BARON CUVIER. 23 



to see and hear our orators crying out at the tops of their 

 voices to the mob, who pelted them with mud, cabbages, 

 eggs, &c. ; and Sir Murray Maxwell, in his splendid uni- 

 form, and decorated with orders, flattering the crowd, who 

 reviled him, and sent at his head all the varieties of the 

 vegetable kingdom. Nothing ever effaced this impression 

 from M. Cuvier's memory, who frequently described the 

 scene with great animation. 



M. Cuvier had two objects in visiting England, one of 

 which was, to observe, on the spot, the influence of our 

 constitutional government, which was only known to him 

 in theory. He conversed with several of our political cha- 

 racters, he saw every thing which marked the application 



i of our system upon mankind, and took back with him to 

 France clear and precise ideas, by which he well knew how 

 to profit in his future labours. It was frequently a matter 

 of great astonishment to my countrymen to find him so 

 well acquainted with our institutions, even to the details 

 of their expenses, the period of their formation, and the 

 changes they had undergone. The other, and thegreat ob- 

 ject of M. Cuvier's excursion, was of a scientific nature; and 

 it is with pleasure I add that he always spoke of his reception 

 here with gratitude. The facilities afforted him both by 



J our savants and our statesmen, the confidential communi- 

 cations he received, and the manner in which all was laid 

 open to him, were frequently a source of happy recollection, 

 which was as often expressed. Some days of the period of 

 lis sojourn in England were passed in Oxford, whither he 

 was accompanied by his valued friend, Dr. Leach of the 

 British Museum, who was his incessant chaperon in this 

 country ; he returned from them perfectly enchanted with 

 the city and its great objects of interest, and with the dis- 

 tinction which attended his reception there. His wife and 

 daughters met him at Windsor, and, after passing the day 

 in visiting the castle, park, &c., they proceeded, late in the 

 evening, to the house of Sir William Herschel, who received 

 them with the utmost kindness, and showed them his great 

 telescope, though the night was too dark to profit much by 

 this famous instrument. Another visit paid by M. Cuvier 

 was often alluded to by him with pleasure ; it was to Sir 

 Joseph Banks's house at Spring Grove : he had often been 



