o, sir." Beside himself, and seeing his prey
escape him, by means of this unexpected answer, M. Hassenfratz addressed
himself to the inspector charged with the observance of order that day,
and said to him, "Sir, there is M. Leboullenger, who pretends never to
have seen the moon." "What would you wish me to do?" stoically replied
M. Le Brun. Repulsed on this side, the professor turned once more
towards M. Leboullenger, who remained calm and earnest in the midst of
the unspeakable amusement of the whole amphitheatre, and cried out with
undisguised anger, "You persist in maintaining that you have never seen
the moon?" "Sir," returned the pupil, "I should deceive you if I told
you that I had not heard it spoken of, but I have never seen it." "Sir,
return to your place."

After this scene, M. Hassenfratz was but a professor in name; his
teaching could no longer be of any use.

At the commencement of the second year, I was appointed "_chef de
brigade_." Hatchette had been professor of hydrography at Collioure; his
friends from Roussillon recommended me to him. He received me with great
kindness, and even gave me a room in his lodgings. It was there that I
had the pleasure of making Poisson's acquaintance, who lived next to us.
Every evening the great geometer entered my room, and we passed entire
hours in conversing on politics and mathematics, which is certainly not
quite the same thing.

In the course of 1804, the school was a prey to political passions, and
that through the fault of the government.

They wished forthwith to oblige the pupils to sign an address of
congratulation on the discovery of the conspiracy in which Moreau was
implicated. They refused to do so on the ground that it was not for them
to pronounce on a cause which had been in the hands of justice. It must,
however, be remarked, that Moreau had not yet dishonoured himself by
taking service in the Russian army, which had come to attack the French
under the walls of Dresden.

The pupils were invited to make a manifestation in favour of the
institution of the Legion of Honour. This again they refused. They knew
well that the cross, given without inquiry and without control, would
be, in most cases, the recompense of charlatanism, and not of true
merit.

The transformation of the Consular into the Imperial Government gave
rise to very animated discussions in the interior of the school.

Many pupils refused to add their felicitations to the mean adula