BARON CUVlER. 153 



irritation ; and so far did he carry his patient investigation^ 

 that he even examined the least details of those elementary 

 hooks which were to further instruction, and directed the 

 construction of several of the geographical maps of M. Sel- 

 ves, himself colouring the models." * 



In person M. Cuvier was moderately tall, and in youth 

 slight : but the sedentary nature of his life had induced 

 corpulence in his later years, and his extreme near-sighted- 

 ness brought on a slight stoop in the shoulders. His hair 

 had been light in colour, and to the last flowed in the most 

 picturesque curls, over one of the finest heads that ever was 

 seen. The immense portion of brain in that head was re- 

 marked by Messrs. Gall and Spurzheim, as beyond all that 

 they had ever beheld ; an opinion which was confirmed 

 after death. His features were remarkably regular and 

 handsome, the nose aquiline, the mouth full of benevolence, 

 the forehead most ample ; but it is impossible for any de- 

 scription to do justice to his eyes. They at once combined 

 intellect, vivacity, archness, and sweetness ; and long before 

 we lost him, I used to watch their elevated expression with 

 a sort of fearfulness, for it did not belong to this world. 

 Til ere are many portraits published of M. Cuvier, formed of 

 various materials ; but. v/ith the exception of the medallion 

 of M. Bovy, the copper medal, the plaster bust, the litho- 

 graphic print by M. le Meunier, and the oil painting by Mr. 

 Pickersgill, they scarcely convey any just idea of M. Cu- 

 vier"s expression : in fact, some of the prints are positive 

 caricatures. The bronze bust, modelled, and so handsomely 

 presented to the Royal Society of London, by the celebrat- 

 ed sculptor, M. David, was made from a cast taken after 

 death. All praise must be given to this bust as a work of 

 art ; but it is very evident that M. David's feehngs, as an 

 artist, were most susceptible to the classic beauties of M. Cu- 

 vier's head and features (which, in fact, were remarkable.) 

 and, by dweUing with too much stress on these, he has lost 

 sight of the benignity of the countenance.t The bronze 



* Laurillard. 



t Since writing the above, I have seen the bust worked in French mar- 

 ble, after the same model, and given to Madame Cuvier by this generous 

 and public-spirited artist. It is an improvement on that cast in" bronze, 

 and now stands on a pedestal in the room, and on the very spot where the 



