shadow of britain

Chapter 434 France’s Small Contribution
In the heart of central Paris, on the north bank of the Seine, sits a magnificent building originally built in 1204.

The guy who built it fought fiercely with Saladin in Jerusalem for more than a year during the Third Crusade, and then defeated Richard the Lion-Hearted, the most brave and warlike king in England's history, and John the Landless King, who was ambitious and talented. The French hero - Philip the Fox.

Although Philip the Great originally built this castle to use it as a fortress to guard the north shore of Paris, after hundreds of years of changes, many additions have been made to the building now known as the Louvre. Gorgeous towers and chic rooms.

During the reigns of Francois I and Henry II, these two art-loving kings added many Italian and French-style buildings according to their own preferences, and also spent a lot of money to purchase various art treasures for collection in the Louvre. Palace, the most famous of which is the world-famous painting - "Mona Lisa Smile".

During the reign of French King Henry IV, he spent another 14 years building a 300-meter-long large gallery in the Louvre. He planted trees here, raised birds and dogs, and could even walk in the corridor. Riding a horse to chase the fox.

During the reign of the 'Sun King' Louis XIV, France's longest-awaited king, who had been king since the age of 5 and reigned for a total of 72 years, worked very hard on the renovation of the Louvre. The galleries were further expanded, and the card was Works by famous artists such as Shidai and Rembrandt also continue to enrich the place.

As for the famous French inventor Louis XVI, his work at the Louvre was also very outstanding. His most well-known contribution here was that he erected a guillotine in the 'Arena' compound of the Louvre.

After the French Revolution broke out, the National Assembly announced that the palace, which had been occupied by the royal family for six centuries, would belong to all French citizens and it would be open to everyone as an art museum.

But this did not last long, as Napoleon moved here 6 years later.

Napoleon was also a person who loved art, but he usually didn't buy art with money, but with cannonballs that were heavier than gold coins. Perhaps because the weight of the cannonballs was so heavy, Napoleon's art acquisition plan was better than that of previous French kings, and his artistic taste was broader than all kings.

These include:
Mainly responsible for the French language, the French Academy was founded in 1635.

However, although he could not enter the Louvre today, he could still appreciate the magnificent building complex opposite the Louvre.

Not only that, but the regional states such as Spain, Prussia, Italy, and the Netherlands that he occupied at the time were also forced to hand over thousands of tons of precious artworks to him.

Just as Britain is currently experiencing an era of scientific explosion, France's scientific community is also currently ushering in a dazzling golden age.

In order to build Paris into the 'New Rome' in his mind, this dwarf from Corsica built the arches of the Louvre with the carvings from St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, and moved the Rosetta Stone, Egypt's national treasure. , even the broken walls, foundation doors, and mummies of the ancient Egyptian temple were moved back together by him.

Behind him is the seat of the Institut de France, the highest academic authority in France.

Although Britain across the Channel is far ahead of her enemy France in practical technology, unfortunately, since the death of Sir Isaac Newton, Britain has not produced a mathematician who can be influential in Europe for a long time. Home.

Although the history of these buildings is not as long as the Louvre, they are still old buildings built in 1688.

If Napoleon hadn't needed the pope to provide legal support for his coronation as king, it's hard not to wonder whether he would have rushed into the Vatican and moved the pope's throne and the pope's bronze canopy to the Louvre. .

The French Institute was established later than these buildings. As a unified official administrative and academic institution, the French Institute only has a history of more than 30 years.

Napoleon's behavior of purchasing for zero dollars naturally angered the countries where these works of art came from. Therefore, after he was completely defeated in the Battle of Waterloo, one of the important demands made by representatives of various countries during the peace talks was for the French to return them immediately. Their national treasure.

Specializing in natural philosophy, the French Academy of Sciences was founded in 1666 by Cardinal Richelieu.

and the ill-fated French Academy of Humanities, founded in 1795, seized in 1803, and re-established in 1832, responsible for moral and political direction.

Arthur got off the carriage, took a look at the Louvre Museum not far away and the French soldiers stationed in front of the palace, and could only shake his head with regret.

Specializing in literature, the French Academy of Literature was founded in 1663.

When the French Institute was founded, it merged with many older organizations, and after more than thirty years of development, it currently consists of five colleges.

Needless to say, the purpose of Arthur's trip was the French Academy of Sciences, which he had always been reluctant to visit.

It was established not long ago and is full of vitality. It was founded in 1816 as the French Academy of Arts.

However, although the French returned approximately 5000 pieces of looted art, there were still many left.

But unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to see them, because now, it is no longer a museum open to the public, but has become the exclusive property of the French royal family again.

However, although the French Society was established later, its management is far more standardized than the British Royal Society.

In the field of mathematics, especially in the past half century, the French mathematical community, led by Euler, Fourier, Laplace, Lagrange, Legendre and others, has overwhelmed the entire Europe. Breathlessly, their superiority in mathematics was even more appalling than Napoleon's superiority in military matters.

Just when Britain thought that after the death of the older generation of French mathematicians such as Euler and Fourier, they could finally jump out to compete with their old rivals, they unfortunately discovered that Cauchy and Poisson et al.

France's strong strength in mathematics has naturally enabled them to make rapid progress in fields such as astronomy and mechanics that are closely related to mathematics. French astronomers and engineers have always been the best, and this is no false compliment.

On the one hand, the Royal Society sadly realized that there was already a thick barrier between Britain and France in terms of mathematics. On the other hand, the group of scientific researchers in Britain were also very fortunate to have achieved such brilliant achievements on the other side of the strait.

After all, the Royal Society is no longer the period when Sir Isaac Newton was in power, so most of the academic committee members are not so petty, nor are they interested in engaging in partisan disputes (Newton vs. Hooke), or posting big-character posters everywhere. Go help the president fight for the honor of being the discoverer of calculus.

The Royal Society, led by Faraday and others, has a relatively tolerant academic environment and an inclusive mind. If their French counterparts have breakthrough successes, they will be happy to invite them to become foreign members of the Royal Society, and they will not hesitate to award them the Royal Society. The society's highest honor - the Copley Medal.

And this is also the purpose of Arthur's visit to the Royal Society today - on behalf of the Royal Society, he will award Mr. Augustin-Louis Cauchy, professor of mechanics at the University of Paris, academician of the French Academy of Sciences, and member of the Department of Astronomy and Mathematics, with the highest praise in the British scientific community.

Arthur stepped out of the taxi, and under the warm spring sunshine, everyone finally got a clear look at this elegant gentleman from Britain.

In order to show his solemnity, Arthur was dressed very elegantly today.

A well-tailored black tuxedo, every seam of the garment reveals the craftsman’s exquisite craftsmanship. An exquisite brooch is pinned to the neckline of the tuxedo, shining with a low-key and luxurious light.

His shirt was made of fine linen, immaculately white, with exquisite lace embroidery on the collar and cuffs, trying to show his French colleagues the meticulous British academic attitude.

And around his neck, there is a silk tie. The tie is complicated and exquisite. Every fold is carefully arranged according to Mr. Disraeli's recommendation. Every knot reveals elegance and confidence. attitude towards life.

His breeches were dark gray and matched perfectly with his tuxedo. The legs were straight and slender, showing an upright posture, just like when he served at Scotland Yard.

Under his feet was a pair of polished leather boots. The leather was soft and shiny, making a crisp sound with every step he took. On top of the leather boots, he wore a pair of exquisite stockings, the color of which matched the trousers, and the details showed his taste.

His hair was neatly styled with a side parting that was popular at the time, and was meticulously combed with wax. He always has a gentle smile on his face, and his eyes reveal wisdom and calmness. He holds an exquisite cane with a gold button inlaid on the top. It is both a walking aid and a symbol of status.

Arthur took two steps and looked up at the sun in the sky, then took out his gold pocket watch to see if the time agreed with the other party had arrived.

Under the sunlight, the shiny watch chain passed through the pocket of the vest, hanging slightly, swaying gently with his steps. Wearing a silver ring inlaid with emeralds on his finger, the gems sparkled in the sun, adding a bit of mystery and nobility.

Not long after Arthur got out of the car and left, someone at the French Academy of Sciences spotted this gentleman with a unique temperament. Maybe it's because of sympathy, or maybe it's because of similar odors. In short, the French have always mastered the knack of finding an Englishman among a bunch of people.

The French gentleman who had been waiting for a long time came forward and asked: "Excuse me, are you Sir Arthur Hastings? Are you sent here by the Royal Society?"

Arthur raised his head and took a look at the gentleman in front of him who still had a childish look on his face. He nodded slightly. He stretched out his hand and said, "Yes, I came here under the commission of the Royal Society. Mr. Cauchy's research He has been unanimously praised by the British scientific community, and we believe that he deserves to be awarded this year's Copley Medal. I have asked the Chinese Embassy in France to send someone to inform your court about this matter yesterday. I wonder if you are willing to take advantage of your busy schedule. "Can you please take me to see Mr. Cauchy? I assure you that the awarding of the medal will not take too long and will not disturb Mr. Cauchy's research."

The gentleman opposite saw that this British lord had lowered his posture so low, and he was immediately flattered. But he never expected that Arthur wasn't actually being polite. He simply didn't want to stay too long around a bunch of guys who could provide various terminology explanations and formulas for "Advanced Mathematics".

Or, to put it more bluntly, the former assistant chief constable of the Metropolitan Police is afraid of showing off.

"Where, Sir Hastings, if Mr. Cursey were here, it would be just a matter of a few steps for me to take you to see him. But..."

Arthur was surprised when he heard this: "You mean, Mr. Cauchy is not in the Academy of Sciences? I remember he is only in his forties, right? Does he want to retire early and enjoy life?"

The gentleman shook his head in embarrassment and said: "No, no, you misunderstood. Mr. Cauchy's heart is still full of love for the study of natural philosophy, and he still spends a lot of time in this area every day. He ...Well, let me put it bluntly, he simply doesn’t want to work in the Academy of Sciences.”

Arthur frowned and asked, "Why? Do you dislike the low salary here?"

The gentleman shook his head and said: "No, the treatment we give Mr. Cauchy is actually not low, and for people of his level, money is no longer the main issue. The main reason why Mr. Cauchy left here is because of the July 1830 Revolution. The Moon Revolution, uh... To be precise, he is a royalist, a die-hard supporter of the Bourbon dynasty and an absolute die-hard. He is unwilling to do any research work for our new king, or even Stay in France."

When Arthur heard this, he was relieved on the one hand, but on the other hand he felt that things seemed to be getting more and more troublesome.

He asked: "In that case, do you know where Mr. Cosey is currently?"

"Um……"

The gentleman replied: "As far as I know, after Mr. Cauchy left France early last year, he first went to the Apennines. He served as a professor of mathematical physics at the University of Turin for a period of time. Later, I heard that Bosnia and Herzegovina was living in exile abroad. The Bourbon Dynasty appointed him as the teacher of the "Crown Prince" Duke of Bordeaux, so Mr. Cauchy went to Prague without hesitation. In order to commend Mr. Cauchy for his loyalty to Bourbon, the Bourbons seemed to have named Mr. Cauchy. Baron of the French Bourbon dynasty. Well, you know, this title is currently illegal in France."

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but raise his forehead and said: "Oh my God! Do you think I have to go to Prague again?"

"Well... that's not necessary." The gentleman bowed slightly and said: "If you don't mind, I can take you on a tour of the Academy of Sciences first, and when our academic committee members arrive, we can have a meeting to discuss how to solve this problem. ”

(End of this chapter)