The Agassiz Memorials, 285 



from him, after he had read a paragraph in the daily 

 papers, referring this movement to him. 



My Dear Sir : 



In a paper to-day, giving an account of the pro- 

 posed celebration, ' a plan ' is alluded to ^ of Mr. 

 Agassiz for founding a Humboldt Scholarship in 

 the institution of which he is the head.* 



"This is no doubt a simple error of the press, but 

 I should be very sorry to have it stand. It would 

 have been very ungracious in me, and would have 

 shown, to say the least, a great want of delicacy, 

 had I suggested an endowment for the Museum in 

 which I am personally interested. It was, as you 

 know, a proposition made spontaneously without 

 any reference to me. And though I rejoice in it 

 and feel doubly unwilling, on account of this offer, 

 to shrink from the responsibility connected with the 

 invitation of your committee, yet the suggestion 

 coming from me, under the circumstances, instead 

 of being appropriate, would be wholly unbecoming. 

 You will excuse me for troubling you about this, 

 but I am sure you will see that it places me in an 

 awkward position.*' 



If in any mind there should exist even the 

 shadow of a misapprehension upon this subject, 

 these words will serve to explain fully both the 

 feelings of Professor Agassiz and the exact facts 

 of the case. 



At the close of his public address of the 14th of 

 September, he says : 



