314 THOMAS YOUNG. 



has been long the theatre of numerous and animated de- 

 bates. I have hesitated whether to risk offending the 

 feelings which this question has excited. The secretary 

 of an Academy occupied exclusively with the exact 

 sciences, might indeed, without impropriety, remit this 

 philological subject to other more competent judges. I 

 also feared, I will avow, to find myself in disagreement 

 on several important points with the illustrious man of 

 science whose labours it has been so delightful for me to 

 analyze, without having to add a word of criticism from 

 my pen. All these scruples, however, vanish when I re- 

 flect that the interpretation of hieroglyphics has been one 

 of the most beautiful discoveries of our age ; that Young 

 himself has mixed up my name with discussions relating 

 to it ; that to examine whether France can pretend to 

 this new title to glory, is to enhance the importance of 

 the task confided to me at this moment, and to perform 

 the duty of a good citizen. I am aware that some may 

 find narrowness in these sentiments. I am not ignorant 

 that the cosmopolitan spirit has its good side ; but with 

 what name shall I stigmatize it, if, when all neighbouring 



ference, that is to say, he showed that owing to the differing obliquities 

 of the paths of the rays within the crystal they would be unequally 

 retarded in their passage, and would consequently emerge in condi- 

 tions, with regard to length of route, respectively of accordance or dis- 

 cordance at corresponding distances round the centre line or axis of 

 the crystal, and thus might give rise to coloured rings. Arago, how- 

 ever, soon noticed that the explanation was incomplete; the main point 

 in fact remained to be accounted for, viz: why we see no colours till 

 the analyzer is applied, and why even the previous polarization is 

 necessary to the result. It was not until about two years afterwards 

 that Arago and Fresnel jointly succeeded in discovering a new law, 

 which not only furnished the complete solution of the polarized rings, 

 but at length cleared away all the difficulties which from the first had 

 surrounded the idea of polarization itself. For an account of this see 

 memoir of Fresnel. Translator. 



