BARON CUVIER, 14^ 



able skill in making Latin themes and verses, and in read- 

 ing the New Testament in Greek." At the moment of en- 

 tering the academy, he was ignorant of German ; but. as 

 we have already seen, in less than a year, he secured the 

 prize for that tongue. He always retained the faculty of 

 speaking this language, to which he added Italian, in both 

 of which he conversed fluently. He read several others, and, 

 among them, English ; his inability to speak which, I have 

 often heard him regret. He was accused of knowing more 

 of it than he chose to own ; but there could be no motive 

 for concealing what would have afforded him pleasure to 

 make use of; besides which, he has often tried to put litde 

 sentences together in jest, and ask if they were right. If 

 a reply was given in the affirmative, he would threaten to 

 begin in earnest one day, and probably would have per- 

 formed his intention, had not his daughters always acted as 

 able interpreters in this respect. His knowledge of the dead 

 languages was not only a source of exquisite enjoyment to 

 him, but was absolutely necessary tohis profound researches. 

 He seldom alluded to Greek or Latin authors in conversation, 

 but there was a classical precision and elegance of expres- 

 sion, even in his ordinary discourse, which can scarcely be 

 acquired by other means than the study of such writers. 

 The minor accomplishments which he added to these mental 

 stores are almost surprising, becaOise each must have taken 

 time'to acquire. Among them was a thorough knowledge 

 of heraldry, which it is well known, contains a large portion 

 of detail. 



There cannot be a stronger proof of the precocious pei- 

 fection ofM. Cuvier's universal talents than the occurrences 

 of that part of his life which was spent in Normandy. One 

 or two of these (in addition to those already mentioned) I 

 have extracted from the eloquent eloge delivered by Dr. Pa- 

 riset al the late meeting of the Institute.'' " A citizen of 

 Caen, who was a great amateur of natural history, pos- 

 sessed a magnificent collection of.,the fishes of the Mediter- 

 rannean: the instant M. Cuvier heard of it, he flew to in- 



* Dr. Pariset is one of the physicians to the Hospital of la Salp^triere, 

 and, as Member of the Academy of Medicine, composed and read the 

 above eloge which was heard with the most reverential attention, and fol- 

 lowed by enthusiastic applause. 



