PRESENT STATE OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 247 



pence, fhoulcl be rigoroufly (hut up from the public themfelves, 

 is To extraordinary and difgraceful a fact, that I am wholly at a 

 lofs to account for it, particularly when I reflect that the fact 

 occurs in a nation who prides itfelf, above all things, on the 

 free enjoyment of its liberty and its property. 



It may be objeded to me, that the Mufeum is not literally becaufe the times 

 fhut up from the public, and that, on the contrary, it is in the ^ot mad^con vc* 

 power of any individual to procure a fight of it. True ; it is innienttoftudentsj 

 the power of any one to procure a curfory view of it, after the 

 formality of infcribing his name on the regifter of admiffion, 

 and waiting until the keepers think proper to appoint him a 

 precife day and hour, when it is very likely his other engage- 

 ments may deprive him of the poflibility of attending. But, and the adlual 

 fuppofe the appointment procured, and the time convenient, a^ukitud^hu^ 

 what gratification or inftruclion can be derived from prowling ried through a 

 through a fuite of apartments, at the heels of a keeper, who fuIte of rooms « 

 is anxious to difpatch you as fopn as poffible, and in company 

 of a dozen people, each of whom is eager to catch a tranfient 

 glance of every object within his reach, and each exclaiming 

 at the " wondrous furprifing" things which furround him. 



The library, the molt valuable and mofl: extenfively ufefuIThe library fold 

 .part of the Britifh Mufeum, is precifely that part which is mofl on?" u^L, 

 completely fecluded from the public. To vifit this it is indif- Aire of the li- 

 penfably neceflary to be introduced to the librarian, and to ob- branan * 

 tain his permiffion to confult the collection. How different is Not fo on the 

 it on the Continent ! there, fcarce a town of any note but } ias Continent, 

 its public library, to which free accefs may be had at all times, 

 by every individual, whether Granger or native. How humili- Reflexion, 

 ating the comparifon ! and how fingular that London, where 

 the fciences and the arts are cultivated with greater fuccefs 

 probably than in any other fpot of the globe, mould be deilitute 

 of a fingle public library. 



If I might prefume to fuggeft a plan for rendering the Britifh Suggeftion; that 

 Mufeum a real beneiit to the public, I would propofe that the ^HeS^uld 

 library, and the collection of objects relative to natural hillory, befeparated. 

 &c. mould be formed into two feparate eftablifhments, to 

 each of which the public might have the freeft accefs during as 

 great a portion of the day as poffible. 



The library might be open all the year round, from eight in Regulations for 

 the morning until four in the afternoon, and again from fix e ■ rary * ' 

 until ten at night. It mould be furnifhcd with tables, pens, 

 3 and 



