ege of Athens
by Morosini. It was further dilapidated by the Turks, and afterwards by
Lord Elgin, who removed all the bas-reliefs and other ornaments
practicable, and transported them to London, where they now adorn the
British Museum. King Otho has adopted measures to preserve the edifice
from further mischief.

THE ELGIN MARBLES.

The following exceedingly interesting account of the removal of the
sculptures from the Parthenon, is extracted from Hamilton's "Memorandum
on the Subject of the Earl of Elgin's Pursuits in Greece."

"In the year 1799, when Lord Elgin was appointed his majesty's
ambassador extraordinary to the Ottoman Porte, he was in habits of
frequent intercourse with Mr. Harrison, an architect of great eminence
in the west of England, whom his lordship consulted on the benefits that
might possibly be derived to the arts in this country, in case an
opportunity could be found for studying minutely the architecture and
sculpture of ancient Greece; whose opinion was, that although we might
possess exact admeasurements of the public buildings in Athens, yet a
young artist could never form to himself an adequate conception of their
minute details, combinations, and general effects, without having before
him some such sensible representation of them as might be conveyed by
casts."

On this suggestion Lord Elgin proposed to his majesty's government, that
they should send out English artists of known eminence, capable of
collecting this information in the most perfect manner; but the prospect
appeared of too doubtful an issue for ministers to engage in the expense
attending it. Lord Elgin then endeavored to engage some of these artists
at his own charge; but the value of their time was far beyond his means.
When, however, he reached Sicily, on the recommendation of Sir William
Hamilton, he was so fortunate as to prevail on Don Tita Lusieri, one of
the best general painters in Europe, of great knowledge in the arts,
and of infinite taste, to undertake the execution of this plan; and Mr.
Hamilton, who was then accompanying Lord Elgin to Constantinople,
immediately went with Signor Lusieri to Rome, where, in consequence of
the disturbed state of Italy, they were enabled to engage two of the
most eminent _formatori_ or moulders, to make the _madreformi_ for the
casts; Signor Balestra, a distinguished architect there, along with
Ittar, a young man of promising talents, to undertake the architectural
part of the