BARON CUVIER. 129 



motives, and formed so many precious commentaries, as 

 they explained with the greatest perspicuity the reason of 

 every article. He thought it as useful to spread every 

 where the reason of the laws as to disseminate the laws 

 themselves ; thinking that the latter are often attacked and 

 mistaken by the public for want of a proper comprehension 

 of the motives which caused them to be framed. 



Under the ministry formed on the 26th of September, 

 1815, and composed of the Due de Richelieu, Marbois, Cor- 

 vetto, Fittre, Vaublanc, Dabouchage, and de Gazes, M. 

 Cuvier was enabled to render an essential service to France, 

 which I cannot do better than describe in a translation of 

 his own notes. " I had then an opportunity of rendering 

 great services to this country, which have never been pub- 

 licly declared, but which I should be sorry should not one 

 day be known to have emanated from me. R sup- 

 ported me in all the meliorations we brought about in the 

 Council concerning the criminal laws, which were prepared 

 in the spirit of the times, but the modifications which ren- 

 dered those of the Prevotal Courts* almost inoffensive are 

 due to me. In the first place, judicial power was given to 

 them not only over revolts, and attempts openly committed 

 on the public peace, but over conspiracies and attempts plot- 

 ted in secret ; and not only over crimes which might take 

 place after the law was promulgated, but over all which had 

 taken place at any period whatever. It is very evident that 

 in a country like ours, where there are so many men of all 

 classes ever ready to follow the torrent of the day, these two 

 powers would have transformed the Prevotal Courts into so 

 many revolutionary tribunals. Nevertheless, we did not 

 obtain any thing from the united Committees of the Inte- 

 rior, and the law was prepared ; but after a meeting of the 

 Council of State, presided by the Due de Richelieu, I de- 

 manded a discussion of these questions in his presence be- 

 fore a new assemblage of the Committees. I believe that I 

 never spoke with so much fire ; and, notwithstanding the 



violence of - - and , thanks to the upright and 



honest mind of the Due de Richelieu, I succeeded in getting 



* The Prevotal Courts were created by the Bourbons, in order to judge 

 all public disturbances, and from whose decisions there was no appeal. 

 They in some sort assimilated to our special commission. 



