1860—1864 109 



to the development of inferior beings. And I wait, I watch, 

 I question it, begging it to recommence for me the beautiful 

 spectacle of the first creation. But it is dumb, dumb since 

 these experiments were begun several years ago ; it is dumb 

 because I have kept it from the only thing man cannot pro- 

 duce, from the germs which float in the air, from Life, for Life 

 is a germ and a germ is Life. Never will the doctrine of spon- 

 taneous generation recover from the mortal blow of this simple 

 experiment." 



The public enthusiastically applauded these words, which 

 ended the lecture : 



"No, there is now no circumstance known in which it can be 

 affirmed that microscopic beings came into the world without 

 germs, without parents similar to themselves. Those who 

 affirm it have been duped by illusions, by ill-conducted experi- 

 ments, spoilt by errors that they either did not perceive or did 

 not know how to avoid." 



In the meanwhile, besides public lectures and new studies, 

 Pasteur succeeded in "administering" the Ecole Normale in 

 the most complete sense of the word. His influence was such 

 that students acquired not a taste but a passion for study ; he 

 directed each one in his own line, he awakened their instincts. 

 It was already through his wise inspiration that five ' Nor- 

 maliens agreges " should have the chance of the five curators' 

 places ; but his solicitude did not stop there. If some disap- 

 pointment befell some former pupil, still in that period of youth 

 which doubts nothing or nobody, he came vigorously to his 

 assistance ; he was the counsellor of the future. A few letters 

 will show how he understood his responsibility. 



A Normalien, Paul Dalimier, received 1st at the agregation 

 of Physics in 1858, afterwards Natural History curator at the 

 Ecole, and who, having taken his doctor's degree, asked to be 

 sent to a Faculty, was ordered to go to the Lycee of Chaumont. 



In the face of this almost disgrace he wrote a despairing 

 letter to Pasteur. He could do nothing more, he said, his career 

 was ruined. " My dear sir," answered Pasteur, "I much regret 

 that I could not see you before your departure for Chaumont. 

 But here is the advice which I feel will be useful to you. Do 

 not manifest your just displeasure ; but attract attention from 

 the very first by your zeal and talent. In a word, aggravate, 

 by your fine discharge of your new duties, the injustice which 

 has been committed. The discouragement expressed in your 



