,302 MEMOIRS OF 



** Half a century," he said, *' had sufficed for a 

 complete metamorphosis in science ; and it is 

 very probable that, in a similar space of time, we 

 also shall have become antient to a future gener- 

 ation. These motives ought never to suffer us 

 to forget the respectful gratitude we owe to those 

 who have preceded us, or to repulse, without 

 examination, the ideas of youth ; which, if just, 

 will prevail, whatever obstacles the present age 

 may throw in their way." This was a delightful 

 manner of satisfying everybody with himself: the 

 naturalist, from a remote province, or perhaps 

 from a colony at the other end of the world, was 

 no longer ashamed to think that he had not 

 kept pace with the march of science in the capital, 

 and had been poring over obsolete systems ; and 

 the young student, fresh from the Universities, 

 was not afraid to utter the objections, the falla- 

 cies, or the inaccuracies, he fancied he had 

 detected in his perusal of more recent authors. 



The repast which closed these evening enter- 

 tainments was served in the dining-room, and, 

 certainly, at the most delightful tea-table in the 

 world. A select few only would stay, though 

 M. Cuvier sometimes pressed into the service 

 more than could be well accommodated ; and 

 while the tea, the fruit, and refreshments of 



