84 HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM. 



that all those intrusted with the direction of the 

 garden, excepting Guy de la Brosse, Dufay and 

 Fagon, who were in fact its founders, had neg- 

 lected it, and that several had checked its pro- 

 gress ; that Buff on , the only person who had 

 since taken pride in the institution and employed 

 his credit for its advancement, had felt the neces^ 

 sity of a different system ; that Dauhenton had 

 refused the title of perpetual director, offered 

 him by his colleagues through respect for his age 

 and gratitude for his services ; that since the new 

 organisation the general order had not been an 

 instant troubled, notwithstanding the vicissi- 

 tudes of politics, and the public misfortunes ; that 

 the Museum being immediately dependant on the 

 minister it was sufficient that an account should 

 be rendered by the annual director, and that no 

 extraordinary expenditure should be made with- 

 out permission ; that the place of intendant, given 

 at first to some person distinguished in the natural 

 sciences, might at length be bestowed on a man 

 destitute of any just idea of their utility ; that the 

 funds destined for the Museum might be con- 

 verted to other uses ; that the professors would 

 be placed in a state of subordination which 

 would damp their zeal and paralyse their efforts ; 

 and that some amongst them , who held eminent 

 posts under government, could no longer pre- 



