14 LIFE OF SIR HANS SLOANE. 



collection together at Chelsea, and for giving a small part to his 

 family, and for that purpose, to make an offer of the said museum to 

 the King or to the Parliament of England for £20,000, to be paid to 

 the family, and if the same was accepted and continued at Chelsea, to 

 give the manor-house and lands at Chelsea, with the museum as now 

 disposed, which would save the expense and hazard of removing the 

 same, and to be kept open at proper hours for the access of the studi- 

 ous and curious. Then Mr. Sloane acquainted the trustees, that, the 

 executors being apprehensive of danger, the medals of gold, silver, and 

 some curious copper coins, and the precious stones, such as pearls, 

 rubies, emeralds, &c, and the vases of gems, &c, had been removed 

 for safety to the Bank of England, and that two of the executors had 

 seen them all packed up. The Earl of Macclesfield having been de- 

 sired by the trustees to take the chair, the will and codicils were read. 

 An account also of the nature and value of the museum, and an ab- 

 stract of the articles it contained, was read by Mr. James Empson, 

 who had taken care of the museum for many years past, and was then 

 appointed secretary to the trustees. Sir George Lyttleton then 

 moved, and Mr. West seconded, that a memorial should be presented 

 to His Majesty relating to this matter ; and a committee was appoint- 

 ed to draw up the same. 



The result was, that Parliament immediately closed with the oiler: 

 and, in 1753, an Act was passed entitled, " An Act for the purchase 

 of the Museum or collection of Sir Hans Sloane, Bart., and of the 

 Harleian collection of MSS., and for procuring one general repository 

 for the better reception and more convenient use of the said collection, 

 and of the Cottonian library in addition thereto." 



By this act, the sum of £100,000 was ordered to be raised by a 

 lottery, and certain great officers of state, togetlicr with private indi- 

 viduals as representatives of the families of the principal contributors, 

 and others, were incorporated by the name of "Trustees for the Brit- 

 ish Museum." 



The first act of these trustees was to provide a proper building 

 for the reception of the collections confided to their care ; and after 

 various proposals, they at length fixed upon the Mansion, bu[lt about 

 the year 1680, by Ralph, first Duke of .Montague, who, being at that 

 time Ambassador at Paris, sent over French artists for erecting and 

 adorning the edifice lie had in. contemplation This palace, together 



