AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 149 



case of the tlieory of osculations wliicli I had studied in Lagraiip^e's 

 "Fonctious Analytiqucs." " Finally," said the examiner tome, "how 

 do you determine the tension of the various cords of which a funicul;».r 

 machine is composed? " I treated this problem according to the method 

 expounded in the "Mecauique Analytique." It was clear that Lagrange 

 had supplied all the resources of my examination. 



I had been two hours and a quarter at the board. M. Monge, going 

 from one extreme to the other, got up, came and embraced me, and sol- 

 emnly declared that I should occupy the first place on his list. Shall I 

 confess it ! During the examination of my comrade I had heard the 

 Toulousian candidates uttering not very favorable sarcasms on the 

 pupils from Perpignan ; and it was principally for the sake of reparatioii 

 to my native town that M. Mouge's behavior and declaration trans- 

 ported me with joy. 



Having entered the Polytechnic School, at the end of 1803 I was 

 placed in the excessively boisterous brigade of the Gascons and Britons. 

 I should have much liked to study thoroughly physics and chemistry, 

 of which I did not CA^en know the first rudiments; but the behavior of 

 my companions rarely left me any time for it. As for analysis, I had, 

 already, before entering the Polytechnic School, learned much more thaji 

 was required for leaving it. 



I have just related the strange words which M. Monge, jr., addressed 

 to me at Toulouse in commencing my examination for admission. 

 Something analogous occurred at the opening of my examination 

 in mathematics for passing from one division of the school to another. 

 The examiner, this time, was the illustrious geometer Legendre, of 

 whom, a few years after, I had the honor of becoming the colleague au<l 

 the friend. 



I entered his studj^ at the moment when M. T , who was to undergo 



his examination before me, having fainted away, was being carried out 

 in the arms of two servants. I thought that this circumstance would 

 have moved and softened M. Legendre; but it had no such efi'ect. 

 "What is your name," he said to me sharply. "Arago," 1 answered. 

 "You are not .French, then?" "If I was not French I should not be 

 before you ; for I have never heard of any one being admitted into the 

 school unless his nationality had been proved." "I maintain that he is 

 not French, whose name is Arago." " I maintain, on my side, that I am 

 French, and a very good Frenchman, too, however strange my name 

 may appear to you." " Very well; we will not discuss the point farther; 

 go to the board." 



I had scarcely taken up the chalk, when M. Legendre, returning to 

 the first subject of his preoccupations, said to me : "You were born in 

 one of the departments recently united to France?" "No, sir; I w;ts 

 born in the department of the Eastern Pyrenees, at the foot of the 

 Pyrenees." "Oh! why did you not tell me that at once? All is now 

 explained. Y'ou are of Spanish origin are you not?" "Possibly; but 



