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money； and wished to use it solely for the advancement of learning； and
with this understanding they were ready； to help him generously。
He compared their liberality with that of kings and princes； when these
patronized science； with a recognition of the superior plebeian
generosity。 It was on the veranda of his summer house at Nahant； while
he lay in the hammock； talking of this； that I heard him refer also to
the offer which Napoleon III。 had made him； inviting him upon certain
splendid conditions to come to Paris after he had established himself in
Cambridge。 He said that he had not come to America without going over
every such possibility in his own mind； and deciding beforehand against
it。 He was a republican； by nationality and by preference； and was
entirely satisfied with his position and environment in New England。
Outside of his scientific circle in Cambridge he was more friends with
Longfellow than with any one else； I believe； and Longfellow told me how；
after the doctors had condemned Agassiz to inaction； on account of his
failing health he had broken down in his friend's study； and wept like an
'Europaer'； and lamented； 〃I shall never finish my work！〃 Some papers
which he had begun to write for the Magazine； in contravention of the
Darwinian theory； or part of it； which it is known Agassiz did not
accept； remained part of the work which he never finished。 After his
death； I wished Professor Jeffries Wyman to write of him in the Atlantic；
but he excused himself on account of his many labors； and then he
voluntarily spoke of Agassiz's methods； which he agreed with rather than
his theories； being himself thoroughly Darwinian。 I think he said
Agassiz was the first to imagine establishing a fact not from a single
example； but from examples indefinitely repeated。 If it was a question
of something about robins for instance； he would have a hundred robins
examined before he would receive an appearance as a fact。
Of course no preconception or prepossession of his own was suffered to
bar his way to the final truth he was seeking； and he joyously renounced
even a conclusion if he found it mistaken。 I do not know whether Mrs。
Agassiz has put into her interesting life of him； a delightful story
which she told me about him。 He came to her beaming one day； and
demanded； 〃You know I have always held such and such an opinion about a
certain group of fossil fishes？〃 〃Yes； yes！〃 〃Well； I have just been
reading 's new book； and he has shown me that there isn't the least
truth in my theory〃； and he burst into a laugh of unalloyed pleasure in
relinquishing his error。
I could touch science at Cambridge only on its literary and social side；
of course； and my meetings with Agassiz were not many。 I recall a dinner
at his house to Mr。 Bret Harte； when the poet came on from California；
and Agassiz approached him over the coffee through their mutual
scientific interest in the last meeting of the geological 〃Society upon
the Stanislow。〃 He quoted to the author some passages from the poem
recording the final proceedings of this body； which had particularly
pleased him； and I think Mr。 Harte was as much amused at finding himself
thus in touch with the savant； as Agassiz could ever have been with that
delicious poem。
Agassiz lived at one end of Quincy Street； and James almost at the other
end； with an interval between them which but poorly typified their
difference of temperament。 The one was all philosophical and the other
all scientific； and yet towards the close of his life； Agassiz may be
said to have led that movement towards the new position of science in
matters of mystery which is now characteristic of it。 He was ancestrally
of the Swiss 〃Brahminical caste；〃 as so many of his friends in Cambridge
were of the Brahminical caste of New England； and perhaps it was the line
of ancestral pasteurs which at last drew him back； or on； to the
affirmation of an unformulated faith of his own。 At any rate； before
most other savants would say that they had souls of their own he became；
by opening a summer school of science with prayer； nearly as consolatory
to the unscientific who wished to believe they had souls； as Mr。 John
Fiske himself； though Mr。 Fiske； as the arch…apostle of Darwinism； had
arrived at nearly the same point by such a very different road。
Mr。 Fiske had been our neighbor in our first Cambridge home； and when we
went to live in Berkeley Street； he followed with his family and placed
himself across the way in a house which I already knew as the home of
Richard Henry Dana； the author of 'Two Years Before the Mast。' Like
nearly all the other Cambridge men of my acquaintance Dana was very much
my senior； and like the rest he welcomed my literary promise as cordially
as if it were performance； with no suggestion of the condescension which
was said to be his attitude towards many of his fellow…men。 I never saw
anything of this； in fact； and I suppose he may have been a blend of
those patrician qualities and democratic principles which made Lowell
anomalous even to himself。 He is part of the anti…slavery history of his
time； and he gave to the oppressed his strenuous help both as a man and a
politician； his gifts and learning in the law were freely at their
service。 He never lost his interest in those white slaves； whose brutal
bondage he remembered as bound with them in his 'Two Years Before the
Mast；' and any luckless seaman with a case or cause might count upon his
friendship as surely as the black slaves of the South。 He was able to
temper his indignation for their oppression with a humorous perception of
what was droll in its agents and circumstances； and I wish I could recall
all that he said once about sea…etiquette on merchant vessels； where the
chief mate might no more speak to the captain at table without being
addressed by him than a subject might put a question to his sovereign。
He was amusing in his stories of the Pacific trade in which he said it
was very noble to deal in furs from the Northwest； and very ignoble to
deal in hides along the Mexican and South American coasts。 Every ship's
master wished naturally to be in the fur…carrying trade； and in one of
Dana's instances； two vessels encounter in mid…ocean； and exchange the
usual parley as to their respective ports of departure and destination。
The final demand comes through the trumpet； 〃What cargo？〃 and the captain
so challenged yields to temptation and roars back 〃Furs！〃 A moment of
hesitation elapses； and then the questioner pursues； 〃Here and there a
horn？〃
There were other distinctions； of which seafaring men of other days were
keenly sensible； and Dana dramatized the meeting of a great； swelling
East Indiaman； with a little Atlantic trader； which has hailed her。 She
shouts back through her captain's trumpet that she is from Calcutta； and
laden with silks； spices； and other orient treasures； and in her turn she
requires like answer from the sail which has presumed to enter into
parley with her。 〃What cargo？〃 The trader confesses to a mixed cargo for
Boston； and to the final question； her master replies in meek apology；
〃Only from Liver