MEMOIR OF GEOFFROY SAINT HILAIRE. 171 



contested. In 1820 he proposed to extend it to articulate animals,* 

 and opposition at once declared itself. Cuvier let fall some expres- 

 sions of impatience and disapprobation. In 1830 he proceeded to 

 include the mollusks within the same principle, and the veil was rent 

 which had thus far covered the dissatisfaction of Cuvier. The first 

 claim of Cuvier to renown had consisted in a reformation of the entire 

 classification of the animal kingdom. He excelled in disentangling, 

 in description, in characterizing with precision both things and ideas. 

 Almost all the animals without vertebras had been confounded to- 

 gether. It was he who separated the zooph3'tes from the mollusks, 

 the mollusks from the articulata, and these three groups established, 

 he had made a fourth group of all the vertebrate animals united in 

 one bond. He had thus four schemes or types essentially distinct, 

 and the classification of the animal kingdom, regarded in its great 

 masses, might be considered as fixed. But now this symmetrical 

 arrangement, the fruit of so faultless an application of method, seemed 

 every day more and more menaced by the progress of the ideas of 

 Geoffroy, who, for his part, would see but one scheme and a single 

 type. 



The discussion was introduced into the Academy of Sciences, and 

 never did a keener controversy take place between two adversaries 

 more resolute and unyielding, better fortified with resources for a 

 combat long foreseen, and, if the expression may be used, more 

 learnedly prepared not to agree with one another. Between the two, 

 moreover, there was a characteristic difference : in one there w^as vast 

 capacity, guided by a cold and luminous reason; in the other glowing 

 enthusiasm, heightened by flashes of genius. Outside of the academy 

 and even of France the disturbance was propagated to all countries 

 where men thought upon such subjects. We might have imagined 

 ourselves transported to those ancient times when the sects of philos- 

 ophy agitated states by the shock of their opinions. The world, in 

 effect, took sides. The more austere and regular thinkers, those who 

 were disposed to regard the rigorous logic of science with more favor 

 than its rapid intuitions, took part Avith Cuvier; the hardier spirits 

 ranged themselves on the side of Geoffrey. From the bosom of Ger- 

 many the now aged Goethe sent him an applauding suffrage. Indeed, 

 so warmly was the interest of the question felt by Goethe that, meet- 

 ing a friend in July, 1830, he exclaimed, "You have heard the news 

 from Paris; what think you of this great event? The volcano has 

 burst forth, and all is in flames," " It is, indeed, a fearful account," 

 replied the other, "and from the point which things have reached, 

 we may well expect the expulsion of the royal family." " What! talk 

 you of royal families?" rejoined Goethe. "I am speaking •f the 

 session of the Academy of Sciences; it is there that the fact of real 



^ See his Memoirs sur un squelclle chez les Insedes, (read before the Academy January 3, 1820 ; 

 Sur qudques Hhjles Fondametttales de Philoaophie Naturdle, January 17, 1820 ; Sur une Colonne 

 Vtrlebrale, Sfc, dans les C'rmlacies, February 21, 1820. 



