2,58 MEMOIRS or 



must curtail the exercise of that hospitahty for 

 which he had so long been remarkable. 



A trifling circumstance happened during the 

 latter part of M. Cuvier's legislative duties, 

 which, as it was erroneously supposed to have 

 been connected with his death, may as well be 

 properly explained here. While defending that 

 incessant object of his anxious cares, the Univer- 

 sity, before the Chamber of Deputies, in his office 

 of Commissaire du Roi, his voice was much in- 

 terrupted by a violent cough, on which several 

 of the members came to him, to beg that he 

 would go into the Salle des Conferences, and 

 drink some water : one of the deputies put M. 

 Cuvier's arm within his, and led him so fast, that 

 his foot slipped down a step, and he almost fell 

 to the ground. The hand, however, that had 

 caused the mischiefj supported him ; but he was 

 immediately surrounded by most of those in the 

 Chamber, who, evincing the deepest interest, 

 obliged him to seek some refreshment in the ad- 

 joining room. The strongest proof that no ma- 

 lady had caused this appearance of accident, is, 

 that, ten minutes after, he mounted the tribune 

 for the second time, and, with his usual force and 

 clearness, for more than an hour, once again de- 



