\2 Biographical Notice of the Abbe Hauy. 



life we have seen the heir of a great kingdom (the Prince 

 Royal of Denmark) take various opportunities of conversing 

 with him at his bed side, and evincing in the most feeling 

 terms, the interest which he took in his welfare. But the 

 best support which he experienced in this period of trial 

 was, that in the midst of his glory and of his fortune, he had 

 never abandoned his college habits, nor those of his native 

 village. His hour of rising, of taking his meals, and of going 

 to bed, had never been changed ; he took every day nearly 

 the same exercise, walked in the same places, and even in his 

 walks, found some occasion for the exercise of his benevo- 

 lence. When he saw a stranger in difficulty with respect to 

 the way, he conducted him himself, or sent him a ticket of 

 admission to the collections ; numerous are the persons who 

 have received these agreeable marks of attention, without 

 doubting the hand from which they have sprung. His an- 

 tique dress, his simple manners, his language, modest in the 

 extreme, were not calculated to emblazon his reputation. 

 When he spent a short time in his native village, none of his 

 old neighbours would have suspected that he had become a 

 considerable personage. One day, in a walk upon the boule- 

 vard, he met two soldiers who were about to settle a dispute 

 by fighting ; he immediately inquired into the cause of their 

 quarrel, and succeeded in reconciling them ; and that he 

 might insure the continuance of their tranquillity, he went 

 with them to a beer-house and sealed their reconciliation in 

 the manner of a soldier. 



Science and humanity were deprived of this worthy man on 

 the 3d of June, 1 822, at the age of 79. He left his family 

 but one inheritance — his valuable and magnificent collection 

 of crystals, which the donations of almost all Europe, during 

 twenty years, had placed above all those which have hitherto 

 been formed.* 



* This fine Collection is now in .the possession of the Duke of Bucking- 

 ham. 



