6(3 HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM. 



obligations to Buffon. That great man conceived 

 at the same time the plan of his Natural History, 

 and the enlargement , or rather the creation, of 

 the Museum. His project, which he had meditated 

 for several years, was to form a complete whole 

 susceptible of improvement in all its parts. It 

 was not until he had ensured the means of realiz- 

 ing it, that he commenced its execution: from 

 that time , no obstacle could arrest his progress , 

 and no labour exhaust his patience. His enterprise 

 was crowned with the most brilliant success, 

 and , at the close of his life , he had every reason 

 to congratulate himself on the sacrifices it had 

 cost. The King's Garden and Museum were justly 

 cited as his work, and at the same time as the 

 most splendid institution ever formed for the 

 progress of natural history, and the point of 

 union for all the students of nature. If the French 

 gloried in so beautiful a monument, foreigners 

 admired it without jealousy, because it was equal- 

 ly useful to the scientific men of every nation. 



The establishment however was far from being 

 what it became a few years after, and the col- 

 lections of that period would appear insignificant, 

 if compared with their present splendor ; but 

 the plan was formed, the impulse given, and 

 every thing prepared for further progress. If 

 this progress has taken place only since the 



