Baron Cuvier's Historical Eloge of Baron Ramond. 5 



the houses where he wished to be received. The Hotel of 

 Rochefoucault passed at that time for a sort of sanctuary of 

 letters and philosophy; illustrious and virtuous men assembled 

 there; they projected reforms of which they had soon an oppor- 

 tunity of making trial, but which they were not able to direct, 

 and the consequences of which most severely assailed them. 

 This was a society made to please M. Ramond, and in which 

 he greatly pleased himself. The Duchess D'Anville treated 

 him as- her son. He formed a valuable friendship with M. de 

 Malesherbes, whose taste for the scenes of nature naturally at- 

 tached to him a young man who had painted the most inte- 

 resting of them with so much energy. 



About this time he obtained a more powerful patron, but 

 one whose kindness cost him more than its value. The too 

 celebrated Cardinal de Rohan, Bishop of Strasburg, asso- 

 ciated, from vanity, with the distinguished individuals whose 

 esteem M. Ramond had obtained, at the same time that he 

 frequented, from inclination, a very different kind of society, 

 considered it his duty to do something for a young man of 

 his diocese, who had displayed such fine talents. 



Since the conquest of Alsace, and especially since the union 

 of Strasburg with France, the bishop of that city enjoyed a very 

 different existence on the right and on the left bank of the 

 Rhine. Courtisan, subject to Versailles, was a simple ecclesi- 

 astical chief in the French part of his diocese, while in Ger- 

 many he was the absolute chief of a small principality ; and 

 he governed it by ministers, who in their narrow circle exercised 

 an authority as great, and required a knowledge as extensive, 

 as the councils or tribunals of the greatest monarchies. It was 

 at first in his council of government, and with the title of privy- 

 counsellor, that the Cardinal employed M. Ramond ; but he 

 soon took too much pleasure in his conversation to keep him 

 in this official relation. His privy-counsellor became one of 

 his most intimate friends. He spent his happiest days at the 

 small court, half French and half German, which the prince 

 held at Saverne, — a court more spiritual than might be supposed 

 in a small town at the foot of the Vosges, and more worldly than 

 was perhaps convenient for an ecclesiastical sovereign. But 

 n these tranquil times, when the interior had enjoyed profound 



