DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1041#0168
148 History of the Society of Dilettanti
weight with the Society. Another distinguished
traveller and collector was Captain (afterwards
Lieut-Colonel) William Martin Leake, who, being
sent on a mission to Turkey for military purposes,
took the opportunity of travelling in and ex-
ploring Asia Minor. He was associated with William
Richard Hamilton in conveying the Elgin Marbles
to England. Leake had a special genius, as well as
an indefatigable zeal, for topographical research,
and in spite of the multifarious researches of later
scholars, his works relating to his explorations in
Greece and Asia Minor, and to classical topography
in general, still retain their position as standard
authorities. He had a small collection of marbles,
which he presented to the British Museum, and one
of bronzes, vases, gems, and coins, which were pur-
chased by the University of Cambridge and are
now in the Fitzwilliam Museum. He was elected
a member of the Society of Dilettanti in 1814. On
March 1, 1807, the Society elected Mr. William
Gell, proposed by Sir Henry Englefield and seconded
by Lord Northwick. Born in Derbyshire and
educated at Cambridge, Gell had in 1801 visited
the Troad, of which, in 1804, he published an
account as the Topography of Troy. According to
Byron, who satirized him in the < English Bards' as
' Of Dardan tours let dilettanti tell,
I leave topography to classic Gell,
Gell' topographized and typographized King Priam's
dominions in three days.' In 1803 Gell was sent on
a diplomatic mission to the Ionian Islands, for his
conduct of which he was knighted \ and from 18 04
to 18 orf was travelling in Greece and the neigh-
1 It would appear that GelFs knighthood was of foreign bestowal,
since for years afterwards he was commonly spoken of as ' Mr. Gell.'
weight with the Society. Another distinguished
traveller and collector was Captain (afterwards
Lieut-Colonel) William Martin Leake, who, being
sent on a mission to Turkey for military purposes,
took the opportunity of travelling in and ex-
ploring Asia Minor. He was associated with William
Richard Hamilton in conveying the Elgin Marbles
to England. Leake had a special genius, as well as
an indefatigable zeal, for topographical research,
and in spite of the multifarious researches of later
scholars, his works relating to his explorations in
Greece and Asia Minor, and to classical topography
in general, still retain their position as standard
authorities. He had a small collection of marbles,
which he presented to the British Museum, and one
of bronzes, vases, gems, and coins, which were pur-
chased by the University of Cambridge and are
now in the Fitzwilliam Museum. He was elected
a member of the Society of Dilettanti in 1814. On
March 1, 1807, the Society elected Mr. William
Gell, proposed by Sir Henry Englefield and seconded
by Lord Northwick. Born in Derbyshire and
educated at Cambridge, Gell had in 1801 visited
the Troad, of which, in 1804, he published an
account as the Topography of Troy. According to
Byron, who satirized him in the < English Bards' as
' Of Dardan tours let dilettanti tell,
I leave topography to classic Gell,
Gell' topographized and typographized King Priam's
dominions in three days.' In 1803 Gell was sent on
a diplomatic mission to the Ionian Islands, for his
conduct of which he was knighted \ and from 18 04
to 18 orf was travelling in Greece and the neigh-
1 It would appear that GelFs knighthood was of foreign bestowal,
since for years afterwards he was commonly spoken of as ' Mr. Gell.'