110 Mary Somerville. 



very good, and Madame Biot was at great pains in 

 placing every one. Those present were Monsieur 

 and Madame Arago, Monsieur and Madame Poisson, 

 who had only been married the day before, and 

 Baron Humboldt The conversation was lively and 

 entertaining. 



The consulate and empire of the first Napoleon 

 was the most brilliant period of physical astronomy 

 in France. La Grange, who proved the stability of 

 the solar system, La Place, Biot, Arago, Bouvard, 

 and afterwards Poinsot, formed a perfect constella- 

 tion of undying names ; yet the French had been 

 for many years inferior to the English in practical 

 astronomy. The observations made at Greenwich 

 by Bradley, Maskelyn, and Pond, have been so ad- 

 mirably continued under the direction of the present 

 astronomer-royal, Mr. Airy, the first practical astro- 

 nomer in Europe, that they have furnished data for 

 calculating the astronomical tables both in France 

 and England. 



The theatre was at this time very brilliant in 

 Paris. We saw Talma, who was considered to be 

 the first tragedian of the age in the character of Tan- 

 crede. I admired the skill with which he overcame 

 the disagreeable effect which the rhyme of the French 

 tragedies has always had on me. Notwithstand- 

 ing his personal advantages, I thought him a great 



