The Leverian Museum

The Leverian Museum

Vol. 1 (207- 210 )

June 20.—I have been with two companions over Blackfriar’s Bridge, to see the Leverian Museum. This justly celebrated collection, which is one of the first in the world, was originally formed by Mr. afterwards Sir Ashton Lever of Alkerington-Hall, near Manchester, at the expense of 50,000 pounds sterling. Consequent pecuniary embarrassments obliged him to dispose of it by a lottery of 36,000 tickets, and while 28,000 still remained his own, the revolutions of the wheel threw the prize into the hands of Mr. Parkinson, the owner of only two, who in this way, for a couple of guineas, became the proprietor of this noble museum.

One room is devoted to the memory of Captain Cook, which is here effectually preserved by a collection of arms, dresses, utensils, idols &c., which he made in his third and last voyage.

There is a grand collection of birds, in fine preservation, and beautifully, although not scientifically, arranged, in a Rotunda, with an interior gallery. In this, the cases are placed, and the whole is illuminated by a fine sky light. Here is the bird of paradise, among a multitude of the most splendid of the feathered tribe.

There is an apartment very gravely devoted to the monkeys. Not satisfied with what the Creator has done, in making these animals so very ludicrous in their appearance and manners; so much like men that we must acknowledge the resemblance; . . . .the artist has exhibited them as busied about various human employments.

The tailor monkey sits, cross legged, threading his needle, with his work in his lap, and his goose, scissors, ad bodkin by his side.

The watchman stands at a corner, with his cane and lanthorn in his hands.

The house carpenter monkey is driving the plane over the bench.

The ballad singer, with his ballad in his hand is very gravely composing his muscles to sing.

The clerk of the monkey room sits writing at a desk.

The shaver has one of his own species seated in a chair;--his beard lathered, and the razor just beginning to slide over his face.

The dentist holds his patient by the chops, while he strains the turnkey, and produces all the grimace and contortion of features, which tooth-drawing can extort.

Crispin is pushing the awl and pointing the bristle to the shoe, and thus we have our rivals in form actually placed erect, and emulating human employments. . . .

The mineral room contains a collection of superb specimens; they are large and wonderfully brilliant. The specimen of branched coral are so fine, and the native crystals of other substances are so perfect and beautiful, as almost to justify the poetical descriptions of subterranean grottoes and coral groves. I promise myself the pleasure of another visit to the Leverian Museum, and therefore leave it for the present.