BARON CUVIER. 119 



the enthusiasm with which he was received, while it en- 

 dangered his personal convenience, called forth that bene- 

 volent smile which was calculated rather to encourage than 

 repress these marks of admiration. 



'• The fundamental principal of these lectures/* says M, 

 Laurillardj " was, that society having been developed by 

 the discovery of the natural properties of bodies, each of 

 these discoveries has a corresponding degree of civilization ; 

 and therefore the history of this civihzation, and conse- 

 quently of all humanity, is intimately connected with the 

 history of natural sciences." In order to be fully in pos- 

 session of his subject, how immense must have been the 

 research of M. Cuvier ! and nothing but a review of his 

 whole life seems to account for his capability. Several 

 have been able to elucidate particular periods to the study 

 of which they have devoted themselves ; but his researches 

 embraced all historical and philosophical science. He con- 

 sulted all books, in order to go back to the origin of disco- 

 veries ; and the judgment necessary for the employment of 

 materials thus collected was so much the greater, inasmuch 

 as writers frequently state but the germs of their ideas, and 

 leave facts almost as obscure as they are in nature. 



The first, or opening lecture, divided the progress of 

 science into three epochs ; the religious, more especially 

 emanating from the Egyptians and Hebrews ; the philoso- 

 phical, which commenced in Greece ; and the third, the 

 beginning of which may, perhaps, be traced to Aristotle, 

 though its importance can only be dated from the sixteenth 

 century. In this lecture were also discussed the age of 

 the world, the vestiges of the great deluge, and the value 

 of the astronomical records of primitive nations. 



The second lecture gave a sketch of the four great na- 

 tions constituted at the remotest period before Christianity, 

 and of which history gives us any certain information. 

 The extent of their knowledge was measured ; the influ- 

 ence of that knowledge appreciated ; and, in speaking of 

 Moses, M. Cuvier said that, although Moses was brought 

 up in all the learning of the Egyptians, he foresaw the in- 

 conveniences of, and lal)oured much to abolish their prac- 

 tice of veiUng the truth under mysterious emblems. That 

 Moses was in possession of that truth was evident from 



