BONNET AND HALLER 409 



philosopher, the other an out-of-door man of science. But the 

 best evidence of the influence Bonnet had on his nephew's life 

 is contained in the Eloge that de Saussure pronounced after 

 Bonnet's death. It is doubly interesting as one of the last public 

 utterances of de Saussure before his own final bodily and mental 

 breakdown. I must quote one sentence here : ' Bonnet was made 

 happy through the source of the greatest good fortune of which 

 man is susceptible that of loving and being loved. There never 

 was a more loving heart than his ; the friends of his childhood 

 were those of his old age ; never did any cloud or any difference 

 cast a shadow on his friendships or his family life.' J 



Bonnet was responsible for encouraging the young de Saussure 

 to enter on an active scientific career. But it was under another 

 influence that the lad was led to concentrate himself on the 

 study of the Alps. In 1758, two years after his aunt's marriage to 

 Bonnet, de Saussure came in contact with an intellect which had 

 a greater effect even than Bonnet's on his after-life. His uncle, 

 as has already been mentioned, introduced him to the leading 

 man of science in Switzerland, Dr. Albrecht von Haller of Berne. 

 ' The great Haller,' as his contemporaries liked to call him, partly 

 perhaps on account of his physical stature he was tall and large- 

 framed, and his presence was imposing and somewhat formidable 

 was one of Bonnet's closest friends and most frequent correspon- 

 dents. In Protestant Switzerland their names were constantly 

 coupled together as the chief opponents of the revolutionary and 

 irreligious doctrines of Rousseau and Voltaire . 



Albrecht von Haller was at this time just fifty. His interests 

 and activities were manifold. He was a sturdy Protestant, an 

 active conservative politician, a well-known medical writer and 

 physiologist, a botanist responsible for a splendid work on the 

 Alpine flora, a poet whose verses on the Alps went through thirty 

 editions, and lastly, the author of three tales with a political 

 purpose, two of which were translated into English. He was 

 compared to Buff on , and hailed as the Pliny of Switzerland . Sainte- 

 Beuve describes him as ' the Hercules of Physiology, a robust and 

 athletic savant, opinionated, active, ambitious, and versatile.' 

 This remarkable man seems to have made an impression on his 



1 Sayous' Dix-huitieme siecle & T Stranger, vol. i., contains an excellent appre- 

 ciation of Bonnet's character and writings. 



