A POLITICIAN. 31 



there married Mademoiselle Dupont, daughter of a mili- 

 tary administrator born in that country. His political 

 principles, the moderation of his conduct, and his varied 

 knowledge, shortly procured him the honour of represent- 

 ing the department of the Pas-de-Calais in the Legisla- 

 tive Assembly. From this period Carnot gave himself 

 up entirely to the imperious duties which were imposed 

 on him, either by the choice of his fellow-citizens, or the 

 voice of his colleagues. The public character almost 

 entirely absorbed that of the geometer : this last only 

 showed itself henceforth at long intervals. 



Here, Gentlemen, two roads present themselves to me ; 

 one is smooth and open, the other bordered by precipices. 

 If I listened to some persons whose good will towards me 

 has rendered them timid, I should not hesitate to choose 

 the first. To take the other would be to incur, I am 

 well aware, the reproach of imprudence and blindness. 

 Heaven keep me from supposing that I am strong enough 

 to struggle against such clear and decided opinions ; but 

 wretched considerations of self-love will always vanish 

 from my sight before the sentiment of duty. Now, I ask, 

 should I not deeply wound the public conscience if, in this 

 area consecrated to the arts, letters, and sciences, I con- 

 fined myself to speaking of Carnot as an academician ? 

 Without doubt one might, whilst developing before you 

 the long series of discoveries of this or that illustrious 

 savant, endowed during his life with the title of senator, 

 legitimately — very legitimately — cry out that posterity 

 would not preserve any recollection of functions without 

 effect, and which, moreover, descending from one degra- 

 dation to another, had ended by reducing themselves to a 

 monthly communication with the treasury ; but it would 

 be an antinational and ungrateful act to apply such words 



