LAVOISIER ANTOINE-LAURENT DE: (1743-1794) ´ I am doing my best in the embarrassing circumstances in which I find myself´

LAVOISIER ANTOINE-LAURENT DE: (1743-1794) ´ I am doing my best in the embarrassing circumstances in which I find myself´

LAVOISIER ANTOINE-LAURENT DE: (1743-1794) French nobleman and chemist who was central to the 18th century chemical revolution and who had a large influence on both the history of chemistry and the history of biology. L.S., Lavoisier, three pages, folio, Paris, 11th August 1793, to Louis-Francois-Antoine Arbogast, in French. Lavoisier commences his letter by informing Arbogast that ´L´Academie des sciences la seance qui a precede sa separation a nomme en execution du decret de la Convention, quatre commissaires pour former un apercu de depenses qu´occasionneront l´establissement et l´envoy des nouvelles mesures dans les departements et districts de la Republique. Vous en avez ete prevenu Citoyen par une lettre du C[itoyen]. Darcet qui etait alors President´ (Translation: ´The Academy of Sciences, in the session which preceded its separation, appointed, in execution of the decree of the Convention, four commissioners to draw up an outline of the expenditure which the establishment and dispatch of the new measures will cause in the departments and districts of the Republic. You were informed of this, Citizen, by a letter from C[itozen]. Darcet, who was President at the time´) and continues, in part, ´Nous avons ete depuis informes que la comite d´Instruction publique vous avait choisi avec le C. Fourcroi en execuction du meme decret, pour concourir a ce travail.......Il est egalement necessaire que nous sachions si les commissaires qui ont ete charges des operations astronomiques et geodesiques en Espagne et en France, si ceux qui doivent mesurer la base, si ceux enfin qui sont charges de comparer les mesures en usage dans les departements et districts de la Republique......L´instruction que l´academie a ete chargee de rediger sur l´usage des nouvelles mesures et sur l´artithmethique decimale, offre encore une difficulte de plus, parce que les commissaires qui doivent etre charges de cet objet n´ont point encore ete nommes. Je dois de plus Citoyen representant vous observer que je me trouve depositaire des barres de platine destinees a mesurer les bases de leur monture des thermometres metalliques qui doivent les accompagner, de plusieurs etalons de poids, d´une quantite considerable de platine brute destinee a faire des etalons.....J´ai indique dans une lettre que j´ai adressee hier au Comite d´Instruction publique les deux seuls moyens qui me paraissent pratiquables pour sortir d´un aussi grand embarras, c´est ou d´excepter l´academie des sciences de la supression prononcee par le decret de la convention comme l´avait propose le comite d´instruction publique, ou d´autoriser les membres qui composaient la cidevant academie a se former en societe libre pour qu´ils ont entame, notamment de ceux dont ils ont ete charges par la convention, en leur conservant les attributions qui leur avoient ete affectees pour la suite de ces travaux par le decret de 20 aout 1790. Si le comite d´Instruction publique n´obtient point une decision prompte de la convention sur ces differents objets, l´operation des poids et mesures sera entierement suspendue; J´envoye au Citoyen Lakanal copie de cette lettre dont il est necessaire qu´il ait connaissance´ (Translation: ´We have since been informed that the Public Education Committee has chosen you and the C. Fourcroi in execution of the same decree, to take part in this work......It is also necessary that we know if the commissioners who have been in charge of astronomical and geodetic operations in Spain and France, if those who must measure the base, if those who are in charge of comparing the measures in use in the departments and districts of the French Republic, have the right to do so..........The instruction that the Academy has been asked to draw up on the use of the new measures and on decimal arithmetic offers yet another difficulty, because the commissioners who are to be responsible for this matter have not yet been appointed. I must also point out to you, Representative Citizen, that I am the custodian of platinum bars intended to measure the bases of their mounts for the metal thermometers which must accompany them, of several weight standards, and of a considerable quantity of raw platinum intended to make standards........In a letter that I sent yesterday to the Comité d'Instruction Publique, I indicated the only two means that seem practicable to me to get out of such a great embarrassment, either to exempt the Academy of Sciences from the suppression pronounced by the decree of the Convention, as the Comité d'Instruction Publique had proposed or to authorise the members who made up the former academy to form themselves into a free society so that they could begin, in particular, the work for which they had been made responsible by the convention, retaining for them the attributions which had been assigned to them for the continuation of this work by the decree of 20th August 1790. If the Comité d'Instruction Publique does not obtain a prompt decision from the Convention on these various matters, the operation of weights and measures will be entirely suspended; I am sending Citizen Lakanal a copy of this letter, of which he must be aware´). In a postscript Lavoisier further states ´Je joins à la présente une copie de la lettre (encore présente) que j´ecris au Citoyen Delambre, j´ai cru remplir les intentions du comite d´Instruction publique en le tranquilisant et en l´encourageant . J´ecrirai dans cet esprit au C. Mechain. Je fais pour le mieux dans les circonstances embarassantes ou je me trouve, j´espere que je ne serai pas desaprouve par le comite´ (Translation: ´I enclose herewith a copy of the letter (still present) which I wrote to Citizen Delambre. I thought I was fulfilling the intentions of the Comité d'Instruction Publique by calming and encouraging him. I will write in this spirit to the C. Mechain. I am doing my best in the embarrassing circumstances in which I find myself, and I hope that I will not be disapproved by the committee´). Letters signed by Lavoisier are rare as a result of his execution by guillotine at the height of the French Revolution, at the untimely age of 50 (having been charged with tax fraud and selling adulterated tobacco), and the presnt example has fine content, not least for its references to a number of important contemporary chemists, astronomers, mathematicians and other individuals. Some light age wear and minor duststaining and a few small tears to the edges, otherwise about VG, 2

Louis Francois Antoine Arbogast (1759-1803) French mathematician.

Jean Darcet (1724-1801) French chemist, one of the first to manufacture porcelain in France as a director of the works as Sevres.

Antoine-Francois de Fourcroy (1755-1809) French chemist who collaborated with Lavoisier.

Joseph Lakanal (1762-1845) French politician, an original member of the Institut de France and a member of the Committee of Public Instruction from 1793.

Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre (1749-1822) French mathematician, astronomer and geodesist who authored several well-known books on the history of astronomy.

Pierre Mechain (1744.1804) French astronomer, a major contributor to the early study of deep-sky objects and comets.