36 MEMOIR OP 



biographies of this individual, than those allusions 

 to his private history, and those traits of the retire- 

 ment of domestic and social life, without which no 

 just estimate can be formed of the character of the 

 man. That he was not a stranger to the bliss of 

 friendship may well be presumed, and that he had 

 many attached and warm admirers will presently 

 appear ; but of this charm of life, this " soft green 

 in our thorny path," we know not what share he 

 found. In like manner, on his decease, he left a 

 widow, who, we shall find, speaks highly of his 

 virtues ; but how long she had been the companion 

 of his weal and woe, and to what extent the parti- 

 cipant of his thoughts and pursuits, we have not 

 learnt. In short, we have scarcely been able to get 

 a single peep into the retirement of his private life , 

 and the only thing like it is the following statement 

 of Bullart, borrowed, we suspect, from words al- 

 ready quoted. " On the return of the sweet days 

 of summer, our Naturalist retired to enjoy the 

 pleasures of the country, betaking himself to a resi- 

 dence he possessed in the neighbourhood of Bolog- 

 na ; and here he collected his friends and associates 

 about him, still, however, only to prosecute his fa- 

 vourite employment."* 



But we must hasten to notice what formed the 

 great consummation to which were directed the 

 tvhole energies of Aldrovandi's soul, and the fondest 

 wishes of his heart. All his drawings, and piepara- 



* Loc. cit. 



