SCENE AT THE POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL. 11 
the same mark, which was the mean between the actual 
merits of the two? For my part, I was associated with 
a comrade full of intelligence, but who had not studied 
this branch of the course. We agreed that he should 
leave the answering to me, and we found the arrange- 
ment advantageous to both. 
As I have been led to speak of the school as it was in 
1804, I will say that its faults were less those of organ- 
ization than those of personal management ; for many of 
the professors were much below their office, a fact which 
gave rise to somewhat ridiculous scenes. The pupils, for 
instance, having observed the insufficiency of M. Hassen- 
fratz, made a demonstration of the dimensions of the 
rainbow, full of errors of calculation, but in which the 
one compensated the other so that the final result was 
true. The professor, who had only this result whereby 
to judge of the goodness of the answer, when he saw it 
appear on the board, did not hesitate to call out, “ Good, 
good, perfectly good!” which excited shouts of laughtér 
on all the benches of the amphitheatre. 
When a professor has lost consideration, without which 
it is impossible for him to do well, they allow themselves 
to insult him to an incredible extent. Of this I will cite 
a single specimen. 
A pupil, M. Leboullenger, met one evening in com- 
pany this same M. Hassenfratz, and had a discussion 
with him. When he reéntered the school in the morn- 
ing, he mentioned this circumstance to us. “ Be on your 
guard,” said one of our comrades to him; “ you will be 
interrogated this evening. Play with caution, for the 
professor has certainly prepared some great difficulties 
so as to cause laughter at your expense.” 
Our anticipations were not mistaken. Scarcely had 
