36 LIFE OF SADI CARNOT. 



justice and of liberty. We can follow therein the 

 traces of all his various studies. But the only 

 work that he actually completed is this which is 

 here published. It will suffice to preserve his 

 name from oblivion. 



His moral character has other claims on our 

 recognition. Our only ambition here is to present 

 a sketch of it. But, much better than through 

 the perusal of these few pages, Sadi Carnot can be 

 appreciated by reading the thoughts scattered 

 through his memoranda, which are to be carefully 

 collected. There are many practical rules of con- 

 duct which he records for himself ; many observa- 

 tions that he desires to fix in his memory ; some- 

 times an impression that has just come to him, 

 grave or gay ; sometimes too, though rarely, a 

 trace of ill-humor directed against men or society. 

 He never thought that these notes, the outpouring 

 of his mind, would be read by other eyes than his 

 own, or that they would some day be used to judge 

 him. I find in them, for my part, touching analo- 

 gies with the thoughts of my father, although the 

 father and son had, unfortunately, lived almost 

 always apart, by force of circumstances.* 



* See the Appendix for these memoranda, and for other 

 previously unpublished matter. 



