New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-04-15
JOHN PAUL IN LONDON.

| DESCENT ON THE BRITISH MpSEUM'
v.sryEss OF THE coLLEcuoN-PUBuo INTERESTS
CoNsULTED-coUYsEL FOR THE AVERAGh
ToURlsT-NoTEs AT HAMPTON COURT AND THE
CRYSTAL NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ON ROTTEN
Row-Iy TIE CHAMBER OF HoRRoRS-sINIsTER
DESIGNS on THE TOWER.
SsyDoN, March SIN previous letter j
vehred to say that in my opinion the British Museum
better than ever Barnums its best That this
was saying great deal know but now, after repeated
visits am not disposed to take bit of 1t back Inc
only thing that can urged against tie British Museum
indeed that there is much OF IT, en'OHTaS ueS
richesses never had illustration more apt quite as wen
seek draw lovlathan with hook or pore MS ia"
through with thorn as attempt to compass this mighty
| Museum with the time ordinarily at the taFeleI
disposal In one year man quick at acquiring
| knowledge might come to suspect how little ne
knew about IT, in two by dint OF much study asd con-
sccnous purchase of the various gudebooks, lie might
come to know that he really knew nothing at all. but
one has only six months London entire he Is dseonr
aged the very outset You Sec AS Tor Lohdohers ten
selves even those Of robust habit accustomed 10 morse
back riding and other exercises In the open ar
are afraid tackle IL. Little WONDER then tht Ie"
up tho sponge after wrestling with 1t every DAY IL
a week, taking my lunch with me nj tnat. Countryneh
m Devonshire and York, Tor instance, go in and moon
round in an anless sort Of way, but LondOner you
meet in tho Museum never The good old gentleman
with whom we live move breathe. and have our board
confessed that he had not been inside 1t Tor twenty
years The ladies' dear creatures are the most constant
visitors for il affords them an opportunity OF seeing
great deal of whathey understand very little at no cost
at all. They start early IN tho morning. taxing
children and nurse, dozen Of sandwiches, ana a
bpe OF beer with hem and let the little monkeys stand
round the stuffed ones and stuff themselves while they
roam Off to the Assyrian sderooh or hover over thoeA
tine Dnornis aud the doubtful Dodo.
Aside from there being of it than one can com
f,riaby take In single sitting, the only other draw
back about the British Museum is the restriction placed
upon research ia natural history. Plaeards warn you
AGAINST touching any OF the specimens Forbidden 10
feel OF the Fossils TO play with the silken ears OF the
giraffe lie burden TO the man oil an ihqufihs
tugn OF mind. Would they but permit one TO examine
fine lceathcIum under microscope OF put the skeleton
n the whale through spectrum analysis, existence nigut
III. horne Otherwise as before remarked, lie becomes
but a ldudcn.
WHY should De chatting in this way though, when all
ihr vlHe / have something serious to say TAX OF
ysnr "bcnehccnt gOycrnmcntsj' look az INC BRUSH
Museum alone. Here is this immense building iulI OIL
Treasures collected at cost OF nearly T2OOO"oVO from
every part % world to the poorest bo ne citizen
OF he kingdom alien, who wishes to aya himself OF
fl Tho mineral collection alone would furnish study for
mcpths And then the Geological Galleries, the Boah-
ica Department, the Art Eooms-why, as nave Deiorc
r,aa,hC though in less serious spirit perhaps ono
cln wander among these for weeks and learn no" niue
fl IA
sooOJO Volumes and ticket to tho readingroom may
hs hal by any respectable person who chooses
70 o,,oly for one. | havO uckct. why, the
word has no. hing to equal this British Museum Ana
VET II Is bnt one-though tho ohief-of many,
AL u wac. open 10 tho pubAc. Inc oOu'h ho"Siis
ton IS 40 saIhlne OF museum, from any point o view"
iro h has coat but something short OF R2OOOoOO, as
coriilcl with the British Museums nearly twice that
sn,u These remarkable EngiisGmen, however do not
seem 20 set much store by their museums-they had
rather you would praise their mutton Ana the mutton
or which they pride themselves is worse tDah the
bcof-and that IS Dad-whe the museums are decidedly
good Tie few of them who do struggle into the
museum. grunble at the direction aud rrowl II
they d not find a frcshlyexcayated mastodon or new
ancicn. marble IN every corner But then II you iaAcJ
that the EEgshman Is displcascd, just because no
groWl 10 shows that you have never studied the amman
accurately IT'S the only way he las oi showing t he
uses tln.. Bears have similar habit III You haFo
c- , tc,n icd M tie geological Gardens, you have
noticed p.rhars thai when the keeper scratches ones
,,,, win 4 slick he lies down with his beef in his
in.iL ana gets up small Thunderstorm IN ms thfoa
10 ,,s hat BE-, tckled should he SIT up and grin' ana
look pcaWG-look odt. TN never AFRAID OF an hnShsh
man t,ll he begins Ia be polite
ono ding puzzles me. Visit the Thames Enuahhheh'
Whenever you like, and II dredging happen-o be gong
o you WI. scores OK tie poorer class l'ahhs over
Tie milling and watching each bucket oi mud tlat -
drawn up from the river. And 40 IN Ne|-iorAi Il Il
% a
IN or OUT Of window appear likely 10 drop ON the heads
of p,s.er,hy crowd of those ought to DO WORKING
,pcn will gather To look on. Now this is In measure
parlonabo with U.s. for our great aud reo country I'M
fortunately furnishes other free shows but the lADorer
of London when not turning honest penny with Ills
mighty bone and sncw, might step into one OF the many
ma. uuIs and be- improving his mind.
Few cl,e. in the world, fancy, have 80 many places
IN On o AT either no cost d; all else cost which IA
merely nominal. this same City Of London Besides
the institutions already mentioned there Is tho Saonai
Gallery din Tifa snrsquarc), where pictures OF All sorS
and schools are gratnous exhibition; Kew Gardens
Hampton Court Hospitals, Music Halls, Prisons, and
more parks than you conveniently shake suck at
II WAS these grounds undoubtedly that fired Tweed and
other city fathers Of old regime with that noble
ambition which brought the present Battery Into oeau
fl being aud caused the wilderness OF public squares IN
Nrw-York to blossom like the rose. hut 1t VIII Do long
betor. we catch tre cue sufficiently to have akew fear
We're not for an apprehension that 1t might be tread
iu over too familiar ground would oaracolo through
the gardens just here. but orbear-not even TO
turn up these beautiful grounds for You VIII pun the
risk of transforming myself into tame bore But do
say unto you should you pass through London eVen III
winter visit Kew Gardens, and ON no account miss
HAMPTON Court. Take day for ii-any kini OF q uay
will do-anI the palace which Cardi nal "osey
but; sit in the great dpinghall where he set ont
spread which sent French Embassy home with spinning
heads and marvellous tales OF the magncence OF Ehsh
state. Writes his private secretary:
The Cardinal called before him hs principal officers,
A. treasurer controller clcgK of his kitchen,
ia whom he declared his mind touch OK the entertain
~ NJ tbr Free, amen at Hampton Court, commanding
bem nclther TO spare any cost expense or rayaye
10 ma KS snrn triumphant banquet a, tney might NOT
,y ,sr nt II ere blt also make glorious report Of
n M tLcr country 10 tho great honour OF the King ana
hls rsa N. To accomplish his commandment they sent
nut oatrrs puryeors and divers other persons, my
Ird's friends mako preparation also sent Tor all tue
expert and connyng persons in the art or cook
or,. which were within Andun elsewhere that might
be gotten Jcauty this noble Toast the purYeors pro-