192 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 



" What science do you cultivate ? " 



My neiglibor ou the left immediately replied — 



"iZe cultivates astronomy." 



"What have you done?" 



My neighbour on the right, jealous of my left hand neighbor for 

 having encroached on his rights at the second question, now hastened to 

 reply, and said : 



"jffe has just been measuring the line of the meridian in Spain." 



The Emperor, imagining doubtless that he had before him either a 

 dumb man or an imbecile, passed on to another member of the Institute. 

 This one was not a novice, but a naturalist well known through his 

 beautiful and important discoveries, it was M. Lamarck. The old man 

 presented a book to Napoleon. 



"What is that?" said the latter, "it is your absurd meteorology, in 

 which you rival Matthieu Laensberg. It is this 'annuaire' which dis- 

 honors your old age. Do something in natural history, and I should 

 receive j^our productions with pleasure. As to this volume, I only take 

 it in consideration of your white hair. Herel" And he passed the 

 book to an aide-de-camp. 



Poor M. Lamarck, who, at the end of each sharp and insulting sentence 

 of the Emperor, tried in vain to say, "It is a work on natural history 

 which I present to you," was weak enough to fall into tears. 



The Emperor immediately afterward met with a more energetic antag- 

 onist in the person of M. Lanjuinais. The latter had advanced, book in 

 hand. Napoleon said to him, sneeringly: 



"The entire Senate, then, is to merge in the Institute?" "Sire," 

 replied Lanjuinais, "it is the body of the state to which most time is left 

 for occupying itself with literature." 



The Emperor, displeased at this answer, at once quitted the civil 

 uniforms, and busied himself among the great epaulettes which filled the 

 room. 



Immediately after my nomination I was exposed to strange annoyances 

 on the part of the military authorities. I had left for Spain, still holding 

 the title of pupil of the Polytechnic School. My name could not remain 

 on the books more than four years ; consequently I had been enjoined 

 to return to France to go through the examinations necessary on quit- 

 ting the school. But in the meantime Lalande died, and thus a place 

 in the Bureau of Longitude became vacant. I was named assistant 

 astronomer. These places were submitted to the nomination of the 

 Emperor. M. Lacu6e, director of the conscription, thought that, through 

 this latter circumstance, the law would be satisfied, and I was author- 

 ized to continue my operations. 



M. Matthieu Dumas, who succeeded him, looked at the question from 

 an entirely difterent point of view ; he enjoined me either to furnish 

 a substitute, or else set off myself with the contingent of the twelfth 

 arrondissement of Paris. 



