his father, Philippe Egalite, by
fighting the battles of the Revolution, and through the vicissitudes of his
exile until he became King in 1830, was replete with stirring episodes.

[Sidenote: Death of Gay-Lussac]

Gay-Lussac, the great French chemist and physicist, died during the same
year. Born at Saint Leonard, Haut-Vienne, in 1788, Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac
distinguished himself early in his career as a scientist by his aerial
voyages in company with Biot for the observation of atmospheric phenomena
at great heights. In 1816, he was appointed Professor of Chemistry at the
Polytechnic School of Paris, a chair which he held until 1832. Promoted to
a professorship at the Jardin des Plantes, Gay-Lussac labored there
incessantly until his death. There is scarcely a branch of physical or
chemical science to which Gay-Lussac did not contribute some important
discovery. He is noted chiefly for his experiments with gases and for the
discovery of the law of combination by volumes.

[Sidenote: Louis Napoleon's presidency]

Louis Napoleon, while administering affairs as President, began to let
France feel his power. Early in the year he created his incapable uncle,
Jerome Bonaparte, a marshal of France. On August 15, his Napoleonic
aspirations were encouraged by a grand banquet tendered to him at Lyons.
His government felt strong enough to enact new measures for the restriction
of the liberty of the press.

[Sidenote: Prussian constitution]

[Sidenote: South German alliance]

[Sidenote: Denmark's integrity guaranteed]

[Sidenote: Hessians resist despotism]

In Germany, as well as in Austria and Russia, similar reactionary measures
were enforced. Frederick William IV. of Prussia for a while appeared
anxious to undo the effects of his narrow policy of the previous year. A
constitution had been adopted in Prussia on the last day of January, and on
February 6 the King took the constitutional oath. Austria now began to edge
her way back into the management of German affairs. Under her influence
Hanover withdrew from the alliance of the three North German powers,
Hanover, Saxony and Prussia. Later Saxony also withdrew. On February 27,
the Kings of Bavaria, Wurtemberg and Saxony signed a joint agreement for a
restoration of the German Confederation and a maintenance of the federal
union. The Emperor of Austria gave to this scheme his full support. When
the Bundestag met again at Frankfort, Austria insisted on her rights as a