496 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
successes ; and Le Verrier gave them plenty of that. Though not 
exactly an orator, he was clear in expression, fluent in words, 
and ready, aye ready, at a moment’s notice. Kich too in cutting 
sarcasm and scarifying irony, he taunted the slowness of his oppo- 
nents who had to go home and think over their replies and 
promise to give them at the next meeting of the Academy, — while 
he stood there having answered, or at all events confounded, them 
on every point yet produced ; he, the man of peace, who desired 
nothing so much as to finish the war then and there. 
On such occasions Le Verrier seemed to float in positive pleasure 
through the combat, cutting down his enemies with ease on every 
side. A smile was still on his countenance ; hut it was now the 
smile which opens not the lips ; a distorting, disdainful smile, 
betraying however within, both the consuming fires of egotism, the 
love of conquering, and the voluptuous rapture of triumph become 
a necessary accompaniment of his existence. Yet there was this 
untoward feature about it all the time, that with every successive 
conquest, Le Verrier was making a wider and wider void around 
himself; until, with one dazzling victory more, — there came the 
deadening news, that every one had left him, and the Director of 
the Observatory reigned over telescopes alone ! 
The Minister of the Interior then had to step in and give 
such a disorganizing Director his dismissal. Le Verrier answered 
by a passionate appeal for an interpellation by the Senate : but 
that body supported the Minister, and the tyrant-mathematician 
had to go. He fell ; and never had there been such a catastrophe 
known before throughout the scientific world. But Delaunay was 
immediately appointed to the vacant place ; the observers, com- 
puters and artisans all returned, and the public service flowed on 
Once again. 
Time passed ; and how heavy a time for France, after that aflair 
of the Observatoire in the beginning of 1870. The terrific Franco- 
German war began soon afterwards ; the Germans invaded France 
with a larger army than the world had ever heard of since the days 
of Xerxes, and, though professing to be “ Christians,” and calling 
their country “ Holy,” yet armed with infinitely more terrible means 
for the destruction of human life than his, or Mahomet’s either. 
