the time which it took from the execution of the great object of
his thoughts. "I hardly know if even to you," he writes to his wife, "I
dare disclose the sweet and softened feeling that comes over me when I
find a young man whose examination is thoroughly satisfactory. Yes,
though you may smile, the emotion would easily stir me to tears if I
were not carefully on my guard." Such sympathy with youthful hope, in
union with industry and intelligence, shows that Comte's dry and austere
manner veiled the fires of a generous social emotion. It was this which
made him add to his labours the burden of delivering every year from
1831 to 1848 a course of gratuitous lectures on astronomy for a popular
audience. The social feeling that inspired this disinterested act showed
itself in other ways. He suffered imprisonment rather than serve in the
national guard; his position was that though he would not take arms
against the new monarchy of July, yet being a republican he would take
no oath to defend it. The only amusement that Comte permitted himself
was a visit to the opera. In his youth he had been a playgoer, but he
shortly came to the conclusion that tragedy is a stilted and bombastic
art, and after a time comedy interested him no more than tragedy. For
the opera he had a genuine passion, which he gratified as often as he
could, until his means became too narrow to afford even that single
relaxation.

Of his manner and personal appearance we have the following account from
one who was his pupil:--"Daily as the clock struck eight on the horologe
of the Luxembourg, while the ringing hammer on the bell was yet audible,
the door of my room opened, and there entered a man, short, rather
stout, almost what one might call sleek, freshly shaven, without vestige
of whisker or moustache. He was invariably dressed in a suit of the most
spotless black, as if going to a dinner party; his white neck-cloth was
fresh from the laundress's hands, and his hat shining like a racer's
coat. He advanced to the arm-chair prepared for him in the centre of the
writing-table, laid his hat on the left-hand corner; his snuff-box was
deposited on the same side beside the quire of paper placed in readiness
for his use, and dipping the pen twice into the ink-bottle, then
bringing it to within an inch of his nose to make sure it was properly
filled, he broke silence: 'We have said that the chord AB,' &c. For
three-quarters of an hour he continued his demonstra