Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-09-18
NIurat.


sive in appearance ia more than negligent department.
it seemed unlikely that he should hope, DREAM
OF success but the young traveller had been told to have
full confidence, although celebrated academcian had
not yet given that singular definition Of country
France the home of Foreigners AT all events the
definition not in this instance for soon
after his arrival the Neafchaelois was appointed ply
scan to the household of of the princes of the royal
family and formed strict intmacies with the greater
part of the powerful people about the court This stran
ger thrsted for literary glory Among his early pro-
ductions medicOph philosophical work figured in three
volumes relative to the reciprocal influences of the mind
and the body.
The author thought he had produced chefd-Gurre );
even Noltare not thought to be above anayng it
suitably; let us hasten to say that the lustrous old
man. yielding to the pressing solicitations of the Duke
de Irasn one of the most active patrons of the Swiss
doctor promised to study the work and give his opinion
OF it. The author was the of his wishes. After
having pompOusy announced that the seat of the soul is
in the mening@ cerebral membrane) could there be
anything to fear from the liberal thinker fFerney? He
had only forgotten that the patriarch was above all
man OF good TASTE aud that the book the body and
soul offended all the proprcties of life Voltaires
tce appeared He began with this severe and Just les
son. We should not be prodigal of contempt towards
others, and of esteem for ourselves to such degree as
will be revolving to readers The end was still
more overwhelming. We see harlequin everywhere
cutting caper to amuse the pit Harlequin had re-
cciyed sufficient dose.
And having succeeded in literature he threw himself
upon the sciences On betaking himself to this ca
reer, the doctor of Neufchatel attacked Newton But
unucky his criticisms directed precisely to those
points wherein optics may vie in evidence with geometry
ITSELF This time the patron NJ de MailebOis, and
| the tribunal the Academy of Sciences The Academy
pronounced It's Judgment gravely without infcting
word OF rldcue for example, it did not speak Of har
equin but it did not therefore remain the less estab-
lshed that the pretended experiments, intended it was
sld to upset NeWOns, the unequal rerangibilty of
varousy cOOred rays, and the explanation of the rain
bow, &c, had absolutely scientific value. Still the
author would not allow himself to have been beatcn-
He even conceived the possibility of retaliation; and
avaling himself Of his intimacy with the Duke dc Vii
leroy, governor of the second city in the kingdom he
got the Academy of Lyons to propose for competition
all the questions in OPTICS which for several years past
had been the sub ecs Of its disqustiOns he even fur
nShed the amount of the prize out of his own pOckct
under an assumed name
! The prize lOnged for and so snguarly proposed,
was not obtained, however, by the Duke dc Nileroy
candidate, but by the astronomer FIaugergues. From
that instant, the pseudO-physicst became the bitter
enemy OF the scientific bodies Of the whole universe of
whoever bore the title of an academician Putting
aside all shame, he no longer made himself known in the
field of natural philosophy, merely by imaginary expert
mens or by uggleries he had to contempti-
bic practices, with the object of throwing doubt upon
the cearest and bestprOved principles of science for
example, the metallic needles discovered by the acadC
mcian Charles and which the foreign doctor had adrO-
ly concealed in cake of resin in order to contradict
the common opinion of the electric nOn-conductiby of
that substance. The revolution of 'S9 lust oc-
Cured in time to relieve the ahortve author phvsioo-
gist, and physicist from the nolerablc position into
which he had been thrown by his inability and his
quackery AS soon as the revolution had assumed o
decided movement great surprise occasione by tic
sudden transformations excited in the inferior walks of
the political world. Marat one of the most strk-
lg examples of these hasty changes of principles The
Neufchatel physician had shown himself violent adj
versary to those opinions that occasOned the cOnvoca-
tIOI Of thn I-CfA, Al
motion in 80. AT that time democraica institutions
had not more bitter more violent censor Marat
liked it to be believed that in quitting France for Eng
land he fled especially from the spectacle of social reno
vatiOn which OdiOus to him. Yet month after
the taking of the Basc he returned Paris cstab-
ished Journal and from its very beginning left far be-
hind him even those who, in the hope of making them
selves remarkable thought they must push exaggeration
to its very farthcst limits
Arogo,s Biography Of Scientific Men.
HONEST OLD PoMPEY-One day last week as Pomp-
ey, a negro man belonging to Mr.. L. O. Loveess was
elsurey driving his team from Hamburg to this place
he esped few PAGES ahead directly in the road like
ly looking pocket book, whereupon he dsrnounted,
and after turning his prize two three times he
grunted to himself, Humph. Wonder who drap dis ?
Look like HIM fat wild de dollars. DequestiOn now,
what shall do wild it ?" Here he scratched his head
in thoughtful mood, and on taking "sobcr second
thought came to the following conclusions " Well
one thing sartain, he no blOng to dis chid-darfore
won't open it, case got no business in dar-but Ill
take em to de Court House and hab EN- put in de pa
pers." And with this determination he accordingly
slowed it safely away in his pocket 1t was not long
however, before Capt. Merrwethcr who had lost the
pocket book and then in search of it. came up with
Pompcys wagon, and began to question him concern
ing it. The old negro readily acknowledged that he
had it. and cheerfuy delivered it to the rghtfu owner
/ Capt NJ in consideration of Pomps praseworthy
tlons in this matter generously gave him ten dollars,
which was thankfully received, with the remark, By
golly de old saying 'onesty am de best policy cum
true one time, sartain" And the old fellow went on
his way rejoicing. Edgetfed Adreniscr.
RATHER PECULIAR STYLE OF COMPLIMENT TO A WIFE
Thomas Raikes in his Diary tells the following singuary
story which true outrisedas old in its IDEAS Of what
a wfe's forbearance should lead her to endure
is married to handsome wife, and both are sincerely
py. The other night they had dressed for ball which
they invited and at the of departure lady
made her appearance in such bewitching toilette, and
looking dvinety beautiful that the husband
with sudden fit of ea ousIy and without any feeling of
senmen ilwi to his wife, but merely prevent
from the enjoyment of such sight he very deliberately
her gown in pieces from her back Many English ladies
would have sued for separation. asked how the young
French marquise bore the disappointment. The answer
she was attered beyond measure and proud of this proof
of her husbands admration and in fact said the
tor, there something beautiful sublime in th.
struck very bred rather cruel and exceedingly
selfish.
New SOUNDING INsTRUMENT.-Capt. G. +. Brown
Of Warren, R. l., has invented explosive sounding
instrument, which is entitled to notice in connection will
the various appliances brought into requisition TO insure
the of the proposed Atlantic telegraph 1t is
t thus described:
e The invention consists in attaching to a spindle a
:, long spheroida chamber, containing some gunpowder
within the lower part and having underneath the cham
Der needle operated by spring which forced against
+ cap on nipple, and thereby igniting the charge o
powder when the lower end of the spindle strikes the
bottom and the time that elapses from the period thC
instrument is dropped until the sound is heard Or con