ULYSSES ALDROVANDI. 37 



tions, and manuscripts, were only means to an end ; 

 and formed in his view merely so many preparations 

 to his grand work on Natural History. Part of 

 this work appeared during his life, and part after 

 his death. It was published in the most sumptuous 

 style, and with a lavish expenditure. When this 

 is added to his previous outlay, it may easily be 

 understood how his private fortune and professional 

 receipts must have been exhausted, and how, like 

 some other zealous Naturalists, he involved himself 

 in pecuniary difficulties, and in actual poverty. 

 That his circumstances were extremely reduced is 

 indisputable. But upon this fact has the statement 

 Deen engrafted, not only that he ruined himself, 

 out that at length, in the words of Bayle, " he re- 

 duced himself to the utmost necessity, and died a 

 neglected pauper in the public hospital of Bologna, 

 loaded with years and blind, a remarkable instance 

 both of public ingratitude and private curiosity. 

 A thousand reflections," adds Bayle, " might be 

 made on this adventure, but these I leave to others." 

 Nor have these reflections been wanting. The 

 melancholy tale is now repeated in most of our 

 popular accounts, and made the occasion of suit- 

 able lamentations over the hardships of deserving 

 authors, and the ingratitude of a selfish public, 

 which will readily enjoy the pleasure, and yet feel 

 no commiseration for the over-zealous individual, 

 who reduces himself to actual starvation for their 

 gratification. 



In one of the last notices of our Naturalist's life 



