172 FRESNEL. 
ties arose on all sides. “If you execute your project,” 
they said to me, “the Institute will be abolished ; now, 
have you, the youngest member of the Academy, any 
right to provoke such a catastrophe?” And to support 
this remark, they pointed out to me several savants whose 
sole livelihood lay in their appointment as members of 
the Institute. These observations, strongly represented, 
shook my determination. The strife nevertheless became 
hotter; I could consent to read Fresnel’s éloge, but I ob- 
stinately refused to cut out the passages which just before 
had appeared to be irreproachable, on the necessity to 
comply with the charter strictly, if it was not wished 
to open again the career of revolutions. Cuvier, from 
friendship for me, and also from interest in the Academy, 
was especially eager to obtain these suppressions. I 
communicated this cireumstance to Villemain, who, with- 
out perceiving that the great naturalist was within hear- 
ing, exclaimed: “That is signal cowardice.” From 
thence quarrels and personalities arose, of which I should 
feel scruples in depositing the remembrance here. The 
result, at the time of this lamentable circumstance, was, 
that the passages in question were preserved in the read- 
ing, and became the object, on the part of the public, of 
enthusiastic applause, which did not appear to be merited 
either by the matter or the form. I must own that I was 
much surprised when, on coming out of the meeting, the 
Duke of Ragusa whispered to me, “God grant that I 
may not have to go to-morrow to seek for you at Vin- 
cennes.” 
