Cuvier as a Naturalist. 359 



to arrive at a general form from all the different ramifications. 

 Without entering upon this discussion, we will say, that this 

 idea of the simplicity of the laws of nature, which is so popular, 

 without doubt arises from this, that all laws discovered by cal- 

 culation, referring only to simple phenomena, are themselves 

 simple ; but that only proves that our methods are not yet suf- 

 ficiently perfect to calculate phenomena that are complicated, 

 and problems with many terms, and many that are unknown. 

 Without doubt, the wisdom which the great Author of nature 

 has shewn in all his works, does not allow us to doubt that He 

 reaches his ends by the simplest possible of means : But these 

 ways, simple to Him, may be so complicated to us, that they 

 may reach far beyond the limits of our powers. 



We shall conclude by remarking, that to prove the identity 

 of the plan for all animals, the naturahsts of whom we are speak- 

 ing, are forced, in thought, to transpose the organs that annoy 

 them, and to add or to subtract from the materials which com- 

 pose them. According to this mode of proceeding, there can 

 be no doubt that all animals may be brought to one solitary 

 type : but it is precisely these transpositions, these additions and 

 subtractions, to which they are obliged to have recourse, which 

 prove that they are wrong ; for these mental operations, which 

 are made with so many 7/J, produce no real change in the being 

 who is the subject of them ; it does not the less exist with all 

 the realities which constitute it a distinct being. Finally, when, 

 after all these abstractions, the testimony of their senses still 

 forces them to recognise the existence of discrepances, they have 

 still a subterfuge ; — they tell us, that these animals exhibit ano- 

 malies ! Doubtless they do; but only with the laws of their 

 own framing; and these anomalies are the best proofs of the 

 inaccuracy of these laws. If the animal be regarded as nature 

 presents it, and not such as it ought to be according to these 

 rules, there will be no anomalies. These pretended anomalies 

 evidently demonstrate that ideas very different from those of the 

 theorist, have presided at the formation of organized beings, and 

 that his are not the laws in virtue of which they exist. And 

 that naturalist who recognises many general plans upon which 

 all these living creatures may be arranged, is assuredly acting 

 more philosophically than those who admit but one, and who 



