Eloge of Baron Cuvier. 857 



I will not follow M. Cuvier in his exposition of the means 

 suggested to remedy the evil which he exposes, and to secure 

 the advantages which he holds out ; but I cannot refrain from 

 drawing your attention to the prominence assigned in these re- 

 ports to the examination of the schools of the people. He had 

 every where an opportunity of examining them, and they 

 always attracted his liveliest attention. With how much interest 

 does he sketch the picture of the initiatory schools of Holland ; 

 of those happy children, honouring God and their parents, lov- 

 ing their country, and possessing, along with the elementary 

 branches of education, knowledge calculated to promote the 

 comfort of social life, and the means of acquiring an honest 

 livelihood : with what devotion to the subject does he explain 

 the means which have been employed for the establishment and 

 maintenance of these schools, and point out, with the minutest 

 attention, the advantages of the mechanism put in operation to 

 foster and develop the dawning faculties of infancy ! We cannot 

 fail to perceive, in this beautiful recital, the unintentional mani- 

 festations of the deep sorrow which he felt from a comparison of 

 this satisfactory condition with that of the greater proportion of 

 our own provinces, even those that are most flourishing, where the 

 lower classes still labour under a disgraceful ignorance. Let it 

 ever be mentioned, to the glory of M. Cuvier, that during the 

 whole period of his connection with the University, and under 

 every variety of discipline, the instruction of the people was the 

 object of his consideration, and even of his preference. How 

 often has he interrupted the studies which were most dear to 

 him, to examine the elementary books of our juvenile schools, 

 and to give his advice to those who were engaged in composing 

 them. The general diffusion of instruction, adapted to the 

 wants and prospects of each, appeared to him the only certain 

 guarantee of order and public morality. He never ceased to 

 act on this idea; and in 1821, when the University, favoured 

 by the popular leeling, and the support of the government, pro- 

 posed a primary scheme of instruction applicable to the whole 

 of France, the care of maturing the plan was intrusted to him. 

 To him we likewise owe the useful institution of the " Comites 

 Cantoneaux,'' which place the education of the poor under the 

 direction of the more enlightened classes ; and the enactment of 

 27th February 1821, contains the necessary regulations on 



