210 Historical Eloge of M. Vauquelin. 



stance of his mother, when he was first sent to school, ofFering 

 him as an inducement to diligent learning, the fine livery dresses 

 which he had sometimes seen in a neighbouring castle. Being 

 naturally inclined to diligence, he speedily acquired all that 

 could be learned in a village school ; and, without further pre- 

 paration, at the age of thirteen or fourteen, committed himself 

 to the world, and went to push his fortune at Rouen. An apo- 

 thecary of that town, pleased with his appearance, took him in- 

 to his laboratory ; that is to say, he employed him in blowing 

 his fire, and washing his retorts — a situation scarcely superior 

 to that which had first been the object of his ambition, and in 

 which he certainly was not so well clothed. 



But this apothecary gave lessons in chemistry to some ap- 

 prentices, and the young rustic, standing humbly behind the 

 seats, listened with emotion. The operations in which he had 

 taken such an humble part, had, from the first, attracted his 

 attention : he was astonished to see them connected together 

 by theory, and form a consistent whole. He proceeded to 

 take notes, which he subsequently perused and meditated upon; 

 experiencing even then, in his unhappy circumstances, the 

 most certain consolation granted to man, that of study. His 

 master one day found him thus employed, and what would 

 have interested a generous heart, threw him into a violent 

 passion ; he snatched the paper from the poor child, tore 

 it, and forbade him continuing such practices, under pain of 

 dismissal. M. Vauquelin has often said that he never expe- 

 rienced such poignant distress ; he shed bitter tears, and, un- 

 able to bear the sight of this unjust man, he went to Paris on 

 foot, with a small bundle on his back, and six francs in his poc- 

 ket, which had been given him by a charitable individual. 



Two apothecaries employed him successively, but so little 

 were they sensible of what he was capable, that when he became 

 unwell, he had no other asylum than the Hotel-Dieu ; and when 

 he left it, and wished to find employment, his paleness and weak- 

 ness caused him to be everywhere rejected. 



Destitute of all resource, and not knowing how to prolong 

 his existence for another day, he walked along the street St 

 Denis, weeping bitterlj, and ready to give himself up to de- 

 spair ; but he at last made another trial, and found some com- 



