PERSONALITY OF AGASSIZ 



With his superabundant physical, mental, and 

 emotional energy, he was a natural orator; 

 he was fond of an audience, and gratified by 

 applause. No one ever possessed a greater 

 talent for making natural science popular; 

 even when his discourse became highly tech- 

 nical, his auditors hung upon his words. 

 His method of exposition was very clear and 

 simple. He studiously avoided the error of 

 dragging the listener through all the processes 

 by which the speaker has arrived at a particular 

 truth, and quickly came to the point. In 

 lecturing, his personal magnetism counted for 

 much; he readily communicated his enthusiasm 

 to others. 



He was easily moved to tears or to laughter. ■ 

 In his earlier life he was seldom angry, or 

 seldom showed it, but otherwise made no 

 attempt to hide his feelings, being a perfect 



a few striking peculiarities of pronunciation, one or two 

 of which cling to me with great pertinacity even now. 

 One, in particular, is fresh in my memory. For example, 

 the words respiratory and perspiratory he would accent on 

 the third syllable — rat; and, bless me, if to this day I don't 

 have to think twice before I am sure which is right 1 This 

 shows what indelible impressions his words left upon his 

 pupils. 



[55] 



