138 Proceedings of the Roi/al Irish Academy. 



subjects. On the contrary, there is a passage in one of Turon's letters (19th 

 February, 1677) which would lead us to suppose that Bouhereau's serious 

 study of medicine did not commence for some years after he had taken his 

 degree in it : — 



" Je me reiouiray extremement de ce que tu vas embrasser tout de 

 bon la medecine, si j'esrois persuade que le merite y trouvast touiours la 

 recompense qui luy seroit delie. En ce cas-la je ne serois pas en peine pour 

 toy, et je suis persuade que tu t'y distinguerois bien tost. Mais en verite 

 I'experience c[ue j'ay dans le monde m'a fait connoitre que la charlatanerie 

 et I'impudence d'un ignorant n'y manquent guere de triompher, de I'esprit 

 et du scavoir d'un homme modeste. C'est un patelinage perpetuel entre 

 medecin, apothicaire, et chirurgien. Tout s'y fait par compere, et par 

 commere, on ne voit que cabaler pour etablir on decrediter, et comme pour la 

 pluspart les gens a qui Ton a afaire, sont fort ignorants et de pen d'esprit, 

 un fripon artificieux I'emporte ordinairement sur un honneste homme sincere ; 

 ce qui ne se pent voir sans chagrin, de quelque philosophic qu'on se puisse 

 munir. Mais je suis bien ridicule de t'aller icy dire des choses que tu 

 s^ais mieux que moy, et je ne pretends pas combattre le dessein que tu 

 as pris." 



The poor Marquis must be pardoned this cynical ebullition. He had a 

 very distressing complaint to make him irritable. The point, however, that 

 is material for our present purposes is that this extract is good evidence that 

 at this time, 1677, Bouhereau was only beginning to practise his profession 

 seriously. His medical education was certainly very different from that of 

 his cousin Elie Eichard, who, after a stay at Saumur — I do not know how long 

 — engaged in special medical and natural philosophy studies at Groningen and 

 Paris. 



But we are anticipating. The two cousins in their travels ^asited Venice, 

 and made some considerable stay in Eome. They were also at Strassburg, 

 and returned to Paris about November, 1667. In Le Fevre's Bjnsfre a 

 Monsieur Boireau, dated 2.3rd November, 1667, which he prefixed to his Vie 

 d' Aristippe, he says : — " Je viens d'apprendre chez I'illustre ]\Ionsieur Conrart, 

 que vous etes de retour de Piome depuis trois jours." 



Bouhereau remained in Paris at least until the close of January, 1668, 

 dies Monsieur Barhot, Advocat cm conseil, Hue de la Harpe. From a 

 memorandum, partly in his mother's writing, partly in his own, we learn that 

 the total expenses of the tour, including those of his stay at Paris, amounted 

 to 3,955 livres. 



In September of this year, 1668, we hear of Bouhereau's approaching 

 marriage. The writer of the letter referred to, La Pons Thomeilles, speaks as 



