hieved. His first care was to cause the
Hotel of the Prefecture to be considered as a neutral ground, where each
might show himself without even the appearance of a concession.
Curiosity alone at first brought the people there, but the people
returned; for in France they seldom desert the saloons wherein are to be
found a polished and benevolent host, witty without being ridiculous,
and learned without being pedantic. What had been divulged of the
opinions of our colleague, respecting the anti-biblican antiquity of the
Egyptian monuments, inspired the religious classes especially with
lively apprehensions; they were very adroitly informed that the new
prefect counted a _Saint_ in his family; that the _blessed_ Pierre
Fourier, who established the religious sisters of the congregation of
Notre-Dame, was his grand uncle, and this circumstance effected a
reconciliation which the unalterable respect of the first magistrate of
Grenoble for all conscientious opinions cemented every day more and
more.

As soon as he was assured of a truce with the political and religious
parties, Fourier was enabled to devote himself exclusively to the duties
of his office. These duties did not consist with him in heaping up old
papers to no advantage. He took personal cognizance of the projects
which were submitted to him; he was the indefatigable promoter of all
those which narrow-minded persons sought to stifle in their birth; we
may include in this last class, the superb road from Grenoble to Turin
by Mount Genevre, which the events of 1814 have so unfortunately
interrupted, and especially the drainage of the marshes of Bourgoin.

These marshes, which Louis XIV. had given to Marshal Turenne, were a
focus of infection to the thirty-seven communes, the lands of which were
partially covered by them. Fourier directed personally the topographic
operations which established the possibility of drainage. With these
documents in his hand he went from village to village, I might almost
say from house to house, to fix the sacrifice which each family ought to
impose upon itself for the general interest. By tact and perseverance,
taking "the _ear of corn always in the right direction_," thirty-seven
municipal councils were induced to contribute to a common fund, without
which the projected operation would not even have been commenced.
Success crowned this rare perseverance. Rich harvests, fat pastures,
numerous flocks, a robust and happy population now