TOWNLEY MARBLES, the name of an assemblage of Greek and Roman sculpture which now forms a portion of the extensive collection of antiquities in the British Museum. It received its appellation from Charles Townley, Esq., of Townley in Lancashire, who began forming this collection whilst residing in Rome between 1765 and 1772, a Period when excavations on the sites of ancient edifices were eagerly prosecuted. Mr. Townley was a Roman Catholic, educated on the Continent, and, being well oonnected, was in friendly relations with the papal authorities, and was at the same time In Intimate association with Winckelmann, Gavin Hamilton, and other distinguished artists and archreologists then resident in Rome, and who readily afforded their advice and assistance in his purchases. Thus aided, he succeeded whilst at Rome in bringing together a very choice collection of ancient marbles, bronzes, terra-cottas, gems, &c. ; and after his return to England ho continued to add to it by means of agents at Rome, who kept him apprised of any really valuable works which were brought to light and open to purchase, as well as by the purchase of the collection preciously formed by Nollekens, the sculptor, and any desirable speci mens offered for sale in this country. After Mr. Townley's death, in January, 1805, his executors, in accordance with the terms of his will, offered his collection of ternecottaa and marbles to the nation. The government accepted the offer, and a vote of 20,000/. was obtained for the purchase. The bronzes, coins, and gems were subsequently (1814) purchased for 82001. The purchase of the Townley marbles rendered necessary the erection of a suite of rooms to contain these and the pre viously acquired works of ancient art, and led to the creation of a new department under the title of the Department of Antiquities. The collection was opened to the public in 1S07, and was called the Townley Gallery ; but since the rooms originally built for the collection have been swept away to make room for the present structure, the Townley marbles have been incorporated with the general collection of Gneco Roman remains, or "works discovered in Italy, but owing their origin and character, either directly or mediately, to the Greek schools of sculpture." Of these works which fill the Greco-Roman galleries in
the British Museum, the Townley collection forms the most important portion, both as regards extent and character. It would be out of place to particularise here the specimens of a collection which is now incorporated in the national collection, but wo may mention that among the statues belonging to it are the exquisite Aphrodite, or Dione (given in this work under Drone); the Discobolus (the finest of its kind extant, engraved under Dtsconostrs); the well known Drunken Faun ; a fine bronze Heracles [HERACLES], a Fortune, and several more of a very high character : that among the rilicvi are, Achilles; the Muses ; the singularly graceful Bacchante, and various Dionysiac groups, given under DIONERIA ; and that the busts include seine of the noblest character, including an early Heracles • the Hera, given under that name; others of Athene, Zeus, Apollo, other of the Olympian deities; the terminal Pan; the very beautiful female head rising from the petals of a water-lily or lotus, known as the elytae ; the majestic Homer ; with others of the finest of the Grieco-Roman period, and many of Roman date. There are besides some very fine sculptured vases, sepulchral urns, cippi, altars, fic., in the Grmeo Roman rooms, as well as the terra-cottas which formed a part of the original Townley collection. A full account of the Townley Marbles will be found in the two volumes published under that title in the ' Library of Entertaining Knowledge.