In this article an attempt is made to determine what financial support was given between 1790 and 1815 to some of the principal French scientific institutions situated in Paris. Systematic budgeting was not established until after 1815, so it has not been possible to provide a complete picture of development. The financial and economic background have been surveyed, together with some political arguments for and against investment in science and education. Eight institutions have been chosen as representative of the general (...) situation, and archive sources have been studied to provide, as far as possible, an analysis of their varying budgets. This gives an indication of government attitudes to the financing of science. (shrink)