1754 Turtles and Chine of Beef 49 



been a Fellow of the Royal Society since 1726 but had 

 not joined the dining club, sent a turtle which, the Treasurer 

 states, weighed 60 Ibs. The donor came as a visitor to 

 partake of the good cheer, and next week sent another 

 turtle (weight 70 Ibs.) and again attended. Next year, when 

 he repeated his benefaction, the Club made him one of its 

 honorary members. He was a prominent barrister of 

 the Inner Temple, member of Parliament for more than 

 thirty years, and a Fellow of considerable influence in 

 the Ro}ral Society, of which he was chosen President 

 in 1768. 



The member of the Club whose gigantic chine of beef 

 had been faithfully recorded in the annals of the Club for 

 1751 is not mentioned among the donors of 1753. But 

 at the beginning of next year the following minute was made 

 on January 2nd : 



" The Chine of Beefe was presented by Wm. Hanbury Esq. who 

 having been a little deficient with regard to annual payments of 

 Chines of Beefe added three brace of very large Carp by way of 

 Interest." 



It is satisfactory to know that the donor of the gift 

 was present at the dinner. His donation was termed 

 by the Treasurer " a mighty Chine of Beefe of 112 Ibs. 

 weight/' 



Of the foreign guests entertained by the Club during 

 1754 the most interesting and memorable was Count Ponia- 

 towski, who dined on July 4th. He seems to have been 

 invited by the President, the Earl of Macclesfield. Stanislaus 

 Augustus Poniatowski, born on I7th January 1732, was a 

 young man of two-and- twenty when he paid a visit to London. 

 He was one of the sons of Count Poniatowski, a Polish 

 nobleman who married the Princess Constance Czartorysky, 

 belonging to one of the most powerful families in Poland. 

 At the time of his birth an Italian astrologer is said to have 

 predicted he would be a king, and his family, perhaps to 

 aid the fulfilment of this prophecy, gave him a patronymic 

 of the royal house of Poland. He grew up singularly hand- 

 some, had great charm of manners, and was everywhere a 



