16 MEMOIR OP SIR HANS SLOANE, BART. 



Sir Hans Sloane was easy and engaging in his manners ; his 

 conversation cheerful and obliging. Nothing could exceed his 

 courtesy to foreigners ; he was always ready, at the shortest notice, 

 to exhibit and explain to them such objects in his museum as they 

 wished to examine. Once a week he kept open house for persons of 

 all ranks, particularly for his brethren of the Royal Society. His 

 death was a severe loss to the poor, to whom he was, in every sense 

 of the word, a liberal benefactor. He was a governor of every hos- 

 pital in and near London ; to each he gave £100. in his life-time, 

 and considerable sums at his death. Whatever proposal had for its 

 object the " public good," commanded his most zealous exertions. 

 He promoted, as much as possible, the establishment of a colony in 

 Georgia, in 1732 : seven years afterwards, he was instrumental in 

 establishing the Foundling Hospital, and formed the plan for bring- 

 ing up the children, which proved the best that could be devised. 

 Sir Hans Sloane was the first who introduced into England the 

 general use of bark, which he applied, successfully, to the cure of 

 many diseases : he also gave a sanction to the practice of inoculation. 

 But the share he had in the foundation of the British Museum will 

 most effectually preserve his name from oblivion. Having, with 

 great labour and expense, during the course of a long life, collected 

 a rich cabinet of medals, objects of natural history, &c, and a valua- 

 ble library of printed books and MSS., he bequeathed the whole to 

 the public, on condition that the sum of £20,000. should be paid to 

 his executors for the benefit of his family ; but which, according to 

 his own declaration in a codicil to his will, made a short time before 

 he died, was not a. fourth part of the then intrinsic value of his mu- 

 seum. In the year 1753, an act of parliament was passed, for the 

 purchase of this and other collections, and the museum was opened 

 to the public on the 15th of January, 1759. 



The persons appointed to conduct the affairs of this national insti- 

 tution, were styled official, family, and elected trustees. The lat- 

 ter, fifteen in number, chosen by the two former classes of trustees, 

 (composed of the great officers of state and other distinguished indi- 

 viduals), were then selected for their eminence in literature, science, 

 and art. But this laudable custom, with some exceptions, gradu- 

 ally fell into desuetude, and rank and wealth appear to have 

 taken the place of literature and science. To remedy the evils sup- 

 posed to have resulted from this practice, with a view to extend 

 the public utility of the museum and to adapt it to the present 

 advanced state of science and learning, an inquiry was instituted by 

 Parliament, during the last session ; and the committee have but 



