1865—1870 141 



answering his adversaries and contradictors. Pasteur's sys- 

 tem was making way; ten microscopes were set up, here and 

 there, in the town of Alais ; most seed merchants were taking 

 up the examination of the dead moths, and the Pont-Gisquet 

 colony had samples brought in daily for inspection. " I have 

 already prevented many failures for next year," he wrote to 

 Dumas (June, 1867), " but I always beg as a favour that a little 

 of the condemned seed may be raised, so as to confirm the 

 exactness of my judgment." 



His system was indeed quite simple ; at the moment when 

 the moths leave their cocoons and mate with each other, the 

 cultivator separates them and places each female on a little 

 square of linen where it lays its eggs. The moth is afterwards 

 pinned up in a corner of the same square of linen, where it 

 gradually dries up ; later on, in autumn or even in winter, the 

 withered moth is moistened in a little water, pounded in a 

 mortar, and the paste examined with a microscope. If" the 

 least trace of corpuscles appears the linen is burnt, together 

 with the seed which would have perpetuated the disease. 



Pasteur came back to Paris to receive his medal ; perhaps 

 his presence was not absolutely necesary, but he did not ques- 

 tion the summons he received. He always attached an absolute 

 meaning to words and to things, not being one of those who 

 accept titles and homage with an inward and ironical smile. 



The pageant of that distribution of prizes was well worth 

 seeing, and July 1, 1867, is now remembered by many who 

 were children at that time. Paris afforded a beautiful spec- 

 tacle ; the central avenue of the Tuileries garden, the Place 

 de la Concorde, the Avenue des Champs Elysees, were lined 

 along their full length by regiments of infantry, dragoons, 

 Imperial Guards, etc., etc., standing motionless in the bright 

 sunshine, waiting for the Emperor to pass. The Imperial 

 carriage, drawn by eight horses, escorted by the Cent-Gardes 

 in their pale blue uniform, and by the Lancers of the House- 

 hold, advanced in triumphant array. Napoleon III sat next 

 to the Empress, the Prince Imperial and Prince Napoleon 

 facing them. From the Palais de l'Elysee, amidst equally 

 magnificent ceremonial, the Sultan Abdul-Aziz and his son 

 arrived ; then followed a procession of foreign princes : the 

 Crown Prince of Prussia, the Prince of Wales, Prince Humbert 

 of Italy, the Duke and Duchess of Aosta, the Grand Duchess 

 Marie of Russia, all of whom have since borne a part in 



