40 MEMOIRS OF 



reconcile himself in England was, the formality 

 and length of om* great dinners, the long sit- 

 tings after which were always mentioned by 

 him with an expression of ennui, even in his 

 countenance. At one of these sittings, at Sir 

 Everard Home's, the conversation turned upon 

 some political question. In the course of the dis- 

 cussion M. Cuvier said, — '* But it would be very 

 easy to clear up this point, if Sir Everard would 

 send to his library for the first volume of Black- 

 stone's Commentaries." Upon this Sir Everard, 

 with great emphasis, exclaimed, " Know, Mon- 

 sieur, that I have not such a book in my library, 

 which, thank God, only contains works of sci- 

 ence." To this M. Cuvier quietly replied, 

 " The one does not prevent the other;" but 

 never could recollect this, to him extraordinary 

 boast, without a mixture of amusement and 

 astonishment. While in England, M. Cuvier 

 was appointed to the Academic Fran^aise, 

 chiefly in consequence of the brilliant ^loges 

 he had read in the Academy of Sciences on its 

 deceased members. His discourse upon his re- 

 ception is a beautiful instance of his classical 

 style of writing. Towards the end of 1818 he 

 was offered the Ministry of the Interior, but the 

 political conditions attached to it being such as 



