JW Baron Cuvier's Historical Ehge of Baron Ramcmd, 



mission of which he was a member, had only to pay 2,950,000 

 francs, and yet, in spite of the reductions and numerous rejec- 

 tions which he had to pronounce, no complaint was addressed 

 to the respective governments. The late M. Le Due de Riche- 

 lieu declared, that it was the most successful of all the com- 

 missions of liquidation, and this enlightened judge of what be- 

 longed to delicacy and national honour, hastened to request the 

 King to appoint M. Ramond counsellor of state on the ordi- 

 nary service. He was raised to this situation on the 14th June 

 1818. The public, astonished to see him obtain so late a re- 

 compence, to which his talents and his services seemed to call 

 him, was still more surprised to see iiim lose it before three 

 years had expired. Since 1822 his name no longer appeared 

 in the list of acting counsellors, and soon after, it was struck out 

 of the number of honorary counsellors. What was the cause 

 of this ? Nobody, I believe, knows any thing of the matter. 

 This much, however, is certain, that his removal is one of those 

 which have made us the more desire and bless the ordonnance 

 which shall prevent the repetition of it in future. 



M. Ramond supported this last disgrace as he did the other 

 events to which his lot had exposed him. Neither the gaiety 

 of his conversation, nor the forcible energy of his expressions 

 were affected by it. One would have said that age increased 

 the ardour of his discourse and of his affections ; and even in 

 his last moments, his slight proportions, his keen temperament, 

 the vivacity of his movements, recalled the painter of the moun- 

 tains, at the same time that the manner in which he characterized 

 the personages who appeared in the horizon of politics, or upon 

 that of science and literature, announced the man, who, in 

 learning to judge of his equals, had availed himself of all the 

 phases of an adventurous life. 



A chronic inflammation of the intestines made him pass his 

 last days in acute pain. He died on the 14th May 1827, 

 leaving behind him only one son by his marriage with Madame 

 Cherin, the widowed daughter of our respectable colleague M. 

 Dacier. His place in the Academy has been filled by M. 

 Berthier, engineer of mines, so celebrated by his numerous 

 analyses of minerals. 



