M. Arago's Historical Eloge of' Joseph Fourier. 237 



on your road, it is all over with you. Bab, exclaimed Napo- 

 leon, the Bourbons have nobody on their side, not even a fana- 

 tic. Apropos, you have seen in the newspapers that they have 

 put me out of the protection of the law : I shall be contented 

 with putting them out of the Tuileries. 



Fourier only retained the office of Prefect of the Rhone till 

 the 1st of May. It has been said and published that he was 

 recalled for refusing to become an accomplice in the acts of 

 terrorism which the ministry of the Hundred Days prescribed 

 for him ! The Academy will find me on every occasion happy 

 to collect and record the actions, which, by honouring its mem- 

 bers, shall confer additional renown on the entire body. I even 

 feel that, in this respect, I might be inclined to be a little cre- 

 dulous. On this occasion, the most rigorous examination was 

 required of me. If Fourier did himself honour by refusing to 

 obey certain orders, what must we think of the minister of the 

 interior, from whom these orders emanated ? Now, I must 

 not forget that this minister was also an academician, illustrious 

 for his military services, distinguished for his mathematical 

 works, and esteemed and beloved by all his fellow-members. 

 Well, gentlemen, you will share in my satisfaction when I de- 

 clare, that, after the most scrupulous examination into all the 

 acts of the Hundred Days, I have discovered nothing which 

 ought to lessen the sentiments with which you regard the me- 

 mory of Carnot 



On losing his office of Prefect of the Rhone, Fourier came to 

 Paris. The Emperor, who was on the point of setting out for 

 the army, perceived him in the crowd at the Tuileries, accosted 

 him in a friendly way, informed him that Carnot would explain 

 to him why his recall from Lyons had become unavoidable, and 

 promised to attend to his interests whenever he could obtain 

 some leisure from military affairs. The second restoration 

 found Fourier in the capital, without employment, and naturally 

 uneasy about his future prospects. He who, for fifteen years, 

 governed a large department, who had the direction of such 

 expensive works, who, in the affair of the marshes of Bourgoin, 

 had to stipulate for so many millions of francs with private in- 

 dividuals, communes, and companies, had not a capital of twenty 

 thousand francs. This honourable poverty, together with the 



