130 MEMOIRS OP 



the articles concerning secret plots entirely erased. There 

 yet remained the visitation of former offences to be over- 

 come. M. de opposed it in the Committee of the 



Chamber of Deputies, where it was defended by two coun- 

 sellors of state ; I was invited to join them, as I should na- 

 turally have been obliged to do in my office of Commissaire 

 du Roi, but I refused, and the law did not pass. The Pre- 

 votal Courts have already caused evil enough by the man- 

 ner of their establishment, but I venture to affirm, that their 

 mischievous effects would have been incalculable if the plan 

 had not been changed on these two points. I am the sole 

 cause with respect to that of the secret plots, but with re- 

 gard to the punishment of past offences, M. de - - con- 

 tributed with me to its being abandoned." 



Always guided by the feeling of the good he could effect, 

 and the evil he might avert, under every change of minis- 

 try M. Cuvier was to be found, not only defending the insti- 

 tutions which were in danger of being overthrown, but in 

 the Chambers arid in the Council, generally successful in 

 preventing those alterations which would have reduced the 

 objects of his unremitting cares to a state of feebleness. 

 Under the ministry of M. , a proposal was made to in- 

 troduce the Jesuits into the University, or, in fact, to deliver 

 it into their hands, and M. Cuvier's firm and spirited resist- 

 ance alone prevented this measure, which, in all probability, 

 would have caused its destruction. His refusal to form a 

 part of the commission for the censorship of the press, at a 

 moment when, from the despotic nature of the government, 

 this refusal might have been followed by the most grievous 

 consequences to himself, yet more forcibly proves that he 

 was not the man to preserve his places at the price of his 

 reputation. As this occurrence has been much misrepre- 

 sented, I shall relate all the circumstances which attended 

 it. In M. Cuvier's capacity of Counsellor of State, he had 

 been one of the first most vigorously to oppose the censorship 

 and fearlessly maintained his opinion, both in full Council 

 and in the Chamber of Deputies ; using all the energy and 

 reasoning he could command, and leaving nothing undone 

 to put a stop to the measure. Thus far he had only to act 

 in strict accordance with the rank he held in the state, but 

 the interference of another body placed him in a more pain- 



