ON THE ROAD TO FAME 69 



quit his garret, he began to receive illustrious 

 visitors, statesmen, society women, personages 

 of high standing at court, all of whom came to 

 beg him to initiate them into the secrets which 

 he had discovered, and of which he seemed to 

 be the sole guardian. 



During his researches in spontaneous gen- 

 eration Pasteur had received from the Academy 

 of Sciences, in 1860, the prize for experimental 

 physiology, and in 1861 he had for a second 

 time presented himself as a candidate in the 

 section of botany. He was supported by his 

 faithful friend Biot, but, nevertheless, he ob- 

 tained only 24 votes. He was not destined to 

 be elected until the 8th of December, 1862, 

 with a majority of 36 out of a total of sixty 

 votes, to the section of mineralogy, where he 

 succeeded Senarmont. 



Pasteur was now celebrated, acclaimed by 

 some, and combatted by others who were un- 

 able to comprehend the utterly new order of 

 his genius. Napoleon III expressed his desire 

 to meet him, and it was his first master, Dumas, 



