1 7S Memoir of the Late Caspar d Mange. 



In traversing Italy to collect the statues and pictures that had 

 been ceded lo France, Monije was struck with the singular con- 

 trast between the Grecian monuments of the arts, and those of 

 the Egyptians, transported bv Augustus and his successors to the 

 shores of the Tiber. The comparative characters of the ancient 

 monuments were the frequent subject of conversation between 

 the conqueror of Italy and the commissary who collected for his 

 country the most precious fruits of victory. Monge conceived 

 the idea of extending the domain of history beyond the fabulous 

 ages of Greece ; of learning with the certainty of a geometer what 

 were the labours of the ancient sages of the East; of discovering 

 afresh, by the contemplation of their monuments, what had been 

 the processes of their arts, the uhagcs of their public life, the order 

 and the majesty of their feasts, and of their ceremonies. 



Monge, charged by the Gcncral-in-chicf to carry to the Direc- 

 tory the treaty of Campo Formio, was a short time afterwards 

 placed in the first rank of the literary men who composed the 

 Commission of sciences and arts which were to accompany the 

 expedition to Egypt. He was the first that was appointed Pre- 

 sident of the Institute of Egypt formed on the model of the French 

 Institute. He visited the pyramids twice, he saw the obelisk and 

 the grand ruins of Hciropolis, he studied the remains of antiquity 

 scattered round Cairo and Alexandria. It was during a tedious 

 march in the middle of the Desert that he discovered the cause of 

 that wonderful pha-nomenon known by the name of mirage. At 

 the time of the revolt of Cairo there were in the city only a few de- 

 tachments of the troops. The palace of the Institute was guarded 

 bv the members themselves ; and it was proposed to sally out and 

 join the main gUard ; but Monge and Berthollet, considering that 

 the jialace contained the books, manuscripts, plans, and anti- 

 (|uities, which were the fruits of the expedition, maintained that 

 it was the duty of the members to guard this precious deposit, 

 and that they ought to defend that treasure at the hazard of their 

 lives. 



Monge presided in the Commission of the sciences and the arts 

 in Egypt ; he contributed by his counsels to form that wise plan, 

 and by arranging and proportioning the various parts, endeavour- 

 ed to execute it in the utmost perfection. 



Monge had an admirable method of exposing the most abstract 

 truths, and of rendering them plain by the language of action. 

 Nevertheless it was only by combating with nature that he was 

 able to become an excellent Professor: he spoke with difficulty, 

 and almost stammered ; the prosody of his discourse was vicious, 

 for he lengthened some syllables falsely, and shortened others. 

 His physiognomy, naturally calm, exhibited the appearance of 

 meditation ; but a^ soon us he spoke, he appeared ([uitc another 

 . . man ; 



