BARON CUVIER. 197 



flowed smoothly and majestically ; the grandeur 

 of his metaphors, and the pomp of his stj'le, were 

 all imposing; then, varying his accents, he 

 passed insensibly to the most ingenuous fami- 

 liarity, and fixed attention by sallies of the most 

 fascinating gaiety. Hundreds of auditors, of all 

 classes, all nations, were to be seen, passing 

 whole hours, closely pressed against each other, 

 almost fearing to breathe, tlieir eyes fixed on 

 his, suspended to his mouth, as the poet says 

 (pendent ab ore loquentis). His look of fire 

 darted over the crowd ; in the farthest rows he 

 distinguished that mind which was difficult to 

 convince, and still doubted, or the slow compre- 

 hension which did not completely understand', 

 for these he redoubled his arguments and his 

 similes, and varied his expressions until he 

 found those which would convince; language 

 seemed to multiply its riches for him, and he did 

 not quit his subject till he saw all his numerous 

 audience equally satisfied." 



It is scarcely possible to mention Fourcroy, 

 without recollecting the odious suspicion attached 

 to his name* ; I therefore give M.Cuvier's observ- 



* It was reported that he inight have saved the life of 

 M. Lavoisier during the reign of terror, as indeed he had saved 

 many by his influence ; but, at the moment of M. Lavoisier's 

 o 3 



