Biographical Notice of Hatiy. 363 
modest, and always occupied in some good work. On this 
eccasion Mons. Cuvier has added to the ordinary charms 
of his style, a nazveté of expression, and a feeling quite in 
harmony with his subject. Hatily was one of those men 
who appear from time to time in the world to support our 
courage and to preserve us from the misfortune of acqui- 
ring a contempt for human nature. Their history is more 
instructive than that of whole nations, of the monarchs who 
govern them, of the wars which they maintain, of the al- 
ternations of success and reverses which compose their 
annals. The occurrences of private life present us with 
lessons better adapted to our wants. We there remark the 
happy influence of good dispositions, more precious even 
than the virtues, and the imitation of which is the more 
attractive as it seems to be more easy. We there learn, 
that with perseverance and labour, an upright mind, with- 
out extraordinary gifts, may rival genius itself, and render 
to science services no less important. And indeed accor- 
ding to M. Cuvier, genius is nothing more thana correct 
and persevering mind. This opinion may be contested. 
The word genius certainly designates the highest degree 
of human intelligence, the greatest power of memory and 
imagination joined to rapidity of thought. The man of 
genius perceives almost at a glance and with the same 
clearness a multitude of objects, and traces the relations 
between them ; whereas an ordinary mind, however just 
and persevering, discovers only a more limited horizon, 
sees objects only in succession, and suffers those to escape 
which can be known only by an immediate comparison of 
the two extremities of a long series of images or ideas. 
M. Cuvier has distinguished in Haiy the philosopher 
from the man. We shall have frequently to speak of the 
philosopher, of his works, of the part which he took in the 
discoveries with which science has been enriched during 
the last half century and of what appertains to him among 
the labours of its numerous disciples: at present, we shall 
borrow from M. Cuvier only the traits by which he des- 
cribes the pupil, the professor, the man of study enclosed 
in a prison, the academician loaded with literary honours, 
and in all, the amiable soul of Hatty, with his candour and 
universal benevolence. 
