MiVicJiester Memoirs, Vol. Ivii. (191 3), ^0. 1*). 49 



great political revolution. The chief facts which involved 

 him in it were, so far as can be made out, as follows : — 



He was rich, and moieover, he had once criticised 

 somewhat severely a treatise on Heat written by the 

 demagogue Marat. He was also a member of the hated 

 body of the fermiers generals. 



You might, perhaps, consider that all these reasons 

 are hardly sufficient to bring anyone to the guillotine. 

 But nevertheless so it happened, and he had his death 

 warrant signed on the 7th May, 1794, and was guillotined 

 on the following day. The most significant words which 

 the brute of a judge (called Coffinhal) threw into the face 

 of the great Lavoisier were, ' The Republic does not need 

 any scientists.' 



Madame Faulze Lavoisier had courageously supported 

 her husband's cause throughout the five months of his 

 trial. Even after his execution she continued the struggle 

 and finally succeeded in obtaining the reconstitution of 

 his property.^'* 



I have a document, written by her some time after 

 her husband's death, and which relates to matters of his 

 personal estate. (See PL XVII.) 



I hope I have at least demonstrated the fact that 

 valuable information can be obtained from autograph 

 documents. Especially is this the case if one extends the 

 collection over contemporaneous pictures, pamphlets, etc. 

 Of course, the study of history is impossible without first 

 studying the printed books or papers of the various 

 scientists, and autograph documents can only afford addi- 

 tional, though very often valuable, information. If you 

 read Macaulay's history, you will find how often he refers 



°* She became later on tlie wife of Benjamin Tliumpson, better known 

 as Count Rutnford. 



