GRANGE. 
sies, the history: missal of so many associates. ‘‘ I do not know,” said 
macro cana he, “why they have retained me.’ But unless. the 
452 
La Grange, ged the object of his studies. M 
Joseph of human nature, that of different re 
havin of languages, medicine, botany, divided his lei- ion had been total, it could scarcely have ex« 
“’~" sure hours, When the. conversation turned. upon sub- cnlate tohim, The more losses. rp aS had 
jects with which it was supposed he was unacquainted, sustained, of the more im ce was it not to deprive - 
we were struck by an unexpected observation, a fine it of theconsideration attached to the nameof La 
thought, a profound view, which excited long reflec- 
tions. Surrounded by chemists who were reforming the 
theory and even the language of the science, he made 
himself acquainted with their discoveries, which geve 
to facts formerly isolated that connection ;which distin- 
guishes the different parts of mathematics. He under- 
took to make himself acquainted with this branch of 
knowledge, which formerly appeared to him so obscure, 
but which he found:on trial as easy as algebra. People 
hayvebeen surprised at this comparison, and have thought 
that it could come from no one‘else than La Grange. It 
appears to us as simple as just ; but itmust be taken inits 
true sense. Algebra, which ipresentsso many insoluble 
problems, so many difficulties against which La Grange 
himself struggled in vain, could not in that:sense appeat 
tohim an easy study. But he compares the new elements 
of chemistry with those of algebra. ‘They constituted 
a body, they were intelligible, they) offered more. cer- 
tainty ; they resembled ‘algebra, which in the patt:of it 
that is complete presents nothing difficult. to-conceive; 
no truth to which we may not arrive by the most pal- 
pable reasoning. The commencement of the science 
of chemistry appeared:to him to offer the-same: advan- 
tages, perhaps with somewhat less stability and certain- 
ty ; but, like algebra, it has no doubt also its difficul- 
ties, its paradoxes, which will require to explain them, 
much sagacity, reflection, and time. It:has likewisesits 
roblems which never will be resolved. 
In this philosophic repose he continued till the-Revo- 
lution, without adding any thing to his mathematical 
discoveries, or even opening his Mecanique Analytique, 
which had been publiehed for two aaa oft 
The Revolution gave philosophers:an opportunity»of 
making a great and difficult innovation ; the establish- 
ment of a system of weights and measures foundedion 
nature, and perfectly analogous to.our scale of numbers. 
La Grange was one of the commissioners whom the 
Academy charged with that task. He was onevof its 
keenest promoters. He wished)to see the decimalsys: 
tem in all.its purity. He was provoked at the:com- 
laisance of Borda, who got quarters of the metre made. 
He thought the objection of little importance which was 
drawn against the system from the small number of di- 
visors that its base afforded. He regretted that-it was 
not a prime number, as. 11, which would have given 
the same denominator to all, the fractions. This idea 
perhaps will be regarded as one of those exaggerations, 
which are hazarded by men of the best understandings, 
in thevheat ofidispute. But he mentioned’ the nuniber 
11 merely toget rid of the number 12 which: more jin+ 
trepid innovators.would ‘have wished» to»substitute in 
place of the number 10, that constitutes the base of the 
whole of our numeration. 
When the Academy was suppressed, the commission 
eharged' with the establishment.of the new system was 
retained for atime. Three months had scarcely elap- 
sed when, in order to purify that commission; the names | 
of Lavoisier, Borda, La. Place;::\Coulomb, Brisson; and 
Delambre, were struck out. La Grange was retained: 
In quality of president, he informed’ me, insalong letter 
full of kindness, that.I. should receive official informa- 
tion of my removal. As soon as:he saw me on re- 
turn to Paris, he expressed to me his regret: at: the dis- 
Besides, he was known. to be wholly devoted to the sci« 
ences; he had no place either in civil ni 
or the administration. _The moderation of his character 
had prevented him vom expressing what he could not 
but think in secret; but I shall never forget the con. 
versation which I had with him at that period. It;was 
the Cay after the atrocious and absurd sentence, contra- 
to every thing like justice, had thrown all lovers of 
sciences into mourning, by cuttin, pot fhe most il- 
lustrious philosopher in Europe: ‘It has cost them 
but a moment,” said -he, “ to cut. off that head, and a 
hundred years perhaps will not be sufficient to produce 
another like it.” . Some months before we had had a 
similar conversation in the cabinet of Lavoisier, on ace 
count of the death of the unfortunate Bailly, We la. 
mented together the dreadful consequences of the dan- 
gerous experiment which the French had,attempted. 
Ali these chimerical projects. of amelioration iappsnress 
to him very en ae proofs of the gre.cess of neg 
man mind, ‘ If you, wish to see it truly great,” added 
he, ‘enter into the cabinet.of Newton employed in de- 
pa We light, or in explaining the. system. of the 
world,” } : a 
. Already for some time he had regretted not having 
listened to the advice of his friends, who at the com- 
mencement of our troubles. had recommended him to 
seek an asylum, which it would have been;so. for 
him to find. As long as the revolution seemed only. to 
threaten the pension which he enjoyed in France, he 
had megientacstbiat consideration, out of curiosity to be 
upon the spot of one of those great convulsions which 
it is always more.prudent to observe at.adistance, ‘ It 
was your own.choice,” said. he several times to himself 
when:he entrusted. me with his regret. It.was.tono - 
purpose that a special decree of the i As- 
sembly had ensured the payment of his pension. The 
decree was of no value, because the depreciation of the 
rcurrency was sufficient to render,it illusory, He 
been named member of the Board of Consultation, 
appointed to.examine and reward useful inventions. He 
had been) inted. one of the administrators of. 
Mint. This commission offered. him, few objects .to 
his attention, and could in no degree remove his, 
hensions._ It was again proposed to.draw him, —— 
lin, and-to restore him to his:former situation, He had 
agreed tothe proposal. Herault de Sechelles, to whom 
he had applied for a passport, offered him, for the great- 
er security, a mission to. Prussia.. Madame La Grange 
would not consent, to! quit her country... This.repug 
nance, which at thattime he.consideredias.a misfortune, 
was to him a source of fortune andiof new glory... 
The»Normal School;,,of; which he was named; profes- 
sor, but which had. only an ephemeral existence, scarcer 
ly gave him time to explain his.ideas respecting,the 
foundation of arithmetic and algebra, and their applicae 
tion to. etry. pau iy 
The Polytechnic School, the result of a happier idea, 
had likewise amore durable success :.and)among the 
best:effects which. it: produced, we may place that of 
having ‘restored LaGrange to, Analysis. It was there 
that he had an opportunity. of developing those jideas, 
the germ of which was to be found.intwo memoirs that - 
he:had;published in. 1772, and the objectof which was 
5 
