SIR HANS SLOANE. 57 



Upon the death of Sir Isaac Newton, in 1727, 

 Sir Hans was elected President of the Royal 

 Society, Having previously served the office of 

 Vice-President. To this Society he had ever 

 liberally contributed ; besides a hundred guineas, 

 he presented them with a bust of King Charles 

 the Second, and is said to have been instrumental 

 in procuring Sir Godfrey Copley's benefaction of 

 a medal 5 and when, at the age of eighty, he 

 begged to retire from so arduous an honour, in 

 1740, the Society entreated his permission, as a 

 mark of respect for his eminent services, that they 

 might continue his name on the list of their 

 council as long as he should live. 



Of his numerous charities it is difficult to give 

 an idea. He was a governor of most of the 

 London hospitals, a liberal benefactor to them 

 during his life, and left them considerable legacies 

 at his death. To the poor he was uniformly 

 a considerate and attentive friend, assisting them 

 with money, and prescribing for them in sickness, 

 even after he had retired from public life to his 

 house at Chelsea. To foreigners he was extremely 

 courteous ; and kept an open table once a- week 

 for his learned friends, particularly the Members 

 of the Royal Society. 



But it is his Museum with which we have more 

 to do. From a very early period, he appears to 

 have commenced forming- it. His collections 



