COLLEGE LIFE. 61 



'Monday, September 29 (1789). 



' The day before yesterday all Berlin was astir. To see 

 Blanchard make his ascent was well worth the entrance-fee of 

 two thalers. The sight of the enormous machine twenty-six 

 feet in width the sight of the man who, with superhuman 

 boldness, dared in such a contrivance to cross the ocean, the 

 majestic movement of the balloon as it soared aloft, but chiefly 

 the thought of the rapid march of human civilisation, whereby 

 the third element had thus been brought into subjugation all 

 conspired to produce upon my mind a most powerful impres- 

 sion that stirred me to the heart. The balloon could be 

 watched in its course for more than half an hour. It fell be- 

 yond Franzosisch-Buchholz. The parachute with the grappling- 

 irons was a wonderful success ; it was sixteen minutes in coming 

 to the ground. But all this will be published in the news- 

 papers. Blanchard is by no means the mean character he 

 has been represented. I have met him at dinner at Herz's. 

 He boasts but little of his achievements, and Herz assures me 

 that he has a very fair acquaintance with physical science. He 

 is certainly conceited, but in his position who would not be so? 

 The stories told of him, that he gambles and has three wives, 

 are complete fabrications ; they are nevertheless believed by 

 everyone in Berlin. This is the result of our intercourse with 

 the philosophic Mirabeau ! Madame Blanchard is a woman of 

 refinement and of exemplary conduct, with whom I am well 

 acquainted. Her husband has received most lavish presents, 

 not only from the king, who gave him a snuff-box set with 

 brilliants and 400 gold Fredericks, but also from many persons 

 of the highest rank.' 1 . . . 



It is certain that no discovery of a purely scientific nature 

 had in the memory of man so completely aroused public atten- 

 tion as the invention of balloons. Great results were expected 

 to ensue, not only in the interests of science, but in the 

 furtherance of commerce and the useful arts, and all ranks in 



1 A munificence equally extraordinary was shown to the Ecglish phy- 

 sician Dr. Brown on the occasion of the inoculation of the prince. He 

 received an autograph letter of thanks from the king, the title of Privy- 

 Counsellor, a gift of 10,000 thalers, and a yearly pension of GOO thalers. 

 (See the ' Berlin Almanac ' for the year 1847.) 



