Biographical Memoir of M. Hauy. 219 



tliese first vexations. When, on the 10th August 1792, the 

 throne was overthrown, one of the first measures taken, or al- 

 lowed to be taken, by the cruelly volatile men who came into 

 the possession of power, was to imprison the priests who had 

 not taken the prescribed oath, and M. Haiiy's celebrity in the 

 sciences only afforded an additional motive to make him undergo 

 the common fate. 



Very little acquainted in his solitary life with what was pass- 

 ing around him, he was one day surprised to see some rude 

 men violently enter his humble retreat. They began with ask- 

 ing him if he had fire-arms. I have none but these, said he, 

 drawing a spark from his electrical machine, and this little cir- 

 cumstance disarmed these horrible wretches for a moment. But 

 it was only for a moment that it disarmed them. They seized 

 his papers, in which there was nothing but algebraic formulae. 

 The collection, which constituted his sole property, was thrown 

 topsy-turvy. He was ultimately confined, along with all the 

 priests and regents of this part of Paris, in the seminary of 

 Saint-Firmin, which was contiguous to the college of the Cardi- 

 nal Lemoine, and which was converted into a prison. 



One cell for another, he found little difference in the change. 

 Tranquillized especially by seeing himself in the midst of many 

 of his friends, he had no ether cares than to have his drawers 

 brought to him, and to attempt to reduce his crystals to order. 



Fortunately he had friends without who were better informed 

 of what was going on. 



One of his pupils, who afterwards became his colleague, M. 

 Geoffroy de Saint Hilaire, member of this Academy, lodged in 

 the Collie of Cardinal Lemoine. Scarcely had he learned what 

 had befallen his master, when he ran to implore in his behalf all 

 whom he thought could be of service ta him. Members of the 

 Academy, functionaries of the Jardin du Roi, did not hesitate 

 to cast themselves at the feet of the ferocious men who conduct- 

 ed this frightful tragedy. An order for his deliverance was ob- 

 tained, and M. Geoffroy eagerly carried it to Saint Firmin's; 

 but he arrived somewhat late, and M. Haiiy was so tranquil, 

 and found himself so comfortable, tliat nothing could induce him 

 to remove that day. The next morning he had almost to be 



