172 
THE CENTENARY OP THE ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE. 
and all that genius and energy could effect from the resources at their 
command was employed, in order that France might be enabled to de¬ 
fend herself against all Europe, and to supply her own necessities 
during the continuance of a long war—indeed, according to the expres¬ 
sion of Biot, an eternal and terrible strife. It was at this time that a 
school, a nursery for talents and devotion, had appeared necessary to 
those men to whom the state of their country caused deep anxiety. 
Carnot, Rom me, Prieur, Monge, Lamblardie and Fourcroy had many a 
time pondered over this problem in the midst of the vicissitudes of that 
eventful time. ff We have very often discussed between ourselves, 
Carnot and myself,” states Prieur (of the Cote-d’Or), “ about the neces¬ 
sity of forming a school for the instruction of engineers; but the flood 
of other affairs long prevented our taking up the subject—urgency 
alone has impeded us.” And, in fact, at that very time Carnot was 
preparing the second great requisition, organising the demi-brigades, 
and drawing up the plan of the campaign which Jourdan was to carry 
out. In the midst of all the confusion caused by the threatening invasion, 
the need of qualified military engineers was daily becoming more and 
more apparent. The Committee of Public Safety became well aware 
and sensible of this terrible defect, and, on the 21 Ventose, An. II. 
(equivalent to the 11th March, 1794), the creation of a central School 
of Public Works was requested from the Convention, by the mouth of 
its representative Barere. A commission of savants, including Monge, 
Berthollet, Chaptal, Yauquelin and others, had already been nominated, 
and immediately, at the very darkest hour of 1794, when such sanguin¬ 
ary executions marked the “ Reign of Terror,” the organisation of the 
Ecole Polytechnique was commenced. e{ Thus,” Michelet was able to 
say, “ was revealed the immortal greatness of the Convention, by the 
power which it exhibited of carrying on simultaneously battles, where 
its sons shed their life’s blood drop by drop, and studies by which it 
worked for the benefit of future generations.” 
Certificate of Patriotism. 
The Law of Organisation was voted on the 28th September, 1794 
(7 Vendemiaire ); and among other clauses regulating admission to the 
school, it was specified that all candidates must be recommended for 
their practice of republican virtues, and by having constantly manifested 
their love of “ Liberty, Equality and Hatred of Tyrants.” This requi¬ 
site certificate of citizenship was the means of causing numerous 
exclusions; among those thus nearly excluded being Poinsot, who subse¬ 
quently became one of the greatest of French geometricians. “ The 
exhibition of his patriotism” wrote the appointed citizen-examiner 
" has been nil.” Nevertheless, upon his swearing eternal hatred to 
all tyrants, Poinsot, in spite of the above examiner’s report, was de¬ 
clared worthy of serving his country. The method of his passing his 
technical examination was not less curious. Poinsot, it appears, then 
knew absolutely nothing of mathematics. So when the examiner 
tested him by a simple question of algebra, he replied “ Citizen! I do 
not know any algebra, but I promise to do my best to learn it.” The 
examiner, fortunately a keen observer of youth, judged rightly of his 
