292 Natural- Historical Collections. 



Ptolemy established his library at Alexandria, a city which was in its infancy, 

 but which already spoke of future grandeur. He collected there a great number 

 of learned men, to whom he assigned salaries and dwellings near the library. 

 Thus each of them, free from all personal cares, could devote himself entirely, 

 and without distraction, to study. This institution, which received the name of 

 Museum, was from its birth in the most favourable circumstances which any 

 learned society could desire. Besides the illustrious protection of a prince, and 

 the use of a vast library, it was in a geographical position whose advantages can 

 scarcely be appreciated. Alexandria had become in a few years the general com- 

 mercial mart for the whole circumference of the Mediterranean, of Central Africa, 

 of Arabia, of Persia, and of India : thus there came from ^11 sides the productions 

 of foreign countries, and the narratives of travellers. The labours of the mem- 

 bers of the Museum were then crowned with the most happy success. But it 

 must be remarked here, that this was a continuation of Greek science and not 

 of Egyptian learning ; for the philosophers whom Ptolemy collected, brought with 

 them knowledge of a very superior order to that which they found in this country, 

 where external oppression and civil wars had long since extinguished the lights 

 of science. 



The second of the Lagides, Ptolemy Philadelphus, who commenced to reign 

 in the year 285 before Christ, was no less favourable to learning than his father. 

 He had been instructed by a disciple of Aristotle, 8trato, surnamed Physicus, 

 on account of his passion for natural history ; and he himself imbibed much taste 

 for this science. Feeble by birth, he sought in study a compensation for the 

 pleasures of which his constitution had deprived him ; but, even in this kind of 

 amusement, he exhibited a regal magnificence. Strato had written a book on true 

 and fabulous animals. Ptolemy himself cultivated zoology, and for that purpose 

 founded a menagerie, the first which had existed, and without doubt also the 

 most splendid which ever was seen. Not only had he at his command immense 

 riches, but he was so situated as to be able to assemble the productions of all the 

 known world. The commerce which Egypt jnaintained with the interior of 

 Africa gave him facility in procuring all the animals of that country which came 

 by land or descended the Nile ; those of Europe and Asia Minor arrived by the 

 Mediterranean; those of India by the Red Sea. 



To obtain an idea of the riches of this kind which Alexandria contained, it 

 would be sufficient to read an account of a fete which was celebrated by the King 

 of Egypt in honour of his father. As Ptolemy Soter had travelled in India, it 

 was wished to allude to his expedition in representing, in the solemnity, the triumph 

 of Bacchus. The train of the god presented a collection of rare animals, such 

 as all the sovereigns of Europe, if they united their efforts, could not at this 

 day assemble. There were cars drawn by elephants, and others by stags, bu- 

 l>als, ostriches, and oryxes. There were camels laden with aromatics and 

 with all the most precious products of the east, Ethiopian sheep, white stags 

 of India, leopards, panthers, ounces, white bears, and twenty-four lions of 

 the largest size. We were for a long time astonished to hear of white bears 

 in this procession, not knowing of any except in the polar seas, and we 

 sought to explain how Ptolemy had been able to obtain them from these distant 

 parts ; but, some time since, M. Ruppel informed us that white bears exist in 

 Lebanon, and no doubt those of which we speak came from these mountains. 



Such a collection could not but be very useful to those who were engaged in 

 natural history. A menagerie, moreover, was well placed in Egypt, where it had 

 been the custom so long to rear animals in the temples, and observe their habits, 

 and embalm them after death. And Alexandria possessed good anatomists and 

 zoologists as long as the peripatetic philosophy prevailed. But, for the present, 

 Ave must leave the savans of the museum, and return to Athens to follow the his- 

 •tory of philosophy. 



