24*8 PRESENT STATE OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



and ink: the floor fhould be matted, and the room properly 

 heated during the winter feafon. The books fhould be deli- 

 vered by the affiflant librarians to thofe who might require 

 them ; but on no account mould any book be petmitted to be 

 taken out of the library. A regular regifter might be kept of 

 the books delivered out each day, with the names of thofe who 

 required them; and the delivery might be cancelled as they 

 were returned to the librarian. It might perhaps be proper, 

 on account of the value of the manuscripts, to require the ex- 

 prefs permiffion of the principal librarian for their perufal. 



Concerning the ' A proper fund mould be provided for the neceflary expence 



other "b'ecls °^ ^ e n brary, wn i cn might be under the direction of a commit- 

 tee : fuch fums as were over and above the expence of the 

 maintenance of the library, might be applied to the purchafe of 

 fuch books as the committee mould fee expedient. But to 

 contract, as far as poflible, the expence of fupplying the library 

 with new publications, the donations of public fpirited indivi- 

 duals fhould be folicited, and the names of the donors regiftered 

 in a confpicuous manner on each book they prefented. The 

 committee might be empowered to fell, by public auction, 

 from time to time, fuch duplicates as might be received, &c. and 

 be thought unnecefiary to retain in the library. The accounts 

 of the library might be adj lifted every quarter ; but they fhould 

 conftantly remain open for the infpe&ion of the public. A 

 regular catalogue of the library fhould be printed in octavo ; 

 andfupplements might be added from time to time, as the new 

 acquifitions fhould render it neceflary: one or more of thefe 

 catalogues fhould be conftantly kept in the library, for the 

 purpofe of general reference. A binder and proper afliflants 

 fliould be attached to the library, through whofe hands each 

 volume fhould pafs at leafl once eyery year; and it might not 

 be beneath the attention of the committee, to hold out premi- 

 ums for any improvements which fhould be made in the binding 

 of books, fo as more effectually to preferve them from the at- 

 tack of the worm, and from gradual decay. 



The collection of The collection of objects relative to natural hiftory, &c. 



natural hiftory. fhould be under the fuperintendance of a feparate committee ; 

 and this eftablifhment, if properly conducted, could hardly 

 fail to become one of the fineft and moft inftructive repofitories 

 in Europe. No nation is fo well fituated for eftablifhing a 

 national Mufeum as our own : our extenfive commerce, and 



the 



