HIS REPUGNANCE TO VERBAL DISCUSSIONS. 441 



" Do not be anxious upon this point," replied the 

 officer, who at that moment seemed to awaken from a 

 long dream. " In case of necessity, I might guarantee 

 the accuracy of your statement. It was I who, at the 

 head of the grenadiers of the 13th and 85th semi-bri- 

 gades, forced the entrenchments of Mattaryeh, by passing 

 over the dead bodies of the Janissaries ! " 



My neighbour was General Tarayre : you may imagine 

 much better than I can express, the effect of the few 

 words which had just escaped from him. Fourier made 

 a thousand excuses, while I reflected upon the seductive 

 influence, upon the power of language, which for more 

 than half an hour had robbed the celebrated general 

 even of the recollection of the part which he had played 

 in the battle of giants he was listening to. 



The more our secretary had occasion to converse, the 

 greater repugnance he experienced to verbal discussions. 

 Fourier cut short every debate as soon as there presented 

 itself a somewhat marked difference of opinion, only to 

 resume afterwards the same subject upon the modest pre- 

 text of making a small step in advance each time. Some 

 one asked Fontaine, a celebrated geometer of this Acad- 

 emy, how he occupied his thoughts in society, wherein 

 he maintained an almost absolute silence : " I observe," 

 he replied, " the vanity of mankind, to wound it as occa- 

 sion offers." If, like his predecessor, Fourier also studied 

 the baser passions which contend for honours, riches, and 

 power, it was not in order to engage in hostilities with 

 them : resolved never to compromise matters with them, 

 he yet so calculated his movements beforehand, as not to 

 find himself in their way. We perceive a wide difference 

 between this disposition and the ardent impetuous char- 

 acter of the young orator of the popular society of 

 Auxerre. But what purpose would philosophy serve, 



