132 MEMOIRS OF 



work of an instant ; and in ten minutes, a firm, dignified^ 

 but moderate refusal, was sent to the Cliancery. The or- 

 donnance was at that moment printed, and M. Cuvier's 

 name appeared in the hst of the morning, because it had 

 been physically impossible to get it erased : but private 

 means w^ere taken to publish his refusal in every quarter, 

 till all France was in entire possession of the fact. Most of 

 the papers, under fear of the censorship, had been unable 

 to repair the error ; and, in fact, when the Journal des De- 

 bats ventured to insert M. Cuvier's rejection of the office, 

 the lines which contained it w^ere scratched out by the cen- 

 sors.* This conduct, with the fickle public, regained M. 

 Cuvier's lost popularity, but produced great coolness towards 

 him on the part of the King. I ought not, however, to 

 omit mentioning, to the credit of Charles X., that this cool- 

 ness ceased after M. Cuvier's dreadful calamity. The first 

 time he appeared at Court after the loss of his daughter, his 

 Majesty addressed him with considerable feeling and kind- 

 ness, asked him several questions relative to the event, and 

 expressed himself as deeply concerned. 



For the last thirteen years of his hfe did M. Cuvier pre- 

 side over the Comite de I'lnterieur, and the number of af- 

 fairs wdiich passed through his hands in this ofiice alone is 

 almost frightful to the imagination : I ought not, perhaps, 

 to say passed through, but that they were examined, deeply 

 considered, and forwarded by him. I should speak much 

 within the limits of the truth, if I were to state them at ten 

 thousand every year. The art of properly distributing the 

 work among his colleagues ; his talent in directing discus- 

 sion ; his unfailing and prodigious memory, supplying ante- 

 cedent decisions at the desired monient ; his profound 

 knowledge of the principles which ought to regulate each 

 afiair, the best method of applying these principles at the 

 best opportunity; — these qualities all rendered his presidency 

 the most remarkable of the present age, and have indelibly 

 impressed it on the re collection of all who had the advan- 

 tage of labouring with him. To see him at one of these 

 meetings was, perhaps, to see him in his greatest perfection 



* Others refused the office at the same time, but I have only to speak of 

 M. Cuvier. 



