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But it is now sufficiently known that His Eoyal Higiness's 

 benevolent and pMantliropic plan took a wider and more 

 extended range than even this combination of objects displays. 

 His opinion was, that the proper site for the Great National 

 Collections of Art and Science in the National GaUery, the 

 British Museum, the Schools of Art, &c., which were compelled 

 from pure want of space to look for a new shelter, was some- 

 where in this neighbourhood, and it is not to be doubted that 

 His Eoyal Highness had planned out a magnificent cpadrangle 

 of public buddings containing the National Collection of objects 

 of Science and of Art of every kind, and embracing in their 

 midst the splendid Garden of the Horticultural Society, to 

 which the student and the amateur might retire to refresh 

 themselves, when fatigued with their labours. The whole tenor 

 of his arrangements, from the purchase of the estate held by 

 the Commissioners of the Great Exhibition to the present 

 time, indicates such a liberal and well-digested scheme. The 

 very laying out of the propei-ty ; the splendid roads formed 

 around it ; the resolute abstinence from leasing any part of the 

 quadrangle for ordinary budding purposes, from which so large 

 a money return might have been obtained ; the sacrifice of so 

 great a portion of it for the Garden in the midst, at so doubtful 

 a return as that stipulated for from the Horticultural Society ; 

 the careful stipulations by which the Garden should revert 

 to the Commissioners, if, for a certain period (five years), it 

 should be so unremunerative as to leave no rent to be paid 

 to the Commissioners ; the terms on which the lower part of 

 the Garden was let to the Commissioners of the International 

 Exhibition of 1862; the encouragement given to the artists 



