BARON CUVIER. 25 



Twice had M. Cuvier held the office of Grand Master of 

 the University, when the place could not conveniently be 

 filled up, but he never received the emoluments of it ; and, 

 in 1823, when a Catholic bishop was raised to this dignity, 

 he accepted the Grand Mastership of the Faculties of Pro- 

 testant Theology ; on assuming which, he made conditions, 

 that he should not receive any pecuniary reward. This 

 appointment associated him with the ministry, and gave 

 him the superintendence, not only of the religious, but the 

 civil and political rights of his own creed, and ceased only 

 with his life, although the Grand Masters were afterwards 

 laymen. 



In 1824, M. Cuvier officiated, as one of the Presidents of 

 the Council of State, at the coronation of Charles X. ; and. 

 in 1826, received from that monarch the decoration of Grand 

 Officer de la Legion d'Honneur. On the Saturday he 

 knew nothing of this compliment, and on Sunday it arrived, 

 without, however, disturbing him from the delighted sur- 

 vey he was taking, with his daughter-in-law, of some alte- 

 rations just made in his house. At this time also, his for- 

 mer sovereign, the King of Wiirtemburg, appointed him 

 Commander of his Order of the Crown. 



In 1827, to M. Cuvier's Protestant Grand Mastership 

 was added the management of all the affairs belonging to 

 the different religions in France, except the Catholic, in the 

 Cabinet of the Interior, for which increase of his duties he 

 also refused to accept any emolument. But this year was 

 marked with the heaviest calamity the Baron Cuvier had 

 yet sustained, the loss of his only remaining child ; a pious, 

 talented, beautiful young woman of twenty-two, on the 

 eve of marriage, and whose bridal chaplet mingled with the 

 funeral wreath on her bier. Lovely in every action, lovely 

 in person and manner, and rich in her attainments, no 

 question ever arose as to who did or did not admire Cle- 

 mentine Cuvier ; she unconsciously commanded universal 

 homage, and secured its continuance by her lowliness of 

 heart and her unfailing charity. The daughter was worthy 

 of the father : it may be imagined, then, how that father 

 loved her, and how heavy was the visitation. But M. Cu- 

 vier, with that high sense of duty which had always dis- 

 tinguished him, felt that he lived for others, and that he had 



