274 Report of the Select Committee on 
Two valuations, and only two in detail, have been laid before 
your committee, which are printed ; differing most widely in the 
particulars, and in the total; that of Mr. Payne Knight amount- 
ing to 25,000/. and that of "Mr. Hamilton to 60, 800d. 
The only other sum mentioned as a money price, is in the 
evidence of the Earl of Aberdeen, who named 35,000J. as a soit 
of conjectural estimate of the whole, without entering into par- 
ticulars. 
In addition to the instances of prices quoted in Mr. Payne 
Knight’s evidence, the sums paid for other celebrated marbles 
deserve to be brought under the notice of the house. 
The Townley collection, which was purchased for the British 
Museum in June 1805 for 20,000/., is frequently referred to in 
the examinations of the witnesses, with some variety of opinion 
as to its intrinsic value; but it is to be observed of all the prin- 
cipal sculptures in that collection, that they were in excellent 
condition with the surface perfect; and where injured, they 
were generally well restored, and perfectly adapted for the de- 
coration and almost for the ornamental furniture of a private 
house, as they were indeed disposed by Mr. Townley in his life- 
time. 
In what proportion the state of mutilation in which the Elgin 
marbles are left, and above all the corrosion of much of the sur- 
face by weather reduce their, value, it is difficult precisely to as- 
certain; but it may unquestionably be affirmed in the words of 
ene of the sculptors* examined (who rates these works in the 
highest class of art) that ** the Townleyan marbles being entire, 
are, ina commercial point of view, the more valuable of the two: 
but that the Elgin marbles, as possessing that matter which 
artists most require, claim a higher consideration.” 
The AEgina marbles, which are also referred to, and were. well 
known to one of the members of your committee +, who was in 
treaty to purchase them for the British Museum, sold for 6,000/. 
to the Prince Royal of Bavaria, which was less than the British 
government had directed to be offered, after a prior negotiation 
for obtaining them had failed; their real value however was 
supposed not to exceed 4()00/. at which Lusieri estimated them. 
They are described as valuable in peit of remote antiquity, and 
curious in that respect, but of no distinguished merit as speci- 
mets of sculpture, their style being what is usually called Etrus- 
can, and older than the age of Phidias. 
The marbles at Phigalia, i in Arcadia, have lately been pur- 
chased for the Museum at the expense of 15,000/. increased by 
a very unfavourable exchange to 19,000/. a sum which your 
* TR. Westmacott, esq. R.A. t J.N, Fanakerley, esq. 
eomtnittee, 
