58 HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM. 



Ptouelle inflamed the imagination of his pu- 

 pils by surprising phenomena ; but he had not the 

 skill of classing facts, and establishing principles : 

 Fourcroy excited the same enthusiasm, and di- 

 rected the attention of a multitude of able men to 

 chemical studies, by exposing the discoveries of 

 his contemporaries, by proclaiming the names 

 of their authors, and announcing their conse- 

 quent results. He acquired a reputation, which 

 soon extended beyond the land which gave him 

 birth : foreign princes maintained young men at 

 Paris, to attend his lectures, and to enrich their 

 native country with his doctrine. Men of taste 

 listened to his eloquence, and became devoted 

 to a science presented under such fascinating 

 forms. The amphitheatre could not contain the 

 crowd who resorted to it, and it twice became 

 necessary to enlarge it. The language he taught 

 has been enriched and perfected , as the disco- 

 very of a greater number of simple substances 

 has modified the names of their different com- 

 pounds ; but its principles are the same. The taste 

 which he diffused for the science has increased ; 

 several distinguished chemists have been formed 

 in his school ; and the professors who now oc- 

 cupy the two chairs, are his pupils. 



Rouelle the younger, who had been titular de- 

 monstrator since 1770, dying in 1779, his place 



