JOSEPH FOURIER. 171 



ceivod very distinctly the iininense grjivity of the events in which he 

 was k'd by tlie vicissitude of I'ortune to pkiy a part. 



"What do you thiulv of my enterprise ?" said the Emperor to liim on 

 the day of his departure from Lyons. " Sire," replied Fourier, " I am 

 of opinion that you will foil. Let but a fanatic meet you on your way, 

 and all is at an end." "Bah !" exclaimed Xapoleon, " the Bourbons 

 have nobody on their side, not even a fanatic. In connection with this 

 circMmstance, you have read in the. Journals that they have excluded 

 me from the protection of the law. I shall be more indulgent on my 

 part ; I shall content myself with excluding them from the Tuileries." 



Fourier held the appointment of prefect of the Rhone only till the 

 1st of May. It has beeu alleged that he was recalled, because he refused 

 to be accessory to the deeds of terrorism which the minister of the hun- 

 dred days enjoined him to execute. The Academy will always be 

 pleased when I collect together and place on record actions which, 

 while honoring its members, throw new luster around the entire body. 

 I even feel that in such a case I may be disposed to be somewhat cred- 

 ulous. On the present occasion, it was imperatively ue(;essary to insti- 

 tute a most rigorous examination. If Fourier honored himself by 

 refusing to obey certain orders, what are we to think of the minister of 

 the interior from whom those orders emanated? Xow, this minister, it 

 must not be forgotten, was also an Academician, illustrious by his mil- 

 itary services, distingnisked by kis matkematical works, esteemed and 

 ckerisked by all his colleagues. Well, I declare, gentlemen, witli a sat 

 isfactiou wkick you will all skare, tkat a most scru[)ulous investigation 

 of all tke acts of tke kundred days kas not disclosed a trace of any- 

 tking wkick migkt detract from tke feelings of admiration witk wkick 

 tke memory of Carnot is associated in your minds. 



Upon quitting tke prefecture of tke Ilkoue, Fourier repaired to Paris. 

 Tke Emperor, wlio was tken upon tke eve of setting out to Join tke 

 army, perceiving kim amid tke crowd at tke Tuileries, accosted kim in 

 a friendly manner, informed kim tkat Carnot would explain to kim wky 

 his displacement at Lyons had become indispensable, and promised to 

 attend to his interest as soon as military affairs would allow him some 

 leisure time. The second restoration found Fourier in the cai)ital with- 

 out employment, and Justly anxious w'ith respect to the future. He, 

 who, during a period of fifteen years, administered the affairs of a great 

 department; who directed works of such an expensive nature; who, in 

 the affair of tke nuirskes of Bourgoin, kad to contract engagements for 

 so many millions, witk private individuals, witk tke communes, and witk 

 public companies, kad not twenty thousand francs in kis possession. Tkis 

 honorable ])Overty, as well as tke recollection of glorious and important 

 services, was little calculated to nndce an impression upon ministers inku- 

 enced by political iiassion, and subject to tke capricious interference of 

 foreigners. A demand for a pension was accordingly repelled witk 

 rudeness. Be reassured, kow'ever, Frauce will not kave to blush for 



