519] Museum-History and Museums of History. 275 
Museum in the exceedingly instructive collections which 
have of late years been exhibited by its librarians, to illus- 
trate such subjects as the lives of Luther and Michel- 
angelo, and by their permanent display of pictures and 
documents referring to the history of London. 
The Dyce-Forster collection of autograph documents, 
letters, and manuscripts is also, in its own way, suggestive. 
Every large library has done something of this kind in its 
own way. It remains for some student of history to work 
out upon a generous plan, and with plenty of exhibition 
space at his command, the resources which are already in 
the possession of some great treasure-house like the British 
Museum. 
What the limitations of historical museums are to be it is 
impossible at present to predict. In museum administra- 
tion experience is the only safe guide. In the scientific 
museum many things have been tried, and many things 
are known to be possible. In the historical museum most 
of this experimental administration still remains to be per- 
formed. The principal object of this communication is to 
call attention to the general direction in which experiment 
should be made. 
The only safe course to be pursued in the development 
of plans in any untried department of museum work is to 
follow the advice which the Apostle Paul proffered to the 
Thessalonians : 
Prove all things ; hold fast that which is 
GOOD ! ” 
