Dijon 



i8i 



If a hundred had been at table, the sentiment would have been 

 the same in every bosom. Monsieur M. spoke, however, with 

 great regard for the experimental talents of the Doctor, as indeed 

 who in Europe does not? — I afterwards reflected on Monsieur 

 de Morveau's not having time to make experiments that should 

 apply chemistry to agriculture, yet have plenty for writing in 

 so voluminous a work as Pankouck's. I lay it down as a 

 maxim, that no man can establish or support a reputation in 

 any branch of experimental philosophy, such as shall really 

 descend to posterity, otherwise than by experiment; and that 

 commonly the more a man works and the less he writes the 

 better, at least the more valuable will be his reputation. The 

 profit of writing has ruined that of many (those who know 

 Monsieur de Morveau will be very sure I am far enough from 

 having him in my eye; his situation in life puts it out of the 

 question); that compression of materials which is luminous 

 that brevity which appropriates facts to their destined points, 

 are alike inconsistent with the principles that govern all com- 

 pilations; there are able and respectable men now in every 

 country for compiling; experimenters of genius should range 

 themselves in another class. If I were a sovereign, and capable 

 consequently of rewarding merit, the moment I heard of a man 

 of real genius engaged in such a work I would give him double 

 the bookseller's price to let it alone and to employ himself in 

 paths that did not admit a rival at every door. There are who 

 will think that this opinion comes oddly from one who has 

 published so many books as I have; but I hope it will be 

 admitted to come naturally at least from one who is Avriting a 

 work from which he does not expect to make one penny, who, 

 therefore, has stronger motives to brevity than temptations to 

 prolixity. The view of this great chemist's laboratory will 

 show that he is not idle:— it consists of two large rooms, 

 admirably furnished indeed. There are six or seven different 

 furnaces (of which Macquer's is the most powerful), and such a 

 variety and extent of apparatus, as I have seen nowhere else, 

 with a furniture of specimens from the three kingdoms as looks 

 truly like business. There are little writing desks, with pens and 

 paper, scattered everwhere, and in his library also, which is 

 convenient. He has a large course of eudiometrical experiments 

 going on at present, particularly with Fontana's and Volta's 

 eudiometers. He seems to think that eudiometrical trials are 

 to be depended on : keeps his nitrous air in quart bottles, stopped 

 with common corks, but reversed; and that the air is alwavs 



