838 Hints for rendering the British Museum more useful. [Oct: 1, 
tified and disappointed I most certainly 
was; and finding it utterly impossible to 
reap any pleasure from such a hasty 
glance as was permitted us, I amused 
myself through the remaining rooms by 
" keeping close to my companions, and lis- 
tening to their exciamations of wonder,’ 
and unanswerable queries, to those about 
them. To make an end of my story, I 
was glad when the exhibition was over, 
which, though supported in part with my 
“goney, bad aflurded me much less in- 
formation and picasure than many a tra- 
veiling museum, to which Lhave gained 
admission for a shilling. In my way 
home from London I took Oxford; and 
there the Ashmolean Museum, though not 
containing one-tenth part of the objects 
which adorn the British, afforded me in- 
finitely greater yratiication and advan- 
tage sand for this plain reason: that Twas 
suffered to walk about the room as long as 
¥ liked ; that every object iad a ticket with 
3ts name affixed ; and that I was permitted 
to direct my exclusive attention to that 
department which most interested me. 
“The above plain statement proves, [ 
-think, that three grand defects attend the 
“present arrangements of the British Muse- 
‘um, which might, and certainly in a pub. 
ic instithtion, supported by the nation, 
ought to be remedied. Ist. The difficulty 
and loss of time in gaining admissivn. 
‘This, to those to whom time is valuable, to 
men of business, and to strangers passing 
through London, isa great evil. Except to 
‘those who reside in the immediate neigh- 
bourhood of the Museum, a whole morning 
must be wasted in order to spend two 
hours in viewing it. 2nd.°‘The want of 
“names, vulgar and scientific, attached to 
the objects. These names are, in a few 
" <dnstances, given, and but ina few. Could 
“there be any thing dithcalt or impractica- 
‘ble in extending them to all. Whatarethe 
‘scientific men cqunected with the Mu- 
geum paid for, if they cannot ascertain 
“the names of every thing in it, natural 
‘and artificial; and where would be the 
/ difficulty of printing their names in leg:- 
“ble type, and affixing them toevery article F 
“gad. The limited time for viewing the col- 
“jection, and the restraint impused upon 
“spectators as to’ what they shail direct 
their attention to. This is the greatest 
“evil of the whole: ef what use Is such an | 
‘qnstitution, if it cannot be made cubser- 
vient to the studies cf those who have Ac» - 
@aes toi? But whatad vantage can the aie 
“tiquarian, the mineralngist, the ornitholo- 
z gist, OF the conchologist, derive from a 
ceenty-minates interrs pted glanceatsome \ 
SF: 
thousands-of objects? Ishall be told that 
persons properly introduced, may have 
access to the Museum at other times. 
But, how many humble students of Na- 
ture are there that never can be so intro. 
duced! Is it supposed that no man stu 
dies nature or art, without having some 
great acquaintance to perform this sere 
vice for bim? Nothing could be more 
ridiculous or contrary to trath, than such 
a supposition. Besides, not even the 
trouble which this requires to those who | 
have the means, should be necessary to 
obtain access to an mstitation, to which 
every man who pays taxes contributes. 
On the present establishment ef the Brie 
tish Museum, I have- no hesitation in 
asserting that the comparatively small, 
but respectable, collection of the inge. 
‘nious Mr, Bullock, of Liverpool, to which 
every man may have free and unrestrain- 
ed admission for his shilling, is infinicel 
more adapted to the furtherance of — 
Science, and vastly more productive of 
amusement and gratification. - 
But now to the remedy for these de. 
fects: and this is very simple, obvious, 
and unobjectionable. Let every decente 
Jy-dressed male and female above the 
age of twelve, have free entrance into 
the Museum, at seasonable hours; and 
unrestrained access, for an unlimited time, 
to any part’ of the collection. Let all 
the objects be in glass cases, and ticketed. 
with their names common and scientific. 
Let there be stationed in every room 
person, whose sole business it-shall be to. 
‘see that nothing is improperly meddled 
with er taken away. It is not necessary 
that these inspectors should know any 
thing about the collection. If they have 
eyes it will be sufficient; and ten or 
twelve respectable old meni might be 
found tosita few hoursdaily inthe Musee. 
um, for half the sum that is now spent inthe 
salaries Of guides. A decicive argumeut 
‘in favour of this arrangement, is, that it 
has been tried in a similar instance, and 
found perfectly to answer. The Fretich 
Museums dre all upon thisplan ; and no- 
difficulties attend admission to them, or 
the inspection of what they. contain. 
Surely the- people of England have a 
right to expect, that their access to a col- 
lection to which they have paid for and 
support, should not be clogged with diffi- 
Cuities which the French do mot experi- 
ence in surveying the treasures which 
their Emperor has stolen. I can see na 
~even plausible objection to my proposal 
but this: that.so largea concourse of 
visitors would be drawn by such easy 
berg 
