When first imprisoned in France, Lord ELGIN did actually send a direction to England that his Collection should be made over, unconditionally, to the British Government. This order was sent, to guard against the possible effect of any casualty that might happen during his detention, the duration of which was then very problematical. He reached England, however, before the instruction had been carried into effect. In the mean time, the controversy about the real value of the Marbles, as well as that which impugned the Collector’s right to remove them from Athens, had arisen, and had excited public attention. It became important to elicit an enlightened opinion on those points, before raising the question how the sculpture should be finally disposed of. The ignorance of essential facts—which alone made such reproaches[64] as those I have just quoted possible from a man devoid of malice, and gifted with genius—was a far less stubborn obstacle in Lord ELGIN’S intended path than was the one-sided learning (one-sided as far as true art and its appreciation are concerned) which dictated the sneering utterances of some among the ‘Dilettanti.’ A BYRON, by his nature, is open to conviction, sooner or later, in his own despite. A connoisseur, when narrow and scornful, is above reason. And he is eminently reproductive. [Sidenote: THE ACTION OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM ON THE TOWNELEY BEQUEST. 1805–1806.] But for this stumbling-block in the path, the time of Lord ELGIN’S return to England would have been eminently favourable for realising his plans in their fulness. The two important accessions of antiquities to the British Museum which had just accrued from the success of our arms in Egypt, and from the almost life-long researches of Mr. TOWNELEY and his associates in Italy, had led the way to an important enlargement of the Museum building, and also to a great improvement in its internal organization. The true importance, to the Public, of a series of the best works of ancient art as a national possession was beginning to be felt. In June, 1805, the Trustees obtained from Parliament the purchase of the Towneley Marbles. They had already (in the previous year) obtained power to begin an additional building, the plan and design of which were now enlarged, and made specially appropriate to the reception and display of the Towneley Collection. [Sidenote: ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES.] Hitherto, the Antiquities in the Museum had been regarded as a mere appendix of the Natural History Collections. They were now made a separate department, in accordance with their intrinsic value. Mr. Taylor COMBE, who had entered the service of the Trustees, in 1803, as an assistant librarian, was made first Keeper of the new department. He filled that office, with much efficiency, until his death in 1826.