Lagrange' s Memoirs, 107 



the uneasiness that had there been given him by the revolution, of 

 the great and unexpected manner in which he had been indemnified 

 for it by a prince greater, more powerful, (and he might have added, 

 still more able io appreciate him,) who had decked him with honors 

 and dignities, and who, still recently, had just sent him the grand 

 cordon of the order of the re-union : indenmffied, in fine, by one 

 who, after having given him, during his life, unequivocal proofs of 

 the highest esteem, has just done for his widow and his brother, 

 more than ever Frederic had done for himself during all the time 

 that he had adorned his academy. 



He had aspired for neither honors nor riches ; but he received 

 them with a respectful gratitude, and delighted in them for the ben- 

 efit of the sciences. He thought fit to deck with these titles the 

 frontispiece of the work, which he caused to be printed, to show to 

 the universe to what degree the savans were honored in France. 



We see, by these last words, that he had not lost all hope of cure. 

 He simply believed that his convalescence would be long: he prom- 

 ised them, as soon as his powers returned, to go and dine with M. 

 le Comte de Lacepede, with MM. les Comtes Monge and Chap- 

 tal ; and there he proposed to give them on his life and his works 

 other details than they could find any where. These details are ir- 

 recoverably lost. We are still ignorant of what he had wished, and 

 what he might have been able to add to the second volume of his 

 Mecanique, already in the press. (This volume appeared in 1816.) 



During this conversation, which lasted more than two hours, his 

 memory often failed hiai : he made vain attempts to recall names 

 and dates ; but his language was coherent and full of strong thoughts 

 and bold expressions. This employment which he made of his 

 powers, exhausted him. Scarcely had his friends withdrawn, when 

 he fell into a deep faintness ; and he died on the 10th April, at nine 

 hours and three quarters of the morning. 



* * * * 



M. Lagrange was of a delicate but fair complexion : his tranquil- 

 lity, his moderation, an austere and frugal regimen, from which he 

 seldom deviated, prolonged his career until the age of seventy seven 

 years two months and three days. He had twice been married ; 

 the first time at Berlin, to do like all the other academicians, of whom 

 none lived in celibacy. He had caused to come from Turin a rela- 

 tive whom he married, and whom he lost after a long sickness, dur- 

 ing which he had lavished on her cares, the most tender, ingenious, 



