NOMINATED AN ACADEMICIAN. 79 



ties ; but it proved otherwise. The intervention of M. 

 de Laplace, before the day of ballot, was active and in- 

 cessant to have my admission postponed until the time 

 when a vacancy, occurring in the geometry section, might 

 enable the learned assembly to nominate M. Poisson at 

 the same time as me. The author of the Mecanique 

 Celeste had vowed to the young geometer an unbounded 

 attachment, completely justified, certainly, by the beauti- 

 ful researches which science already owed to him. M. 

 de Laplace could not support the idea that a young 

 astronomer, younger by five years than M. Poisson, a 

 pupil, in the presence of his professor at the Polytechnic 

 School, should become an academician before him. He 

 proposed to me, therefore, to write to the Academy that 

 I would not stand for election until there should be a sec- 

 ond place to give to Poisson. I answered by a formal 

 refusal, and giving my reasons in these terms : "I care 

 little to be nominated at this moment. I have decided 

 upon leaving shortly with M. de Humboldt for Thibet. 

 In those savage regions the title of member of the Insti- 

 tute will not smooth the difficulties which we shall have 

 to encounter. But I would not be guilty of any rudeness 

 towards the Academy. If they were to receive the dec- 

 laration for which I am asked, would not the savans who 

 compose this illustrious body have a right to say to me : 

 * How are you certain that we have thought of you ? 

 You refuse what has not yet been offered to you.' " 



On seeing my firm resolution not to lend myself to the 

 inconsiderate course which he had advised me to follow, 

 M. de Laplace went to work in another way ; he main- 

 tained that I had not sufficient distinction for admission 

 into the Academy. I do not pretend that, at the age of 

 three-and-twenty, my scientific attainments were very 



