BARON CUVIER. 283 



houses of others, sometimes stately. That state- 

 liness was often deemed stiffness; and it must 

 not be denied that real stiffness was assumed on 

 some rare but necessary occasions. Frequently, 

 however, I believe that it arose from timidity; 

 for it wore off the instant he saw any one in- 

 clined to lay aside the restraint which his pre- 

 sence very often, and most needlessly, imposed. 

 On the contrary, when he saw people afraid of 

 him, he fancied he must have caused it by some- 

 thing on his side; and thus a counter-reserve was 

 produced, that seldom ceased with either party. 

 To the young however, he was universally en- 

 couraging, and they could not more entirely win 

 his heart than by talking, in his presence, in 

 their naturally open manner. Towards females 

 he was particularly kind and attentive, distin- 

 guishing all whom he thought worthy of more 

 than the general respect he paid to the sex, 

 even appealing to them on various occasions, de- 

 lighting in their sensible remarks, and listening 

 to their anecdotes with the greatest interest. His 

 attentions to his guests, either when visitors for 

 a few hours or a few weeks, were surprisingly 

 thoughtful ; if he could, he would have pre- 

 vented their wishes, enquiring if they had all 

 they required in their own rooms, summoning 



