Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 64.djvu/531

Rh D'Alembert died on October 29, 1783, sincerely mourned by the king. He had rendered the academy as good service as any one could, living in Paris. He and the king had not always agreed in their policy, D'Alembert not only desired the utmost freedom of research, he wanted the whole truth as it appeared to be at any particular time

given to the people. To this the king would not consent. He often quoted Fontenelle's saying, 'If I had my hands full of the truth I would not open them to give it to the people. It would not pay for the trouble.' Harnack says the chief aim of the king was the welfare of his subjects, and that, free thinker as he was, he was no atheist and would not accept the opinions either of Hume or Holbach. He loved