PASSIONAL ASTRONOMY AND GEOMETRY* 
33T 
be accompanied in tbeir travels by a more numerous suite in testi- 
mony of the superiority of their grade. The earth has five satel- 
lites, or at least, she might have them, because she is the cardinal 
of friendship, and friendship modulates by five, the number of con- 
fusion. Saturn has seven satellites, because ambition modulates 
by the No. 7. Now why is the cortege of Herschel, who is also 
a planet of trifling size in comparison with Jupiter, composed of 
eight moons, precisely double the number of that of the satellites 
of Jupiter ? It is clear that there is a secret intention of God in 
this proportion of satellites. . . . Herschel is cardinal of Love, 
Jupiter of Familism. Herschel is the hyperminor note of the 
gamut, Jupiter the hypominor note, two is the number of the 
couple, eight is the third power of two, while four is only the 
second. Love carries the joys of sensation to the cube, while 
familism raises them only to the square. It is the same reason 
that gives two foci to the ellipse, while the parabola has but one. 
Did I not say that it was impossible to touch one branch of the 
tree of science without shaking them all. I had promised myself 
not to say one word about passional geometry, but how avoid a 
misfortune when both logic and passion lead you into it ! Since I 
have inadvertently fallen into the hornet’s nest, let me try to draw 
myself out of the scrape by the theory of conic sections. 
Q. Why are all the points of the circumference equally distinct 
from the centre, in the circle, first section of the cone, first closed 
curve ? Why are all the radii equal ? 
A. Because the circle is the figure of friendship, the cardinal 
passion of infancy, which admits no order, nor rank, nor hierarchy ; 
and where the tone of equality and of familiarity prevails. Here all 
individuals are equal, like the radii of the circle, and the form of 
the group tends fatally to the round. The little Viennese dancers, 
who had such success on the scene of the great opera of Paris, and 
who were, I think, thirty-two in number, were never more ap- 
plauded than when they executed circular evolutions. The figures 
preferred by childhood invariably affect the round form, the ball, 
the hoop, the marble ; also the fruits which it prefers : the cherrj^ 
the gooseberry, the apple, the preserve tart. I am again obliged 
to stop at the first word, because I feel myself in danger of engag- 
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