MEMOIR OP CUVIER. 7 



Linnaeus, reposed himself with Buffon ; but always, when 

 deliciously excited by his enchanting descriptions, he re- 

 turned to Linnaeus, in order to class this beautiful imagery, 

 feeling that, without such aid, he might only preserve a 

 confused recollection of its subject ; and doubtless it is not 

 the least of the merits of these two authors, thus incessant- 

 ly to inspire a wish to return to each other, although this al- 

 ternative seems to prove, and in fact it does prove, that in 

 each, something was wanting." Let us now see if he 

 who could so well compare, could mould his feelings and 

 observations, to remedy some of the defects of these illus- 

 trious men. 



GEORGE LEOPOLD CHRETIEN FREDERIC DAGOBERT CU- 

 VIER was born at Montbeliard, a town in France, on the 

 23d of August, 1769. His family was of Swiss descent 

 but in consequence of professing the reformed religion, was 

 obliged to retire to a remote province in Germany, in which 

 his uncle was a Lutheran clergyman. His father was an 

 officer, in a Swiss regiment in the service of France, where 

 he distinguished himself, and, after a faithful service of 

 forty years, was appointed commandant of the artillery at 

 Montbeliard, with a small pension from government. He 

 married very late in life, and had three sons, of whom 

 George became the eldest, a brother having died only a 

 few months previous to his own birth. This event preyed 

 so heavily upon the feelings of his mother, that the infant 

 was scarcely expected to survive ; but the tender solicitude 

 of his parents succeeded in rearing him to maturity, and 

 the recollection of his mother's anxieties made an indeli- 

 ble impression on his mind. By her he was instructed in 

 the rudiments of his education, she assisted him in his Latin 

 lessons, superintended his geography and drawing, for both 

 of which he showed an early predilection, and she instilled 

 into his young mind the principles of religion, and resigna- 

 tion to the will of God, which he found a source of so much 

 consolation, in the family bereavements to which he was 



