44 MEMOIRS OF 



to his house with his wonted urbanity. It has 

 been related by an eye-witness, that, at the first 

 sitting of the Comit6 de FInterieur at which 

 M. Cuvier presided after this event, and from 

 wliich he had absented Inmself two months, he 

 resumed the chair with a firm and placid expres- 

 sion of countenance ; he listened attentively to 

 all the discussions of those present ; but wlien it 

 became his turn to speak, and sum up all that 

 had passed, his firmness abandoned him, and his 

 first words were interrupted by tears ; the great 

 legislator gave way to the bereaved father ; he 

 bowed his head, covered his face with his hands, 

 and was heard to sob bitterly. A respectful and 

 profound silence reigned through the whole as- 

 sembly ; all present had known Clementine, and 

 therefore all could understand and excuse this 

 deep emotion. At length M. Cuvier raised his 

 head, and uttered these few simple words : — 

 " Pardon me, gentlemen ; I was a father, and I 

 have lost all ; " then, with a violent effort, he 

 resumed the business of the day with his usual 

 perspicuity, and pronounced judgment with his 

 ordinary calmness and justice. 



In the following year (1828) appeared the 

 first of a series of twenty volumes on Ichthyology, 

 a magnificent work, accompanied by the most 



