Permit me to add that the schemes for covering over, or building in the quadrangle were numberless. My colleague, Mr. Hawkins, had often suggested, long before 1850 a communication by corridors across the quadrangle, from the front entrance to the several departments, with a central building for the Trustees’ Meeting-Room and officers standing round it. You suggested a great Central Hall with one floor of 120 feet in diameter, two inscribing octagonal corridors presenting niches to receive statues, and extensive wall surface fit to receive reliefs and inscriptions with connecting galleries, etc. The Hall was intended by you for the exhibition of the finer and more important works of sculpture, besides a quadrilateral hall to contain ample staircases, etc. I, on the other hand, have suggested and have seen built a circular Reading-Room, 140 feet in diameter, with amazing shelf room for books of a totally novel construction. No central hall, no quadrilateral hall nor ample staircases, no space, niches, or wall-surface for the exhibition of works of sculpture, statues, or inscriptions as you suggested. How your scheme can be designated as being to the same effect as mine, and how, had I seen it, it can take the merit of originality from mine, others will say. Yours was the scheme of an architect; thick walls, ample staircases, etc. Mine the humble suggestion of a Librarian, who wanted to find, at a small cost of time, space, and money, ample room for books and comfortable accommodation for readers, neither of which purposes you contemplated. Yours, &c., &c., A. PANIZZI.” William Hosking, Esq. Mr. Hosking also attempted to extract information as to the alleged piracy from the architect of the new Reading-Room. “Athenæum, 30th April, 1857 “My dear Sir, Will you be so kind as to tell me whether you ever saw the drawing, or any copy of it, of my project for building a modified copy of the Pantheon at Rome within the enclosed quadrangle of the British Museum, _before_ the scheme of the analogous work recently executed under your directions at the same place, and attributed to Mr. Panizzi, was communicated to you? Yours &c., &c., WILLIAM HOSKING.” To Sydney Smirke, Esq. How much success Mr. Hosking attained in this attempt will be seen on a perusal of Mr. Smirke’s answer:— “May 2, 1857. “Dear Sir, I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday. I recollect seeing your plans, or rather I had a glance over them at a meeting of the Trustees, shortly after you sent them.