34 



Voltaire, Rousseau, Luther, and Baxter. The Stone 

 Staircase, at the end of the gallery, leads to the 



Royal Library, 



formed by George the Third, and presented to the na- 

 tion by George the Fourth. It is the most extensive 

 ever collected by a Sovereign, consisting of 65,900 

 volumes, and embracing almost every species of know- 

 ledge. They are systematically arranged in 304 

 presses. 



The Tables contain, in 124 cases, a splendid collec- 

 tion of Atlasses ; in which, besides maps of every part 

 of the globe, are numerous Plans of Towns, &c. 



To gain the 



Gallery of Antiquities, 



the visitor must retrace his steps through the Long Gal- 

 lery and Saloon to the bottom of the Great Staircase, 

 and then turn to the right. Over the door in the 



First Room, 



is the Bust, by Nollekens, of Charles Townely, Esq. from 

 whom government purchased the greater part of the 

 collection of Terracottas and Marbles, to which we now 

 are about to direct the attention of the visitor ; pre- 

 mising that we only profess to notice those that we con- 

 sider the most interesting ; and that more for the beauty 

 of form and delicacy, and correctness of execution 

 therein displayed, than for their rarity or antiquity. 



Students or amateurs in art are allowed to draw from 

 the Statues, &c. in these Galleries, by permission of the 

 principal Librarian, with reference. The rules to be ob- 

 served are hung up in this room ; there might be, we 

 think, in behalf of the law bound students, a request 

 added to these rules, that visitors would avoid standing 

 before the students, more than the proper inspection of 

 the statues renders it necessary, which we know from 



