THE CENTENARY OF THE ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE. 
177 
oak and a branch of laurel. In spite of all the interest which Charles 
X. attempted to show for the school, nothing was able to gain over the 
sympathy of the school to the Bourbons. It belonged en masse to the 
Opposition. Charras, who many years later was a Minister of the 
Revolution of 1848, was, at this time, “sent down ” for having sung 
“La, Marseillaise” at the annual dinner of the school in 1830. 
The Revolution of July. 
The Revolution was approaching. During the three days of July the 
Polytechnic cadets covered themselves with glory. In all quarters they 
were to be seen at the head of the insurrection. Charras was particu¬ 
larly distinguished by his activity. Entering into the school with a 
fireman's helmet on his head he had harangued his comrades with a 
glowing account of what was passing in the streets of Paris, and the 
Polytechnicians had immediately spread in all directions. At the Porte 
Saint-Denis, at the Porte Saint-Martin, in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 
it was they who took command and headed the bands of insurgents. 
At the attack of the Barracks of Babylone, Vaneau was pierced with a 
bullet through his head and fell dead. At the same time Bosquet, 
afterwards a Marshal of France, took possession of the Louvre. The 
National Guards, unskilled in the art of artillery, and ignorant of 
gun-drill, were only too glad to place themselves under his direc¬ 
tions. After the fight, the Polytechnicians assembled permanently at 
the Hotel-de-Yille, ready to carry orders, to direct detachments, to 
aid the working men and to succour the wounded. Some were 
entrusted with the guard of public buildings and monuments, whilst 
others patrolled the town to re-establish order and tranquility at the 
head of detachments. The popularity of the school became immense. 
The poets sang its praises in verse, whilst distant towns sent addresses 
of felicitation to the school even from beyond the frontiers of France. 
Rheims sent it a present of 150 bottles of champagne; Bordeaux offered 
to Bosquet a grand banquet, when toasts were proposed amidst cheers 
to the honour of the institution, to which Bosquet replied:—“Our 
school has always been the School of the People , and in joining their 
ranks in 1830, as in 1814, it has only done its duty.” In the theatres 
and at concerts, stanzas and allusions to the Polytechnic School were 
applauded. In the midst of all this popular favour and glorification, 
the school did not forget their slain comrade, Yaneau. Military honours 
were rendered to his body, and his companions erected a monument to 
his memory, whilst every year after his death, a deputation of cadets 
proceeded on the 25th of July to place wreaths and flowers upon his 
tomb. 
Under King Louis Philippe d’Orleans. 
On the 6th August Louis Philippe was presented to the school by 
Lafayette and congratulated it. The revolution of 1830 brought about 
certain changes in its organisation. Guizot appointed a commission to 
enquire into the modifications necessary to the proposed change of 
organisation of the institution and the school was re-established on a 
military footing. Subsequently it took part in all the political events 
of the day, and appeared at the funeral of Benjamin Constant, and that 
