22 MEMOIRS GP 



creased the obstacles he had to encounter. To those unac- 

 quainted with the early part of M. Cuvier's career, it would 

 seem extraordinary, that all these high functions should be 

 conferred on a naturalist by profession, but it should be con- 

 sidered, that he only thus pursued his original destination, 

 out of which he had been thrown by political events ; that 

 he had only changed his master, and become councellor of 

 state to a great king instead of a petty prince. From this 

 period he took a very active part, not precisely in political 

 measures, properly so called, from which he by choice with- 

 drew himself as much as possible, but in projects for laws, 

 and every sort of administration, which especially belonged 

 to the Committee of the Interior attached to the Council of 

 State. He was also, generally speaking, the Commissaire 

 du Roi, appointed for defending the new or meliorated law^s 

 before the two Chambers. 



During the first years of the restoration of the Bourbons, 

 M. Cuvier was twice offered the directorship for life of the 

 Museum of Natural Histoiy, but he persisted in refusing it, 

 from the conviction that it w^as much more favourable to 

 the advancement of science, that this estabhshment should 

 continue under that form of administration, which necessi- 

 tated the election of a yearly director, chosen by the profes- 

 sors and appointed according to their vote. A second edi- 

 tion of the Fossil Remains was pubhshed in 1817, the pre- 

 liminary discourse of which underwent several more edi- 

 tions. The Regno Animal was also brought out in this 

 year, which classed every branch of zoology according to 

 its organization. In 1818, M. Cuvier made a journey to 

 England v/ith his family and his secretary, the excellent 

 M. Laurillard, and where he remained about six weeks, vi- 

 siting every thing worthy of notice in London. His re- 

 mark to his Majesty George IV. concerning our natural his- 

 tory w^as, that if the private collections could be amassed 

 into one, they would form a great national museum, which 

 would surpass every other. At this period the election for 

 Westminster was going forward, and he frequently dwelt 

 on the amusement he had received from being on the hust- 

 ings every day. These orgies of liberty were then unknown 

 in France, and it was a curious spectacle for a man who 

 reflected so deeply on every thing which passed before him. 



