Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 36.djvu/712

694 went back to their homes, and Joseph and his sisters remained some time in the little village of Ohain.

As soon as his health was restored he returned to his art studies. Here he made such excellent progress that one evening Prince Frederick, the son of the king, who was visiting the establishment, was attracted by the boy's work. When he found that Joseph was an orphan, he said, "Well, from this moment I take you under my protection." Later, when M. Thirion wished to remind the prince of his promise, he was deterred by the boy's unwillingness to make any claim upon him.

Painting occupied Joseph by day, but in the evening and in his leisure moments his beloved physics employed all his time. With the aid of some young friends he organized soirées, the entertainment being experiments of his own devising, made with apparatus constructed by himself.

At sixteen years of age he entered the Athenæum at Brussels. He omitted certain studies, but in all that he undertook he distinguished himself by his enthusiastic progress. His masters became at once interested in their brilliant pupil. The friendship of Quetelet, which became stronger as time went on, proved of the greatest benefit to him in later life.

His school-life over, the subject of a profession presented itself for reconsideration. His uncle pressed upon the boy the study of law, as the noblest of all professions, and Joseph consented. In choosing art there had been no great sacrifice; he had been too young at that time to know his own mind; but he felt a strong antipathy to the law.

This dislike did not prevent honest and conscientious work in the pursuit of his legal studies; but the physical sciences held for him their old fascination, and he made the rather singular compromise of studying both law and physics, and doing himself credit in both alike. His faithful work had its reward at last: his uncle, seeing his determination, and at the same time his willingness to be guided, withdrew his opposition, and the young student gave himself up wholly to scientific pursuits.

The care of his younger sister now fell upon Plateau, and, pressed by the necessity to provide for them both, he accepted the professorship of elementary mathematics in the Athenæum at Liége. This was in 1827. In 1829 he received the degree of Doctor in Physical Sciences and Mathematics, and from that time he gave himself to original research.

During this year he devoted much time to experimenting upon various points in regard to vision, to the persistence of impressions upon the retina, subjective color, etc. On one occasion, to determine some point, he looked at the sun for twenty-five seconds with the naked eye. For many days after this hazardous