SIR HANS SI.OANE. 
57 
Upon the death of Sir Isaac Newton, in 1727, 
Sir Hans was elected President of the Royal 
Society, having previously served the office of 
Vice-President. To this Society he had ever 
liberally contributed; besides a hundred guineas, 
he presented them with a bust of King Charles 
the Second, and is said to have been instrumental 
in procuring Sir Godfrey Copley’s benefaction of 
a medal ; and when, at the age of eighty, he 
begged to retire from so arduous an honour, in 
1740, the Society entreated his permission, as a 
mark of respect for his eminent services, that they 
might continue his name on the list of their 
council as long as he should live. 
Of his numerous charities it is difficult to give 
an idea. He was a governor of most of the 
London hospitals, a liberal benefactor to them 
during his life, and left them considerable legacies 
at his death. To the poor he was uniformly 
a considerate and attentive friend, assisting them 
with money, and prescribing for them in sickness, 
even after he had retired from public life to his 
house at Chelsea. To foreigners he was extremely 
courteous ; and kept an open table once a-week 
for his learned friends, particularly the Members 
of the lloyal Society. 
But it is his Museum with which we have more 
to do. From a very early period, he appears to 
have commenced forming it. His collections 
