STUDIES MEDICINE. — 289 
political ambition diverts from a more noble vocation, to 
transform themselves into mere officials ; but who might 
learn, like Young, to turn their eyes to the future, and 
not sacrifice to the futile and transitory satisfaction of 
being surrounded by persons soliciting favours, the solid 
testimonies of esteem and gratitude which the public 
rarely fails to offer to intellectual labours of a high 
order; and if it happen in the illusions of inexperience, 
that they should think too heavy a sacrifice imposed on 
them, we would ask them to take a lesson of ambition 
from the mouth of a great captain whose ambition knew 
no bounds; to meditate on the words which the First 
Consul, the victor of Marengo, addressed to one of our 
most honoured colleagues (M. Lemercier) on the day 
when he, quite in accordance with his character, had just 
refused a place then of great importance, that of Coun- 
cillor of State :— 
“]T understand, Sir, you love literature, and you wish to 
belong altogether to it. I have nothing to oppose to this 
resolution. Yes! I, myself, if I had not become a 
General-in-chief, and the instrument of the fate of a 
great nation, do you think I would have gone through 
the offices and the salons, to put myself in dependence 
on whoever might happen to be in power in the position 
of minister or ambassador? No! no! I would have 
taken to the exact sciences. I would have made my 
way in the path of Galileo and Newton: and, since I 
have succeeded constantly in my great enterprises, truly 
I should have been equally distinguished by my scientific 
labours. I should have left behind me the remembrance 
of great discoveries. No other kind of glory would have 
tempted my ambition.” 
Young made choice of the profession of medicine, in 
SEC. SER. 13 
