108 Lagrange's Memoirs. 



and the most sustained. When he afterwards married in France 

 Mademoiselle Lemonnier, daughter of our celebrated astronomer, he 

 said to us, je ri'ai point eu d'enfans de mon premier marriage, je ne 

 sais si fen aurai du second, ^e n'en desire gueres. What he chiefly 

 desired, was an amiable companion, whose society could offer him 

 some relaxation in the intervals of his labors. In this respect there 

 was nothing more to be desired. Madame la Comtesse Lagrange, 

 daughter, granddaughter, and niece of members of the Academy of 

 Sciences, was worthy of appreciating the name which he was to 

 make her wear. This advantage, restoring in her eyes the inequal- 

 ity of their ages, she soon conceived for him the most tender attach- 

 ment. He was thankful for it to such a degree, that he could 

 scarcely bear to be separated from her, since it was for her alone, 

 that he felt any regret in leaving life : and since in fine he was 

 heard often to say, that of all his successes, what he valued most 

 was, that they had made him obtain a companion so tender and so 

 devoted. During the ten days that his sickness lasted, she did not 

 lose sight of him a moment, and employed them constantly in re- 

 viving his powers, and prolonging his existence. 



He loved retirement, but did not require it of the young wife 

 whom he had married : he went out then oftener, and showed him- 

 self in the world, where, on other accounts, his dignities obliged him 

 to appear. Very often it could be perceived that he pursued thither 

 his meditations, begun in his study ; it was said that he was not in- 

 sensible to the charms of music. In effect, when a reunion was 

 numerous, he was not displeased that a concert should interrupt the 

 conversation, and attract all attention. On one of these occasions, 

 I asked of him what he thought of music ? Je /' aime, parce gu' 

 elle m' isole, j' en ecoute les trois premieres mesures, a la guairieme 

 je ne distingue plus rien, je me livre a mes refiexions, rien ne m' in- 

 terrompt, et c' est ainsi que j' ai resolus plus d* un probleme difficile. 

 Thus for him, the finest work in music must have been that to which 

 he owed the most happy inspirations. 



Though he was blessed with a venerable figure, on which was 

 delineated his fine character, yet never would he consent to sit for 

 his portrait. More than once, by an address of a fair pretext, they 

 had led him in to the sittings of the Institute, in order to paint it 

 without his knowledge. An artist sent by the academy of Turin, drew 

 in this manner the sketch from which he made the bust so often ex- 

 posed in the hall of our private sessions, and still adorning our library. 



