248 EMPIRICAL INFALLIBILITY. 



apostles, but chiefly from an individual hailing from 

 Alfort, in France — one Charles Yial de St. Bel, who 

 brought along with him a very limited stock of know- 

 ledge, not more than three-fourths of a century ago — 

 is it asking too much to urge his pupils to invest them- 

 selves with a little less infallibility, and to descend 

 from an imaginary pinnacle of wisdom and take up 

 their positions, amongst men as scientific benefactors, 

 and not as uncompromising dictators ? 

 ~/> It really makes one smile when one considers that 

 after eight months' succe ssful study_ atthe Royal Vete- 

 rinary College, that smooth-faced simple-looking lad, 

 of whom one had hoped little, gets his dij)loma as a 

 qualified practitioner of the veterinary art, and from 

 that very day he Inco mes infa ll ible. 



It reminds me of an absolute verdict that was passed 

 on an old friend of mine, who went to be examined 

 previous to insuring his life in the largest office in the 

 kingdom, by the consulting physician ; who, after going 

 through the necessary examination, pronounced his 

 constitution broken, and his lungs and heart diseased 

 beyond hope of recovery ; and on being twitted rather 

 sharply with the absurdity of his opinion added, ( And 

 if you go on as you are now, you will not be alive in 

 twelve months.' Whereupon my friend, being of a 

 very sportive turn of mind, and determined to bring his 

 dogmatical friend to book for thus rashly c numbering 

 his days,' replied, ( I '11 lay you sixty pounds to ten I 

 shall be alive and as well as I am now, and will pro- 

 mise you that I will go on in precisely the same manner, 



