[129] For these particulars I am indebted to Sir Egerton Brydges.
[130] Sallust. Bell. Jugurth.
[131] Ἀνδρῶν γὰρ ἐπιφανῶν πᾶσα γῆ τάφος, καὶ οὐ στηλῶν μόνον ἐν τῇ οἰκείᾳ σημαίνει ἐπιγραφὴ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ μὴ προσηκούσῃ ἄγραφος μνήμη παρ' ἑκάστῳ τῆς γνώμης μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ ἔργου ἐνδιαιτᾶται.— Thucydides, B. 43.
[132] This historical sketch has no pretensions to originality. It is compiled from the best authors, and from the Introduction to Sir H. Davy's Elements of Chemical Philosophy.
[133] Lavoisier perished on the scaffold at the age of fifty-one, during the sanguinary reign of Robespierre. The fury of the revolutionary leaders of France was particularly directed against the farmers-general of the revenue, who were all executed, with the exception of a single individual, a M. de Verdun. Sixty of them were guillotined at the same time, in consequence of a report of Dupin, a frantic member of the Convention. The revolutionary tribunal adopted a general formula, as the ground of their condemnation, which is curious as applied to Lavoisier, who was declared guilty of having "adulterated snuff with water and ingredients destructive of the health of the citizens." The unfortunate philosopher requested time to complete some experiments on respiration. The reply of Coffinhal, the President, was, that "the Republic did not want savans or chemists, and that the course of justice could not be suspended."
[134] The reader who wishes for further details, will consult with advantage the article Combustion in Dr. Ure's Dictionary of Chemistry; a work to which I acknowledge myself much indebted on this and other occasions.
Transcriber's note:
Minor spelling and punctuation inconsistencies been harmonized. Obvious printer errors have been repaired. Missing page numbers are page numbers that were not shown in the original text.
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