IMPORTANCE OF ILLUSTRATIVE WORKS. 403 
societies expressly formed for the advancement and 
protection of science,—by the nobility and the 
wealthy of the land, who feel a laudable pride in the 
richness and excellence of their libraries, — and by 
men of science, who are themselves interested in 
the success of their favourite pursuits. But,if 
these sources of patronage are ineffectual, it is 
clearly incumbent upon a liberal government, zealous 
for increasing the facilities of knowledge, to stretch 
forth a protecting hand, and either directly to take 
upon themselves the cost (with proper limitations) 
of publishing such works as, upon mature consider- 
ation, may be deemed worthy of national aid, or 
indirectly, by other means, give to those authors 
who will take the risk upon themselves certain pri- 
vileges or immunities, proportionate to the hazards 
they incur. All this will doubtless appear prepos- 
terous to those who think that science is to be 
advanced by the cheap compilations of the penny 
press, which, we feel almost ashamed to say, are now 
the only books upon natural history which suffice to 
please the “ great taste” so much talked of as ex- 
isting in the public at large: but the opinions 
of such persons can never controvert the well-known 
fact, that the governments of other nations make 
especial provisions for assisting in the publication 
of expensive works, which, without such aid, would 
never see the light. France, who seems deter- 
mined to take the pre-eminence in all questions of 
national science, annually appropriates no less a sum 
than ten thousand pounds to the costs of public- 
ation and subscription to scientific works, nearly 
the -whole of which relate to different depart- 
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