152 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



hesitate to make presents of specimens to the 

 national museums, through him. His wealth also 

 enabled him to help the state, for he often pur- 

 chased minerals and specimens of animals for which 

 no public money had been granted. Frederick the 

 Great of Prussia and his son Henry, the Emperor 

 Joseph n. of Austria, Catherine of Russia, and 

 the kings of Norway and Sweden, all knew Buffon, 

 admired his works, and sent presents in order to 

 complete his museum, which was devoted and given 

 by him to the- public. The Jardin du Roi was 

 greatly enlarged at Buffon's expense, and public 

 opinion spoke well of the amiable and benevolent 

 owner of Montbard. 



But, as with other and less happily placed men, 

 Buffon had to suffer, and the loss of his child, fol- 

 lowed by the death of the wife he tenderly loved, 

 in the prime of her life, were great shocks to him. 

 He never was the same man afterwards, and sought 

 to find forgetfulness in increased work and literary 

 toil. Moreover, the ingratitude of the ruling power 

 affected Buffon, who behaved, however, excellently, 

 and took up the position which every man of his 

 social condition should have maintained. 



In February, 1771, Buffon was alarmingly ill, 

 and, unknown to him, the king, Louis XV., nomi- 

 nated a Count d'Angiviller, to succeed in the 

 administration of the Museums and Jardin de Roi. 

 Buffon recovered, and found out this little job, and 

 was naturally annoyed at the indecent haste of 

 putting a man in his place at such a crisis ; but he 



