1 7 9 4 ▁in ▁Paris , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 5 0 , ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁ 2 7 ▁co - def end ants . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁( pro bably ▁ap oc ry phal ) ▁story , ▁the ▁appeal ▁to ▁spare ▁his ▁life ▁so ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁continue ▁his ▁experiments ▁was ▁cut ▁short ▁by ▁the ▁judge , ▁C off in hal : ▁" La ▁République ▁n ' a ▁pas ▁bes oin ▁de ▁sav ants ▁ni ▁de ▁chim istes ; ▁le ▁cours ▁de ▁la ▁justice ▁ne ▁peut ▁être ▁susp end u ." ▁(" The ▁Republic ▁has ▁no ▁need ▁of ▁scient ists ▁or ▁chem ists ; ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁justice ▁cannot ▁be ▁delayed .") ▁Lav ois ier ▁was ▁conv icted ▁with ▁summary ▁justice ▁of ▁having ▁pl under ed ▁the ▁people ▁and ▁the ▁tre as ury ▁of ▁France , ▁of ▁having ▁ad ul ter ated ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁to b acco ▁with ▁water , ▁and ▁of ▁having ▁supplied ▁the ▁enemies ▁of ▁France ▁with ▁huge ▁sums ▁of ▁money ▁from ▁the ▁national ▁tre as ury . ▁ ▁Lav ois ier ' s ▁importance ▁to ▁science ▁was ▁expressed ▁by ▁Lag range ▁who ▁l ament ed ▁the ▁be head ing ▁by ▁saying : ▁" Il ▁ne ▁leur ▁a ▁fall u ▁qu ' un ▁moment ▁pour ▁faire ▁tom ber ▁cette ▁tête , ▁et ▁cent ▁années ▁peut - être ▁ne ▁suff ir ont ▁pas ▁pour ▁en ▁reprodu ire ▁une ▁s embl able ." ▁(" It ▁took ▁them ▁only ▁an ▁instant ▁to ▁cut ▁off ▁this ▁head , ▁and