o man than the abuse of
physical powers. Repose, in every thing, recruits our frail machine;
but, Gentlemen, he who desires repose may not obtain it. Interrogate
your own recollections and say, if, when you are pursuing a new truth, a
walk, the intercourse of society, or even sleep, have the privilege of
distracting you from the object of your thoughts? The extremely
shattered state of Fourier's health enjoined the most careful attention.
After many attempts, he only found one means of escaping from the
contentions of mind which exhausted him: this consisted in speaking
aloud upon the events of his life; upon his scientific labours, which
were either in course of being planned, or which were already
terminated; upon the acts of injustice of which he had reason to
complain. Every person must have remarked, how insignificant was the
state which our gifted colleague assigned to those who were in the habit
of conversing with him; we are now acquainted with the cause of this.

Fourier had preserved, in old age, the grace, the urbanity, the varied
knowledge which, a quarter of a century previously, had imparted so
great a charm to his lectures at the Polytechnic School. There was a
pleasure in hearing him relate the anecdote which the listener already
knew by heart, even the events in which the individual had taken a
direct part. I happened to be a witness of the kind of _fascination_
which he exercised upon his audience, in connection with an incident
which deserves to be known, for it will prove that the word which I have
just employed is not in anywise exaggerated.

We found ourselves seated at the same table. The guest from whom I
separated him was an old officer. Our colleague was informed of this,
and the question, "Have you been in Egypt?" served as the commencement
of a conversation between them. The reply was in the affirmative.
Fourier hastened to add: "As regards myself, I remained in that
magnificent country until the period of its complete evacuation.
Although foreign to the profession of arms, I have, in the midst of our
soldiers, fired against the insurgents of Cairo; I have had the honour
of hearing the cannon of Heliopolis." Hence to give an account of the
battle was but a step. This step was soon made, and we were presented
with four battalions drawn up in squares in the plain of Quoubbeh, and
manoeuvring, with admirable precision, conformably to the orders of
the illustrious geometer. My neighbour, with at