254 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



who alone gave me some interest in this arid 

 land, slowly decline. For four long years my 

 brother had suffered from a weakness of all 

 the muscles, which made me always fear that 

 the seat of the trouble was the medulla oblon- 

 gata. Yet his step was firm ; his head was en- 

 tirely clear. The higher intellectual faculties 

 retained all their energy. He was engaged 

 from twelve to thirteen hours a day on his 

 works, reading or rather dictating, for a nerv- 

 ous trembling of the hand prevented him from 

 using a pen. Surrounded by a numerous fam- 

 ily ; living on a spot created, so to speak, by 

 himself, and in a house which he had adorned 

 with antique statues ; withdrawn also from 

 affairs, he was still attached to life. The ill- 

 ness which carried him off in ten days an 

 inflammation of the chest was but a secon- 

 dary symptom of his disease. He died with- 

 out pain, with a strength of character and a 

 serenity of mind worthy of the greatest ad- 

 miration. It is cruel to see so nobje an intel- 

 ligence struggle during ten long days against 

 physical destruction. We are told that in 

 great grief we should turn with redoubled 

 energy to the study of nature. The advice is 

 easy to give ; but for a long time even the 

 wish for distraction is wanting. 



