66 BARON CUVIER. 



rant of Latin, she made him repeat his lessons to 

 her daily, so that he was the best prepared of any 

 boy in school. She read to him history and gen- 

 eral literature. She made him draw under her 

 inspection. She talked with him about books till 

 a passion for reading became the chief character- 

 istic of his nature. No wonder that he loved such 

 an inspiring woman. The history of most great 

 men emphasizes the fact that the mothers cannot 

 be too highly educated. At ten years of age he 

 was placed in a high school, called a Gymnase, 

 where for four years he studied Latin, Greek, 

 history, geography, and mathematics, and was 

 constantly at the head of his classes. Naturally 

 enthusiastic, he played as heartily as he studied. 



As is often the case, a book turned the course of 

 his life, and made him famous. At the Gymnase 

 he found a work of Gesner, the Swiss naturalist, 

 and this, with its colored plates, first turned his 

 attention to natural history. This liking was in- 

 tensified by finding at the house of a relative the 

 complete works of Buffon, the noted naturalist, who 

 wrote thirty-six volumes in his own brilliant and 

 poetic style, describing the animal kingdom. The 

 boy became intensely interested in the habits of 

 quadrupeds and birds ; their form, their color, and 

 their homes. He copied the illustrations in the 

 work, and colored them with paint or pieces of silk. 

 He always carried a volume of Buffon in his pocket 

 to read when he had a moment of leisure. At 

 twelve, he was a well-read naturalist. 



