OBJECTS ILL USTRA TING SCIENCE. 87 



Nor have we failed to exhibit at Kensington the pendulum, by means 

 of which Foucault succeeded at the Panthdon in his first attempt to give 

 a direct demonstration of the rotation of the earth ; it is accompanied 

 by the plaster sphere on which he drew his preliminary figures, and 

 by the "entreteneur" which he had constructed afterwards in order to 

 make the demonstration continuous. The "entreteneur" is the one 

 which he sent to the Exhibition of 1855. 



I will not speak at greater length on this subject, especially as M. 

 Le Verrier intends soon coming among you to praise the English 

 astronomers, and particularly Bradley, for whom I know him to enter- 

 tain the utmost veneration, in consequence of the methods he has 

 followed, and of the marvellously accurate results they have always 

 produced. 



In calling your attention, Gentlemen, to a few of the historical ap- 

 paratus of French science, we have certainly not had the intention of 

 exciting competition. If it gives us pleasure to show our instruments, 

 we are also most happy to see yours ; and judging from what we have 

 already seen of your exhibition, there can be no doubt that if, under 

 the direction of my excellent friend Mr. Owen, whom I notice among 

 you, the idea was seriously entertained of devoting the great resources, 

 which you have at hand, to the foundation of an institution similar to 

 our Conservatoire, you would very soon obtain the most satisfactory 

 results. 



If such is your intention, we would seize the opportunity offered us 

 of assuring you of our hearty co-operation and assistance. 



We are, however, not generous enough to be careless ot any return 

 for our good wishes, and we are already thinking of asking your leave 

 to have copies made of some of your most precious documents : it is 

 good that it should be known everywhere with what a small instrument 

 great discoveries could be made in Newton's time, and it is also 

 necessary that our scientific men should have in their labora- 

 tories perfectly accurate copies of the apparatus of Wheatstone and 

 of Joule. 



When we shall possess authentic specimens of all your historical 

 models, and when you have copies of all ours, the yet unsettled points 

 in the history of science will decide themselves ; the same discovery 

 will bear everywhere the same name ; indisputable dates will put an 



