154 THE AGE OF ELECTRICITY. 



Rouelle and Vauqueliii were both born in the subnrbs of Caen of the 

 most lowly families, who, by stubborn labor and struggle with the 

 difticnlties of life, reached the highest station in science. Earnest- 

 ness in teaching and uncommon skill in experimenting made Rouelle 

 famous. It is said of him that when before an audience he was not 

 quite himself until he had doffed his coat and wig, Yauqueliu had 

 received but indiflerent instruction in his native village. On the advice 

 of an intelligent mother he left his home at the age of 14 to make a 

 living as a laboratory boy in apothecary shojis, where he stealthily 

 learned the chemistry of the times. 



On being introduced to Fourcroy he had at last some leisure in which 

 to perfect his knowledge, adding thereto the ancient languages; became 

 the collaborator of his master; and occupied in turn the chairs of the 

 ficole Polyteclinique, the l^>ole des Mines, the College de France, 

 the I*]cole de Pharmacie, the Faculte de Medecine, and the Museum 

 d'Histoire Naturelle. 



"After living," says Cuvier, " in circumstances closely resembling 

 destitution, and being pushed by others into the possession of quite a 

 considerable fortune, which increased all the more rapidly, as he never 

 had any ])ersonal cravings, he always held to the habits of liis youth. 

 He would return to his village every year and there meet his old 

 mother without whom lie would accept no invitation, whatever might 

 be the station and wealth of those who asked his company." 



Dumont-Durville, born in 1700 at Condi'sur-Noireau (Calvados), has 

 carried the flag of his country over every sea on the surface of the 

 globe, striking the seafaring world with amazement at the boldness of 

 his uiulertakings and bringing from his travels scientitic treasures of 

 every description, until the end came, after going through the most 

 daring ventures in safety, by his being burned to death in a railroad 

 accident. It was no vanity for him to say: "An iron will never per- 

 mitted any obstacle to stand in my way. When I had once made up 

 my mind to perish or succeed, I was proof against any wavering, 

 against any uncertainty." 



There is at Beaumont-en- Auge a house which bears on its front an 

 inscription that begins thus: 



"lu this humble dwelling Laplace was born." 



I curtail the citation so as not to lay the inspiration of this homely 

 poetry open to criticism, but it is pleasant to ftnd in it the homage of 

 his countrymen to one of the greatest minds of the century. In his 

 oration, delivered before the Academy of Sciences, Fourier said : 



"The M'onders of heaven, the high questions of philosophy, the 

 ingenious and profound combinations of mathematical analysis, all the 

 laws of tlie universe, have for over sixty years occupied his mind, and 

 his efforts have been crowned with immortal discoveries. - - - 



"It can not be asserted that he would have been cjualitied to create 

 some entirely new science, as was done by Archimedes and Galileo; 



