was not given you by the Professor. Whence visited my chambers, and we spent whole do you get it?"

hours conversing on politics and mathematics-subjects of a very different nature.

In the course of the year 1804, the School was a prey to political passions through the fault of the government. They wished to force the cadets to sign a congratulatory address upon the discovery of the conspiracy

"No, nothing was farther from my thought. I adopted it because it appeared to me to be the best." "If you do not explain the reasons of in which Moreau was implicated. We reyour preference, I assure you you shall re-fused, giving as a reason that there was no ceive a low grade at least for character." call upon us to pass an opinion on a subject which had already been settled by the government. Moreau had not yet dishonored himself by accepting service in the Russian

The cadets were invited to make a demon

I then entered upon the developments establishing, to the best of my ability, that the method of double integrals was in all points more clear and more rational than the method army. given by Lacroix to the class. From that moment Legendre appeared satisfied and ap-stration in favor of the institution of the Lepeased. He then required me to determine the centre of gravity of a spherical sector. "The question is easy, said I.

gion of Honour. They refused again; they saw that the cross given without inquiry and without control would in many cases be the "You find it easy;-very well, I will com- reward of charlatanry and not of true merit. plicate it. Suppose the density to vary ac- The transformation of the Consular into cording to a fixed law from centre to the sur-the Imperial government, gave rise to very face." heated discussions in the School. Many of

I solved this problem also, and thereby the cadets refused to join their felicitations completely gained the good will of the ex-to the insipid adulation of the various coraminer. He said to me when I retired- porations. General Lacuée, the governor of "I see you have employed your time well; the School, informed the Emperor of this continue to do the same the second year and opposition. we will part very good friends."

"M. Lacuée," exclaimed Napoleon, in the There were some very ridiculous points middle of a group of courtiers, who applaudabout the mode of examination adopted in ed with voice and gestures, "you can not the Polytechnic School in 1804. One would retain in the School cadets who show such hardly believe, for example, that the old M. fiery republicanism; you shall dismiss them." Barrael examined on physics two pupils at Then correcting himself "I wish to know once, and gave to each one the average stand-beforehand their names and standing." ing of both. I was associated with a com- On seeing the list the next day, he did not rade who, though a man of fine intellect, had go farther than the first name, who stood first not studied this branch of the course. We in the Artillery Corps: agreed accordingly that I should answer for both, and came off very well by this ar-he. rangement.

*

"I will not expel the first in rank," said

"Oh! that they had been at the tail. M. Lacuée we will stop here with this matter."

At the commencement of the second year Nothing was more curious than the meetI was appointed chef de brigade. Hachette, ing at which General Lacuée came to receive then Professor in the School, had been Pro- the oath of allegiance of the cadets. In the fessor of Hydrography at Collioure; his vast amphitheatre where they were collected, friends in Roussillon recommended me to nothing of the demeanor which such a cerehis notice; he received me with much kind-mony should inspire could be perceived. The ness and gave me chambers in his house. It greater part at the call of their names inwas there that I had the pleasure of making stead of answering-"I swear," cried out the acquaintance of Poisson, who lived near" Present." him. Every evening the great geometer

Suddenly the monotony of this scene was

interrupted by a cadet, the son of Brissot, | had a still greater effect upon me. The son the member of the Convention, who cried of Laplace was preparing himself for the out in a stentorian voice, examination of the Polytechnic School. He

“No, I swear no allegiance to the Empe- came sometimes to see me in the Observaror." tory. On the occasion of one of his visits Lacuée pale, and without presence of mind, I explained to him the method by which Laordered a detachment of armed cadets placed grange obtains the roots of numerical equabehind him, to arrest the insubordinate. The tions. The young man spoke of it to his fadetachment which I commanded refused to ther with admiration. I shall never forget obey. the rage which followed the words of the

Brissot, with the greatest calmness, said son and the bitterness of the reproaches to the General

which were addressed to me for having made myself the patron of a method which is perhaps long in theory, but to which no one can

"Name the place where you wish me to go; do not force the cadets to dishonor themselves by seizing a comrade who will not re-object on the score of elegance or vigor. sist."

The next day Brissot was expelle

DONI MINA

Never did a jealous prejudice show itself more plainly or in terms more bitter.

"Ah!" said I to myself, "the ancients were certainly inspired, when they attributed foibles to him who made Olympus tremble with a frown."

About this time M. Méchain, who had been sent to Spain to prolong the meridian to Formentera, died at Castellan de la Plana. About this time occurred a circumstance His son, secretary of the Observatory, re- which might have resulted very fatally for signed his post at once. Poisson offered me me. I have related above the scene which this place; I declined at first, as I did not caused the expulsion of Brissot from the Po wish to renounce the military career, the ob- lytechnic School. I had lost sight of him ject of all my predilections, and in which, for several months, when he came to see me moreover, I was assured of the protection of at the Observatory and placed me in the most Marshal Lannes, the friend of my father. I delicate, the most terrible position in which accepted, nevertheless, on trial, the position an honorable man can be situated.

in the Observatory, after a visit which I payed to M. de Laplace in company with Poisson, with the express condition that I could reenter the artillery corps if I wished.

"I have not seen you," said he to me, "because since my expulsion from the Academy I have been practising with the pistol every day; I have acquired an unI entered then the Observatory, on the ap- common skill which I shall employ in order pointment of my friend Poisson, and through to rid France of a tyrant who has confiscathe intervention of Laplace. The latter ted all her liberty. My steps are taken; I overwhelmed me with kind attentions. I have rented a room on the Carrousel near was happy and proud when I dined with the the spot where Napoleon, after passing from great geometer in the "rue de Tournon." the court, comes to review the cavalry: from My intellect and my heart were disposed to the window of my humble apartment I will admire and respect every thing in the house send a ball through his head." of him who had discovered the cause of the I leave the reader to imagine with what secular equation of the moon; who had found despair I received this disclosure. I made in the movement of this body the means of all imaginable efforts to deter Brissot from calculating the oblateness of the earth; who his unhappy scheme; I'drew his attention to had linked to the law of attraction, the great the fact that all those who had undertaken inequalities of Jupiter, and Saturn, &c., &c. enterprises of this nature had been branded But what was my disenchantment when one by history with the odious name of assassin. day I heard Madame de Laplace come to her Nothing succeeded in shaking his fatal resohusband and say to him-" Will you give me lution; I obtained from him the promise, the key of the closet." however, to adjourn the execution of his plan A few days afterwards another incident a short time, and then set myself to work to

render it abortive. The idea of denouncing the meridianal measurement, interrupted by him to the authorities did not enter my mind. the death of Méchain would give us. We It was a fatality which had struck me, and I communicated our desires to Laplace, who was in honor bound to submit to the conse-received them with great favor, caused the quences, however grave they might be. I necessary funds to be raised and the governcounted greatly on the entreaties of the moth- ment confided to Biot and myself this imer of Brissot, already so cruelly tried in the Revolution. I went to the house, "rue de Conde," and besought her on my knees to unite with me to prevent her son from executing his bloody resolution.

"Sir," replied this mother, in all other respects a model of gentleness, "if my son believes that he is accomplishing a patriot's duty, I have neither the desire nor the intention to dissuade him from his plan."

portant mission. We left Paris with Rodrigues, the Spanish commissioner, in the beginning of the year 1806. We visited on our route the stations marked by Méchain, and set to work with the triangulation.

I was awaiting M. Biot at Valencia, who had gone to bring some new instruments with which we were to measure the latitude of Formentera. I will avail myself of the I found that I must try my own resources. few moments of repose which I enjoyed I had remarked that Brissot occupied him- there, to give some details of the manners self with the composition of romances and of the place which perhaps may interest. poetry. I flattered this passion, and every will report first an adventure, accompanied Sunday, especially when I knew there was by very singular circumstances, which came to be a review, I called for him and carried near costing me my life. One day by way him into the country in the environs of Paris. of recreation I went with a countryman to I listened then good humoredly to the chap- the fair of Murviedro, the ancient Saguntum, ters of his romances which he had com.po- which had been described to me as very cused during the week. rious. We met in the town the daughter of Our first excursions frightened me some-a Frenchman, resident of Valencia-M'dlle what, for Brissot armed with his pistols, B. All the hotels were full; M'dlle B. inseized all opportunities of showing his great vited us to take dinner at her grandmother's skill; and I knew that this circumstance and we accepted. But on going from the would cause me to be considered his accom-house she informed us that our visit had not plice if ever he should carry out his design. been at all to the taste of her affianced, and At last his aspirations for literary renown, that we must be on our guard against him. which I constantly flattered-the hopes which We went immediately to an armourer, proI caused him to conceive in a love affair-vided ourselves with pistols, and set out on the secret of which he had confided to me-our return to Valencia. On the road I said made him receive with attention the reflec- to the coachman, who had been a long time tions which I constantly presented to him in my employ, and who was devoted to me: with respect to his design against the Emperor. He determined to go abroad and thus relieve me of one of the gravest difficulties of my life.

Brissot died after having covered the walls of Paris with placards in favor of the restoration of the Bourbons.

"Isidor, I have some reason to believe that we shall be attacked. I tell you this in order that you be not surprised by the report of firearms from the chariot."

Isidor answered

"Your pistols are perfectly needless, gentlemen. Let me manage it. I have but to give a whoop and my mule will rid us of two, of three, and even of four men."

Hardly had I entered upon my duties in Very few minutes had elapsed after this the Observatory, when I became the coad- conversation when two men presented themjutor of Biot in some researches on the re-selves before the mules and seized him by fraction of gases formally commenced by the nostrils. On the instant a hideous whoop, Borda. During this work we discussed often which I shall never forget, was given by Isithe great interest which the continuation of dor. The mule reared almost vertically,

raising one of the two men, fell again and gratitude I owe yon for the service you renstruck off at full gallop.

The jolting of our vehicle told us very plainly what had happened. A long silence succeeded the occurrence; it was only interrupted by these words of the muleteer: "Do you not see that my mule is worth more than your pistols?"

The next day, the captain-general, Don Izquierdo, told me that a man all mangled and crushed, had been found on the road to Murviedo. I related to him the feat of Isidor's mule, and all was explained.

dered me last night, prevents me from seizing this opportunity of ridding myself of my most cruel enemy by a shot from my carbine. Adieu."

And off he darted as active as a gazelle leaping from rock to rock.

When they arrived at the cabin, the Alcalde and his Alguazil recognized in the fugitive the chief of all the robbers of that region.

Some days afterwards the weather being again very bad, I received a second visit from this pretended guard of the "douane," who slept profoundly in my cabin. I saw that One anecdote selected among a thousand, my servant, an old soldier who had heard will show the adventurous life led by the much of the exploits of this man, was madelegate of the "Bureau of Longitudes." king ready to kill him. I leaped down from During my sojourn upon the mountain of my camp bed, seized him by the throat. Cullera, north of the mouth of the river Xu-" Are you mad?" said I. "Are we concar, I conceived the plan of establishing a nected with the police of the country? Do station upon the high mountains opposite, you not see, besides, that this would expose and determined to visit it. The Alcalde of us to the resentment of all those who obey the neighboring village warned me of the the orders of this redoubtable chief? And dangers to which I was going to expose my- it would then be impossible to finish our opself. erations." In the morning, at sunrise, I had "These mountains," said he, "are the re- a conversation with my guest, which I will sort of numbers of robbers." endeavor to give verbatim.

I made a requisition on the national guard, "Your situation is perfectly well known to as I had the authority to do. The robbers me; I know that you do not belong to the took my escort for an expedition directed' douane;' I have learned that you are the against them and scattered themselves full chief of the robbers of this region. Tell soon in the rich plain watered by the Xucar. me whether I have any thing to fear from On my return I found them engaged in a your associates." skirmish with the authorities of Cullera. There were some wounded on both sides, and one Alguazil remained dead on the field. The next morning I regained my station. The night following was terrible; the rain fell in torrents. Towards midnight some one knocked at the door of my cabin. To the question, "Who goes there?" he replied, "A guard of the custom-house. I ask a resting-place for a few hours."

My servant opened the door, and a magnificent fellow armed to the teeth entered. He threw himself on the floor and fell asleep. In the morning, while I was talking with him at the door of my cabin, his eyes gleamed as he perceived on the brow of the mountain two men approaching-the Alcalde of Cullera and his principal Alguazil.

"The idea of robbing you has occurred to us; but we reflected that all your money must be in the neigbouring towns; that you did not carry your funds to the summits of the mountains, where you could have no use for it; and that our expedition against you could have no profitable result. Besides, we do not pretend to be as strong as the King of Spain. The King's troops allow us to follow our calling very quietly; but as soon as we molested an envoy of the French Emperor, several regiments would be sent against us, and we would soon be compelled to submit. Permit me to add that the gratitude which I owe you is your surest guarantee."

"Very well. I will place confidence in your words; and regulate my conduct accordingly. Tell me, can I travel at night? "Sir!" exclaimed he, "nothing but the It is very disagreeable to go by day from one

station to another, under the burning heat of which was upon our left. We yielded to their wish but soon lost our way.

the sun."

"You can, sir; I have already given or-1 ders to that effect: they will not be violated." Several days afterwards I set out for Denia; it was midnight when several men on horseback approached me and addressed me as follows

"Halt there, Señor; the times are hard; those who are rich must aid those who have nothing. Give us the keys of your trunks; we will only take of your superabundance." "I had already obeyed their orders when it occurred to me to exclaim—

'Dismount," said they, "the mules have obeyed the bit and you have guided them badly. Let us return to the road and abandon the mules to themselves ;-they will find the route."

Hardly had we effected this manœuvre when we heard an animated discussion which took place at a short distance from us. Some were saying, "We must follow the high road and we shall meet them. The others insisted that they should throw themselves in the wood to the left. During this time

"I was informed though that I might travel we were pushing along more dead than without risk."

"What is your name, Señor?" "Don Francisco Arago."

"Señor! vaya usted con Dios, (God be with you) and the horsemen disappeared in a grove of locusts.

alive; it was two o'clock in the morning when we suddenly saw a feeble light in an isolated house: it was for the navigator, a pharos in the midst of the tempest, and the only means of safety which remained for us. Arrived at the door, we knocked and deWhen my friend, the robber of Cullera manded hospitality for the night. The inassured me that I had nothing to fear from habitants not at all reassured, thought we his associates, he informed me at the same were the robbers and did not hurry themtime that his authority did not extend to the selves to open the door. Rendered impanorth of Valencia. The highwaymen of the tient by this delay I exclaimed, "Open in northern part of the province obeyed again the name of the King!" The order was inother chiefs, that one for instance who after stantly obeyed We entered pellmell, men having been taken, condemned and hung, and mules, into the kitchen which was on was divided into four quarters, which were the first floor, and quickly extinguished the boiled in oil in order to preserve them, and lights in order not to arouse the suspicions attached to posts erected on four royal roads. of the robbers who were looking for us. We Of all these robbers, those who operated heard them passing and repassing near the in the environs of Oropeza, had the worst house cursing the ill luck with all the strength reputation. The proprietors of the three of their lungs. We did not quit the house mules, which Rodriguez, my servant and I before broad daylight, when we continued were riding through this region one night, our journey to Tortosi,-not without giving were relating to us some great exploits of a suitable reward to our hosts. I wished to these robbers, which even in broad day-light know of them by what providential circumwould make the hair tand on end, when by stance they had kept a lamp burning at so the light of the moon we perceived a man unusual an hour.

crouching behind a tree; we were six in num- It is," said they, "because we killed a ber, and yet the fellow had the impudence to hog to-day and were occupied making blooddemand of us our purse or our lives; my puddings.”

servant answered,

"You must take us for great cowards; get out of the way, or I will shoot you dead." "I yield!" replied the miserable fellow; "but you shall hear from me soon."

Had the hog lived one day longer, or bloodpuddings been abolished, I would certainly be no longer in this world, nor would I have had the opportunity of relating this story of the robbers of Oropeza.

The three muleteers full of fright still, at: Never did I better appreciate the measure the recollection of the adventures they had by which the Continent Assembly suppressed just related, besought us to leave the high the ancient division of France into proroad and to throw ourselves into a wood vinces and substituted the departments for