ELGIN, EARL OF. 'Mosses BRUCE, seventh earl of Elgin and Kincardine, was descended from the royal family of Bruce, and was born in 1777. After having passed some years at Harrow and West minster. ha went to the University of St. Andrews; thence he proceeded to Paris, where he studied law; and he afterwards prose cuted military studies in Germany. He subsequently entered the army, in which he rose gradually to the rank of general. The greater part of his life however was spent in diplomatic posts. lie was appointed envoy at Brussels In 1792, and accompanied the Prus.ian army during its operations in Germany in the following year. In 1795 he was sent to Berlin as envoy extraordinary, and In 1799 to Constantinople In the same capacity. Hero he continued until the French were driven out of Egypt In 1802. On his appointment to the embassy to Turkey it had been suggested to him as desirable to obtain some better knowledge of the remains of art at Athens than then existed. Lori Elgin submitted the proposition to the British govern
ment., but it was not encouraged. On his way however he stopped at Palermo, where be was persuaded by Sir William Hamilton to pursue the design, and accordingly be engaged six artists at his own expense, who reached Athens in August 1800, and they were eventually able to secure and to bring over to England a large number of casts, monu ments, statues, bas-reliefs, medals, and fragments of architecture of the best age of Athenian art. In spite of considerable censure and opposition, in 1810 the collection was purchased by the government, and placed in the British Museum, where it is.known as the ' Elgin Marbles.' From this time forward Lord Elgin held no public appoint ment. He was a Scotch representative peer for fifty years, but, except when employed as a diplomatist, he lived a very private and retired life. He died at Paris, in November 1841.