The Agassis Memorials. 281 



in Paris, and I had seen him in the morning, when 

 he had asked me what was the cause of my depressed 

 feeHngs, and I told him I had to go, for I had noth- 

 ing left. The next morning as I was seated at 

 breakfast, in front of the yard of the Hotel, where I 

 lived, I saw the servant of Humboldt approach ; he 

 handed me a note, saying there was no answer and 

 disappeared. I opened the note, and I see it now as 

 distinctly as if I held the paper in my hand. It said : 



' My Friend : 



^ I hear that you intend leaving Paris in conse- 

 quence of some embarrassments. This shall not be, 

 I wish you to remain here as long as the object for 

 which you came is not accomplished. I enclose you 

 a check of £^0. It is a loan which you may repay 

 when you can.' 



That one act of Humboldt, at the turning-point 

 in the life of Agassiz, may have affected the whole 

 course of his after-career. If Sir Humphrey Davy 

 could say My best discovery was Michael Fara- 

 day,'' what shall we say of this discriminating 

 instance of generous encouragement, which perhaps 

 gave to us Agassiz as a man of science. 



In the address upon Humboldt, Agassiz speaks of 

 his studies at Munich, whose University had opened 

 under the most brilliant auspices, and where nearly 

 every professor was prominent in some department 

 of science or literature. These men," he says, 



were not only our teachers but our friends. We 

 were the companions of their walks, and often pres- 

 ent at their discussions." My room," he adds, was 



