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 beey 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. Jam 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. 
