152 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 



It must, however, be remarked, that Moreau liad not yet dislionorecl 

 himself by taking service in the Eiissiau army, which had come to attack 

 the French under the walls of Dresden. 



The impils were invited to make a manifestation in favor of the insti- 

 tution of the Legion of Honor. This agaiu they refused. They knew 

 well that the cross, given without inquiry and without control, would 

 be, in most cases, the recompense of charlatanism, and not of true 

 merit. 



The transformation of the consular into the imperial government gave 

 rise to very animated discussions in the interior of the school. 



Many pupils refused to add their felicitations to the mean adulations 

 of the constituted bodies. 



General Lacuee, who was appointed governor of the school, reported 

 this opposition to the Emperor. 



" M. Lacuee," cried Napoleon, in the midst of a group of courtiers, 

 who applauded with speech and gesture, " you cannot retain at the 

 school those x>upils who have shown such ardent republicanism ; you 

 will send them away.-' Then, collecting himself, he added, " I will first 

 know their names and their stages of i)romotion." Seeing the list the 

 next day, he did not x>roceed further than the first name, which was the 

 first in the artillery. " I will not drive away the first men in advance- 

 ment," said he. "Ah ! if they had been at the bottom of the list ! M. 

 Lacuee, leave them alone." 



jSTothing was more curious than the seance to which General Lacuee 

 came to receive the oath of obedience from the pupils. In the vast 

 amphitheater w^hich contained them, one could not discern a trace of 

 the gravity which such a ceremony should insijire.. The greater part, 

 instead of answering, at the call of their names, "' I swear it," cried out, 

 " Present." 



All at once, the monoton^y of this scene was interrupted by a pupil, 

 son of the Conventionalist Brissot, who called out in a stentorian voice, 

 "I will not take the oath of obedience to the Emperor." Lacuee, pale, 

 and with little presence of mind, ordered a detachment of armed pupils 

 placed behind him to go and arrest the recusant. The detachment, of 

 which I was at the head, refused to obey. Brissot, addressing himself 

 to the General, with the greatest calmness said to him, " Point out 

 the place to which you wish me to go; do not force the pupils to dis- 

 honor themselves by laying hands on a comrade who has no desire to 

 resist." 



The next morning Brissot was expelled. 



About this time, M. Mechain, who had been sent to Spain to prolong 

 the meridional line as far as Formentera, died at Castellon de la Plana. 

 His son, secretary- at the observatory, immediately gave in his resigna- 

 tion. Poissou offered me the situation. I declined his first proposal. 

 I did not wish to renounce the military career, the object of all my pre- 

 dilections, and in which, morever, I was assured of the protection of 



