DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.802#0064
ON THE EARL OF ELGIN'S COLLECTION OF MARBLES, &c. 55
Mercurii, 13° die Martii, 1816.
HENRY BANKES, Esq. in the Chair.
Rev. Dr. Philip Hunt, LL. D. called in, and Examined.
IN what year were you at Constantinople, and in what character?—I went out with Lord Elgin, Rev-
as his chaplain, and occasionally acting a& his secretary. ----■—■-------
Did you ever see any of the written permissions which were granted to him for removing the
Marbles from the Temple of Minerva?—Yes; I found on my first visit to Athens that the fermauns
which had been granted to Lord Elgin's artists were not sufficiently extensive to attain the objects
they had in view, that their operations were frequently interrupted by the Disdar or military governor
of the Citadel, and by his Janizaries, and other considerable obstacles thrown in their way, by some-
times refusing them admission and destroying their scaffolding: on my return, therefore, to Constan-
tinople, in 1801, I advised Lord Elgin to apply to the Porte for a fermaun embracing the particular
objects I pointed out to him ; and as I had been before deceived with respect to the pretended
contents of a fermaun, I begged that this might be accompanied by a literal translation: the fermaun
was sent with a translation, and that translation I now possess. It is left at Bedford, and I have no
means of directing any person to obtain it: I would have brought it if I had been aware I should
have been summoned by this Committee before I left Bedford.
What was the substance of that fermaun?—It began by stating, that it was well known to the
Sublime Porte that foreigners of rank, particularly English noblemen and gentlemen, were very anxious
to visit and examine the works of ancient art in Greece, particularly the temples of the Idols ; that
the Porte had always gladly gratified that wish; and that, in order to show their particular respect to
the Ambassador of Great Britain, the august Ally of the Porte, with whom they were now, and had
long been, in the strictest alliance, they gave to his Excellency, and to his Secretary, and the Artists
employed by him, the most extensive permission to view, draw, and model, the ancient temples of the
Idols, and the sculptures upon them, and to make excavations, and to take away any stones that
might appear interesting to them.
Was this fermaun granted after the conquest of Egypt by the British arms?—It was after their
first successes. .
Was the obstruction which you mentioned in your former answer, before the success of the British
arms?—It continued to be shown till I arrived with the second fermaun.
Was the tenor of the second fermaun so full and explicit as to convey upon the face of it a right
to displace and take away whatever the artists might take a fancy to?—Not whatever the artists
might take a fancy to; but when the original was read to the Vaivode of Athens, he seemed disposed
to gratify any wish of mine with respect to the pursuits of Lord Elgin's-artists; in consequence of
which I asked him permission to detach from the Parthenon the most perfect, and, as it appeared to
me, the most beautiful Metope: I obtained that permission, and acted upon it immediately: I had
one carefully packed and put on board a Ragusan ship, which was under my orders; from which it
was transferred to a frigate, and sent to England. The facility with which this had been obtained, -
induced Lord Elgin to apply for permission to lower other groupes of sculpture from the Farthenon,