583 
LON 
the journals of the Lords and Commons; a collection of 
natural and artificial curiofities fent to him in 1796, by 
Mr. Menz'e, from the north-well coall of America, and 
feveral tingle books of great value and utility; alfo many 
articles of Egyptian antiquities, which were acquired 
from the French by the capitulation of Alexandria in 
*802. The truliees have added Green wood’s collection 
of ftutfed birds; Hatchet’s minerals; Halhed’s oriental 
manulcripts; Tyflen’s collection of Saxon coins; Dr. 
Bentley’s claffics ; and Roberts’s Englifii coins. Private 
donations have afforded Dr. Birch’s library, by will of 
the learned doCtor, and an annual (urn of 522I. 18s. in the 
funds for ever. A collection of foffils by Guftavus Blan¬ 
der, efq. a feleCt library of claffics by Thomas Tyrwhitt, 
efq. a fimilar bequelt of fir Wm. Mufgrave; Mr.. Garrick’s 
collection of old plays ; a molt magnificent collection of 
printed books, prints, coins, medals, minerals, (hells, 
gems, &c. which, by the fpontaneous and fplendid mu¬ 
nificence of the Rev. Mordaunt Cracherode, were be¬ 
queathed to the public ; and a feries of Peruvian ores, 
confifting of nearly 200 articles, prefented by lord Gren¬ 
ville. Add to thefe, fome other benefactors, as fir Jofeph 
Banks, of curiofities from the South Seas ; Icelandic’books, 
and many valuable books and other prefents, from the em¬ 
perors Francis I. and II. and the emprefs Maria-Therefa, 
front Catharine II. of Rtiffia, their majelties Charles III. 
of Spain, and Frederic V. of Denmark. Front our own 
boards of Admiralty, of Longitude, and of the Eaft- 
India Company; the various numerous literary focieties of 
London, Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge, and Leyden ; 
the royal and imperial academies of Bruflels, Lilbon, &c. 
vvhofe donations have been and are no lefs frequent than 
valuable. Among the multitude of private individuals, 
not members of the trait, who have enriched this mu- 
feurn and their country, Hand mod prominent the names 
of Col. Wm. Pitt, Smart Lethiullier, Thomas Hollis, efqrs. 
and the late earl of Exeter. For more detailed particulars 
of this fplendid collection, alike attractive and ufeful to 
the learned of all clafles, we refer our readers to a Synopfis 
of their general contents, fold at the Mufeum. 
For the admifiion of companies to a fight of the Mu- 
feum, various regulations have from time to time been 
formed ; every fucceffive alteration having had for its ob¬ 
ject to add to the facility of accefs, and in every refpeCt 
to the accommodation of the public. According to the 
prefent regulations, the Mufeum is open for public in- 
IpeCtion, on the Monday, Wednefday, and Friday, in 
every week, (the Chriftmas, Ealter, and Whitfun, weeks, 
thankfgiving and faff days, and the whole months of Au- 
gull and September, excepted,) from ten till four o’clock; 
and all perfons of decent appearance, who apply between 
the hours of ten and two, are immediately admitted, and 
may tarry in the apartments, or the gallery of antiquities, 
without any limitation of time, except the (hutting of the 
lioufe at four o’clock. 
On entering the gate of the Mufeum, a fpacious qua¬ 
drangle prefents itlelf, with an Ionic colonnade on the 
fouth fide, and the main building on north, which mea- 
fures 216 feet in length, and 57 in height, to the top of 
the cornice. 
The firlt floor confifts of twelve rooms, and contains 
the library of printed books. Strangers are not conducted 
through thefe apartments, as the mere fight of theoutfide 
of books cannot convey either initruCtion or amufement; 
but, by applying at the Mufeum, and conforming with 
the rules, it is not difficult for a refpeCtable perfon to get 
admitted as a ltudent to the reading-rooms. 
The companies, having been admitted according to the 
regulations, are immediately conducted up the great Itai.r- 
caie, the decorations of which have lately been reltored, 
and are worthy of admiration. The ceiling is painted by 
Chas. de la Fofie, who was reckoned one of the beft co- 
lourifts of the French fchool, and who painted the cupola 
of the dome of the Invalids at Paris. This ceiling re- 
prefents Phaeton petitioning Apollo for leave to drive his 
DON. 
chariot. The landfcape and decorations are by James 
Rouffeau, wliofe fkill in perfpeCtive has always been juitly 
held in high eftimation. 
The firlt room of the upper ftory contains modern 
works of art from all parts of the world, arranged in cafes, 
feveral printed tables of which lie on the cafe in the centre 
of the room. This cafe contains fome very beautiful 
miniatures; amongthem, firThomas More,king Charles I, 
and Oliver Cromwell, with his watch by the fide of it. 
Two curious portraits of king William ar.d queen Mary, 
carved on two walnut-ffieils. In the preffes round the 
rooms are arranged, in a geographical order, fome fine 
fpecirr.ens of china, a variety of implements of war from 
different quartersof theglobe, and a rich collection of cu- 
riolities from the South Pacific Ocean, brought by Capt. 
Cook. In the left corner is the mourning drefs of an. 
Otaheitean lady, in which tafte and barbarity are Angu¬ 
larly blended ; and oppollte are the rich cloaks and hel¬ 
mets of feathers from the Sandwich Iflands. Among 
thele is one which, in elegance of form, vies even with 
the Grecian helmets. In another cafe are the cava-bowls; 
and above them baltoons, and other weapons of war. 
The next objects of attention are the idols of the different 
ifiands, prefenting, in their hideous rudenefs, a Angular 
contrail with many of the works of art formed by the 
fame people; near thefe are the drums and other inffru- 
ments of mufic, and a breaff-plate from the Friendly 
Iflands. Thefe feleCtions, numerous as they are, are taken 
from a large itore of fimilar curiofities depofited in a lei's 
confpicuous part of the houfe; and a preference is wifely 
given to fuch articles as beft ferve to illuftrate fome local 
cuftom, art, manufacture, or point of hiitory. Many of 
thefe the truftees mean gradually to fet afide, to make 
room for others of more intrinfic value.—The ceiling of 
this room or veltibule is alfo painted by la Fofle, and re- 
prefents the Fall of Phaeton. 
The fecond room is empty at prefent, its contents hav¬ 
ing been removed into the new apartments.—The third 
room is exclufively devoted to the Lanfdown collection of 
manuferipts, which have been handfomely bound and let¬ 
tered by order of the trultees.—In the fourth room are the 
Sloanean and Birchean collections of manuferipts. It allb 
contains Ktempfer’s manuferipts ; feveral journals of voy¬ 
ages ; and fome oriental manuferipts. In a recefs, within 
this room, are placed Mr. Halhed’s and fome other col¬ 
lections of oriental manuferipts; and over the chimney is 
a draw ing of the palace of Colomna, near Mofcow, which 
belonged to the czars of Mofcovy ; it was built of wood, 
and is now demolifhtd.—The fifth room contains part of 
the Harleian library of manuferipts; and the fixth the re¬ 
maining part of the faine, and additions made fince the 
eftabliffiment of the Mufeum ; particularly an original deed 
in Latin, written on papyrus, being a conveyance of fome 
land to a monaltery ; dated Ravena, anno 572, bought an 
the file of the Pineili library ; and a large l'pecimen of 
the reed (Cyperus papyrus) of which that kind of paper 
is made ; alio an Italian note to fir William Hamilton, 
written on modern papyrus, explaining the mode of pre¬ 
paring it.—The feventh room is appropriated to the Royal 
and Cottonian library of manulcripts. On a table in a 
glazed frame, is the original of the Magna Charta, and 
on the fide of it is a fac-limile engraving of it by Pine. 
Here is alfo the original of the articles preparatory to the 
figning of the great charter, perfeft, with the feal; pre¬ 
fented by the late earl Stanhope. 
The company are next introduced into the magnificent 
faloon, the dome of which was painted by the before- 
mentioned la Fofie, which has been deicribed by Walpoie: 
as the apotheolis of Ilis ; and by others, much nearer the 
truth, as that of Iris; but the molt probable conjecture is, 
that the painter meant it to exhibit the birth of Minerva ; 
that goddels, fully attired, being the molt prominent 
figure. Jupiter is immediately above her. The other 
heathen deities furround this groupe in admiration of the 
eyent. And in a lower compartment the Vices, are being 
expelled 
