8 MEMOIR OF CUVIER. 



afterwards subjected. At the age of ten he was far ad- 

 vanced, and was placed at the public gymnasium, where 

 he remained for four years, with great credit to himself and 

 his early preceptress, bearing off the palm in his classes, 

 and victory in his boyish sports and recreations. 



His taste for Natural History was at this time shown by 

 his selection of books from the Gymnasium. A colored 

 copy of Gesner attracted his attention, and was eagerly look- 

 ed over; and the glowing pages of Buffon delighted his 

 fancy, while the plates made him familiar with a greater 

 number of animals than existed at that time in the collec- 

 tions of his country. Little did he then imagine that one 

 day would see him filling the place of that illustrious natu- 

 ralist. Among his companions he had also instituted a ju- 

 venile academy, in which he acted as president, gave 

 regulations, and dictated the work or subject that was 

 to be read or discussed, and concluded the meeting with 

 observations and his own opinion, a duty which he after- 

 wards for many years performed- with great clearness, in 

 the more matured Academy of Paris. In this simple trait 

 of youth was marked the ability which he afterwards 

 so eminently possessed, of condensing any subject under 

 discussion, and seizing only upon the important points. 



The circumstances of his parents were such, that the 

 young Cuvier could neither follow his own inclinations to 

 study Nature, and the sciences allied to her, nor was he at 

 liberty to choose one profession in preference to another. 



The connexion of his uncle with the church allowed a 

 hope that he might there succeed in obtaining preferment, 

 and it was arranged that he should be placed at a free school 

 in Tubingen, and commence his ecclesiastical studies, 

 when a fortunate circumstance changed the tide of his af- 

 fairs, and placed him for a time in a situation, where 

 talent would raise him, and his choice of a profession 

 would be free- 



