JOSEPH FOURIER. 173 



■with the work ori Egfypt were incontestable ; they even were not con- 

 tested, and still this nomination excited violent discussions in the jour- 

 nals, which profoundly grieved our colleague. And yet, after all, was it 

 not a fit subject for discussion, whether these double nominations are 

 of any real utility ! Might it not be maintained, without incurring the 

 reproach of paradox, that it extinguishes in youth an emulation which 

 we are bound by every consideration to encourage? Besides, with 

 double, triple, and quadruple Academicians, what would eventually 

 become of tbe justly boasted unity of the Institute ? Without insisting 

 further on these remarks, the justness of w^hicli you will admit if I mis- 

 take not, I hasten to repeat that the academic titles of Fourier did not 

 form even the subject of a doubt. The applause which was lavished 

 upon the eloquent elogcs of Delambre, of Breguet, of Charles, and of 

 Herschel, would sutficiently evince that, if their author had not been 

 already one of the most distinguished members of the Academy of Sci- 

 ences, the ijublic would have invited him to assume a place among the 

 judges of French literature. 



Kestored at length, after so many vicissitudes, to his favorite pursuits, 

 Fourier i>assed the last years of his life in retirement and in the dis- 

 charge of academic duties. To converse had become the half of his ex- 

 istence. Those who have been disposed to consider this the subject of 

 just reproach have, no doubt, forgotten that constant reflection is no 

 less imperiously forbidden to man than the abuse of jihysical jiowers. 

 Eepose, in everything, recruits our frail machine ; but, gentlemen, he 

 who desires repose may not obtain it. Interrogate your own recollec- 

 tions and say if, when you are pursuing a new truth, a walk, the in- 

 tercourse of society, or even sleep, have the privilege of distracting you 

 from the objects of your thoughts ? The extremely shattered state of 

 Fourier's health enjoined the most careful attention. After many attempts, 

 he found only one means of escaping from the contentions of mind which 

 exhausted him : this consisted in speaking aloud upon the events of his 

 life; upon his scientific labors, which were either in course of being 

 planned, or which were already terminated ; upon the acts of injustice 

 of which he had reason to complain. livery person must have remarked 

 how insignificant was the state which our gifted colleague assigned to 

 those who were in the habit of conversing with him; we are now ac- 

 quainted with the cause of this. 



Fourier had preserved, in old age, the grace, the urbanity, the varied 

 knowledge which, a quarter of a century previously, had imi»arted so 

 great a charm to his lectures at the Polytechnic School. There was a 

 l)leasure in hearing him relate the anecdote which the listener already ' 

 knew by heart, even the events in which the individual had taken a 

 direct part. I happened to be a witness of the kind oi fascination which 

 he exercised upon his audience, in connection with an incident which 

 deserves to be known, for it will prove that the word which I have just 

 employed is not in any wise exaggerated. 



