CHASLES, MICHEL. - ONE OF THE GREATEST FORGERIES IN THE HISTORY OF SCIECE.

Réponse à la communication de M. Faugères.

(Paris, Gauthier-Villars), 1867.

4to. In: "Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de L'Academie des Sciences", Tome 65, No 10. Pp. (373-) 428. (Entire issue offered). Chasles' paper pp. 375-385.

"Chasles was a collector of autographs and manuscripts, and this interest allied with his credulity to cause him serious embarrassment. From 1861 to 1869 he was the victim of one of the most clever and prolific of literary forgers, Denis Vrain-Lucas. Chasles bought thousands of manuscripts, including a correspondence between Isaac Newton, Blaise Pascal, and Robert Boyle which established that Pascal had anticipated Newton in the discovery of the law of universal gravitation. Chasles presented these letters to the Academy in 1867 and took an active part in the furor that ensued (1867-1869), vigorously defending the genuineness of the letters. In 1869 Vrain-Lucas was brought to trial and convicted. Chasles was forced to testify and had to admit to having purchased letters allegedly written by Galileo, Cleopatra, and Lazarus, all in French." (DSB).

Order-nr.: 59087