A POLITICIAN. 31 



there married Mademoiselle Dupont, daughter of a mili- 

 tary administrator born in that country. His political 

 principles, the moderation of his conduct, and his varied 

 knowledge, shortly procured him the honour of represent- 

 ing the department of the Pas-de-Calais in the Legisla- 

 tive Assembly. From this period Carnot gave himself 

 up entirely to the imperious duties which were imposed 

 on him, either by the choice of his fellow-citizens, or the 

 voice of his colleagues. The public character almost 

 entirely absorbed that of the geometer : this last only 

 showed itself henceforth at long intervals. 



Here, Gentlemen, two roads present themselves to me ; 

 one is smooth and open, the other bordered by precipices. 

 If I listened to some persons whose good will towards me 

 has rendered them timid, I should not hesitate to choose 

 the first. To take the other would be to incur, I am 

 well aware, the reproach of imprudence and blindness. 

 Heaven keep me from supposing that I am strong enough 

 to struggle against such clear and decided opinions ; but 

 wretched considerations of self-love will always vanish 

 from my sight before the sentiment of duty. Now, I ask, 

 should I not deeply wound the public conscience if, in this 

 area consecrated to the arts, letters, and sciences, I con- 

 fined myself to speaking of Carnot as an academician ? 

 Without doubt one might, whilst developing before you 

 the long series of discoveries of this or that illustrious 

 savant, endowed during his life with the title of senator, 

 legitimately very legitimately cry out that posterity 

 would not preserve any recollection of functions without 

 effect, and which, moreover, descending from one degra- 

 dation to another, had ended by reducing themselves to a 

 monthly communication with the treasury ; but it would 

 be an antinational and ungrateful act to apply such words 



