ELGIN MARBLES is the name applied to that noble collection of sculptured figures which was acquired by the British Museum from Lord Elgin. They are mostly basso relievos and fragments of statuary which had adorned the Parthenon at Athens. The history of this collection may be thus shortly stated. It was in 1799 that the idea of such a collection first occurred to Lord Elgin, when he was appointed ambassador at Constantinople. Mr Harrison, an architect, suggested to him, in course of conversation, that though the public possessed every thing requisite to give them a general knowledge of the remains of Athens, yet to artists nothing but the actual representation by cast could be of essential service. Lord Elgin, struck with the truth of this observation, entered into communication with government on the subject; but the important transactions in which the nation was then engaged prevented ministers from undertaking an expense of so indefinite a nature. When Lord Elgin met Sir William Hamilton in Sicily, he entered with him into a more minute examination of the feasibility of the scheme, and they considered the best plan to be pursued in order to ensure success. It appeared to them most advisable that his lordship should be accompanied by artists from Italy. He accordingly obtained permission from the king of the Two Sicilies to take with him Signor Lusieri, a painter of great reputation, who was then in the service of that monarch; whilst he dispatched Mr Hamilton to Rome, in order to engage two architects, two modellers, and a figure painter. In the summer of 1800 these persons reached Athens in safety. At this period the French were in possession of Egypt, and the Turks felt little inclined to afford any facilities towards furthering the object which Lord Elgin had in view. They in fact did every thing to thwart him, and his artists could only obtain admission to the Acropolis, for the purpose of taking drawings, on the payment of a large daily fee. No sooner, however, did our arms prove victorious in Egypt, than a sudden and favourable change took place. The Sublime Porte showed an inclination to grant whatever our nation might think proper to ask; and Lord Elgin, availing himself of this opportunity, obtained, in the summer of 1801, firmans or warrants to the chief authorities of Athens, in which it was stated “that he might view, draw, and model the ancient temples of the idols, and the sculptures upon them, and make excavations, and take away any stones that might appear interesting to him.” There was little difficulty after this permission had been granted; and as the Turks showed a perfect apathy in respect to the preservation of these remains, and indeed often wantonly destroyed them, Lord Elgin determined to remove as many as his means and the opportunity would allow. In this way did these noble remains of antiquity come into the possession of a British subject.

In 1811 an offer was made by Mr Percival to purchase the whole collection for the public, and the sum of L.30,000 was named as the price which the government was willing to give; but Lord Elgin thought this an inadequate compensation for the outlay occasioned in procuring the collection, and refused to listen to the proposal. In 1812 eighty more cases of architecture and sculpture were added, and also a collection of medals.

In 1815, however, Lord Elgin presented a petition to the House of Commons, in which he offered to make over the collection to the nation, on such conditions as it might seem just and reasonable to that assembly to recommend. Accordingly a select committee was appointed to examine into the affair, and after due consideration, and the examination of many witnesses, the committee came to the resolution of recommending the house to offer L.35,000 as a reasonable and sufficient price for this collection.

There can be no doubt that the House of Commons acted wisely in acceding to this proposition, and securing for the nation these noblest models which the genius of man has ever produced, knowing, as we do, how highly the cultivation of the fine arts has contributed to the reputation, character, and dignity of every government by which they have been encouraged, and how intimately they are connected with the advancement of every thing valuable in science,’literature, and philosophy. No country is certainly better adapted than our own to afford an honourable asylum to these monuments of the school of Phidias, and of the wise administration of Pericles.

For further information, consult the Report from the Select Committee on Lord Elgins Collection of Sculptured Marble, Ssc. ; also the Memorandum of die Earl of Elgin s Pursuits in Greece, 4to, 1810. For an account of these marbles, see Parthenon.
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