BARON CUVIER. 239 



in it, that the Academy had no right to mingle 

 itself with political questions ; and that, if it once 

 suffered itself to assume such a privilege, it 

 would at length dwindle to a mere instrument of 

 party. On this occasion, however, his eloquence 

 and reasoning proved of no avail ; the King was 

 petitioned by the Academy, but Charles X. would 

 not even receive the deputation. The rejected 

 dignitaries found favour with the multitude, 

 and, of course, M. Cuvier, and those of his opi- 

 nion, were accused of pusillanimously preserving 

 theii" places at the expense of good feeling. The 

 project, however, owing to the resistance of the 

 Chamber of Peers, which then possessed more 

 weight than at present, was for a while aban- 

 doned. In the same year it was renewed, and, 

 without even asking his consent, before he was 

 in the least aware that the measure had been de- 

 cided on, the ministry appointed M. Cuvier one 

 of the censors of the press. On Sunday the 14th 

 of June, 1827, at midnight, arrived an official 

 despatch from the government, written by M. 

 Peyronnet, to announce to him that his ap- 

 pointment to this office would appear the next 

 morning, at nine o'clock, in the Moniteur. To 

 refuse the intended honour ; to foresee the pro- 

 bable consequences of such a refusal ; to yield 



