Notes on the Life of Arago. 67 



once its entire bearing, and advanced himself by rapid strides 

 to the elucidation of the fact. His suggestions were the 

 guiding stars of science in France ; his experiments were the 

 foundations on which new sciences were to be built. Arago 

 never allowed his thoughts to be involved in a theory; he 

 accepted a theory as a means of advancing, but was ever 

 ready to abandon it when it was found that facts favoured a 

 contrary view. In the history of philosophy, his name will 

 have enduring fame, not from the discoveries which he made, 

 but from the aid which he gave to science in all its depart- 

 ments by his prompt and unfailing penetration. A member 

 of nearly all the scientific societies of Europe, he was the 

 point uniting them in a common bond. In every part of the 

 civilized world his name was regarded with reverence, and 

 all scientific communities felt that they had lost a friend 

 when they heard of the death of the Astronomer of France. 



The Funeral Speech of M. Flourens at the Grave of M: 

 Arago on the day of his Funeral, which took place on the 

 5th Octooer 1853. 



Gentlemen, — Death takes us in general by surprise. 

 The severe indisposition that M. Arago has laboured under 

 for the last six months ought to have stripped us of all hope 

 of ever seeing him again amongst us ; but the blow which 

 has now fallen upon us has thrown us into a state of deep 

 consternation, as if it had never beenf oreseen. The reason 

 is, that the void which certain people leave behind them is 

 much greater than even our fears represented to us ; and we 

 only find out its vast extent after it has actually taken place. 

 Yes, the mind which has become eclipsed was that powerful 

 intelligence which the Academy cherished so much ; a vast 

 intelligence born to embrace in its grasp all the sciences, 

 and to extend them, and in which seemed to be realized the 

 noble vocation of our own Society, and its own motto, to dis- 

 cover, to invent, and make perfect. 



At the very outset of his career, M. Arago had the good 

 fortune, so desirable for a young man who desires to dream 



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