From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

In the blink of an eye, January 4, 1771

It was a beautiful sunny winter day. The snow clouds that had shrouded Paris for weeks finally dispersed, allowing the rare winter sun to shine on the silver-covered Paris city.

The Louvre, this magnificent palace located on the north bank of the Seine and at the east end of the Champs Elysées, was the seat of the royal court when Louis XIV ascended the throne. After the Sun King moved the palace to the Palace of Versailles, this once crowded place The ancient palace has gradually lost its splendor.

On weekdays, the Louvre is extremely deserted. As the headquarters of the French Society, even members of the Society usually only come here when meetings are held.

But today, this French academic mecca is even more lively than during the Christmas show at the Paris Comédie-France.

The Arena Square outside has been filled with carriages of various styles since the morning, so that later visitors have to park their carriages to the Bastille Square to the east and then walk back.

Many citizens who were not qualified to enter the Louvre and were turned away did not leave. Instead, they crowded in groups outside the palace fence, watching all the movements in the palace with curiosity and expectation.

Not to mention the reporters from newspapers. Although journalists in the 18th century were not qualified to enter such serious occasions for on-the-spot interviews, they were not discouraged and waited at the gate of the palace early in the morning, always ready. Get the latest news and pass it back to the community.

Almost half of Paris knows that the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Corsica is going to have a bet with His Majesty the King's mistress, and the outcome will be decided in the Louvre today.

Even if most citizens don't pay much attention to this kind of gambling between the upper class, due to the few protest rallies before the New Year, Madame Du Barry's name has become vicious and vicious among the small townsfolk. synonym.

Therefore, most of the citizens gathered outside the palace also hoped that the damn woman would be defeated in this gamble.

However, hope is hope. In those gambling games set up privately by the people, the odds of Laurence Bonaparte reached an exaggerated multiple of nearly one to twenty.

In the afternoon, in a large domed auditorium in the west wing of the Louvre.

The layout of this auditorium is very similar to that of a stepped theater, ensuring that more than a thousand spectators can have an unobstructed view of the podium in the center of the auditorium. The building structure has also undergone ingenious acoustic design, so that the voice of the central speaker can be heard in the center of the auditorium. After several reflections, it can be clearly conveyed to the ears of everyone present.

At this moment, this academic defense against Laurence Bonaparte has not yet begun, but the auditorium is already packed with people.

Those who are qualified to sit here and accompany the king to watch the outcome of this gambling game are naturally those who are well-known in the upper class.

They chatted and laughed. After all, few of these nobles, ministers and wealthy bourgeois people were very accomplished in academic research. They just regarded this defense as a special salon to show their status. , what they focus on is just who wins the bet in the end.

Different from these relaxed and leisurely audiences, the more than 20 scholars at the front of the seats were solemn and ready.

These people are the most qualified and knowledgeable scholars carefully selected by the Academy of Sciences Committee. Almost everyone holds the position of lifelong secretary of the French Academy of Sciences.

If this defense had not alarmed His Majesty the King, it would have been impossible for the Academy of Sciences to send such a luxurious lineup to the defense of any academician. In this sense, this can be regarded as a special honor.

Of course, the most eye-catching thing in this auditorium is not the speaking table in the center of the auditorium and the experimental instruments covered with black cloth, but the marble stand above the auditorium - where the royal family members Exclusive stand.

Louis XV still held Madame Du Barry in his arms, enjoying the tenderness of the beauty in his arms while waiting for the start of the defense.

The king, like the audience, was full of curiosity about the final outcome of the bet. Especially as a witness to the birth of the bet, Louis XV wanted to know what the young Lawrence was sure of.

Crown Prince Louis and his wife sat closely behind the king. Although the couple was not particularly emotionally harmonious, they were quite consistent in their dislike of Madame Du Barry and their concern for His Excellency Bonaparte.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince pulled up the corners of his clothes nervously. He had previously helped Lawrence create a batch of weird gadgets.

From the lacquered silver coils wound into hundreds of turns to the carbonized bamboo wire covered with glass, although Prince Louis made them one by one according to the drawings, he did not think that these gadgets would allow his friends to pass a game. Extremely rigorous academic defense.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Just when the audience was getting a little impatient in waiting, Lawrence slowly opened the door of the preparation room at the back, faced thousands of expectant eyes, and confidently stepped onto the podium in the center of the auditorium.

Immediately behind him was his assistant, Academician Lavoisier, both of whom were wearing a set of red academic robes. This robe with extremely distinctive colors and styles has always been a status symbol for members of the French Institute.

As the two people stepped onto the podium, the entire auditorium immediately fell silent. The relaxed atmosphere that had filled the place was instantly replaced by a solemn tension. People subconsciously stopped talking to their companions and held their breath. Waiting for this defense to begin.

On the marble stand, Madame Du Barry glanced contemptuously at Lawrence's robe and smiled secretly:

"He even dressed up in a very serious way. Hmm, if I win this bet later, I will let you, a barbarian, take off all your clothes on the spot. Just wait and see."

Academician Lavoisier stood next to Lawrence and took a deep breath nervously. He had also given speeches in this auditorium several times, but like today, in front of almost the entire upper class of Paris, this was nothing. Undoubtedly the first time.

However, although Lavoisier's brows revealed a little nervousness, he had no intention of retreating. After these few weeks of cooperation with His Excellency Bonaparte, he finally understood why this gentleman was interested in this bet. Such certainty.

He moved his gaze away from the elegant nobles and ladies, and focused his attention on the more than 20 evaluation committee members in the front row. Many of them were very familiar to Lavoisier, and they were all members of the French academic community. The group of people at the top.

"Oh! God!" Lavoisier suddenly poked Lawrence and exclaimed in a low voice:

"I saw Academician d'Alembert. He seems to be today's presiding committee member. This is not good. He is notoriously strict in his treatment of academics."

"D'Alembert? You mean Jean Leland d'Alembert?"

Lawrence followed Lavoisier's gaze and looked with curiosity at the serious man wearing a silver wig in the middle of the first row of seats, and nodded slightly.

In Lawrence's memory, Academician d'Alembert is fully qualified to be called a scientific giant in history. He is a pioneer and founder of mathematical analysis, and he also has profound attainments in physics and astronomy. .

Unlike many scientists who were depressed during their lifetime, d'Alembert had already achieved a lofty status in the academic world while he was still alive. Even among the lifelong secretaries of the Academy of Sciences, he was among the most virtuous and respected people.

Combined with what Lavoisier said about his extremely strict and serious attitude towards academics, it is no wonder that he was selected as the presiding committee member for this highly anticipated defense.

As if aware of Lawrence's gaze, Academician d'Alembert raised his head and briefly looked at Lawrence. His calm and clear eyes contained almost no emotion, just like a just and selfless judge.

"cough"

Academician d'Alembert looked away, stood up slowly, coughed twice to clear his throat, and then said in a deep voice without any delay:

"Your Majesty Bonaparte, given that you were impeached after being elected as a formal academician of the French Academy of Sciences, the Academy Committee hereby holds this academic defense to publicly prove whether you have the qualifications to be elected as an academician. If you and your assistants Academician Warthy is ready, we can start."

Lawrence nodded, indicating that he could start directly.

"Very good." Academician d'Alembert did not sit down. He picked up the paper Lawrence submitted to the Academy of Sciences on the table, flipped through it and said:

"The committee has received the academic work you submitted a few days ago and conducted the initial review. Well, the paper you submitted is called "On Electricity and Magnetism""

Listening to Academician d'Alembert read out the title of this paper, the more than 20 evaluators in the front row couldn't help showing a strange expression on their faces. Even Lavoisier scratched his head in embarrassment.

In the eyes of professional scholars like them, those who dare to name their academic works with such names are either giants of natural philosophy who stand at the top of the academic world, or they are sensationalists who have no idea of ​​the heights of the world.

As to whether the young Corsican belongs to the former or the latter in their hearts, it is self-evident.

Academician d'Alembert always maintained a serious expression and continued:

"After discussion by the evaluators, Your Excellency Bonaparte, we believe that your paper contains quite a few errors and flaws. The theories you proposed in your paper have no actual basis at all, rather than being science that has not yet been confirmed. The theory is rather a fantasy work full of unfounded thoughts.”

Listening to the conclusion drawn by Academician d'Alembert in his opening remarks, the entire auditorium was in an uproar.

People expected to see a heated and evenly divided debate, but they did not expect that the evaluation committee members of the Academy of Sciences almost sentenced Lawrence to death immediately.

In the stands, even though she already knew the result, Madame Du Barry's smile was still beyond words. She didn't even care about the etiquette of a lady and laughed loudly in the king's arms.

Louis XV looked at Lawrence on the podium with confusion. At this rate, Lawrence might be able to take off his academic robe and return it to the Academy of Sciences committee on the spot without having to debate at all.

Hundreds of questioning, sarcastic and worried glances rushed towards Lawrence instantly like a whistling mountain wind. Although the vast majority of the audience had never experienced such a defense, they could also see that under normal circumstances, the evaluation The committee members will not completely reject the respondent's work at the outset.

Facing the whole uproar, Lawrence smiled, shook his head, and said loudly:

"Since the committee members are full of questions about my work, I think we can start the defense process."

Academician d'Alembert frowned slightly. In his opinion, there was no need to continue to defend this nonsense paper. If it really wanted to be defended, it would probably have to start from the first sentence of the first section of the first chapter. here we go.

However, after all, this was a defense under the personal supervision of His Majesty the King, and Academician d'Alembert could not follow his temper and expel this young man who had committed fraud and wanted to get into the Academy of Sciences from the Louvre.

So, he winked at a committee member next to him, and the committee member stood up helplessly, holding up a five-foot-long list of questions in his hand and said:

"Okay, Your Excellency Bonaparte, we do have many issues that need to be discussed with you regarding your paper."

The committee member looked at the first question on the list and read aloud:

"The first and most important question is that you claimed in your paper that electricity and magnetism are one; this is a complete fallacy. Your Excellency, Bonaparte, haven't you read Dr. Gilbert's works? Electricity and magnetism have nothing to do with each other!"

Dr. Gilbert, a sixteenth-century English physicist and royal physician, stated in his book "On Magnetism" that although electricity and magnetism have some similarities, there is no causal connection between them. of.

Since Gilbert had a very authoritative position in magnetism, when these reviewers saw that Lawrence confused electricity and magnetism at the beginning of his paper, they immediately concluded that this was a baseless nonsense.

Facing the aggressive questioning, Lawrence still smiled unabated, spread his hands and said:

"It may be difficult to explain this to you in vain. Perhaps I can use experiments to prove my point?"

Academician d'Alembert, who was the chief reviewer, glanced at the experimental equipment covered with black cloth behind Lawrence. After a slight hesitation, he allowed Lawrence to conduct the experimental demonstration, although he did not think Lawrence could perform any tricks to prove the absurdity. thesis.

Louis XV immediately focused his curious eyes on the long table behind Lawrence. The king, like most nobles of this era, had no interest in academic research, but would also go to watch scholars conduct research in order to seek fresh excitement. science experiment.

Prior to this, Louis XV had watched a Leyden jar discharge experiment. At that time, more than 700 monks lined up hand in hand in a line of more than 200 meters, and the monk at the head of the line was discharged. Afterwards, more than 700 people were shocked almost simultaneously and jumped to their feet. It is said that the king himself was so surprised by the scene that he opened his mouth from ear to ear.

Lawrence turned around and took off the black cloth on the table. Apart from a pile of mechanical parts with no apparent purpose and a few Leyden bottles, the most eye-catching thing on the table was the two-foot-high piles of metal.

Academician d'Alembert frowned slightly, pushed up the glasses on the tip of his nose, and looked carefully at the metal piles.

The metal piles were made of multiple layers of silver and zinc, with a substance impregnated with some chemical agent between them. There were two painted silver wires connected to the bottom of each metal pile.

Academician d'Alembert frowned and observed for a while. Even as knowledgeable as he was, he did not see the purpose of these tower-like metal piles.

"It seems to be getting a little dark."

Lawrence turned his head and glanced out the window. It was winter after all, and the sun was almost setting behind the western mountains before it reached evening.

Academician d'Alembert looked at the slightly dim auditorium. Such light made it difficult for the audience in the back row to see clearly every move on the podium, so he nodded to an official of the Academy of Sciences and ordered:

"Go and get some kerosene lamps and put them on Monsignor Bonaparte's table."

Before the official could move, Lawrence suddenly waved his hand and said:

"No need to bother, Mr. d'Alembert, I have a light source here, Mr. Lavoisier, please help me install it."

After that, under the suspicious gazes of d'Alembert and the nobles, Lawrence handed several fist-sized spherical glass covers to Lavoisier who was standing aside.

"Is this some new type of oil lamp?"

Academician d'Alembert's eyes were fixed on the sealed glass covers, and he saw that there seemed to be a carbon-colored filament in the glass covers. He had never seen any lamp with such a shape.

The audience in the front row and the judges were also a little confused. They could see clearly that there was no lamp oil in the glass cover, and the glass cover was completely closed. How could it be possible to keep the wick burning?

I saw Lavoisier skillfully dismantling two layers from the tower-like metal pile, and then connected the silver wire extending from the bottom to the contact opening under the glass cover.

Under everyone's surprised gaze, the carbon filament in the glass cover quickly turned red. In just a few seconds, the filament was like coal that had been burning for a full hour.

However, before people could see the dark red color carefully, the filament quickly heated up and turned into a dazzling incandescent color. At the same time, the light emitted was like several small suns, illuminating most of the area in an instant. A domed synagogue.

In the auditorium, as the light shone in every corner of the auditorium, the sound of inhaling one after another immediately filled the entire auditorium. This was not people's deliberate cheers, but the heartfelt and subconscious exclamation.

In the eyes of these nobles and gentlemen, even the three-story crystal chandelier with a diameter of five meters in their own mansion would look extremely dim in front of the light emitted by these glass balls.

On the marble stand, Louis XV was even more blinded by the dazzling white light.

In the king's sixty-five years of extravagant life, he has seen countless rare treasures and experienced the feeling of being as bright as day in the Hall of Mirrors countless times, but this is the first time he has seen just a few fists. A small glass cover can reflect such a dazzling light.

"God, did Lawrence bring the sun into the synagogue?!"