Biography of M. Bosc. 275 



first union. He was allowed to pass his days in the woods, and 

 the love of solitude with which he was there inspired clung to 

 him so long, that, at the age of fifteen, and protestant as he 

 was, the idea of giving himself up entirely to it, joined with 

 that of cultivating a small garden, had nearly induced him to 

 yield to the suggestions of a Chartreux, who was anxious to 

 draw him into his order. 



On being placed in the college of Dijon, M. Bosc retained his 

 former tastes, notwithstanding the efforts of his masters to induce 

 him to renounce them, and attach himself to the study of ma- 

 thematics, which his friends were desirous that he should culti- 

 vate, as calculated to contribute to his success in the military 

 career, for which he was still intended. It would appear that 

 he was rather a bad scholar, and that he did not distinguish 

 himself until he was at length permitted to attend a course of 

 lectures on botany. 



Reverses of fortune at length induced M. Bosc's father to re- 

 nounce his design. The young naturalist obtained a situation 

 in the post-office department. In this employment, so little 

 suited to his inclinations, he was yet taken notice of for his ac- 

 curacy and intelligence, and in a short time obtained an ad- 

 vancement, which left him a little more leisure, and allowed 

 him to return to his favourite studies. 



At this period the precise and methodical school of Linnaeus, 

 supported in France by a small number of partisans, was strug- 

 gling against the more attractive but less rigorous direction 

 which had been given to the natural sciences, by the surprising 

 discoveries of Reaumur, the profound researches of Bernard de 

 Jussieu, and especially the bold conceptions and lofty eloquence 

 of BufFon. M. Bosc was one of the first and most ardent sec- 

 taries of the Linnean school. His admiration for the works of 

 Fabricius procured for him the acquaintance and friendship of 

 that celebrated man, who, until his death, remained his devoted 

 friend. 



M. Bosc, who was one of the founders of the Philoniathic 

 Society, also founded at Paris a society in imitation of the 

 Linncan Society of London ; but it did not long exist, the po- 

 litical disturbances of those times having (juickly brought about 

 its dissolution. He had hitherto retained his situation in the 



