SIR HANS SLOANE. 27 



to the list appends the following amusing " P.S. 

 I hope the generous example of these curious 

 persons will excite and encourage others, who 

 travel to or reside in foreign parts, to do the like 

 for me ; especially, since the preserving of all 

 animals, vegetables, and fossils, is so easily per- 

 formed according to my printed directions, which 

 I am ready and free to give to all such as will be 

 so kind to make collections for me, and, as I have 

 elsewhere hinted, the most common as well as 

 rare, i. e. whatever they meet with, either of 

 plants, shells, insects, fossils, &c. will be highly 

 acceptable to me, and shall, on all occasions, be 

 gratefully acknowledged by your most obliged 

 and humble servant, James Petiver." He died, 

 April 20, 1718, and his museum was purchased 

 by Sir Hans Sloane for L.4000, an immense sum 

 for that period, when the value of money was so 

 much greater than at present. 



Having thus traced the first of these collections 

 till it was rendered of general utility by being 

 placed at the service of the public, and the other 

 two into the possession of the individual who so 

 laudably adopted the same plan in their fina^ 

 disposal, we now offer a brief notice of the life of 

 the generous testator. 



Alexander Sloane, a native of Scotland, was at 

 the head of that colony of his countrymen which 

 James I. settled in the north of Ireland. He became 



