108 MEMOIRS OF 



}x)th : — '' For five and twenty years the amphitheatre of the 

 Jardin des Plantes was the centre of M. Fourcroy's glory. 

 The great scientific estabhshments of this capital, where 

 celebrated masters expose to a numerous pubhc, capable of 

 passing judgment on them, the most profound doctrines of 

 modern times, recall to our memory that which was noblest 

 in antiquity. We fancy we again find in these assemblies 

 a whole people animated by the voice of a single orator; and 

 again see those schools, where chosen disciples came to 

 penetrate the oracles of a sage. The lectures of M. Four- 

 croy corresponded to this twofold picture : Plato and Demos- 

 thenes seemed to be united in him ; and it is almost neces- 

 sary to be one or the other, to give an idea of them. Con- 

 nection of method, abundance of elocution, elevation, 

 precision, elegance of terms, as if they had been selected 

 long beforehand ; rapidity, brilliancy, novelty, as if suddenly 

 inspired ; a flexible, sonorous, and silvery voice, yielding to 

 every motion, penetrating into the corners of the largest 

 audience-room : — nature had bestowed every thing on him. 

 Sometimes his discourse flowed smoothly and majestically ; 

 the grandeur of his metaphors, and the pomp of his style, 

 w^ere all imposing; then, varying his accents, he passed in- 

 sensibly to the most ingenuous familiarity, and fixed atten- 

 tion by sallies of the most fascinating gaiety. Hundreds of 

 auditors, of all classes, all nations, were to be seen, passing 

 whole hours, closely pressed against each other, almost fear- 

 ing to breathe, their eyes fixed on his, suspended to his 

 mouth, as the poet sa}s (pendent ab ore loquentis.) His 

 look of fire darted over the crowd ; in the farthest rows he 

 distinguished that mind which was diflficult to convince, and 

 still doubted, or the slow comprehension wliich did not com- 

 pletely understand; for these he redoubled his arguments 

 and his similes, and varied his expressions until he found 

 those which would convince; language seemed to multiply 

 its riches for him, and he did not quit his subject till he 

 saw all his numerous audience equally satisfied." 



It is scarcely possible to mention Fourcroy, without recol- 

 lecting the odious suspicion attached to his name ;* I there- 



* It was reported that he might have saved the life of M. Lavoisier 

 during the reign of terror, as indeed he had saved many by his influence; 

 but, at the moment of M. Lavoisier's arrest, his own life was threatened, 



