CONVERSATIONAL POWERS. 439 



life in retirement and in the discharge of academic duties. 

 To converse had become the half of his existence. Those 

 who have been disposed to consider this the subject of 

 just reproach, have no doubt forgotten that constant re- 

 flection is no less imperiously forbidden to man than the 

 abuse of physical powers. Repose, in every thing, re- 

 cruits our frail machine ; but, Gentlemen, he who desires 

 repose may not obtain it. Interrogate your own recol- 

 lections and say, if, when you are pursuing a new truth, 

 a walk, the intercourse of society, or even sleep, have 

 the privilege of distracting you from the object of your 

 thoughts ? The extremely shattered state of Fourier's 

 health enjoined the most careful attention. After many 

 attempts, he only found one means of escaping from the 

 contentions of mind which exhausted him : this consisted 

 in speaking aloud upon the events of his life ; upon his 

 scientific labours, which were either in course of being 

 planned, or which were already terminated ; upon the 

 acts of injustice of which he had reason to complain. 

 Every person must have remarked, how insignificant 

 was the state which our gifted colleague assigned to those 

 who were in the habit of conversing with him ; we are 

 now acquainted with the cause of this. 



Fourier had preserved, in old age, the grace, the 

 urbanity, the varied knowledge which, a quarter of a 

 century previously, had imparted so great a charm to 

 his lectures at the Polytechnic School. There was a 

 pleasure in hearing him relate the anecdote which the 

 listener already knew by heart, even the events in which 

 the individual had taken a direct part. I happened to be 

 a witness of the kind of fascination which he exercised 

 upon his audience, in connection with an incident which 

 deserves to be known, for it will prove that the word 

 which I have just employed is not in anywise exaggerated. 



