BARON CUVIER. 151 



ducing them here, as they do more honour to our own spe- 

 cies than the history of great battles and conquests.'* 



M. Cuvier's grave and frequently absent air has been re- 

 peatedly mistaken for an excess of reserve and coldness, and 

 thus it was often impossible for a mere casual observer to 

 form a correct judgment of the high degree of benevolence 

 which he evinced to all who required his assistance, the in- 

 dulgence with which he viewed the follies of youth, and, in 

 fact, the errors of all mankind. I may go still farther, and 

 say the mirth which, before the death of his daughter, was 

 to be traced in the laugh which seemed to proceed from the 

 very heart. No one enjoyed a ludicrous circumstance more 

 than he did ; no one was happier at the performance of a 

 comedy ; for, when I was living in Paris, a ridiculous after- 

 piece was frequently represented on the stage, called " Le 

 Voyage a Dieppe," in which the professors of the Jardin 

 des Plantes v\^ere brought forward in the most amusing way 

 possible ; and such was M. Cuvier's uncontrollable risibility 

 at its performance one evening, that the people in the pit se- 

 veral times called out to him to be quiet. 



The nerves of M. Cuvier were particularly irritable by 

 nature, and frequently betrayed him into expressions of im- 

 patience, for which no one could be more sorry than him- 

 self, the causes of which were immediately forgotten ; and 

 the caresses and kindnesses which were afterwards bestow- 

 ed, seldom seemed to him to speak sufficiently the strength 

 of his feelings at his own imperfection. Any thing wrong 

 at table, to be kept waiting, a trifling act of disobedience, 

 roused him into demonstrations of anger which were oc- 

 casionally more violent than necessary, but which it would 

 have been impossible to trace to any selfish feeling ; even 

 the loss of his own time was the loss of that which was the 

 property of others ; and, where his mere personal inconven- 

 ience was concerned, he was seldom known to give way to 

 these impetuous expressions. It was almost amusing to see 

 the perfect coolness wdth which the servants, more especially 

 about his person, occasionally obeyed his orders, or replied 

 to his injunctions without exciting a hasty word from him. 

 His impatience, however, was not confined to little annoyan- 

 ces ; but if he expected any thing, or any body, he scarcely 

 rested till the arrival took place. If he had workmen em- 



