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, tlie solid 

 testimonies of esteem and gratitude which the public 

 rarely fails to otfer 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 accoi'dance with his character, had just 

 refused a place then of great importance, that of Coun- 

 cillor of State : — 



" I 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 



fcEC. SF.R. 13 



