Biographies of distinguished scientific men. First seriesArago, F. (François)
History
Biographies of distinguished scientific men. First series
Arago, F. (François)
Scientists -- Biography
I will take the first fact from the military annals; a grenadier of the
French Guard saves his commanding officer's life, although the people
thought that they had great reason of complaint against him. "Grenadier,
what is your name?" exclaimed the Duke de Chatelet, full of gratitude.
The soldier replied, "Colonel, my name is that of all my comrades."
I will borrow the second fact from the civil annals: Stephen de
Lariviere, one of the electors of Paris, had gone on the 20th of July,
to fetch Berthier de Sauvigny, who had been fatally arrested at
Compiegne, on the false report that the Assembly of the Town Hall wished
to prosecute him as intendant of the army, by which a few days before
the capital had been surrounded. The journey was performed in an open
cabriolet, amidst the insults of a misled population, who imputed to the
prisoner the scarcity and bad quality of the bread. Twenty times, guns,
pistols, sabres, would have put an end to Berthier's life, if, twenty
times, the member of the Commune of Paris had not voluntarily covered
him with his body. When they reached the streets of the capital, the
cabriolet had to penetrate through an immense and compact crowd, whose
exasperation bordered on delirium, and who evidently wished to
perpetrate the utmost extremities; not knowing which of the two
travellers was the Intendant of Paris, they betook themselves to crying
out, "let the prisoner take off his hat!" Berthier obeyed, but Lariviere
uncovered his head also at the same instant.
All parties would gain by the production of a work, that I desire to see
most earnestly. For my part, I acknowledge, I should be sorry not to
see in it the answer made to Francis II. by one of the numerous officers
who committed the fault, so honestly acknowledged afterwards,--a fault
that no one would commit now,--that of joining foreigners in arms. The
Austrian prince, after his coronation, attempted, at a review, to induce
our countrymen to admire the good bearing of his troops, and finally
exclaimed, "There are materials wherewith to crush the Sans-culottes."
"That remains to be seen!" instantly answered the emigre officer.
May these quotations lead some able writer to erect a monument still
wanting to the glory of our country! There is in this subject, it seems
to me, enough to inspire legitimate ambition. Did not Plutarch
immortalize himself by preserving noble actions and fine sentiments from
oblivion?
EXAMINATION OF BAILLY'S ADMINISTRATION AS MAYOR.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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