BARON CUVTER. 131 



ful situation. The Academie Franyaise, of which he was 

 so distinguished a member, determined to interfere in this 

 question ; and it became a matter of consideration and dis- 

 pute, whether a purely learned assembly had any right to 

 join itself to party, and intermeddle with affairs of state, 

 M. Cuvier was of opinion, that it entirely lost sight of its 

 proper character by so doing ; that it would thus endanger 

 the harmony of the members among themselves ; that it 

 destroyed its opportunities of usefidness by not retaining its 

 independence of pohtics, and completely overstepped the le- 

 gal boundary, by presenting a petition from a body, which 

 privilege in France is only accorded to individuals. These 

 motives alone (for he dared not hsten to the detestation he 

 felt for the cause of this step on the part of the Academy) 

 induced him to employ all his eloquence to [irevent the pe- 

 tition from being presented to the King. He imhesitatingly 

 exposed the inconveniences, the hateful bearings of such a 

 law ; but he persisted in it, that the Academy had no ris^ht 

 to mingle itself with political questions ; and that, if it once 

 suffered itself to assume such a privilege, it would at length 

 dwindle to a mere instrument of party. On this occasion, 

 however, his eloquence and reasoning proved of no avail ; 

 the King was petitioned by the Academy, but Charles X. 

 would not even receive the deputation. The rejected dig- 

 nitaries found favour with the muhitude, and, of course, M. 

 Cuvier, and those of his opinion, were accused of pusillan- 

 imously preserving their places at the expense of good feel- 

 ing. The project, however, owing to the resistance of ihe 

 Chamber of Peers, which then possessed more weight than 

 at present, was for a while abandoned. In the same year it 

 was renewed, and, without even asking his consent, before 

 he was in the least aware that the measure had been de- 

 cided on, the ministry appointed M. Cuvier one of the cen- 

 sors of the press. On Sunday the 14th of June, 1S27. 

 at midnight, arrived an official despatch from the govern- 

 ment, written by M. Peyronnet, to announce to him that 

 his appointment to this office would appear the next morn- 

 ing, at nine o'clock, in the Moniteur. To refuse the in- 

 tended honour ; to foresee the probable consequences of 

 such a refusal ; to yield to these consequences without hesi- 

 tation ; in short, to prefer conscience to interest, was the 



