THE CHELSEA ‘‘ PHYSICKE GARDEN ”’ 
when he died, at the age of ninety-two, his museum contained two 
hundred volumes of dried plants, and 30,600 specimens of other 
objects of natural history, besides a library of 50,000 volumes, 
and. 8,566 manuscripts. All this he bequeathed to the nation 
on condition that Parliament should pay his executors £20,000, 
which he estimated as the fourth of its value. 
It was a munificent offer, and an Act was passed accepting it, 
by which the vast collection, added to the books and manuscripts 
of. Sir Robert Cotton, before purchased, became the nucleus of the 
national treasure-house. It was. established—either by accident 
or design—in Sloan’s old neighbourhood, Bloomsbury, and was 
first opened to the public in 1759, six years after his death. It 
is now famous all the world over as the British Museum. 
It was to Sir Hans Sloan that, finding it impossible to support 
unaided the upkeep of their garden, the Society of Apothecaries 
now appealed for help. A deputation waited upon him to ascertain 
his sentiments towards it. These sentiments, though there was 
no immediate result from the interview, were probably benevolent, 
for it seems to have paved the way for the liberal settlement of 
the question a few years later. This was in 1722, when a deed 
of conveyance of the garden at Chelsea from Sir Hans Sloan to the 
Society of Apothecaries, was laid before the court of assistants, 
approved by them, and ordered to be sealed. The “ release is 
made between the Hon. Sir Hans Sloan, Bart., President of the 
Royal College of Physicians on one part, and the master, wardens, 
and Society of the art and mystery of apothecaries of the City 
of London on the other part.” It recites the original lease from 
Lord Cheyne, and also the great expense incurred by the society 
in laying out and supporting the Physic Garden ever since that 
lease was granted, and goes on to say, “‘ to the end that the said 
garden may at all times hereafter be continued as a Physicke 
Garden, and for the better encouraging and enabling the said 
Society to support the charge thereof, for the manifestation of 
the power, wisdom, and glory of God in the works of the creation, 
and that their apprentices and others may better distinguish good 
and useful plants from those that bear resemblance to them and 
yet are hurtful and other the like good purposes; the said Sir 
Hans Sloan grants to the Master, Warden, and Society and their 
successors, all that piece and parcel of arable and pasture land, 
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