DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1041#0200
History of the Society of Dilettanti 179
Gentleman's Memoir on the Marbles of the Pediments of the
Parthenon for which the Society are already under an engage-
ment with him.5
The Dilettanti, having ascertained that the Subscripts
authorities of the British Museum could not provide fw f^eir
a sum of £600 or/700, but were willing to contribute fur< ase'
£fo to such a subscription as they proposed, deter-
mined to set it on foot, their intention being accelerated
by a letter from Brondsted, in which he said that
although he was anxious for the bronzes to remain
in England, one-half of the purchase-money (£.roo)
must be paid during the ensuing June, as he could
get 2^,000 francs for them in Paris any day he
might choose to bring them over. During the
progress of the subscription the Society agreed as
a body to deposit a sufficient sum of money, if
possible, as a guarantee to ensure the bronzes not
going out of England. When the subscription was
started, it was responded to by thirty-four members
of the Society, whose contributions amounted to
nearly £t°o. The Society then printed a circular
and distributed it among 'the friends of Virtu.'
During the remainder of 183/ the subscriptions
amounted to over £800, and at their meeting on
February 2, 1834, the Secretary was able to
announce to the Society that the £1,000 had
been completed by the contribution of £200 on
behalf of the British Museum. The sum of £1000
was thereupon paid over to the Chevalier Erondsted,
and the bronzes were handed over to the trustees of
the British Museum, where they had been deposited
on September 1 o, 18 3 3. A sum of £23 4/. 6d.y which
remained over, was devoted to the purchase of
a suitable case in which to exhibit them. The
credit of this subscription must be given entirely to
N 2
Gentleman's Memoir on the Marbles of the Pediments of the
Parthenon for which the Society are already under an engage-
ment with him.5
The Dilettanti, having ascertained that the Subscripts
authorities of the British Museum could not provide fw f^eir
a sum of £600 or/700, but were willing to contribute fur< ase'
£fo to such a subscription as they proposed, deter-
mined to set it on foot, their intention being accelerated
by a letter from Brondsted, in which he said that
although he was anxious for the bronzes to remain
in England, one-half of the purchase-money (£.roo)
must be paid during the ensuing June, as he could
get 2^,000 francs for them in Paris any day he
might choose to bring them over. During the
progress of the subscription the Society agreed as
a body to deposit a sufficient sum of money, if
possible, as a guarantee to ensure the bronzes not
going out of England. When the subscription was
started, it was responded to by thirty-four members
of the Society, whose contributions amounted to
nearly £t°o. The Society then printed a circular
and distributed it among 'the friends of Virtu.'
During the remainder of 183/ the subscriptions
amounted to over £800, and at their meeting on
February 2, 1834, the Secretary was able to
announce to the Society that the £1,000 had
been completed by the contribution of £200 on
behalf of the British Museum. The sum of £1000
was thereupon paid over to the Chevalier Erondsted,
and the bronzes were handed over to the trustees of
the British Museum, where they had been deposited
on September 1 o, 18 3 3. A sum of £23 4/. 6d.y which
remained over, was devoted to the purchase of
a suitable case in which to exhibit them. The
credit of this subscription must be given entirely to
N 2