Notes on the Life of Arago. 55 



— -It is a duty, and at the same time a very sad honour, for me 

 to express a sentiment which now fills every heart. Thy con- 

 stant solicitude for the progress of human knowledge has 

 always induced thee to take the young by the hand, and to 

 inspire them with thy passion for science. On the eve of thy 

 death, the last word which thou spoke to us was, ' Work ; 

 work diligently.' 



" This sublime lesson will remain engraven on the heart 

 of every young philosopher. They will feel compelled to fol- 

 low the path which thy genius has opened. In falling asleep 

 into immortality, thou hast desired to teach them that work 

 is the only means of doing service to their country and hu- 

 manity. Thanks on their behalf. Adieu, in the name of 

 youth — in the name of its admiration of thee — of its love 

 for thy memory — I tell it thee — you may count upon it. 

 Adieu !" 



M. Arago was born in the village of Estager, near Perpig- 

 nan, in the Pyrenees, on the 26th of February 1786, and he 

 died at the Observatory in Paris on Sunday the 2d of Octo- 

 ber ; consequently he was in the 68th year of his age. Gifted 

 by nature with powers of a higher order than those which 

 are usually bestowed on man, he possessed or acquired 

 habits of industry which enabled him to develop them in all 

 their fulness. Like the majority of really great men, he was 

 the architect of his own fortune. He owed little to fortuitous 

 circumstances ; and, indeed, achieved much when serious ob- 

 stacles were put in his path. Suffering no difficulty to bear 

 him back, he rose always superior to misfortune ; and, with 

 great honesty of purpose and indomitable independence, he 

 laboured towards the end which he had in view. From his 

 boyhood this appears to have been his character. When a 

 youth in the College of Perpignan, his ambition was excited 

 by the appearance of, and the respect paid to, an engineer en 

 chef. He learned that this honour might be obtained by 

 means of the Polytechnic School, and that a searching exa- 

 mination in mathematics must be gone through to ensure his 

 admission to that institution. Francois Arago then seriously 

 commenced mathematical studies, and in 1804 he entered the 

 school in question with the highest honours. 



