AUGUSTIN-PYRAMUS DE CANDOLLE. 299 
An episode of fifteen days, during which De Candolle, to 
his great surprise, had political functions to perform, — being 
appointed one of the three notables of the department of the 
Léman, in a representation of all the departments of the 
French Republic, which the First Consul called together, — 
gives us the first glimpse of Bonaparte in this narrative ; and 
De Candolle’s account of the interviews with him, and with 
his minister of police, Fouché, is well worth preserving. With 
this transient exception, we have only the most incidental 
allusions to public affairs during the eventful years of the 
Consulate, the Empire, and the Restoration. 
We pass by, also, the interesting account which De Can- 
dolle gives of the doings of Delessert and himself, in the 
establishment and administration of the Philanthropic Society, 
which grew out of the introduction by them of Count Rum- 
ford’s economical soups, distributed to the poor. These hon- 
orable undertakings brought the two friends into relations 
with Rumford himself when he came to reside at Paris. In- 
deed Delessert, as we have had occasion to learn, became one 
of Count Rumford’s executors. The admiration with which 
Rumford’s writings and economical inventions had inspired 
the two young philanthropists was much diminished upon 
personal acquaintance. 
“Tt was after his plans,” writes De Candolle, “that we had 
constructed our furnaces, after his receipts that we made our 
soups, upon his advice that we were induced to substitute 
such assistance for gifts of money.” 
So when Rumford was expected at Paris, they congratulated 
themselves upon such an acquisition, went to meet him on his 
arrival, and brought him to dine with them. 
** We found him a dry, methodical man, who spoke of benevolence 
as a discipline, and of the poor as we should not have dared to speak 
of vagabonds. It is necessary, said he, to punish those who give 
alms; the poor must be forced to work, etc., ete. Great was our 
astonishment at hearing such maxims: however, we did our utmost 
to profit by his advice in practical matters. I had a good deal of 
intercourse with him, one among others odd enough. Mademoiselle 
Rath, a Geneyese painter, and like ourselves enthusiastic about 
