SIR HANS SI.OANE. 
71 
“ above forty of the trustees, appointed by the will 
to take charge of his museum, met the Lord 
Cadogan, and the other executors, at the manor- 
house, Chelsea. His lordship produced the 
will, and acquainted the trustees with the codicils, 
containing the dispositions for continuing his 
collection together at Chelsea, and for giving a 
small part of its value to his family ; and, for that 
purpose, to make an offer of the $aid museum to 
the King or to the Parliament of England, for 
£20,000, to be paid to the family; and if the 
same was accepted, and continued at Chelsea, to 
give the manor-house and lands at Chelsea, with 
the museum as it is now disposed, which would 
save the expense and hazard of removing the 
same ; and to be kept open at proper hours for 
the access of the studious and curious. Then Mr 
Sloane acquainted the trustees, that, the executors 
being apprehensive of danger, the medals of gold, 
silver, and some curious copper coins, and the 
precious stones, such as pearls, rubies, emeralds, 
&c. and the vases of gems, &c. had been removed, 
for safety, to the Bank of England ; and that two 
of the executors had seen them all packed up. 
The Earl of Macclesfield having been desired by 
the trustees to take the chair, the will and codicils 
were read. An account, also, of the nature and 
value of the museum, and an abstract of the 
