condorcet: a biography. 231 



had been coufiued, ia order that the gendarmes might conduct him to 

 Paris, he found only a corpse. Our confrere had escaped the scaffold 

 b^' a dose of concentrated poison he had for sometime carried in a riug.* 



Bochard de Saron, Lavoisier, La Eochefoucauld, Malesherbes, Bailly. 

 Condorcet — such were the losses sustaiued by the Academy during 

 our sanguinary struggles. The memories of these illustrious men 

 have fared very differently ; some have rested in peace in the universal 

 and well-deserved regret : others have periodically been subjected to 

 the storm of political abuse. 



If my powers obey my will, I hope soon in this place to speak to you 

 of Bailly. To-day I shall not feel that 1 have accomplished my sacred 

 task, even after all that has been said, if I do not free the memory of 

 Condorcet from a calumnious imputation. The form of this accusation 

 against our brother does not lessen my inquietude; it imputes to him 

 only weakness, but weakness under some circumstances is a crime. 



In giving an account of the deplorable condemnation of Lavoisier, a 

 pen very wise, very respectable, and very respected, wrote some years 

 ago : "Much hope was felt for Lavoisier on account of certain circum- 

 stances some of his confreres could adduce in his favor ; but terror 

 froze their hearts." With this as foundation, a certain public, cruelly 

 trifling, numbered upon their fingers the academicians who had seats 

 in the convention, and so, without further examination^ the name of our 

 former secretary is found fatally implicated in the stupidly ferocious 

 act which deprived France of an excellent citizen, the world of a man 

 of genius. Two dates, two simple dates, will show that when no names 

 are mentioned in connection with so grave an event, when only general 

 terms are used and no one is especially accused, it is not wise, to say the 

 least, to implicate everybody. 



Condorcet, it has been said, might have interfered in favor of Lav- 

 oisier. When? — at the time of the arrest? Then this is my answer: 

 Lavoisier was arrested in the month of April, 1794. Condorcet was 

 proscribed and hidden with Madam Vernet from the commencement 

 of July, 1793. After the sentence of the revolutionary tribunal? The 

 response is still more decisive : Lavoisier died on the Sth of May, 1791:. 

 Condorcet poisoned himself at Bourg la Keine a month before, on the Sth 

 of April. I need not add a word to these figures; thej will remain im- 

 printed by ineffaceable lines upon the foreheads of the calumniators of 

 our noble confrere. 



PORTRAIT OF CONDORCET. 



1 have successively presented to your eyes, and in what has appeared 

 to me the true light, the savant, the literateur, the political economist, and 

 the member of two of our national assemblies. It remains for me to 



* This poison (we do not know its nature), was prepared by Cabanis. That with 

 ■which Nai^olcon attempted to poison himself at Fcutainebleau was of the same origin 

 and the same date. 



