234 MEMOIRS OF 



vier brought his heaven-born faculties into full 

 force. 



M. Cuvier greatly occupied himself with 

 municipal and provincial laws, and those relating 

 to public instruction ; every branch of which was 

 the object of his exertions. His projects were 

 often too much modified before they were exe- 

 cuted, for the Jesuits, as a matter of course, 

 were his formidable enemies. Not contented 

 with issuing ordonnances from the Department 

 of the Interior, he composed a great many Me- 

 moirs to accompany them, which exposed their 

 motives, and formed so many precious commen- 

 taries, as they explained with the greatest perspi- 

 cuity the reason of every article. He thought 

 it as useful to spread every where the reason of 

 the laws as to disseminate the laws themselves ; 

 thinking that the latter are often attacked and 

 mistaken by the public for want of a proper com- 

 prehension of the motives which caused them to 

 be framed. 



Under the ministry formed on the 26th of 

 September, 1815, and composed of the Due de 

 Richelieu, Marbois, Corvetto, Fittre, Vaublanc, 

 Dabouchage,anddeCazes, M. Cuvier was enabled 

 to render an essential service to France, which 

 I cannot do better than describe in a translation 



