BARON CUVIER. 3'3,5 



vinced that all human efforts are unavailing, 

 when Heaven recalls its own.* 



The perfect disinterestedness of M. Cuvier's 

 character, the remarkable liberality of his dispo- 

 sition, the sums he so delightedly bestowed on 

 science, in a dearth of other proofs, would all be 

 established by the moderate fortune he left to 

 his family. After having filled such high offices 

 in the state ; after having executed, under the 

 magnificent government of the empire, missions 

 which a man thirsting after wealth would have 

 turned to his pecuniary advantage ; all the for- 

 tune he amassed amounted but to four thousand 

 pounds sterling; his library had cost him a 

 similar sum t ; and he never hesitated procuring 



* Germany lost her great Goethe in this year. France, 

 besides the above calamitous privation, was bereaved of Cham- 

 pollion, Casimir Perrier, and Abel Remusat; and Great Britain, 

 of Sir Walter Scott and Sir John Leslie : the preceding year 

 had been her greatest trial ; for in it she was deprived of 

 Sir Humphry Davy, Dr. Young, and Dr. WoUaston, &c. 



f To the books purchased by himself were added those 

 published at the expense of the Government, copies of which 

 were always presented to him ; and the numerous gifts he re- 

 ceived from authors of all countries, who were universally 

 anxious to pay him this mark of respect, even if their works 

 did not treat of Natural History. Altogether amounted to 

 more than nineteen thousand volumes, besides pamphlets, 

 atlases, &c., and many of which contained his own notes. It 

 was very desii'able that this library should remain entire, for 



y 3 



