk in all his movements. 

 His oval face, shaded by thick black hair, and by its somewhat 

 dark complexion reminding one of his Proven9al origin, was not 

 so much distinguished by the expression of a well-marked and 

 prominent profile, as by the high and finely arched brow, the mo- 

 bility of the features, the fire of his brown, proportionably small 

 eyes, which shone even through spectacles, and by the charm of 

 his mouth. In speaking, the whole intellectual expression of the 

 man was suddenly elevated. His ideas unfolded themselves easily 

 and without effort in discourse, which, like his writings, inclined 

 rather to rhetorical breadth than to exact conciseness. 



The poetical element of his mind, which he manifested while 

 yet a scholar in the college, remained active in him in later years. 

 His fancy, both strong and rich, variously coloured, blooming, and 

 rapid in its movements, clothed his quick-rising conceptions in a 

 light and graceful dress. He has left behind a great number of 

 poems of a lyrical character, in which he represents the universal 

 feelings of nature, or unfolds with grace and delicacy the emo- 

 tions of the human heart. What we have seen of these reminds 

 us of Lafontaine, Dehlle, and of our own Pfeffel. From 1821 to 

 his death, he continued his autobiography with great particularity, 

 in which are contained valuable materials for moral and literary 

 history, often under the form of explanatory notes. His son will 

 publish, with such omissions as circumstances require, this me- 

 morial of the untiring activity of this excellent man. 



But while such variously directed labour found in itself the best 

 intellectual reward, DeCandolle was by degrees obliged to acknow- 

 ledge the insufiiciency of his physical powers for the task he had 

 himself allotted to them. In the year 1825 he had the misfortune 

 to lose his youngest son, a promising boy of thirteen years old. 

 The philosopher sought to soften the sorrows of his heart by in- 

 creased activity, and redoubled his zeal for the completion of his 

 work ; but from that time his health began to fail. He often suf- 

 fered from attacks of gout, and from obstinate catarrhal affections, 

 and was obliged on that account to relinquish his professorship 

 in 1 834, which was transferred by the Senate to his son Alphonse. 

 In the year 1835 he suffered from a severe illness. He was af- 

 flicted with an asthma and a disease of the throat [bronchocele?], 

 for which excessive doses of iodine were prescribed. In conse- 

 quence of this he suffered from oedema pedum and from nervous 



C2 



