342 THE LIFE OF PASTEUR 



Littre* was almost sixty years old, was only interrupted twice : 

 in 1861, when Auguste Comte's widow asked Littre for a 

 biography of the founder of positive philosophy; and in 1870, 

 when the life of France was compromised and arrested during 

 long months. 



Littre*, poor and disinterested as he was, had been able to 

 realize his only dream, which was to possess a house in the 

 country. Pasteur, bringing to bear in this, as in all things, 

 his habits of scrupulous accuracy, left his laboratory for one 

 day, and visited that villa, situated near Maisons-Laffitte. 



The gardener who opened the door to him might have been 

 the owner of that humble dwelling ; the house was in a bad 

 state of repair, but the small garden gave a look of comfort to 

 the little property. It had been the only luxury of the 

 philosopher, who enjoyed cultivating vegetables while quoting 

 Virgil, Horace or La Fontaine, and listened to the nightingale 

 when early dawn found him still sitting at his work. 



After visiting this house and garden, reflecting as they did 

 the life of a sage, Pasteur said sadly, " Is it possible that such 

 a man should have been so misjudged ! " 



A crucifix, hanging in the room where Littre f s family were 

 wont to work, testified to his respect for the beliefs of his wife 

 and daughter. " I know too well," he said one day, "what 

 are the sufferings and difficulties of human life, to wish to take 

 from any one convictions which may comfort them." 



Pasteur also studied the Positivist doctrine of which Auguste 

 Comte had been the pontiff and Littre the prophet. This 

 scientific conception of the world affirms nothing, denies 

 nothing, beyond what is visible and easily demonstrated. It 

 suggests altruism, a " subordination of personality to 

 sociability," it inspires patriotism and the love of humanity. 

 Pasteur, in his scrupulously positive and accurate work, his 

 constant thought for others, his self-sacrificing devotion to 

 humanity, might have been supposed to be an adept of this 

 doctrine. . But he found it lacking in one great point. 

 ' Positivism," he said, "does not take into account the most 

 important of positive notions, that of the Infinite." He won- 

 dered that Positivism should confine the mind within limits ; 

 with an impulse of deep feeling, Pasteur, the scientist, the slow 

 and precise observer, wrote the following passage in his 

 speech : " What is beyond? the human mind, actuated by an 

 invincible force, will never cease to ask itself : What is 



