22 MEMOIR OF 



and named the species with care, and as metho- 

 dically, though not so philosophically, as Linnaeus 

 himself. He also described a great number of new 

 species, raising the number to two hundred and 

 eighty-eight. 



But at this epoch, a great change took place in 

 the prospects of the young Naturalist, by the oc- 

 currence of those great events, which overturned 

 every thing in France at the Revolution. Power 

 then became the daily product of popular favour, 

 and every month saw some great reputation fall, 

 and some unknown and worthless person start from 

 obscurity. Many of the celebrated men in France 

 were at that time invited and drawn in to take a 

 part in those agitating transactions, and Lacepede, 

 from his great popularity, had peculiar difficulty in 

 avoiding them. He was successively chosen presi- 

 dent of his section, commander of the national 

 guard, extraordinary deputy of Agen to the As- 

 semblee Constituante, member of the general council 

 of the department of Paris, president of the elector^ 

 deputy of the first legislature, and president of that 

 assembly. In all these situations he attempted to 

 act with his habitual kindness ; but that was a sen- 

 timent with which, ere long, there was no general 

 sympathy. One morning, Lacepede saw his name 

 at the head of an article in the newspaper entitled, 

 " list of the Scelerats who vote against the people." 

 He had been, and still was slow in thinking that 

 matters would come to extremities, or that there wag 

 any general risk of personal safety ; and the good 



