118 MEMOIRS OF 



or to avoid the emiui produced by too long a demand on 

 their attention. 



It is for ever to be regretted, that the last course of lec- 

 tures delivered by M. Cuvier has been comparatively lost to 

 mankind in general. The hall at the College de France 

 resounded with these luminous discourses, taken at the 

 moment from mere memoranda, and now only existing in 

 the memory of his auditors. He was extremely averse to 

 short-hand notes, because bethought them very inadequate 

 to the purposes of publication : and he had no time, he said, 

 either to edite them, himself, or correct the editions of 

 others. The glimpses (for they can only be called such) 

 given in the feuilletons of the Temps, and in the pamphlets 

 compiled by M. Magdeleine de Saint Agy, were then pub- 

 lished entirely without his sanction, and the latter even 

 without his knowledge ; but imperfect as they are, they 

 yet assist in giving a general idea of the plan that was fol- 

 lowed. 



Conscientiously fulfilling some of the most important 

 duties of the state, equally devoted to those of his different 

 secretaryships and professorships, and daily progressing in 

 the most profoundly scientific works and discoveries, it is no 

 wonder that he rarely found time for a course of lectures. 

 At length, however, struck with the errors which he per- 

 ceived in the system of unity of composition, and fearing 

 the injurious direction that such ideas might give to youthful 

 studies, he combated them solely for the love of science ; 

 and his health fortunately permitting, he for this purpose 

 resumed his chair at the college, and, taking for his subject 

 the entire history of natural sciences, he, in this series, 

 seemed to carry learned research, precision, clearness, 

 sound and elevated views proceeding from the deepest 

 thought and erudition, and a pre-eminent power of separat- 

 ing truth from error, to the highest degree to which man 

 could attain. The charms of his flexible and sonorous 

 voice, which could be heard every where in its sweetest 

 tones, the benignity and animation of his countenance, 

 attracted each sex and various ages. In the coldest 

 weather, the audience assembled an hour before the time, 

 and some were contented to remain on the stair-case, pro- 

 vided they could catch some of his melodious words ; and 



