28 LIFE OF SADI CARNOT. 



opposed than he to the traditional and the con- 

 ventional. On his music-desk were seen only the 

 compositions of Lully that he had studied, and 

 the concert! of Viotti which he executed. On his 

 table were seen only Pascal, Moliere, or La Fon- 

 taine, and he knew his favorite books almost by 

 heart. I call this direction original, because it 

 was anterior to the artistic and literary movement 

 which preceded the revolution of 1830. As to the 

 sympathy of Sadi for the author of the Provin- 

 ciates, it was due not only to the respect of the 

 young mathematician for one of the masters of 

 science, but his devoutly religious mind regarded 

 with horror hypocrisy and hypocrites. 



Appreciating the useful and the beautiful, Sadi 

 frequented the museum of the Louvre and the 

 Italian Theatre, as well as the Jardin des Plantes 

 and the Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers. Music 

 was almost a passion with him. He probably in- 

 herited this from our mother, who was an excel- 

 lent pianist, to whom Dalayrac and especially 

 Monsigny, her compatriot, had given instruction. 

 Not content with being able to play well on the 

 violin, Sadi carried to great length his theoretical 

 studies. 



His insatiable intellect, moreover, would not 

 allow him to remain a stranger to any branch of 



