1772 King of Poland and Dulwicb Gallery 1 17 



provision should be made for eight dinners only instead of 

 twelve, which had been the stipulated number since the 

 previous year. 



The most conspicuous foreign guest this year was Prince 

 Michael Poniatowski, brother of the King of Poland, who 

 no doubt brought to the Club kindly greetings from their 

 former guest of 1754. During this visit to London the 

 Prince saw Mr. Desenfans, well known as a picture dealer, 

 who at his suggestion was made Consul-general for Poland 

 in England, and was given a commission to purchase pictures 

 for the proposed gallery of art at Warsaw, to which reference 

 has already been made (p. 51). A large number of pictures 

 was bought in the course of years and paid for by the pur- 

 chaser. The disturbances in Poland and the crash of the 

 French Revolution prevented the collection from being sent 

 abroad. Through the generosity of Mr. Desenfans and Sir 

 Francis Bourgeois the collection now forms a valuable 

 part of the art treasures of Dulwich College. Prince Michael 

 Poniatowski was elected into the Royal Society on March 

 3ist 1791. 



A little group of Scandinavian men of science who were 

 in England at this time were entertained at the Club. Fore- 

 most among these was Dr. Solander, the favourite pupil 

 of Linnaeus and the constant companion and assistant of 

 Joseph Banks. He became a member of the Club next 

 year, and a brief notice of him will be given in the enum- 

 eration of those elected in 1773. There were likewise John 

 Christian Fabricius, another pupil of Linnaeus, specially 

 distinguished for his entomological studies, and who greatly 

 helped Banks with the insect part of his extensive collec- 

 tions ; Uno von Troil, who accompanied Banks to Iceland 

 and ultimately became Archbishop of Upsala, and Dr. Gahn, 

 possibly the well-known Swedish mineralogist. 



On the I4th of May Sir John Pringle brought to the Club 

 a real live Baron Miinchausen, not, however, the military 

 hero whose marvellous adventures were the delight of 

 boyhood a generation or two ago, but the Minister who 

 represented Hanover, and who had taken liberties with the 



