447 
State of the Nationat Institute in France, 
ISll.J 
cst honors of science, but with the in¬ 
signia of a barbarous and sanguinary des¬ 
potism. 
Unbounded credit, however, is given 
to the first class of the Institute, for the 
success and industry, vvith which they 
have prosecuted the labours peculiar to 
their department. To such men as La 
Place, La Grange, Cuvier, Vauquelin, 
Guyton, &c. immortal praise is due and 
will be given, whatever may be their pri¬ 
vate political fadings. The public meet¬ 
ings of this class uniformly expose a rich 
fund added, in the course of tlie year, to 
the stock of physiological and mathema¬ 
tical knowledge, and are ennobled by the 
recital of valuable memoirs and eloquent 
panegyrics. Their private sittings are 
occupied by memoirs, and by a sort of 
polemical discussion of scientific ques¬ 
tions. If a point be stated in a paper, 
which a member is disposed to contro¬ 
vert or elucidate, he rises in Ins place, 
and discusses it extemporaneously. Mis 
associates either defend or oppose his 
doctrines, according to the views whicii 
they take of them at the moment, and 
this collision or concurrence of opinions 
leads to a very animated argument. The 
warmth of the national temper and the 
jealousy of competition occa?ion the phi¬ 
losophical debate to degenerate not un- 
frequenily, into an angry and personal 
altercation; a circumstance which de¬ 
tracts much from the dignity of their as¬ 
semblages. 
If I have not reaped as much instruc¬ 
tion, [ must confess that I have been 
more edified and overawed, at the meet¬ 
ings of the Royal Society in London. 
1 he strict decorum preserved m the lat¬ 
ter, the dignified appearance of themem- 
fcers, and the venerable aspect of the 
president sir Joseph Banks, gave them 
tiiat solemn and lofty exterior, w'hich is 
calculated to inspire a stranger with re¬ 
spect, and best suited to the nature of 
tne institution. Between tiiese two s/)- 
cieties no particular comparison can be 
drawn, as they are very diilerently or¬ 
ganized. The Royal Society of London 
^possesses some men, whose researches 
and discoveries place them upon a level, 
■with tlie must celebrated of the first class 
of the Institute; but the latter, as a 
body, enjoys, by lite natuie of its consti¬ 
tution, great advantages over the former, 
winch admits indi^c.iniinuteiy persons 
wjio are not protcssionaiiv devoted to the 
sciences, and whose chief recommenda¬ 
tion is not always the quanium of their 
knowledge, it may, however, I think 
be asserted with confidence, that, if the 
present system of government shoidd 
continue in France, the Royal Society 
will, in a few years, even as a scientific 
body, be confessedly superior to the In¬ 
stitute. 
Although the extemporary debate 
which takes place in the first class of the 
Institute, may derogate from the dignity 
of their sitting, it must be acknowledged 
to be highly amusing and instructive to 
the privileged auditor. I have listened 
with great delight to Fourcroy, Cuvier, 
La Place, and Guyton de Morveau. The 
first, who is now no more, and whose 
loss must be regretted by every lover of 
chemistry, was remarkable for the ease 
and beauty of his elocution. The second 
was but little inferior to him in the traces 
of his manner, and much superior in the 
solidity of his judgment, and the extent 
of his acquirements. La Place excels 
in the perspicuity and force of his ex¬ 
pression, and, when heated by opposi¬ 
tion, often surprises and electrifies his 
associates, by the most novel, profound^ 
and luminous, views of science. 
The labours and exhibitions of the se- 
cond and tliird classes, are far from being 
entitled to the commendation which is 
so universally pronounced upon tltc first. 
If you peruse their reports for tlte few 
years past, you will find that they have 
not greatly improved the rich patrimony 
which they received from the old acade¬ 
mies of Paris, There is hue little va!u:i- 
b!e instruction in them, and scarcely any 
novel, and not much recondite erudition. 
I must confess tiiac I was rather disgust¬ 
ed than otherwise, by wliac I saw ami 
heard at their annual sittings. There 
was a jumble of poetry and music, and a 
sort of mock parade, altogether unsuira- 
ble to the nature of such exhibitions from 
learned sr)cieties of pretensions so lofty, 
and of titles so imposing. We had de¬ 
claimed to us, with true scenic pomp, 
prize compositions of tlie most vapid and 
puerile bombast ; extracts from works in 
embryo,than whicti nothing cou Id be more 
tedious or insignificant; and inaugural 
discourses va liicli de^erve the same com¬ 
memoration, and whicli it was painful for 
me to cont-ast with those of the old aca¬ 
demies of Pans. 
The second and ihird classes could, 
however, at the period of my Acquaint¬ 
ance with them, boast of several men of 
oonsidei-a!)!e ability, such as Morellet, 
Segur, Cabanis, Choiseul Goufner, and 
Deliile, uuihors of the old school, and of 
merited reputation. But these lent 
scaretdy 
