PART III 



I AM now arrived at that part of the Baron Cuvier's labours 

 which is least known in this country, and certainly the 

 least understood, on account of the marked differences which 

 must always exist between the legislature of two nations so 

 dissimilar in feeling and character as England and France. 

 Before I enter upon this subject, however, I must request 

 my readers to bear in their memory these three things : — 

 First, that the improvement of the human mind and mo- 

 rals was the Baron Cuvier's sole and real ambition; second- 

 ly, that his leading inclination was the advancement of sci- 

 ence, which he considered the best auxiliary of his views on 

 mankind ; and thirdly, that the great maxim and rule of 

 his life was order. Whatever tended to derange these was 

 avoided by him with the most scrupulous care ; whatever 

 tended to their advancement was most cherished by him. 

 He loved his places, because they gave him the power of 

 executing his great and benevolent views, and he preferred 

 that mode of government which lent most aid to his enlarg- 

 ed and philanthropical schemes. At the same time, he 

 steadily and firmly rejected every thing which would have 

 disturbed that internal repose of conscience which w*as abso- 

 lutely necessary to the exertion of his own powers. 



It is], not to be supposed, because M. Cuvier supported 

 every government under which he hved, defended its laws, 

 its institutions, and its existence itself, in his temporary 

 office of Commissaire du Roi*, as counsellor of the Univer- 

 sity, and Counsellor of State, that he was blindly attached 

 to existing forms. On the contrary, he wished for, he 

 sought amendment and correction : but his knowledge of 

 the history of all nations, the experience of his youth, taught 

 him, that the sudden subversion of these forms and institu- 

 tions produced anarchy and confusion, and stagnated every 



* The office of Commissaire duRoi is, to defend all the bills brought before 

 *5ither House by the ministry. 



