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presume to know the many republican calls that were made on 
Citizen Plantamour’s time and attention. 
" All the scions of our richer families,” said a fine old specimen 
of a New York State country gentleman to me not long ago, “ find 
it expedient to enter into politics, in order to understand the mind 
of the people, and endeavour to lead public opinion.” So too did 
Plantamour, and with success. Por he was listened to with 
deference whenever he spoke, even in the most radical assemblies. 
And if not personally present, the mere statement by any orator 
there that “ Plantamour thinks so,” would often suffice to carry 
the day. 
And in Emile Plantamour there was something more and beyond 
mere political wisdom to admire. Eor when I had, on one occasion, 
the honour of receiving a letter from him ; and which, beginning 
with a discussion of the Meteorology of the xiiith vol. of the Edin- 
burgh Astronomical Observations , went on to speak of various little 
local institutions he was interested in, as his Bible Society, his 
Scripture reading Society among the poor, and other similar insti- 
tutions, a lady listening to my reading started to her feet and 
demanded “ What French savant was capable of such ideas.” 
So then I had to explain, that although the letter might be 
written in the French language, the man himself was a Switzer ; 
horn in Geneva ; and educated in a school founded by Calvin, and 
approved of by John Knox. Whence immediately she understood 
the possibility, or even recognised the origin, of that wide philan- 
throphy joined to the highest science. And this meeting will 
doubtless similarly appreciate how much our Society has lost in 
every way by Emile Plantamour’s recent demise ; so very soon too, 
or within 18 months, after the Council had selected his name to 
occupy that honoured place amongst our Foreign Associates which 
the Eoyal Society of Edinburgh has always desired to see filled by 
some representative of that noble, though circumscribed, community 
dwelling amongst the higher Alps. 
C. P. S. 
