EXAMINER IN THE ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE. 275 



eters had rendered to the Ecole Polytechnique. In the 

 public courses, the pupils claim that the professors should 

 be earnest, lucid, and methodical ; but it is no concern 

 of theirs to inquire whether other audiences in other 

 establishments receive instruction from the same men. 

 The sciences will not appear an idle superfluity ; and we 

 may admit that Papin, in inventing the steam-engine ; 

 Pascal, in pointing out the principle of the hydraulic 

 press ; Lebon, in imagining lighting by gas ; Berthollet, 

 in inventing bleaching by chlorine ; Leblanc in teaching 

 us to extract from sea-water the soda which formerly had 

 to be imported at high prices ; have nobly paid to soci 

 ety the debt of science. 



If we ought to believe some persons, whose intentions 

 I would rather commend than their enlightenment, I 

 should have to enumerate a long series of prejudices, and 

 should have to defend the author of so many beautiful 

 discoveries, the originator of a new system of light 

 houses, the man of science whose name navigators will 

 eternally bless, from the charge of having desired, by the 

 union of two offices, to procure for himself an annual 

 life-income of 12,000 francs, of which the greatest part 

 would certainly have been devoted to the expenses of 

 new researches. The defence of our colleague would, 

 without doubt, be an easy task ; but I may omit it ; 

 Fresnel did not obtain the employment he sought, and 

 that from causes which I would willingly pass over in 

 silence, if they were not such as to give me occasion for 

 showing that men of letters, whose character there 

 have recently been attempts to dishonour, by represent 

 ing them as harpies rushing without rule or moderation 

 to prey upon the public purse, know well how to 

 renounce nobly the most desirable offices, even those 



