172 MEMOIR OF C. F. P. VON MARTIUS. 



The Brazilian voyage laid the foundation of Martins' futnre success. 

 On the very day of their return, he and Spix were decorated by the 

 King with the civil order of Bavaria, and shortly afterward Martins was 

 elected a member of the Koyal Academy, and appointed second con- 

 servator of the botanical garden. At the age of twenty-six Martius 

 already enjoyed a reputation which, in common life, is usually only 

 acquired by men of riper years ', for not many are favored with advan- 

 tages such as were offered to him. His sojourn in a country i^erfectly 

 new to him, aud hence the necessity of acting iudependently, had made 

 him self-reliant and practical, while the number of objects constantly 

 claiming his attention had served to quicken his power of perception, 

 and to develop all those qualities which, when combined, constitute the 

 true naturalist. His experiences in the wilds of Brazil were to him a far 

 better school than many years spent in constant closet-study. 



His return from Brazil marked the beginning of a long-continued lit- 

 erary activity, resulting in highly important works, to which reference 

 will be made hereafter. As an event of this period we have also to 

 record his marriage with an accomj^lished lady of noble descent, a union 

 which gave him a home and a family, and promoted in no small degree 

 the happiness of his existence. The domestic circle was to him through- 

 out life an asylum of peace and contentment, where he rested from his 

 professional labors, enjoying the society of his family and of numerous 

 friends who loved to gather under his hospitable roof. A great change 

 occurred in Martins' position in the year 1826, when King Ludwig I, 

 who had ascended the throne of Bavaria, transferred the university of 

 Landshut to Munich, aud appointed him professor of botany. Six years 

 later, the first conservator of the botanical garden. Yon Schrank, being 

 then very old, retired from office, and Martius was installed in his place. 

 He was eminently qualified for discharging the duties now incumbent 

 on him. Perfectly acquainted with his science, he possessed the faculty 

 of i)resenting it in an easy and attractive manner. He spoke with ele- 

 gance and fluency, and sometimes, when carried away by the subject, 

 his eloquence even partook of a poetical character. For practical de- 

 monstration thebotanical garden, carefully superintended by Martius, and 

 the herbarium, afforded ample means, to which must be added frequent 

 botanical excursions undertaken in company with the students, with 

 whom he entertained very amicable relations, gaining their affections 

 no less by conscientious instruction than by the benevolent, paternal 

 friendship he bestowed on them. Among the number of his pupils who 

 became x)rominent, may be named Alexander Brauu, Hugo von Mohl, 

 Carl Schimper, O. Sendtner, C. H. Schultz-Bipoutinus, and Spring. 



In 1840 Martius was elected secretary of the physico-mathematical 

 class of the Academy, an honorary office imposing much labor, which 

 he performed until his death with care and punctuality, aud great ad- 

 vantage to that scientific body. By this position he was charged with 

 all correspondence and literary exchanges with other learned institu- 

 tions, and whenever a foreigu or resident member of the Academy died 

 it was his duty to deliver an address commemorative of the lite aud 

 merits of the deceased. These eulogies have been much admired for 

 the excellent style in which they are composed, and the skill displayed 

 in the general treatment. They are deemed fully equal to the celebrated 

 eloges by Cuvier and Flourens.* 



■* The eulogies road by Martius are coutained iu au octavo volume of 610 pages, 

 entitled Akademische Dcnkreden von C. F. Ph. von Martins, {Leipzig, 1866.) Those of a 

 later date (ou Faraday, Brewster, Flourens, &c.) were published in the transactions of 

 the Academy of the year 1868. 



