SCENE AT THE POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL. 11 



the same mark, which was the mean between the actual 

 merits of the two ? For my part, I was associated with 

 a comrade full of intelligence, but who had not studied 

 this branch of the course. We agreed that he should 

 leave the answering to me, and we found the arrange- 

 ment advantageous to both. 



As I have been led to speak of the school as it was in 

 1804, 1 will say that its faults were less those of organ- 

 ization than those of personal management ; for many of 

 the professors were much below their office, a fact which 

 gave rise to somewhat ridiculous scenes. The pupils, for 

 instance, having observed the insufficiency of M. Hassen- 

 fratz, made a demonstration of the dimensions of the 

 rainbow, full of errors of calculation, but in which the 

 one compensated the other so that the final result was 

 true. The professor, who had only this result whereby 

 to judge of the goodness of the answer, when he saw it 

 appear on the board, did not hesitate to call out, " Good, 

 good, perfectly good ! " which excited shouts of laughter 

 on all the benches of the amphitheatre. 



When a professor has lost consideration, without which 

 it is impossible for him to do well, they allow themselves 

 to insult him to an incredible extent. Of this I will cite 

 a single specimen. 



A pupil, M. Leboullenger, met one evening in com- 

 pany this same M. Hassenfratz, and had a discussion 

 with him. When he reentered the school in the morn- 

 ing, he mentioned this circumstance to us. " Be on your 

 guard," said one of our comrades to him ; " you will be 

 interrogated this evening. Play with caution, for the 

 professor has certainly prepared some great difficulties 

 so as to cause laughter at your expense." 



Our anticipations were not mistaken. Scarcely had 



