194 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



the British private collections could be collected 

 into one, they would form a great national museum 

 which would surpass every other. Cuvier was 

 greatly interested in the freedom of English 

 politics ; and on the election for Westminster 

 taking place he went on to the hustings. He was 

 intensely amused at the speeches and the violence 

 of the mob, who pelted their political opponents 

 after the fashion of the day with bad eggs, dead 

 cats, cabbages, and mud. He went to Oxford, and 

 then all the party were invited to Windsor. Sir 

 Joseph Banks asked everybody in the scientific 

 world to meet Cuvier, and Sir Everard Home also. 

 The great naturalist, once a half-starved student 

 and a tutor, became the guest of the most honoured 

 amongst men, and was very sensible of the kind- 

 ness shown him. He could not, however, reconcile 

 himself to the long dinners and long sittings at 

 table, which were then, as now, fashionable in 

 England. Not only did Cuvier study the national 

 and private natural history, collections in this 

 country, but he also paid much attention to the 

 system of education and to the nature of our 

 political constitution. 



Returning to Paris, Cuvier was elected a member 

 of the Academie Fran^aise, and in the following 

 year was made president of the Comit^ de 

 rinterieur, and created a baron. He resigned his 

 temporary grand mastership of the University, so 

 as to accept without salary the grand mastership 

 of the Faculties of Protestant Theology, and vice- 

 president of the Bible Society. 



