2 LIFE OF SIR HANS SLOANE. 



To Tradescant succeeded two other celebrated collectors of natural 

 curiosities — William Courten Charleton, and James Petiver. 



Charleton quitted England, and collected in foreign countries du- 

 ring many years natural curiosities, which were estimated at £8,000. 

 This noble Museum, consisting of the greatest variety of insects and 

 animals, corals, shells, petrifactions, ancient and modern coins, he be- 

 queathed to Sir Hans Sloane, his old and tried friend, when he died 

 1702, aged sixty years. 



Mr. Petiver, a wealthy apothecary in London, was sufficiently 

 known by his understanding in Natural History all over the world. 

 He distributed printed lists and directions among captains and surgeons 

 of ships, bound to foreign parts ; and by these means procured a very 

 extensive and valuable collection, known under the name of " Museum 

 Petiverianum." He died 1718, and his Museum was purchased by 

 Sir Hans Sloane for £4,000. 



Hans Sloane, the seventh and youngest son of Alexander Sloane, 

 who was collector of taxes in the county of Down, Ireland, was born 

 the 16th of April, 1660. Being naturally of a delicate constitution, 

 which excluded him from the usual boisterous pursuits of youth, he 

 appears to have had recourse to the study of Nature at a very early 

 age ; and having determined on following the medical profession, en- 

 tered on the necessary studies with diligence and ardour. But at the 

 age of sixteen these were unfortunately interrupted by a spitting of 

 blood with which he then became afflicted. This confined him to his 

 chamber for three years. By a rigid course of temperance, abstaining 

 entirely from wine and other fermented liquors, he succeeded in conquer- 

 ing the disease ; and his own prudence induced him to continue ever 

 after in a great degree to adhere to the same strict regimen. It was 

 his favourite maxim, " that sobriety, temperance, and moderation, are 

 the best preservatives that Nature has vouchsafed to mankind ;" and 

 he himself was certainly a proof of its efficacy, as by attention to this 

 maxim, his own life far exceeded the allotted period of man's ordinary 

 existence, when we consider that he lived to the age of ninety-three 

 years. 



Upon his recovery, he resorted to London for the purpose of at- 

 tending his professional studies. The Botanic Garden at Chelsea had 

 at that time very recently been established by the company of Apothe- 

 caries. Here he became an indefatigable student, attending also lee- 



