130 MEMOIR OF AUGUSTUS DE MORGAN. 



1846. glory might be taken by another. These apprehensions 



Ne e ume net were SOOn ( l u ^ ete( ^ ^J tne generous and graceful statements 

 of the three persons most concerned Mr. Adams, the 

 Astronomer Boyal, and the Cambridge Astronomer. But 

 there appeared violent articles in some of the French 

 newspapers, which, however, were disclaimed by MM. 

 Arago, Leverrier, and others. There was, nevertheless, 

 some amount of irritability displayed on the first an- 

 nouncement to the Institute, though the more forbearing 

 majority concurred with M. Libri, who said : ' En atten- 

 dant, il est essential de proceder avec la plus grande 

 calrne a 1'examen de cette affaire. Plus on y mettra de 

 reserve et d'urbanite, plus nous en avons Passurance 

 Peffet sera favorable aux Astronomes Fran9ais.' 



The Academy itself suppressed any feeling of jealous^-, 

 and showed itself perfectly ready to discuss the question 

 of the relative merits of the discoverers with fairness. But 

 M. Arago refused to allow the Englishman's claim, saying 

 that Mr. Adams ' was not entitled to the slightest 

 allusion in the history of the discovery.' In reference to 

 this access of national feeling, which was afterwards 

 carried out by M. Arago's persistent effort to have the 

 planet named Leverrier, Mr. De Morgan wrote : 



Arago. Let M. Arago refrain. There will be one part of this matter 



the less subjected to his distorting mirror of national bias, in 

 which the distortion is rendered less perceptible by brightness of 

 style and clearness of illustration. We should be the last to 

 deny the varied talents, deep knowledge of present science, ad- 

 mirable enthusiasm, and concentrated power of producing effect, 

 which the distinguished Secretary of the Institute brings to his 

 part. But as an historian of science, he may be held to be the 

 Bailli of the day, his mania, however, being French and not 

 Hindoo. And we may be satisfied that among the French them- 

 selves this Bailli will some day find his Delambre. His ideas 

 are so confused by the state in which the fear of an English 

 claim has put him, that he styles his own determination to call 

 the new planet by no name but that of Leverrier, an undeniable 

 proof of his own love of the sciences, and an adherence to a 

 legitimate sentiment of nationality. 



