MEMOIR OF CUVIER. 29 



death ; and it was his duty to draw up annually a 

 report of the proceedings and discoveries of the year 

 that had passed. These were written with great 

 clearness and impartiality, and now form a valuable 

 record of the Natural Sciences during a period of 

 thirty-six years. It was in the capacity of Secre- 

 tary, also, that he drew up his beautiful report upon 

 the progress of science posterior to the year 1 789, 

 which he read with so much applause before Napo- 

 leon in the Council of State- This was a task which 

 required great patience and research, from the mul- 

 titude of subjects which it embraced ; but he made 

 it a complete history of the period, and the accom- 

 plishment of it in such a manner, shewed how well 

 he had employed his former years of study. He was 

 aware himself of the magnitude of the undertaking 

 In a letter to M. Duvernon, he writes, " All labours 

 are nearly arrested by a work demanded by the Em- 

 peror, the greater part of which has devolved upon 

 me as Secretary to the Class (of Natural Sciences). 

 It is a history of the march and progress of the hu- 

 man mind since 1789. You may suppose to what 

 a degree this is a complicated undertaking, respect- 

 ing Natural Sciences. Thus, 1 have already written 

 a volume, without having nearly reached the end ; 

 but their history is so rich, there is such a beautiful 

 mass of discoveries, that I have become interested 

 in it, and work at it with pleasure *." The subject 



visit the capital." Mrs Lee's Memoirs of Baron Cuvicr, 

 p. 28. 



* Mrs Lee's Memoirs of Baron Cuvier D. 132. 



