136 aiEMOIRS OF 



of this science, both thirsting for fame, both 

 indefatigable in their studies, both gifted with 

 sensibihty, hvely imaginations, and elevated 

 minds ; they each started in their career, armed 

 with those resources which result from profound 

 erudition. But each of them traced a different 

 path for himself^ according to the peculiar bent 

 of his genius. Linngeus seized on the distin- 

 guishing characters of beings, with the most 

 remarkable tact; Buffon, at one glance, em- 

 braced the most distant affinities : Linna?us, 

 exact and precise, created a language on pur- 

 pose to exjiress his ideas clearly, and at the same 

 time concisely j Buffon, abundant and fertile in 

 expression, used his words to develope the ex- 

 tent of his conceptions. No one ever exceeded 

 Linnseus in impressing every one with the beau- 

 ties of detail with which the Creator has profusely 

 enriched every thing to which he has given life. 

 No one better than Buffon ever painted the 

 majesty of creation, and the imposing grandeur 

 of the laws to which she is subjected. The 

 former, frightened at the chaos or careless state 

 in which his predecessors had left the histoiy of 

 nature, contrived, by simple methods, and short 

 and clear definitions, to establish order in this 

 immense labyrinth, and render a knowledge of 



