BARON CUVIER. 75 



moil good." This report, and the " Analyses des Travaiix," 

 have been collected together as far as 1827, and published 

 as a supplement to the " ffiuvres completes de Buffon/' 

 edited by M. Richard, and form two octavo volumes. 



The active part taken by M. Cuvier, in conjunction with 

 other savants, in the "Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles," 

 and the influence of his name, were doubtless of infinite ser- 

 vice to this valuable enterprize. His Prospectuses were 

 quite as remarkable as any of his other productions, and 

 many writers apphed to him for assistance in this respect. 

 It was not, however, only when sought that he contributed 

 his aid ; but, saying to a young author, '• Let me see your 

 Prospectus," and having seen it, adding, " let me arrange 

 this for you," the next day, a page or two of eloquence 

 would be ready for the press, which could not fail to pro- 

 duce a favourable impression of the forthcoming publication. 

 That w^iich announced the Dictionary I have just men- 

 tioned, rapidl}^ exposes the history of science up to that time, 

 and vouches for the pains taken b}" the contributors to its 

 pages, that the extent to which science has lately carried 

 her researches should be in every way gratified. Those 

 great names with which M. Cuvier's has been so often as- 

 sociated in France and in England, are mentioned in the 

 first pages in a manner so interesting, and so satisfactory, 

 that I cannot resist the pleasure of quoting his words. The 

 extract is preceded by a view of the advantages which sci- 

 ence received from the precepts of Bacon, and is as follows : 

 — ■•' Nevertheless, it is probable that Natural History w^ould 

 not have so soon arrived at the brilliant condition for which 

 it had been prepared by these wise precepts, had not two of 

 the greatest men who adorned the last century concurred, 

 notw^ithstanding the opposite natures of their views and 

 characters (or. perhaps, by this very opposition concurred,) 

 in causing its sudden and extensive growlh. Linnaeus and 

 BulTon, in fact, seem to have possessed, each in his own 

 way, those qualities which it was impossible for the same 

 man to combine, and all of which were necessar}^ to give a 

 rapid impulse to the study of nature. Both passionately 

 fond of this science, both thirsting for fame, iDoth indefatiga- 

 ble in their studies, both gifted with sensibility, lively imagi- 

 nations, and elevated minds ; they each started in their ca- 

 reer, armed with those resources which result from profound 



