LA VOISIER 



printed, when he was arrested as one of the " Fermi- 

 eres Generaux," or Revenue Commissioners, by the 

 revolutionary tribunal, and, although the administra- 

 tion of his duties in the collection of the national 

 finances had not only been without blemish, but of 

 singular advantage to those within his charge, he was 

 guillotined with twenty-eight other " Farmers Gen- 

 eral " May 8, 1794. He asked for a delay of several 

 days, in order that he might complete for the benefit 

 of humanity the arrangement of his memoires, but 

 the Chief of the horrible tribunal savagely replied : 

 "We have no use for Savants." Lavoisier was only 

 fifty-one years old. What discoveries might he not 

 have made had he lived longer ! As Lagrange truly 

 said : " It only required one moment for the execu- 

 tioner to cut off such a head ; but centuries may roll 

 by before another like it is produced." 



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