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ARA the evenness and quietude of the course through which our modern votaries of science usually pass from the cradle to the tomb. Disturbed, on the contrary, in its earliest epoch, by shipwrecks and captivity, closing amidst political storms still more disastrous and disheartening, one cannot but marvel at the buoyancy, the resolution, and self-dependence, which, amid all distractions, could yet command at will the calmness requisite for scientific thought; and—in years when no passion was quenched, nor one human sympathy enfeebled—establish for the name of the wayfarer an honourable and permanent place in the annals of physical discovery. The autobiography of this singular person extends, unfortunately, only to the year 1830; but although imperfect, and written too much on the plan of chiefly noticing epigrammatic incidents—incidents somewhat belonging to the melodrama of life—it is, nevertheless, beyond question one of the most interesting of all existing productions of this interesting class. The youth of Arago, as indicated in that autobiography, suffices to explain the nature of the career and conduct of the man. We find him, in the first place, contending successfully against all influences of home, rejecting the course of life which his father had designed for him, and adhering, without the hesitation of a moment, to his own determination to become a soldier. At that time—more emphatically than even at present—France abode by her declaration, that no man should obtain responsibility in her armies who had not passed with credit through the scientific and military courses of the Ecole Polytechnique. Admission to this famous school, however, was not open. The knowledge and ability of the candidate must stand the test of a severe and scrutinizing examination. With characteristic impetuosity, young Arago threw himself on the study of mathematics; and it may astonish aspirants after honours far higher than those primarily sought for by the French student, that, in preparation for this initial examination, he might have been found occupied with such books as Euler's "Analysis Infinitorum;" Lagrange's "Theorie des Fonctions" and "Mecanique Analytique;" and the "Mecanique Celeste" of Laplace. At the age of seventeen, Arago received the approbation of his examiner, the illustrious Monge; and soon after entering the school, he underwent another examination by Legendre. The incidents of both examinations are given very graphically in the autobiography:—the meeting with Legendre being described as follows:—Dramatis personæ: first, an obscure youth of seventeen; second, Legendre, one of the greatest of that galaxy of geometers who illumined scientific Europe during part of the last century and the first thirty years of the present one,—Legendre, who, although somewhat abrupt in manners, was no less famous for his integrity than for his acquirements: "I entered his apartment at the moment when M. T., who had fainted under examination, was being carried out by the servants. I thought that this incident would have moved and softened M. Legendre. Nothing of the sort! 'Your name?' said he. 'Arago.' 'Then you are not a Frenchman?' 'If I had not been a Frenchman I should not have been in your presence, for I have never heard of the reception of any one into the school, until he had given proof of his nationality.' 'I insist, however, that there is no Frenchman of the name of Arago.' 'And, on my part, I insist that I am a Frenchman, and a good Frenchman, however odd my name may sound to you.' 'Be it so; let the discussion cease. Go now to the board!' I had scarcely prepared the chalk," continues Arago, "when Legendre returned to his first impression, saying to me, 'You were born in one of the departments recently annexed to France?' 'No, Monsieur; I was born in the department of the Pyrenees-Orientales, at the foot of the Pyrenees.' 'Ha! why did you not tell me so at once? I see it all now. You are of Spanish extraction? Is it not so?' 'Possibly, but in my humble family no archives are preserved that might enable me to ascertain the civil condition of my ancestors: every one there is the child of his own labour. I again say that I am a Frenchman, and that ought to be enough!" Assuredly the brusqueness of the examiner had its match in the self-confidence—to call it by the mildest name—of the unabashed student! The singular narrative proceeds: "The vivacity of my last reply did not strike Legendre favourably, as I had immediate occasion to know. Having prepared a problem requiring the use of double integrals, he stopped me as I proceeded, saying, 'The method you are employing was not given you by your professor,—where have you found it?' 'In one of your own memoirs.' 'Why have you made choice of it now? With the hope of bribing my judgment?' 'Certainly not; I adopted it because I think it preferable to the other.' 'If you do not succeed in showing me the reasons of your preference, I declare that you shall have a bad mark, at least as to character!' I then," continues Arago, "entered into explanations establishing the superiority of the method of double integrals, in every point of view, over the method taught by Lacroix. From that moment Legendre appeared satisfied and soothed." The recital concludes thus: "Legendre asked me to determine the centre of gravity of a spherical section. 'That is an easy matter,' I said. 'Well, if it seems so easy I shall make it more complex. Suppose the density of the section not uniform, but varying according to a given function of the distance from the centre.' Happily I got well through the solution, and from that moment I had obtained by conquest the goodwill of my examiner. He addressed me as I retired in words which, coming from him, seemed to my fellow-students a very favourable augury of my rank and promotion: —'I see you have employed your time well; go on in the same manner during your second year, and we shall part very good friends!'" The scene was essentially and eminently characteristic. It may induce us, not unreasonably, to question the amiability of Arago; one thing, however, is clear—the raw Youth, who thus ventured to contend with one of the strongest men in France, could not issue in a Man likely to quail before any difficulty, or be found wanting in applicable resources in times of trial. It is needless to add, that Arago passed through the Polytechnic School with the greatest distinction. Within eighteen months from the date of his admission, he had gained the friendship of the most eminent men in Paris, and reached the high office of secretary of the Observatory.—The subsequent life of this extraordinary person divides itself into three epochs:—I. Soon after his occupancy of the honourable position just named, he became closely associated with Biot, now the veteran of the French Institute, in attempts to determine the refracting powers of the different gases; out of which a much more important association sprang, one that issued in an enterprise of high value to science, but to one of its fellow-labourers fraught with adventure and danger, as well as productive of glory. The measurement of an arc of the meridian between the parallels of Dunkirk and Barcelona had, about the close of last century, been determined on by France—never behind in scientific ardour and enterprise, any more than in arms. The execution of this great work was intrusted to Delambre and Mechain, than whom none more capable or more accurate could have been selected. Mechain had the charge of the southern portion of the survey; but, notwithstanding the carefulness and ability of this excellent and conscientious observer, his results were not satisfactory—a discrepancy of upwards of 3° turning up on the completion of his calculations. Mechain afterwards discovered the source of the error; but it broke his heart. He left, however, a strong recommendation, that while certain measurements should be revised, government should not stop at Barcelona, but direct the prolongation of the work as far south as the Balearic Islands. This completion of the enterprise was undertaken by Biot and Arago, in conjunction with two Spanish commissioners, Chaix and Rodriguez. In 1806, the Spaniards encamped on Mount Campecey, in Iviça; while Biot and Arago occupied the summit of one of the loftiest of the Catalonian Pyrenees. In April, 1807, Biot returned to Paris with the results then attained, leaving the task of uniting Majorca with Iviça and Formentera to Rodriguez and Arago. Now began t he extraordinary hardships of the observers. We speak not of material hardships—such as arise from exposure, from annoyances belonging to those wild regions, from banditti, &c.—but of hardships springing mainly out of the unsettled state of Europe: alliances among kingdoms then shifting as the sand; friendships passing into enmity with the suddenness and apparent caprice of the oscillation of a wind wave. While Arago was in Majorca, the French armies entered Spain: the ignorant populace imagined that the Geodetic signals of the Frenchmen right over their port, were telegraphic signals to the hostile generals; and Arago had to take refuge in the Castle of Belver. Narrowly avoiding death by poison, planned for him by a furious and rascally priest, he escaped to Algiers. Embarking for France in an Algerine vessel, he had just reached the gulf of Lyons when a Spanish corsair captured the vessel, and carried the crew to Rosas. Brought back to Spain, he was confined at first in a windmill, and afterwards transferred to the hulks on Palamos, where his sufferings, even from hunger, were very great. Reclaimed successfully by