14 JANUARY 1984, Page 19

Sir: Lord Elgin's contemporaries thought that he was doing European

civilization a good turn by taking the marbles from the Parthenon. Captain William Hoste, Royal Navy, writing home from Athens about his removal of 'any pieces of stone with old inscriptions and figures thereon' from 'the ancient Temple of the Idols', remarked that these were 'well worth observing' but added, never saw such a set of knaves as the Athenians of the present day. Smoking is there daily amusement and they seem born for nothing else.' Tom Pocock 22 Lawrence Street, London SW3