Page:Passages from the Life of a Philosopher.djvu/211

CHAPTER XIV.

recollections of laplace, biot, and humbolt.

My First Visit to Paris—Anecdote of the fifty-two Eggs—Mistake about Woodhouse—Fourier—Biot—Drawings of the Difference Engine—Strong characteristic of Humboldt's mind—English Clergyman at Paris—Great Meeting of Philosophers at Berlin, 1828—Introduces the Author to Magnus and Derichlet—Puts the Englishman upon the Dining Committee—Conversation in the Linden Walk—Humboldt's study—Various members of the family of Buonaparte— Lucien and his Children— Louis, the King of Holland—Joseph, the King of Spain—His second Daughter married to a Son of Louis—Their taste—Drawings and Lithographs—Her Death.

My first visit to Paris was made in company with my friend John Herschel. On reaching Abbeville, we wanted breakfast, and I undertook to order it. Each of us usually required a couple of eggs. I preferred having mine moderately boiled, but my friend required his to be boiled quite hard. Having explained this matter to the waiter, I concluded by instructing him that each of us required two eggs thus cooked, concluding my order with the words, "pour chacun deux."

The garçon ran along the passage half way towards the kitchen, and then called out in his loudest tone—

"Il faut faire bouillir cinquante-deux œufs pour Messieurs les Anglais." I burst into such a fit of uncontrollable laughter at this absurd misunderstanding of chacun deux, for cinquante-deux, that it was some time before I could explain it to Herschel, and but for his running into the kitchen to counter-

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