84 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 



" The entire Senate, then, is to merge in the Insti- 

 tute?" "Sire," replied Lanjuinais, "it is the body of 

 the state to which most time is left for occupying itself 

 with literature." 



The Emperor, displeased at this answer, at once quit- 

 ted the civil uniforms, and busied himself among the 

 great epaulettes which filled the room. 



Immediately after my nomination, I was exposed to 

 strange annoyances on the part of the military authorities. 

 I had left for Spain, still holding the title of pupil of the 

 Polytechnic School. My name could not remain on the 

 books more than four years ; consequently I had been 

 enjoined to return to France to go through the examina- 

 tions necessary on quitting the school. But in the mean- 

 time Lalande died, and thus a place in the Bureau of 

 Longitude became vacant. I was named assistant astron- 



o 



omer. These places were submitted to the nomination of 

 the Emperor. M. Lacuee, Director of the Conscription, 

 thought that, through this latter circumstance, the law 



C ' C 3 



would be satisfied, and I was authorized to continue my 

 operations. 



M. Matthieu Dumas, who succeeded him, looked at the 

 question from an entirely different point of view ; he en- 

 joined me either to furnish a substitute, or else to set off 

 myself with the contingent of the twelfth arrondissement 

 of Paris. 



All my remonstrances and those of my friends having 

 been fruitless, I announced to the honourable General 

 that I should present myself in the Place de 1'Estrapade, 

 whence the conscripts had to depart, in the costume of a 

 member of the Institute ; and that thus I should march 

 on foot through .the city of Paris. General Matthieu 

 Dumas was alarmed at the effect which this scene would 



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