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158 ANNUAL REGISTER ours find means, by their frugality, to bear the expence of all the public foundations and erections. As they do not pique themselves upon living and dressing like other people, nor square their tastes by those of their neighbors, they are uninfluenced by example, superior to prejudices, and entirely concentered within themselves. They spend or save money as they think proper, and when they think proper; in fine, with an income insufficient for thousands in the same circumstances, they find a superfluity, which they accumulate, either to leave a great fortune to their heirs, or to indulge such fancies as those I have been mentioning: fancies, which, with English pride, supply the place of a variety of equipages, of lace, jewels, and all the transient brilliancy, that national vanity elsewhere substitutes to solid and durable monuments, such as adorned Athens and Rome*, and, in the eyes of posterity, will also be the ornament of England. I have been told, on this occasion, of an event, which occurred in common life, but is most strikingly odd and singular; especially with respect to those, who think and act like the vulgar. A collection was made to build the hospital of Belam. Those who were employed to gather this money, came to a small house, the door of which was half open; from the entry, they overheard an old man scolding his servant-maid, who, having made use of a match in kindling the fire, had afterwards indiscreetly thrown it away, without reflecting that the match, having still the other extremity dipped in sulphur, might be of further service. After diverting themselves a while with the dispute, they knocked, and presented themselves before the old gentleman. As soon as they told him the cause of their coming, he went into the closet, from whence he brought four hundred guineas, and reckoning the money in their presence, he put it into their bag. The collectors being astonished at this generosity, which they little expected, could not help testifying their surprize; and told the old fellow what they had heard. "Gentlemen, said he, your surprize is occasioned by a thing of very little consequence. I keep house, and save or spend money in my own way: the one furnishes me with the means of doing the other: and both equally gratify my inclinations. With regard to benefactions and donations, always expect most from prudent people, who keep their accounts." When he had spoken thus, he turned them out of his house without ceremony, and shut the door, not thinking half so much of the four hundred guineas, which he had just given away, as of the match that had been thrown into the fire. - - - - London is possessed of several cabinets of medals. That of Mr. Duane is, both for the number and compleatness of the collection, so rich, that it may justly vie with the cabinet of a sovereign. He possesses a fine series of the coins of the kings of Persia, with inscrip- *Publican magnificentiam depopulatur privata luxuries. Paterc. l. ii. "The luxury of private persons destroys public magnificence." tions For the YEAR 1772. 159 tions in characters supposed to be those of the sacred language, in which Zoroaster wrote: the metal of these coins is a very brittle sort of silver, which bears a strong resemblance to solder*. Mr. Duane had three of the costliest medals of Athens, on one side of which was the head of Minerva, and on a square reverse the owl with an olive branch. He forced me, with the most obliging importunity, to accept of the finest of these three medals, as a present. I cannot more properly terminate this article, than by relating a compliment of this sort which France received from England. The count of Caylus, to whom it was made, relates it in the last volume of his Egyptian antiquities in these terms: "On the 18th of June in the year 1764, Mr. Major, an English engraver, brought me five little Egyptian figures, and a basso relievo of marble. Curious to know from whom this present came, I questioned him accordingly; and as secrecy had been recommended to him, he did not explain himself, but suddenly disappeared, no doubt through fear of being over-persuaded by my importunity to make a discovery: this abrupt departure was the more easy for him to effectuate, as I was confined to my bed by illness. He had put into my hands a note, when he delivered the figures: in this I expected to find the information I desired, but I was undeceived as soon as I had got it translated. The import of the paper was, that an Englishman, a zealous friend to liberty, and who looked upon the whole world as his country, had a desire to enrich my cabinet with some Egyptian antiques. The most kind and polite expressions inhanced the value of the present. Penetrated with the most lively sense of gratitude at a procedure so noble and almost unparalleled, I used all possible means to come at the knowledge of this generous man, but without success: seeing my inquiries ineffectual, I was obliged to advertise in the public papers in London; there he read part of the thanks which I returned him, and became acquainted with my desire to know where the baffo relievo had been discovered, and how it had been brought over to Europe. I soon obtained my request. The same Englishman, the same friend of liberty, the same citizen of the world (for this is the name, which he continued to assume in the second letter which he did me the honour of writing to me) has sent me word, that the baffo-relievo which he so generously made me a present of was brought from Grand Cairo, about fifteen years ago, by the master of an English ship; that it was consigned to a merchant of London who sold it, and that afterwards it had fallen into the hands of the donor." This civility was the more agreeable, and the less suspected of flatery, as the Count of Caylus died, without ever knowing from what hand it came. Having set an enquiry on foot in London, I discovered that this valuable present * These medals are the same with those which Hyde had published before, in his great work concerning the religion of the Persians. came
