290 
with the fame details, the fyftematic de- 
{cription of all the fubfances Which exit 
in nature. This work may befides be ac- 
complifhed-in parts, in the fame manner 
as natural hiftory. -One gives a fyitem of 
vegetables, another of infects, and ano- 
ther again, of animals; and thus, in the 
feience in queftion, one perfon might pub- 
lifh a fyftem of the arrangement of fta- 
tues ; another of engraved ftones, &c. &c. 
MUSEOGRAPHS, 
- After having difcuffed the fubje& of the 
elementary books onarcheology, it only re- 
mains to point out the works from which 
fome general information may be drawn. 
Whatever ftruck the lively imagination 
of the Greeks, appeared to them either to 
proceed from the gods, or to be fit to 
be dedicated to them. Accordingly, all 
the objects which were capable of being 
tran{ported, were fufpended in their tem- 
ples. The merchants and navigators, on 
their return from long voyages, were like- 
mife accuftomed to offer to the gods the 
moft valuable and moft fingular produc- 
tions of the countries ‘they had vifited. 
Thefe offerings aderned the temples, which 
may therefore be confidered as the earlieft 
cabinets of natural hiftory and of curiofi- 
ties of every defcription. The richnefs 
of the prefents fent to Delphos, by Cree- 
fus and cther princes, excites furprife ; 
and thefe facred places were thus filled 
with ftatues, paintings, vafes, and pre- 
cious effects. There was befides a holy 
piace fet afide as a depofitery for the fa- 
cred jewels, fuch as the ark of alliance, 
and the candieftick with feven branches, 
among the Jews; the large cornucopia of 
gold placed by Auguftus in the temple 
of Fortune, at Rome, &c. i 
The objects of art likewife adorned the 
palaces of princes, and of rich and pow- 
erful men. After the triumph of Mum- 
mius, this tafte became at Rome the pre- 
_ dominating paffion. In the acquifition of 
ftatues, Lucullus and feveral other Ro- 
mans were profufe beyond meafure. This 
tafte for the preduftions of art was what 
excited Verres to fo many thefts; and No. 
nius was willing to embrace death rather 
than furrender to. Antony a favourite 
opal.- Nero was fo fond of his vafes of 
porphyry, that he wept over their lofs, 
In the ruins of Hadrian’s country feat, 
(Villa Hadriana) many valuable relics of 
antiquity are ftill found. This prince 
had collected whatever he confidered to be 
worthy of his curiofity.’ 
After the revival of learning, and as 
foon as the tafte for antiquities had be- 
gun to diffu itfelf, feveral princes, as 
Introduction to the Study of Archeology. 
[Nov. 1 
well as private individuals, undertook to 
form cabinets. A great number of an- 
tiques were collected by Raphael and Mi- 
chael Angelo. .The different branches of 
the family of the Medici fent men of 
fcience to the different parts of the globe; 
and thus the fuperb mufeum of Florence 
was founded. Peirefe collected in every 
quarter antiques, cafts, and im>reffions. 
Francis I. derived from ‘the Mecici a 
tafte for engraved ftones; but it was not 
until the reign of Charl-s IX. of France, 
that an apartment in the Louvre was de- 
ftined for the reception of the antiques, 
which were however, in confequence of 
the civil commotions, foon difperied. Hen- 
ry IV, when left in the tranquil enjoy- 
ment of his kingdom, took advantage of 
the peace to re-eftablith this coNection ; 
and for that purpofe made choice of Ba- 
garis, a nobleman of Provence, highly 
accomplifhed in this purfuit. In the reign 
of Louis XIII. this collection was nege 
leéted ; but Louis XIV. beftowed on it a 
particular attention. Gaiton, of Orieans, 
added to it his own private colleétion ; 
and it was placed in the Royal Library, 
to the end, that thofe who had the charge 
of it might have all the requifite literary 
aid. Since that epoch feveral private col- 
legtions have been united by the indefati- 
gable exertious of Profeflor Boze, and by 
Barthelemy, the learned author of Ana- 
charfis. 
The engraved ftones and medais merely 
conftitute a part of this valuable collec- 
tion, the reft being heaped together in a 
ftore-room, for want of a commodious 
place in which todifplay them. This in- 
convenience will however be fpeedily re- 
moved ; and the cabinets of St. Gene- 
wieve, and des Petits- Peres, will, as well 
as the antiques difperfed in the Garde- 
meuble and in the national depots, be 
united. They will be arranged according 
to a combined plan, which will embrace 
both the analytical and chronological me-_ 
hods, andeach article will be detcribed and 
labelled. 
The men of lettters who have given de- 
feriptions of mufeums, are ftiled Mufea-— 
graphs. Their treatifes are either gentral 
or paiticular, according to the nature of 
the col.eétions they hayetreated. Thofe 
who are moft diftinguifhed, are Gori, by 
whom the mufeum of Florence has been 
defcribed, and a continuation of whofe 
work is given in the one, entitled the 
Gallery of Florence, now publifhing 3 
Vifconti, the author of the Mufeum Pia- 
Glementinum ; Molinet, who has defcribed — 
the cabinet of St. Genevieve ; and OF” 
Ny 
