Faithfultothememoryofhimwhohadleftus,wewishedasimpleintermentinthefamilyvaultinthelittlecemeteryatSceaux.Therewasneitherofficialceremonynoraddress,andonlyhisfriendsaccompaniedhimtohislasthome.Ashethoughtofhimwhowasnomore,hisbrotherJacquessaidtome:"Hehadallthegifts;therewerenottwolikehim."
Inordertoassurethecontinuanceofhiswork,theFacultyofSciencesofParispaidmetheverygreathonorofaskingmetotaketheplacethathehadoccupied.Iacceptedthisheavyheritage,inthehopethatImightbuildupsomeday,inhismemory,alaboratoryworthyofhim,whichhehadneverhad,butwhereotherswouldbeabletoworktodevelophisidea.Thishopeisnowpartlyrealized,thankstothecommoninitiativeoftheUniversityandthePasteurInstitute,whichhaveaimedatthecreationofaRadiumInstitute,composedoftwolaboratories,theCurieandthePasteur,destinedforthephysicochemicalandthebiologicalstudyofradiumrays.IntouchinghomagetohimwhohaddisappearedthenewstreetleadingtotheInstitutewasnamedruePierreCurie.
ThisInstituteis,however,insufficientinviewoftheconsiderabledevelopmentofradioactivityandofitstherapeuticapplications.ThebestauthorizedpersonsnowrecognizethatFrancemustpossessaRadiumInstitutecomparabletothoseofEnglandandAmericafortheCurie-therapiewhichhasbecomeanefficaciousmeansinthebattleagainstcancer.Itistobehopedthatwithgenerousandfar-seeingaid,weshallhave,inafewyears,aRadiumInstitutecompleteandenlarged,worthyofourcountry.
TohonorthememoryofPierreCurie,theFrenchSocietyofPhysicsdecidedtoissueacompletepublicationofhisworks.Thispublication,arrangedbyP.LangevinandC.Cheneveau,comprisesbutasinglevolumeofaboutpages,whichappearedin,andforwhichIwroteapreface.Thisuniquevolume,whichincludesaworkasimportantasitisvaried,isafaithfulreflectionofthementalityoftheauthor.Onefindsinitagreatrichnessofideasandofexperimentalfactsleadingtoclearandwell-establishedresults,buttheexpositionislimitedtothestrictlynecessary,andisirreproachable,onemightevensayclassical,inform.ItistoberegrettedthatPierreCuriedidnotusehisgiftsasscientistandauthorinwritingextendedmemoirsorbooks.Itwasnotthedesirethatwaslacking;hehadseveralcherishedprojectsofthisnature.Buthecouldneverputthemintoexecutionbecauseofthedifficultieswithwhichhehadtostruggleduringallhisworkinglife.
Andnow,letusglanceatthisnarrativeasawhole,inwhichIhaveattemptedtoevoketheimageofamanwho,inflexiblydevotedtotheserviceofhisideal,honoredhumanitybyanexistencelivedinsilence,inthesimplegrandeurofhisgeniusandhischaracter.Hehadthefaithofthosewhoopennewways.Heknewthathehadahighmissiontofulfilandthemysticdreamofhisyouthpushedhiminvinciblybeyondtheusualpathoflifeintoawaywhichhecalledanti-naturalbecauseitsignifiedtherenunciationofthepleasuresoflife.Nevertheless,heresolutelysubordinatedhisthoughtsanddesirestothisdream,adaptinghimselftoitandidentifyinghimselfwithitmoreandmorecompetely.Believingonlyinthepacificmightofscienceandofreason,helivedforthesearchoftruth.Withoutprejudiceorpartipris,hecarriedthesameloyaltyintohisstudyofthingsthatheusedinhisunderstandingofothermenandofhimself.Detachedfromeverycommonpassion,seekingneithersupremacynorhonors,hehadnoenemies,eventhoughtheefforthehadachievedinthecontrolofhimselfhadmadeofhimoneofthoseelectwhomwefindinadvanceoftheirtimeinalltheepochsofcivilization.Likethemhewasabletoexerciseaprofoundinfluencemerelybytheradiationofhisinnerstrength.
Itisusefultolearnhowmuchsacrificesuchaliferepresents.Thelifeofagreatscientistinhislaboratoryisnot,asmanymaythink,apeacefulidyll.Moreoftenitisabitterbattlewiththings,withone'ssurroundings,andaboveallwithoneself.Agreatdiscoverydoesnotleapcompletelyachievedfromthebrainofthescientist,asMinervasprang,allpanoplied,fromtheheadofJupiter;itisthefruitofaccumulatedpreliminarywork.Betweenthedaysoffecundproductivityareinserteddaysofuncertaintywhennothingseemstosucceed,andwhenevenmatteritselfseemshostile;anditisthenthatonemustholdoutagainstdiscouragement.Thuswithouteverforsakinghisinexhaustiblepatience,PierreCurieusedsometimestosaytome:"Itisneverthelesshard,thislifethatwehavechosen."
Fortheadmirablegiftofhimself,andforthemagnificentserviceherendershumanity,whatrewarddoesoursocietyofferthescientist?Havetheseservantsofanideathenecessarymeansofwork?Havetheyanassuredexistence,shelteredfromcare?TheexampleofPierreCurie,andofothers,showsthattheyhavenoneofthesethings;andthatmoreoften,beforetheycansecurepossibleworkingconditions,theyhavetoexhausttheiryouthandtheirpowersindailyanxieties.
Oursociety,inwhichreignsaneagerdesireforrichesandluxury,doesnotunderstandthevalueofscience.Itdoesnotrealizethatscienceisamostpreciouspartofitsmoralpatrimony.Nordoesittakesufficientcognizanceofthefactthatscienceisatthebaseofalltheprogressthatlightenstheburdenoflifeandlessensitssuffering.Neitherpublicpowersnorprivategenerosityactuallyaccordtoscienceandtoscientiststhesupportandthesubsidiesindispensabletofullyeffectivework.
Iinvoke,inclosing,theadmirablepleadingofPasteur:"Iftheconquestsusefulforhumanitytouchyourheart,ifyouareoverwhelmedbeforetheastonishingresultsofelectrictelegraphy,ofthedaguerrotype,ofanesthesia,andofotherwonderfuldiscoveries,ifyouarejealousofthepartyourcountrymayclaiminthespreadingofthesemarvelousthings,takeaninterest,Ibegofyou,inthosesacredplacestowhichwegivetheexpressivenameoflaboratories.Demandthattheybemultipliedandornamented,forthesearethetemplesofthefuture,ofwealth,andofwell-being.Itisinthemthathumanitygrows,fortifiesitself,andbecomesbetter.Thereitmaylearntoreadintheworksofnaturethestoryofprogressandofuniversalharmony,evenwhileitsowncreationsaretoooftenthoseofbarbarism,fanaticism,anddestruction."