botanical tract this was a concession to his physical weakness 

 rather than a willing return to his first pursuit. 



' It was about this time (1796) that I was introduced to the cele- 

 brated de Saussure ; he had already been attacked by the singular 

 sort of partial paralysis which brought him to his grave, but his 

 expression was still that of a man of intellect, and so long as he was 

 allowed time, his conversation was full of interest. He seemed to 

 attach some kind of importance to enlisting us in the sciences he 

 loved and in deterring me from botanical studies. Each time I saw 

 him he repeatedly assured me that this study promised no success 

 and was not worth pursuing except as a recreation.' 



In July 1797 a final resort was had to the waters of Plombieres 

 of which no details are at hand. This was the last time the 

 traveller was to leave his home. 



Before we come to the final scene, the political events of the 

 last years of de Saussure 's life, after the destruction of the 

 Genevese constitution, must be briefly summarised. 



In September 1796 the anarchists again broke loose ; two 

 more victims were seized, and after some delay and a futile trial 

 allowed to be massacred by the mob. The incident did not lead 

 to an immediate crisis. For another eighteen months the feeble 

 Revolutionary Government continued to exist. But by this time 

 the French Directoire was getting tired of the disorderly travesty 

 of a republic on its borders and alive to the advantage of annexing 

 Geneva as the natural capital of its newly acquired Departement 

 du Leman. Napoleon, it is true, passing through on Ms way to 

 Rastadt in November 1797, felt able to repeat the assurances 

 given four years before by Kellermann and to promise his hosts 

 that their independence should always be respected. He even 

 added that France would like to be surrounded by fifty Genevas ! 

 He spent a morning in visiting the College and the Society of 

 Arts and held conversations with the leading men of science. His 

 visit was not without result. When he founded an Imperial 

 University of France, the Academy of Calvin alone of provincial 

 institutions preserved its ancient constitution. But his promise 

 was soon broken. Four months later the adroit Desportes, the 

 French Resident, was instructed to inform the Genevese Govern- 

 ment that they would do well to prepare to accept quietly and 

 gratefully the honour of becoming the chef-lieu of a French 



