84 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 



&quot; The entire Senate, then, is to merge in the Insti 

 tute?&quot; &quot;Sire,&quot; replied Lanjuinais, &quot;it is the body of 

 the state to which most time is left for occupying itself 

 with literature.&quot; 



The Emperor, displeased at this answer, at once quit 

 ted 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 examina 

 tions necessary on quitting the school. But in the mean 

 time Lalande died, and thus a place in the Bureau of 

 Longitude became vacant. I was named assistant astron 

 omer. These places were submitted to the nomination of 

 the Emperor. M. Lacuee, Director of the Conscription, 

 thought that, through this latter circumstance, the law 

 would be satisfied, and I was authorized to continue my 

 operations. 



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

 question from an entirely different point of view ; he en 

 joined me either to furnish a substitute, or else to set off 

 myself with the contingent of the twelfth arrondissement 

 of Paris. 



All my remonstrances and those of my friends having 

 been fruitless, I announced to the honourable General 

 that I should present myself in the Place de 1 Estrapade, 

 whence the conscripts had to depart, in the costume of a 

 member of the Institute : and that thus I should march 

 on foot through the city of Paris. General Matthieu 

 Dumas was alarmed at the effect which this scene would 



