Eloge lyf' Baron Cuvier. 171 



in conversations of the most different character, but even to 

 open new views on every subject brought to his notice, — are qua- 

 lities of which all of us have had opportunities of witnessing and 

 admiring up to the close of his brilliant career. 



But this part of M. Cuvier's private hfe still partakes a little 

 of a public character. In following him into his more retired 

 and familiar habits, we will find reason to admire, in the first 

 instance, the equality of his temper, and unassuming deportment 

 in all his social relations, combined with a gentleness which 

 could be best appreciated by those who were continually in his 

 company, and which was generally ascribed to a very remark- 

 able and characteristic feature of his character, — the absence of 

 all vanity, a commendation of the higher value, as it can so 

 seldom be bestowed. Not only did he avoid the indulgence of 

 hatred to any one, but he never felt the least displeasure towards 

 his opponents, notwithstanding the obstacles which they threw in 

 the way of his scientific and political pursuits. In general, it was 

 his belief that ignorance is productive of greater evils than hu- 

 man passions, and he was accustomed to say of those whose words 

 and actions, especially in political matters, he found reason to 

 reprove ; — they are more to be pitied than blamed, for they know 

 not what they do. 



His disposition was so generous and charitable, that he could 

 never refuse an application for pecuniary aid, even when his 

 circumstances were such as to require rigid economy. Although 

 his time was of such value, and so many different occupations 

 claimed his attention, yet he never refused to receive persons 

 who wished to consult him on their own affairs. When one re- 

 mains, he said, in the Jardin des Plantes, at such a distance from 

 solicitors, one has no right to shut the door against them. His 

 time was distributed in such a manner that not a moment was 

 left without its special object ; in this way he rendered it suffi- 

 cient for all his avocations, and even found leisure to attend So- 

 cieties, the proceedings of which were so familiar to him, and 

 the duties devolved on him so much matters merely of form, 

 that he might easily have been excused for neglecting them. 

 For each of the works in which he was engaged, he allotted a 

 department of his library, in which he arranged all the books 

 which he might require to consult. He read and wrote even in 



