206 BRITISH MUSEUM. 



[3322.] "State what you conceive the objects of the Institution to be. 

 To encourage a taste for science among the people generally, and to advance it 

 among those who are more especially to be regarded as men of science and 

 students, not by giving facilities to one set of students in particular, but to open 

 the collection to all wlto are desirous of studying it, and capable of profiting by 

 it. There is also, in jny' estimation, another object, viz. to supply a collection 

 of standard authorjjy, as complete as possible, which may serve as a model 

 and a guide to aH"the other institutions of the country. For this purpose it 

 ought to be kept, in point of arrangement and nomenclature, on a level with 

 the constantly progressing state of science." 



It needs, then, no further argument to prove what the objects of 

 the Museum really are and are understood to be by those men who 

 are the most forward in defending- the generally acknowledged 

 abuses of this national establishment. The officers have themselves 

 allowed every principle that we have contended for. We propose 

 shortly to show how little they have carried their acknowledged prin- 

 ciples into practice. First, however, with the view of putting our 

 readers in possession of every circumstance, which knowledge is ne- 

 cessary to an impartial decision, some details must be furnished re- 

 specting the early and progressive history of the British Museum ; 

 and this constitutes the second part of our enquiry. 



Till the middle of the eighteenth century (as Sir H. Ellis says, or 

 causes to be said in the article " British Museum " of the Penny 

 Cyclopaedia) the project of establishing a national museum had never 

 been entertained in this country. To Sir Hans Sloane, one of the 

 most eminent physicians and naturalists of the last century, the 

 founder of hospitals and the patron of medical botany, must be attri- 

 buted the still greater honour of having had a large share in the 

 foundation of the British Museum. This great man died at a very 

 advanced age in 1753, and by his will left the nation a very rich col- 

 lection of medals, objects of natural history, books, and manuscripts, 

 the whole of which cost'no less a sum than 80,00 O/., on condition that 

 20,000/. should be paid to his executors for the benefit of his family. 

 Whether such a treasure could be purchased at the present day for 

 double the sum given for it by the original owner is at least doubtful. 

 Among them may be mentioned above 24,000 specimens of coins, 

 seals, cameos, and other antiquities, 8,230 mineral productions, 

 22,000 specimens of animal and 13,000 of vegetable organization, 

 in addition to which may be mentioned above 200 valuable (310 in 

 all) paintings and drawings, and a library consisting of no less than 

 50,000 volumes and nearly 4,000 manuscripts. 



The point insisted on more strongly than any other by the testa- 



