1882—1884 155 



he who was to become one of the greatest scientists of this cen- 

 tury so great in science, and who has, by his admirable 

 labours, increased the glory of France and deserved well of the 

 whole of humanity." 



The feelings in Pasteur's heart burst forth in these terms : ^/ 

 "Gentlemen, I am profoundly moved by the honour done to 

 me by the town of Dole; but allow me, while expressing my 

 gratitude, to protest against this excess of praise. By accord- 

 ing to me a homage rendered usually but to the illustrious 

 dead, you anticipate too much the judgment of posterity. Will 

 it ratify your decision? and should not you, Mr. Mayor, have 

 prudently warned the Municipal Council against such a hasty 

 resolution ? 



" But after protesting, gentlemen, against the brilliant testi- 

 mony of an admiration which is more than I deserve, let me tell 

 you that I am touched, moved to the bottom of my soul. Your 

 sympathy has joined on that memorial plate the two great 

 things which have been the passion and the delight of my life : 

 •the love of Science and the cult of the home. 



" Oh ! my father, my mother, dear departed ones, who lived 

 so humbly in this little house, it is to you that I owe every- 

 thing. Thy enthusiasm, my brave-hearted mother, thou hast 

 instilled it into me. If I have always associated the greatness 

 of Science with the greatness of France, it is because 1 was 

 impregnated with the feelings that thou hadst inspired. And 

 thou, dearest father, whose life was as hard as chy hard trade, 

 thou hast shown to me what patience and protracted effort can 

 accomplish. It is to thee that I owe perseverance in daily 

 work. Not only hadst thou the qualities which go to make 

 a useful life, but also admiration for great men and great 

 things. To look upwards, learn to the utmost, to seek to rise 

 ever higher, such was thy teaching. I can see thee now, after 

 a hard day's work, reading in the evening some story of the 

 battles in the glorious epoch of which thou wast a witness. 

 Whilst teaching me to read, thy care was that I should learn 

 the greatness of France. 



' Be ye blessed, my dear parents, for what ye have been, 

 and may the homage done to-day to your little house be % 

 yours ! 



'I thank you, gentlemen, for the opportunity of saying 

 aloud what I have thought for sixty years. I thank you for 

 this fete and for your welcome, and I thank the town of Dole, 



