1 14 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



floras. De Candolle had a salary of about £i6o 

 a year, which enabled him to start from Paris and 

 to botanize. If he went to Montpellier, all his 

 original work might cease, and he could not earn 

 this money and teach at the same time. So, loving 

 real work, he determined not to accept the position. 

 A great endeavour was being made, however, to 

 restore the teaching of natural history at Mont- 

 pellier, and the friends of the young man called on 

 the then Minister of the Interior, M. Cretet, and 

 urged him to see the rising botanist. At the 

 interview Mr. Cretet, who had no botanical 

 tastes, was wonderfully amused at a man's 

 giving up a good place for the sake of running 

 about France picking up plants, and said, in 

 a good-humoured manner, " Now, young man, 

 if you don't take both the situations you shan't 

 have either." The professorship at Montpellier 

 was accepted, and the necessary journeys were to 

 be allowed. This M. Cretet seems to have been a 

 man of great sense, and quite upset M. de Laplace, 

 the great mathematician, about De Candolle. 

 Laplace wanted to pay a compliment to the 

 minister, and also to bring the young botanist 

 before his notice, so he said, " Sir, you have done 

 us a doubtful service in sending M. de Candolle to 

 Montpellier, for we expected soon to have him as 

 a member of the Institute." M. Cretet turned on 

 him with an angry air and said, " Your institute ! 

 Do you know what I should like to do with your 

 institute?" "What?" said Laplace, rather as- 



