whom asked who was the foreign professor who honored the College
with his presence.

One other day is, I think, almost as dear to me. I refer to the
meeting of the society for the encouragement of national industry,
when I presented the irrorator, an instrument of my own invention,
which is neither more nor less than a forcing pump filled with
perfumes.

I had an apparatus fully charged in my pocket. I turned the cock,
and thence pressed out a perfume which filled the whole room.

Then I saw, with inexpressible pleasure, the wisest heads of the
capital bend beneath my irrigation, and I was glad to see that
those who received most, were the happiest.

Thinking sometimes of the grave lucubrations to which I was
attracted by my subject, I really as afraid that I would be
troublesome. I have often read very stupid books.

I did all that I could to escape this reproach. I have merely
hovered over subjects which presented themselves to me; I have
filled my book with anecdotes, some of which to a degree are
personal. I have omitted to mention many strange and singular
things, which critical judgment induced me to reject, and I
recalled popular attention to certain things which savants seemed
to have reserved to themselves. If, in spite of all these efforts,
I have not presented to my readers a science rarely understood, I
shall sleep just as calmly, being certain that the MAJORITY will
acquit me of all evil intention.