218 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



which we shall try to honor. The acquisition 

 of a superior man and a superior collection 

 at the same time would be a double conquest 

 for the principality of Neuchatel. I have re- 

 quested a report from the Council of State on 

 the means of accomplishing this, and I hope 

 that private individuals may do something 

 toward it." Thus you see the affair is at 

 least on the right road. I do not think, how- 

 ever, that the royal treasury will give at pres- 

 ent more than a thousand Prussian crowns 

 toward it. . . . 



Regarding the invitation to Heidelberg, 

 Agassiz's decision was already made. A letter 

 to his brother toward the close of December 

 mentions that he is offered a professorship at 

 the University of Heidelberg, but that, al- 

 though his answer has not actually gone, he 

 has resolved to decline it; adding that the 

 larger salary is counterbalanced in his mind 

 by the hope of selling his collection at Neu- 

 chatel, and thus freeing himself from a heavy 

 burden. 



Agassiz was now threatened with a great 

 misfortune. Already, in Paris, his eyes had 

 begun to suffer from the strain of microscopic 

 work. They now became seriously impaired ; 



