364 Biographical Notice of Haiiy. 
-Reve-Just Havy honorary canon of Notre-Dame, 
member of the Academy of Sciences, and of the greater 
part of those of Europe, was born on the 28th of February 
1743, at Saint-Just a little village in the department of 
POise. He was the elder brother of the late Mr. Haty, 
so well known as the inventor of a method of instruction 
for the blind. The father of these two children, who were 
destined to extend the bounds of science, and enlarge its 
applications, was a poor weaver, who, according to all 
appearances would never have been able to give his sons 
any other profession than his own, if some generous per- 
sons had not come to his assistance. There was then at 
St. Just an Abbey, in which the young Haiiy attended with 
assiduity to the religious ceremonies that were practised 
and shewed much taste for the sacred music of the church. 
He drew the attention of the Prior who sent for him, in- 
terrogated him, and struck with the extraordinary intelli- 
gence of the child, had him instructed by some of the re- 
ligious incumbents of the Abbey. The progress of the 
scholar was so rapid that his masters engaged his mother 
to take him to, Paris, where he would certainly find the 
means of continuing his studies. The courageous mother 
followed this advice, notwithstanding that difficulties of all 
kinds presented themselves, and persevered through all the 
trials which she had to sustain in supporting herself and 
her son in a great city, where she found herself without 
resources. The first relief which she obtained after a 
long period of expectation, was a place for her son as one 
of the infant Choristers ina church in the Faaxbourg-St. 
Antoine. The young Hat was able to improve upon the 
simple instruction which he received in that employment ; 
he became a good musician. At length his protectors ob- 
tained for him a purse in the college of Navarre, and it is 
from his entrance into this college that we must date the 
commencement of his regular studies. His conduct se- 
cured the esteem and attachment of his professors ; and 
when he ceased to be a scholar, though still very young, 
his masters judged him to be worthy of sharing with them 
in their labours. At the age of 21 he was regent of the 
fourth, and some time after, he passed as regent of the 
second to the college of Cardinal Lemoine. Nothing, 
until then, had directed his attention to the natural sci- 
