Lord Stanhope has applied on behalf of the Society of
Anti- quaries to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to provide, money for an investigation of the Barrows of the Troad, especially those called the Tumulus of Achilles, of Hector, of Ajax, of Priam, and others, quoting as an official precedent the help lent to the 'investigation of the site of the Temple of Diana of Ephesus. Mr. Lowe replied with great promp- titude and decision that more than 1,800 years ago a
Roman poet wrote of Troy, Etiam periere and that the sites in, question are very doubtful, and the results of such an investigation entirely conjectural ; that the investigations of Ephesus and 'Halicariaassua were conducted on behalf of the 'British Museum, for the- sake of obtaining works of antique art for that great institution, and that there is no ground for expecting suchaequisitions in this case ; finally; that rich Homeric students should follow the example of the Daily Telegraph, which has given .£1,000 for investigations in Messopotamia, and not come npon 'the poor man's purse,—i.e., the public purse, —for means to gratify a laudable cariosity. Mr. Lowe regretted that the spirit of 'Herodes Atticus had not descended to modern times, and in short, made his reply to Lord Stanhope a distinct snub. Lord Stanhope retorts that there is every reason to hope for objects of value just asanuely in this case as in the ease of Mr. Layard's Assyrian discoveries, but he has not been able to give evidence for his-hope other than conjecture, and it must be remembered that Itir. Layard's first investigations were not conducted at the public ex- pense. Clearly, considering the innumerable conflicting demands on. Government aid, a prima facie case showing the probability of real additions to the national wealth or knowledge, ought to be made out before giving.aid of this.kind. It is the part of indivi- dual generosity to defray the preliminary and more speculative expenses. But Mr. Lowe snubs with too much elan.
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