SIR HANS SLOANE. 7J 



" above forty of the trustees, appointed by the will 

 to take charge of his museum, met the Lord 

 Cadogan, and the other executors, at the manor- 

 house, Chelsea. His lordship produced the 

 will, and acquainted the trustees with the codicils, 

 containing the dispositions for continuing his 

 collection together at Chelsea, and for giving a 

 small part of its value 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 it is 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 studious 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 desired 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 abstract of the 



