Natio)iaI Scioitific and E(hicatio)ial histiliilioiis. 335 



3. The Conservatory of ^Irts; meaning the useful arts and trades. This, in 

 appearance, is a vast Babel of materials; consisting of tools, models, and entire 

 machines, ancient and modern, good and bad. For it is often useful to preserve for 

 inspection a bad machine. The professor explains the reason why it did not answer 

 the purpose; and this either prevents another penson from spending his time and 

 money in pursuit of the same impracticable scheme, or it may lead his mind to some 

 ingenious invention to remedy the defect and make it a u.seful object. Here is a 

 professor for explaining the use of the machines, and for aiding the minister in dis- 

 charging the duties of the patent office. Here likewise several trades are carried on, 

 and persons are taught gratis the use of the tools by practice as well as by lectures. 



4. The MuscHUi of Natural History. This consists of a botanical garden, an 

 extensive menagery, or collection of wild animals, and large cabinets of minerals. 

 To this institution are attached several professorships; and lectures are given on 

 every branch of natural history. 



5. The iMiiseiiin of Arts; meaning the fine arts. This is the school for painting, 

 statuary, music, etc. The great splendor of this establishment consists chiefly in 

 its vast gallery of pictures, and its awful synod of statues. These are as far beyond 

 description as they are above comparison. vSince, to the collections of the kings of 

 France, the government has added .so many of the best productions of Italy, Flan- 

 ders, and Holland, there is no other assemblage of the works of art where students 

 can be so well accommodated with variety and excellence, to excite their enudation 

 and form their taste. 



6. The National Library. This collection is likewise unparalleled both for the 

 number and variety of works it contains; having about five hundred thousand vol- 

 umes, in print and manuscript; besides all of value that is extant in maps, charts, 

 engravings; and a nuiseum of coins, medals, and inscriptions, ancient and modern. 



8. Tlic JSIint; which is a scientific, as well as a laboratorial establishment; where 

 lectures are given in mineralogy, metallurgy, and chemistry. 



9. Tlie Military School, where field engineering, fortification, gunnery, attack 

 and defence of places, and the branches of mathematics, necessar}' to these .sciences, 

 are taught by experienced masters. 



10. The Prytaiieiiiii ; which is an excellent school of general science, more espe- 

 cially military and nautical; but it is exclusively devoted to what are called eiifaiis 

 dc la patrie, children of the country, or boys adopted by the government, and idu- 

 cated at the public expense. They are generally those whose fathers have died 

 in the public service. But this distinction is often conferred on others, through 

 particular favor. The .school is supplied with able instructors; and the pupils are 

 very numerous. They are taught to consider themselves entirely devoted to the 

 service of their country, as is indicated both by their own ajjpellation and that of 

 their seminary. 



11. The College of France retains all its ancient advantages, and has been 

 improved by the revolution. 



12. llie School of ]\Iediciiu\ united with anatomy and surgery, is in able hands, 

 and well conducted. 



13. The Veterinary School; where practical and scientific lessons are given on 

 tlie constitution and di.seases of animals. 



14. The Observatory is an appellation still retained 1)y an eminent school of 

 astronomy; though its importance has grown far bej^ond what is indicated by its 

 name. It publishes the annual work called la connaissance dcs tcnis; a work not 

 only of national, but of univer.sal utility for navigators and astronomers. 



15. Another institution, whose functions have outgrown its name, is the Bureau 

 of Longitude. It not only offers premiums for discoveries, tending to the great 

 o1)ject of finding an easy method of ascertaining the longitude at sea, and judges of 



