APPENDIX. 109 



whole air brought strongly to my miud what Tacitus 

 Bays in his description of Agricola: <'at first sight 

 you would have believed him to be good, and wished 

 him to be great." This ruling sentiment threw grace 

 over his actions, and inspired his conversation with 

 a charm. He never assumed — never displayed his 

 own superiority. On the contrary, he led the con- 

 versation to subjects in which others excelled. The 

 pedantry of technical language he despised, and 

 listened, with patience and politeness, to the obser- 

 vations of inferior understanding. It has been ob- 

 served that there is no book so dull but something 

 good may be extracted from it, Wistar applied this 

 principle to men, and possessed the remarkable talent 

 of drawing from every one some useful information. 

 From a young man, much attached to him, who had 

 an opportunity of knowing him well,^ 1 have receiv- 

 ed the following description. " He was one of the pu- 

 ** rest republicans, both in conduct and conversation, 

 << that 1 have ever known. No one was ever sensi- 

 " ble, by his conduct, of any difference of rank ; and 

 " as regards conversation, he was as careful not to 

 " oppress an ignorant neighbour by its abstruacncss, 



* Dr. Horner, who was employed by Dr. Wistar as an assistant 

 in his Anatomical Lectures. 



