270 MEMOIRS OF 



de H6ron*,*' which ran and stopped at his bid^ 

 ding, a poniard which he apparently plunged 

 into his arm and drew out again, dripping 

 with blood, amused and astonished the spec- 

 tators of all ages who happened to be present: 

 but George Cuvier examined every thing with 

 deep attention, and evinced little or no surprise ; 

 for he explained the manner in which the foun- 

 tain played, and the mechanism of the poniard, 

 accompanying his explanations by cutting the 

 whole out in paper. 



But I must beg my readers once more to go 

 back to Stuttgardt, where M. Cuvier obtained 

 honours which were conferred only on the chosen 

 few, and those few much older than himself. 

 His first examination at that university had some- 

 thing remarkable in it, considering that he was 

 then but fourteen. The committee deputed to as- 

 sign him his place, reported of him as follows : — 



" The young Cuvier has shown, 1st, just no- 

 tions of Christianity, well adapted to his years. 

 2dly, A good knowledge of general history and 

 geography. 3dly, Solid notions of logic, arith- 

 metic, and geometry. 4thly, Considerable skill 



* So called by the French, because it was invented by 

 Hero, of Alexandria, who lived 120 years before Christ. 

 Its English name, I believe, is " a fountain of circulation." 



