[1] A great nation, said Disraeli, is a nation which produces great men.

[2] Ordonnances du 26 Juillet, 1830. A royal Decree issued by Charles X under the advice of his minister, Prince de Polignac; it was based on a misreading of one of the articles of the Charter of 1814, and dissolved the new Chamber of Deputies before it had even assembled; it suppressed the freedom of the Press and created a new electoral system to the advantage of the royalist party. These ordonnances were the cause of the 1830 Revolution, which placed Louis Philippe of Orleans on the Throne. [Trans.]

[3] Ecole Normale Supérieure, under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts, founded in 1808 by Napoleon I, with the object of training young professors. Candidates must (1) be older than eighteen and younger than twenty-one; (2) pass one written and one vivâ voce examination; (3) be already in possession of their diploma as bachelier of science or of letters, according to the branch of studies which they wish to take up; and (4) sign an engagement for ten years’ work in public instruction. The professors of the Ecole Normale take the title of Maître des Conférences. [Trans.]

[4] Baccalauréat (low Latin bachalariatus), first degree taken in a French Faculty; the next is licence, and the next doctorate. It is much more elementary than a bachelor’s degree in an English university. There are two baccalauréats: (1) the baccalauréat ès lettres required of candidates for the Faculties of Medicine and of Law, to the Ecole Normale Supérieure and to several public offices; (2) the baccalauréat ès sciences, required for admission to the Schools of Medicine and of Pharmacy, to the Ecole Normale Supérieure (scientific section), and the Polytechnic, Military and Foresters’ Schools. [Trans.]

[5] Philosophie class. In French secondary schools or lycées the forms or classes, in Pasteur’s time, were arranged as follows, starting from the bottom—

The seconde students who intended to pass their baccalauréat ès sciences went into the mathématiques élémentaires class, whilst those who were destined for letters or the law entered the rhétorique class, from which they went on to the philosophie class. [Trans.]

[6] Prix Montyon: a series of prizes founded at the beginning of the nineteenth century by Baron de Montyon, a distinguished philanthropist, and conferred on literary works for their moral worth, and on individuals for acts of private virtue or self-sacrifice. The laureates are chosen every year by the Académie Française, and in this way many obscure heroes are deservedly rewarded, and many excellent books brought to public notice. [Trans.]

[7] Sorbonne. Name given to the Paris Faculty of Theology and the buildings in which it was established. It was originally intended by its founder, Robert de Sorbon (who was chaplain to St. Louis, King of France, 1270) as a special establishment to facilitate theological studies for poor students. This college became one of the most celebrated in the world, and produced so many clever theologians that it gave its name to all the members of the Faculty of Theology. It was closed during the Revolution in 1789, and its buildings, which had been restored by Richelieu in the seventeenth century, were given to the Université in 1808. Since 1821 they have been the seat of the Universitarian Academy of Paris, and used for the lectures of the Faculties of Theology, of Letters, and of Sciences. [Trans.]

[8] Accessit. A distinction accorded in French schools to those who have come nearest to obtaining the prize in any given subject. [Trans.]

[9] Concours Général. An open competition held every year at the Sorbonne between the élite of the students of all the colleges in France, from the highest classes down to the quatrième. [Trans.]

[10] Institut de France. Name given collectively to the five following societies—

1. Académie Française, founded by Richelieu in 1635 in order to polish and maintain the purity of the French language. It is composed of forty Life members, and publishes from time to time a dictionary which is looked upon as a standard test of correct French.

2. Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, founded by Colbert in 1663.

3. Académie des Sciences, also founded by Colbert in 1666. It has published most valuable reports ever since 1699.

4. Académie des Beaux-Arts, which includes the Academies of Painting, of Sculpture, of Music, and of Architecture.

5. Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques.

It was in 1795 that these ancient academies, which had been suppressed two years before by the Revolution, were reorganized and combined together to form the Institut de France. [Trans.]

[11] Peers of France. A supreme Council formed originally of the First Vassals of the Crown; became in 1420 one of the Courts of Parliament. In 1789 the Peerage was suppressed, but reinstated in 1814 by the Restoration, when it again formed part of the Legislative Corps; there were then hereditary peers and life-peers. In 1831 the hereditary peerage was abolished and life-peers were nominated by the King under certain restrictions. This House of Peers was suppressed in 1848, and in 1852 the Senate was instituted in its stead. [Trans.]

[12] Facultés, Government establishments for superior studies; there are in France Faculties of Theology, of Law, of Medicine, of Sciences and of Letters, distributed among the larger provincial towns as well as in Paris. The administrator of a faculty is styled doyen (dean) and is chosen among the professors. [Trans.]

[13] Agrégation. An annual competition for recruiting professors for faculties and secondary schools or lycées. A candidate for the lycées agrégation must have passed his licence examination, and a candidate for the superior agrégation must be in possession of his doctorate. [Trans.]

[14] This celebrated poet took a large share in the Revolution of 1848, when his popularity became enormous. His political talents, however, apart from his wonderful eloquence, were less than mediocre, and he retired into private life within three years.

His “Meditations,” “Jocelyn,” “Recueillements,” etc., etc., are beautiful examples of lyrical poetry, and may be considered as forming part of the literature of the world. [Trans.]

[15] Garde Nationale. A city militia, intended to preserve order and to maintain municipal liberties; it was improvised in 1789, and its first Colonel was General Lafayette, of American Independence fame. Its cockade united the King’s white to the Paris colours, blue and red, and thus was inaugurated the celebrated Tricolour.

The National Guard was preserved by the Restoration, but Charles X disbanded it as being dangerously Liberal in its tendencies. It re-formed itself of its own accord in 1830, and helped to overthrow the elder branch of Bourbon. It proved a source of disorder in 1848 and was reorganized under the second Empire, but, having played an active and disastrous part in the Commune (1871), it was disarmed and finally suppressed. [Trans.]

[16] February days. The Republicans had organized a banquet in Paris for February 22, 1848. The Government prohibited it, with the result that an insurrection took place. Barricades were erected and some fighting ensued; on the 24th, the insurgents were masters of the situation. Louis Philippe abdicated (vainly) in favour of his grandson, the Comte de Paris, and fled to England. [Trans.]

[17] Collège de France. An establishment of superior studies founded in Paris by Francis I in 1530, and where public lectures are given on languages, literature, history, mathematics, physical science, etc. It was formerly independent, but is now under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Instruction. [Trans.]

[18] Polytechnician. A student of the Ecole Polytechnique, a military and engineering school under the jurisdiction of the Minister of War, founded in 1794. Candidates for admission must be older than sixteen and younger than twenty, but the limit of age is raised to twenty-five in the case of private soldiers and non-commissioned officers. They must also have passed their baccalauréat ès lettres or ès sciences—preferably the latter. After two years’ residence (compulsory) students pass a leaving examination, and are entered according to their list number as engineers of the Navy, Mines, or Civil Works, or as officers in the military Engineers or in the Artillery; the two last then have to go through one of the military training schools (Ecoles d’Application). [Trans.]

[19] Université. The celebrated body known as Université de Paris, and instituted by Philippe Auguste in 1200, possessed great privileges from its earliest times. It had the monopoly of teaching and a jurisdiction of its own. It took a share in public affairs on several occasions, and had long struggles to maintain against several religious orders. The Université was suppressed by the Convention, but re-organized by Napoleon I in 1808. It is now subdivided into sixteen Académies Universitaires, each of which is administered by a Rector. The title of Grand Master of the Université always accompanies that of Minister of Public Instruction. [Trans.]

[20] Départements. The present divisions of French territory, numbering eighty-seven in all. Each department is administered by a préfet, and subdivided into arrondissements, each of which has a sous-préfet. [Trans.]

[21] Prince de Joinville. Third son of Louis Philippe, and an Admiral in the French navy. It was he who was sent to fetch Napoleon’s remains from St. Helena. [Trans.]

[22] Of the Legion of Honour.

[23] Hectare: French measure of surface, about 2⅓ acres. [Trans.]

[24] Conseil-Général de département. A representative assembly for the general management of each département, somewhat similar to the County Councils in England. [Trans.]

[25] Le Verrier, a celebrated astronomer, at that time Director of the Paris Observatory. His calculations led him to surmise the existence of the planet Neptune, which was discovered accordingly. Adam, an English astronomer, attained the same result, by the same means, at the same time, each of the two scientists being in absolute ignorance of the work of the other. Le Verrier was the first to publish his discovery. [Trans.]

[26] Ancient name of the high flat ground surrounding Chartres and including parts of the Departments of Eure et Loir, Loir et Cher, Loiret and Seine et Oise. These plains are very fertile, the soil being extremely rich, and produce cereals chiefly. [Trans.]

[27] Val-de-Grâce. A handsome monument of the seventeenth century, now a military hospital. [Trans.]

[28] By Dr. Smiles. [Trans.]

[29] Ps. cxxxvii. 9.

[30] Prix de Rome. A competition takes place every year amongst the students of the Ecole des Beaux Arts for this prize; the successful competitor is sent to Rome for a year at the expense of the Ecole. [Trans.]

[31] Assistance Publique, official organisation of the charitable works supported by the State. [Trans.]

[32] La Vie d’un Savant, by the author of the present work. [Trans.]