REPORT OF THE Committee of the Honourable 

 HOUSE OF COMMONS. 



R. THOMAS TENANT Informed the Committee, that he had been 

 upwards of Twenty Years a Colleftor of Subjeds of Natural Hlftory,, 

 and had feen all the Cabinets of Curiofities, both Public and Private, of any 

 note in Holland, France, and Portugal ; and thoie at Bruflels, Drefden, Brunfwick, 

 and Vienna j and had alfo feen the Spanifli Cabinet while collefting in Holland : 

 that he had never feen any CoUeftion more rare, more curious, or more in- 

 flrudive than Sir Afhton Lever's, nor any that can be compared with it; 

 that it exceeds all others in the Beauty and the Prefervation of the numerous 

 Articles it contains, which are better felefted than any he had' feen elfewhere: 

 and he concluded with faying, that if a Sovereign Prince was to endeavour at 

 forming fuch a Collection, it could not be done in lefs than Twenty Years, 

 nor ever be made fo extenfive and complete, there being many Specimens in 

 this, that could not be procured at any Expence. 



Mr. JOHN CHURCH, faid, that he had amufed himfelf many Years in 

 coUeding Natural Curiofities j that he had feen all the CoUeiftions of any note 

 in England, and that the whole of them put together, would not form one fo 

 rare and valuable as that at Leicefter-Houfe ; that the Articles there are in 

 complete Beauty and Prefervation; that he had taken great Pains to form an 

 Eftimate of their Value, afcertained by the Prices he had known fimilar Articles 

 fell for at Public Sales, or otherwifc; and that, according to_ his Calculation, 

 the Value of the whole to be fold, is upwards of 5'',oool. 



Sir WILLIAM HAMILTON, Knight of the moft Honourable Order 

 of the Bath, faid, that he had feen Sir Afnton Lever's Colledlion of Curiofities 

 very often, and having a particular Love for Natural Hiftory, he has had an 

 Opportunity in different Journies to and from Naples, of feeing every Mufeum 

 both Public and Private, in Holland, France, Germany, Italy, and Sicily, and 

 that he thinks Sir Ailacon Lever's CoUeftion is, in every refpeft, taking it aU 

 together, the firft Colleftion he has feen. 



BARON DIMSDALE faid, that he had feen the Cabinets of Curiofities 

 at Mofcow and St Peterlburgh, and alfo thofe at Paris and Drefden, which are 

 efteemed very curious and valuable, and that they are not altogether to be 

 conip^ed with Sir Afliton Lever's Collec1:ion. 



N.B. Many laie and valuable Additions have been made. 



