LIVES 
OF 
DISTINGUISHED SCIENTIFIC MEN. 
CARNOT. 
BIOGRAPHY READ AT A PUBLIC ASSEMBLY OF THE ACAD- 
EMY OF SCIENCES, ON THE 21ST OF AUGUST, 1837. 
CHILDHOOD OF CARNOT.—HIS EDUCATION. 
LAZARE-NICOLAS-MARGUERITE CARNOT was born at 
Nolay (Cote-d’Or), in the ancient duchy of Burgundy 
that had already been the cradle of three of the greatest 
ornaments of which the Academies could boast : Bossuet, 
Vauban, and Buffon. His father was an advocate, and 
exercised that noble profession with a great deal of talent 
(which is not uncommon) and with very great disinter- 
estedness (which is said to be not so common). The 
advocate, Claude-Abraham Carnot, had eighteen children ; 
so that, according to the old adage, which promises pros- 
perity to a numerous family, he might expecta happy 
future for each of his children. Indeed, at one period, 
he might have counted, in this numerous family, two lieu- 
tenant-generals of the French armies; a councillor at the 
SEC. SER. 1 
