BARON CUVIER. 1-39 



the end of this volume; but that headed "Nature" 

 is too important to be passed over in silence 

 here ; to remain unnoticed in memoirs especially 

 intended to set forth his opinions; for it contains 

 the clearest and most satisfactory refutation of 

 the reignhig controversies that has ever been 

 published in a separate form ; though what these 

 opinions were, may be gathered from every thing 

 he has written. 



*' The word Nature, like all abstract terms 

 which find their w^ay into common language, 

 has assumed numerous and divers significations. 

 Primitively, and according to its etymology, it 

 means that which a being derives from its birth, 

 in opposition to that which it may derive from 

 art. ... It is in the nature of an oak to grow for 

 three centuries, to have hard wood, to attain a 

 great size, &c. It is in that of a bird to raise 

 itself in the air, to distinguish distant objects, 

 &c. Man is by nature capable of education; 

 his nature is weak, inconstant, &c. Each indi- 

 vidual may possess, physically or morally, its 

 own peculiar nature ; it may be feeble or vigor- 

 ous, mild or passionate, &c. 



*' This word Nature is also extended to tliino^s 

 which ai*e not born, to unorganised beings in 

 general, in order to designate the peculiar and 



