ratuitous lectures on astronomy for a
popular audience. The social feeling that inspired this disinterested
act showed itself in other ways. He suffered the penalty of
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 neckcloth 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," etc. For three quarters of an hour he continued
his demonstration, making short notes as he went on, to guide the
listener in repeating the problem alone; then, taking up another
cahier which lay beside him, he went over the written repetition of
the former lesson. He explained, corrected, or commented till the
clock struck nine; then, with the little finger of the right hand
brushing from his coat and waistcoat the shower of superfluous snuff
which had fallen on them, he pocketed his snuff-box, and resuming his
hat, he as silently as when he came in made his exit by the door which
I rushed to open for him.'

In 1842, as we have said, the last volume of the _Positive Philosophy_
was given