32 MEMOIRS OF 



where several of his arrangements are still ex- 

 isting. His Reports from Holland are parti- 

 cularly worthy of admiration; for in them he 

 exposed the true causes of the inferiority of 

 that country in classical attainment, and showed, 

 that the disgust often felt by the pupils, arose 

 from their not having enough given to their 

 minds to feed upon. The schools for the people 

 attracted his attention in all countries, and were 

 to him an unceasing theme of meditation. 



While at Hamburgh, M. Cuvier received the 

 unsolicited title of Chevalier from the Emperor, 

 which rank was assured to his heirs. However, 

 the hope of transmitting his worldly honours to 

 his posterity was soon to be destroyed ; for, after 

 being deprived of a daughter, four years old, in 

 1812, he was, in 1813, bereaved of his son, who 

 was seven years of age. This last loss made a 

 deep impression on him, which was never en- 

 tirely effaced ; and even after the lapse of years 

 he never saw a boy of that age without con- 

 siderable emotion, a feeling which he did not 

 strive to hide from his own family, or those 

 with whom he was intimate ; and often, when 

 walking with his daughters, he would stop be- 

 fore a group of boys, who, as they played, re- 



