PERVIKW WITH NAPOLEON 207 



ienee he teemed to know little more than any well- 



ncated gentleman, and of astronomy much toe* 



r stance than our own King. Hi* general air/ 



van Horn- ike affecting to know more 



titan he did know.' He was high and tried to he 



.it with Henchol, I suppoee, without success; and 



marked/ said the astronomer, 'his hypocrisy in 



coiiclu.iin.: thf conversation on astronomy by observing 



,11 tins.* glorious views gave proofs of an 



Wisdom.' I asked him if he thought the 



stem of Laplace to be quite certain, with regard 



the total security of the planetary system from 



I. the effects of gravitation losing its present balance? 



.-lid, No ; he thought by no means that the universe 



was secured from the chance of sudden losses of 



parts." 



is unfortunate that no other record exists of the 

 estimate formed of Napoleon by Herschel. Campbell 

 iy have imported into the astronomer's words turns 

 of thought which he never meant to convey, and a 

 m is sometimes more free of speech in conversa- 

 han he would be in print. An interviewer, as 

 \ modern journalism has proved, may, even wi 

 knowing it, give an unhappy twist to a man's words 

 hough ta. Assuming, however, that the poet's 

 ;>ort is strictly correct, and remembering that the 

 great bitterness of Uerechel's life sprang from a 

 French victory, unforgettable by him or his relations, 

 his words must be received with a discount unavoid- 

 able in the circumstances. Both poet and astronomer 

 r feelings, perhaps, by the use of the long 

 obsolete title " First Consul " instead of the bettor 

 known " Emperor/' and it ought never to have 



