PRESENTED TO THE EMPEROR. 83 
right, not leaving me time to answer the simple enough 
question just addressed to me, hastened to say,— 
“ Fis name is Arago?” 
“ What science do you cultivate ? ” 
My neighbour on the left immediately replied,— 
“ He cultivates astronomy.” 
“ What have you done?” 
My neighbour on the right, jealous of my left hand 
neighbour for having encroached on his rights at the sec- 
ond question, now hastened to reply, and said,— 
“ He has just been measuring the line of the meridian 
in Spain.” | 
The Emperor imagining doubtless that he had before 
him either a dumb man or an imbecile, passed on to 
another member of the Institute. This one was not a 
novice, but a naturalist well known through his beautiful 
and important discoveries; it was M. Lamarck. The 
old man presented a book to Napoleon. 
“ What is that?” said the latter, “it is your absurd 
meteorology, in which you rival Matthieu Laensberg. It 
is this ‘annuaire’ which dishonours your old age. Do 
something in Natural History, and I should receive your 
productions with pleasure. As to this volume, I only 
take it in consideration of your white hair. Here!” 
And he passed the book to an aide-de-camp. 
Poor M. Lamarck, who, at the end of each sharp and 
insulting sentence of the Emperor, tried in vain to say, 
“Tt is a work on Natural History which I present to 
you,” was weak enough to fall into tears. 
The Emperor immediately afterwards met with a more 
energetic antagonist in the person of M. Lanjuinais. The 
latter had advanced, book in hand. Napoleon said to 
him, sneeringly :-— 
