One day Villemain, the Secretary of the French Academy, was declaiming in the library in a vigorous manner against Napoleon III.* Leverrier, who was an ardent imperialist, chanced to overhear some of his remarks, and demanded, "How dare you speak in this manner of the emperor in a public building?"
Villemain looked up and replied, "And who are you?"
"Leverrier is my name."
"Oh, Leverrier. Astronomer, I think. In his day I was acquainted with Laplace; he was an astronomer too, and a gentleman."
"Sir, I despise wit," said Leverrier. "And if you continue speaking thus I shall report your words to the authorities."
"Well," said Villemain, shrugging his shoulders, "every one has his way of making a living."
有一天，法蘭西學院書記維爾曼在圖書館演講，痛斥拿破崙三世*。忠君的勒威耶剛巧聽見，質問他說：「你怎麼斗膽在公共地方這樣議論國君？」
維爾曼擡起頭，問道：「閣下是誰？」
「我是勒威耶。」
「啊，勒威耶，是那天文學家吧。拉普拉斯在世時，和我相識。他也是天文學家，還是君子。」
勒威耶說：「老兄，說話賣弄聰明，我是不會欣賞的。你假如再這樣議論國君，我會把你的話告訴當局。」
維爾曼聳聳肩，回答說：「啊，人人都有其謀生之道。」
*拿破崙三世是拿破崙一世的姪兒，一八五二年登法國王位，一八七三年去世。