218 MEMOIRS OF 



though its importance can only be dated from 

 the sixteenth century. In this lecture were also 

 discussed the age of the world, the vestiges of 

 the great deluge, and the value of the astro- 

 nomical records of primitive nations. 



The second lecture gave a sketch of the four 

 great nations constituted at the remotest period 

 before Christianity, and of which history gives 

 us any certain information. The extent of their 

 knowledge was measured ; the influence of that 

 knowledge appreciated ; and, in speaking of Mo- 

 ses, M. Cuvier said that, although Moses was 

 brought up in all the learning of the Egyptians, 

 he foresaw the inconveniences of, and laboured 

 much to abolish their practice of veiling the 

 truth under mysterious emblems. That Moses 

 was in possession of that truth was evident from 

 his system of cosmogony, which every discovery 

 of recent times serves but to confirm. The pro- 

 gress of the nations who sprung from the Egyp- 

 tians, the diffusion of their learning, the bards, 

 the philosophers, the schools of Greece, were 

 given with a most absorbing interest and beauty, 

 and occupied six lectures. In the eighth, he 

 began his history of Aristotle, the founder of 

 the science of natural history. As might be 

 expected, M. Cuvier became, if possible, more 



