704 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



French exercises; began to learn an extremely long fable. Read a 

 comedy of Moliere, and after dinner a tragedy of Voltaire. Took a short 

 walk by myself out of the pleasure grounds." 12th. " Rose very early. 

 Sir S. B. and Mr. G. went in the carriage to Toulouse. Before break- 

 fast, I wrote some French exercises, read some of Lucian's Hermotimus. 

 Revised part of my Dialogue. After breakfast went with the ' domes- 

 tique ' Fiertot to see his Metairie and his little piece of land and help 

 him to gather cherries. After returning I finished the long fable." 

 Then follows an apology for not working at his mathematics ; Sir Sam- 

 uel's books are not unpacked, and in the library of the house he finds 

 chiefly French literature, and hence his readings in Racine, etc. An- 

 other tragedy read to-day. i3th. Before breakfast assists Mr. G. in 

 packing. Wrote French exercises, read Voltaire and Moliere. It is by 

 the advice of the family that he reads plays, for the sake of dialogue. 

 After dinner, he takes a long walk on the hills behind Pompignan ; on 

 his return falls in with the Garde Champetre, who communicates all 

 about himself and his district. Weather now hot. 14th. Could not 

 get into the library. V/alked about the grounds with iSlv. G. and one 

 of his sisters ; came in and wrote French exercises. Begins a new 

 study — to master the Departments of France. Reads Lucian. 15th. 

 Got up early ; began his Livre Statistique of the Departments — chief 

 towns, rivers, populations, etc. Learns by heart the names of the de- 

 partments and their capital towns. Acting on a suggestion of Lady 

 B., he reads and takes notes of some parts of the Code Napoleon. 

 Meets the Russell family at dinner, and walks with them. 16th. Up 

 early, walked out, reads a tragedy of Voltaire. A mad dog has bitten 

 several persons. More of Code Napoleon ; Virgil ; French exercises. 

 Here he concludes what is to make his first letter to his father, and 

 appends to the diary a dissertation on the state of French politics; the 

 then exciting topic being the Law of Elections. We are surprised at 

 the quantity of information he has already got together, partly we may 

 suppose from conversations, and partly from newspapers ; but he never 

 once mentions reading a newspaper ; and his opportunities of conver- 

 sation are very much restricted by incessant studies. Besides passing 

 politics, illustrated by anecdotes, he has inquired into education, the 

 statistics of population, and the details of the provincial government. 



I continue the extracts from the Diary. June 17th. Late in bed, 

 not knowing the time. One of Sir Samuel's daughters has given him 

 Legendre's Geometry, to which he applies himself, at first, for the sake 

 of French mathematical terms. Performs an investigation in the Dif- 

 ferential Calculus. A short walk. After dinner, a tragedy of Cor- 

 neille. 18th. Rose early. Wrote French exercises, and read Voltaire. 

 It is a fete day (Sunday), and the peasants danced in the pleasure 

 grounds before the house. After breakfast, finished exercises, then 

 walked with the family in the grounds. Received from Mr. G. a lec- 

 ture on Botany (probably the beginning of what became his favorite 



