CONCLUSION. 115 



Equally with this illustrious general of Louis XIV. 

 did Carnot omit his own participation, both in his private 

 communications and when he wrote to the Convention. 

 I have related to you the part he acted at the battle of 

 Wattignies ; well, read the bulletin which that decisive 

 and memorable event inspired him to write, and you will 

 in vain seek a few words to recall the representative of 

 the people ; unless, indeed, we are determined to see 

 them in this passage : " The Republicans charged for- 

 ward with the bayonet, and remained victorious." 



But all of you, who knew Carnot, will agree with me, 

 that unless he was pressingly and directly solicited, he 

 would never entertain you with the European events 

 which he had so often directed. Justly jealous of the 

 esteem of France, the old Director, during his exile, 

 answered the diatribes of his accusers in writing. His 

 style on these occasions was lively, poignant, and cut 

 deep ; it was evident at each line that it proceeded from 

 an ulcerated heart. Yet the most legitimate irritation 

 never led him beyond the circle that his enemies had 

 traced out. His defence in some parts might resemble 

 an attack ; but at bottom, on close examination, it was 

 still a defence. Carnot rejected far from him, the idea 

 of raising a pedestal to himself with the immortal trophies 

 that he had reaped during his Conventional and Directo- 

 rial career. Modesty, Gentlemen, is a good alloy when 

 it triumphs thus over anger. 



In regard to science, the illustrious academician was 

 not less reserved. One would have said, indeed, that he 

 regulated his conduct according to that reflection of the 

 oldest and most ingenious of your interpi-eters : " When 

 a learned man speaks to instruct other men, and exactly 

 in that line of instruction that they wish to acquire, he 



