6 



of was one course of Lowell Lectures. But of one 

 general resource lie always was assured, having al- 

 ways counted on it and never found it to fail, — and 

 that was the good will of every fellow-creature in 

 whose presence he could find an opportunity to de- 

 scribe his aims. His belief in these was so intense 

 and unqualified that he could not conceive of others 

 not feeling the furtherance of them to be a duty 

 binding also upon tlieni. Vdle non discitai\ as 

 Seneca says : — Strength of desire must be born 

 with a man, it can't be taught. And Agassiz came 

 before one with such enthusiasm glowing in his 

 countenance, — such a persuasion radiating from his 

 person that his projects w^ere the sole things really 

 fit to interest man as man, — that he was absolutely 

 irresistible. He came, in Byron's words, with vic- 

 tory beaming from his breast, and every one went 

 down before him, some yielding him money, some 

 time, some specimens, and some labor, but all con- 

 tributing their applause and their godspeed. And 

 so, livino; amono; us from month to month and from 

 year to year, with no relation to prudence except 

 his pertinacious violation of all her usual laws, he 

 on the whole achieved the compass of his desires, 

 studied the geology and fauna of a continent, 

 trained a generation of zoologists, founded one of 

 the chief museums of the world, gave a new impulse 

 to scientific education in America, and died the idol 

 of the public, as well as of his circle of immediate 

 pupils and friends. 



