BARON CUVIER. ^247 



causing a shock ; then each new idea, thrown 

 upon good ground, will have time to germinate, 

 to grow, and to ripen, without convulsing the 

 social body. Imitate nature, who, in the deve- 

 lopement of beings, acts by gradation, and gives 

 time to every member of her most powerful 

 elements. The infant remains nine months in 

 the body of its mother ; man's physical perfec- 

 tion only takes place at twenty or thirty, and 

 his moral completion from thirty to forty. In- 

 stitutions must have ages to produce all their 

 fruits ; witness Christianity, the effects of which 

 are not yet accomplished, notwithstanding a 

 thousand years of existence.'* 



With such objects always in view, M. Cuvier 

 attempted and executed several improvements, 

 of which I shall now speak. The buildings of 

 the ancient College du Plessis, in which the fa- 

 culties were placed, being in a state of general 

 dilaj)idation, he obtained from the government, 

 a grant of the Sorbonne for their use ; and as it 

 was highly important that the lectures should 

 not be interrupted during the removal, he ex- 

 erted all his activity, incessantly visited the 

 architect appointed to direct the works, and re- 

 iterated his own inspections, till the object was 

 accomplished. The Faculty of Sciences owe 



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