The Osceola times., 1880-08-21
A SCIENTIFIC FRAUD
The Mar Who Imposed on the Learned
Men.

The figure of Newton in the scientific
imagination is only comparable 10 that
of Shakespeare in poetry; and his extra
ordinary fame chiefly rests on his grand
discovery pf the law Of universal grayl-
tation. To take away thus from his
credit would like proving that Hamlet"
Macbeth" OihellO." and The Mcr-
chant of Nsnicc" we're purloined by
Shakespeare from some other Pen, New
ertheless, this is precisely what Was at
tempted some years ago hy learned
member OF the French Academy Of Sci
ehces. NJ. Chaslcs who must not he CON
founded with NJ. Philarete Chasles.
Chasles declared that Newton had pill
fered his discovery from an older source,
and the news fell upon the scientific
world ike bombsheil.
To prove his assertions, VI. Chasles
produced show of faded yellow manu-
scripts, purportng to be letters from
Pasca to Sir Isaac, containing the germ
Of the great idea. The documents were
plainly ancient, tor the ink had been
tested 10y chemical means. 1t was re-
marked. however, that the style OF
French in which they were written did
not agIee with the date alleged. The
| letters and other documents produced
by Nj. Chasles at the same time were
said TO have belonged to the Abbey Of
| Tours. Thence they came into the pos
session OF a certain Count de Bolslour-
| dain, who emigrated to America in l79l,
and was wrecked on his return, losing
all his effects except his precious manu-
scripts, which he ultimately sold to keep
himself in bread. From the hands Of
the Count the said documents passed
into the k, eping of him who gave them
in turn to NJ. Chaslss.
Such Was the story; and to the acute
objections of Mr.. Brand, of GLASGOW,
Chasles audaciously produced another
letter from Galileo which proved that
Pascal had made known his discoveries
to him. This letter WAS dated 1910, and
on its being pointed out that Calico was
struck blind in 1888, NJ. Chasles, nothing
daunted. met his critics again with a
letter from Calico to Pascal, in which
he warned his young friend" not to
betray the secret that he had not lost
his sight as reporte |, but had only pre-
tended to have lost it in order to pre-
vent his enemies from prosecuting him.
Thero was no combating this unequivo-
cal evidence, and the sdsdnts Of the
Academy admitted that NJ. Chasles had
triumphed, and deserved well Of pos
terity for proclaiming the truth.
Thus encouraged, NJ. Chasles became a
mine of antiquanon wealth, and showed
letters from most of the famous men and
women of old times, both saints and
sinners, all in French the seventeenth
century. Among these he exhibited 8
correspondence from Alexander the
Great to Aristides, several notes from
Attila the Nun, and the widow of Mar
tin Luther; and sundry communication
from Judas Iscariot to Mary Magdalene
and from Lazarus TO st. Peterl These
astonishing documents were produced
by NJ. Chasles with such an air ofperfec'
good faith, that it was impossible tC
doubt HIM. He stated that he had pur
chased q 900 manuscripts for f5, 900 bu
would not betray the source, lest other,
should share in it. At last the exposure
came in spite of NJ. Chasles, who turned
out to be miserable dupe. A commit
tee was sent to Florence to inquire into
the authenticity of pretended auto
graph of Calico, and, on Its being judged
apocryphal, the materials OF the frauc
were discovered. The torger was an ill
educated fellow named Nrain Lucas, +.
native of Chartres, who was taken, tried
and severely punished.