Appendices

I have felt disappointment myself; and therefore can easily imagine what you must feel, in meeting with such opposition, to a scheme, which I know to be of so much more consequence to the public, than it can be to yourself. Mine was to have founded a perpetual school for Anatomy here. I will one day or another send you a copy of my Memorial to the Ministry. In short without asking any thing for myself, but upon the contrary declaring I would have nothing, I only asked a piece of Ground to build upon, and offerd to lay out £7000 immediately on a building with every Convenience for Anatomy and obliging myself to give it to the publick the moment it was built: and said further that I meant, but would not now oblige myself, to give likewise my Preparations and books. My Library has already cost me I presume between 3 and £4,000 and my Anatomical Museum I hope ^ is of more worth to the public, because they are things that cannot be bought. I am resolved never to be much richer than I now am. I am independent and wish to do something that shall be mentioned when the few years which I have to live are gone. Now you shall see to what purpose all this. I should like to be joined with you in the end of life as in the beginning. You have been ill used at Edinr, as I have ^ been at London. Could you make a sacrifice of the few more Guineas you would receive by practice at Edinr. and join with me to raise a School for physick upon a noble plan at Glasgow. I would propose to give all my Museum & Library, and build a Theater at my own Expence: & I should ask nothing for teaching, but the Credit of doing it with Reputation. You & Black & I with those we could chuse, I think, could not fail of making our neighbours Stare. We should at once draw all the English, & I presume most of the Scotch Students. Among other reasons, I should not dislike teaching Anatomy near my two Friends the Monro’s to whom I owe so much.

I will say no more at present upon this Subject. I mean only to throw it out to you for your consideration, and shall bee glad to hear your thoughts in general upon the plan. I would not have you say any thing of it to any person, except in confidence to any sensible friend whose opinion you may chuse to take. I shall explain myself further whenever you please.

Let me only now say, before I put my name to this, neither of us have been well used and it is in our power to do ourselves immortal honor. I am as you well know, Dear Sir always

Your most obliged

William Hunter

20th April

1765

This letter was really begun almost 3 weeks ago &c

APPENDIX 2

Sale Catalogue of William Hunter’s Personal Effects, 1783

See p. 194, cat. 15

A Catalogue of Sundry Elegant Solid Gold Snuff-Boxes, of Rich Workmanship; a Fine Single-Stone Brilliant, and Other Diamond Rings; Gold Repeating, and Other Watches, One by Graham; Dresden, Brussels, and Fine Point Ruffles; Gold-Headed Canes, Swords, Fine Cameos and Intaglios; And a Number of other curious and valuable Articles, of an Eminent Physician, Lately Deceased; Which will be Sold by Auction, by Mr. Hutchins, at his Rooms in King-Street and Hart-Street, Covent-Garden, on Thursday, the 22d of May 1783

Thursday, May the 22d, 1783

Jewels, Curiosities, &c.

1 Thirteen pair of mourning ruffles, and twelve frills

2 Five pair of cambrick weepers

3 A pair of gilt shoe-buckles, a soil stone shirt buckle, a pair of paste sleeve buttons, and

4 lockets mounted in gold

4 Two pair of gold sleeve buttons

5 A mother-o’-pearl snuff-box curiously engraved, and mounted in silver

6 Four tooth-pick cases

7 A small telescope, a spying-glass, and two snuff-boxes

8 A pair of spectacles mounted in silver in a shagreen case

9 A crown, half-crown, and shilling of Oliver Cromwell

10 Various Roman imperial and consular silver denarii

11 Fifteen gold mourning rings, and a piece of fine gold

12 Two silk purses, with gold and silver ornaments

13 A gold stock-buckle

14 A set of silver shoe and knee buckles, plated with gold

15 A large enamelled historical picture

16 A fine cameo ring, oriental onyx

17 Ditto sardonyx

18 An amber snuff-box mounted in gold

19 Various shillings, six-pences, &c.

20 A spying-glass, an elegant tooth-pick case, a smelling-bottle mounted in silver, and a small hour-glass

21 Two tooth-pick cases, two snuff-boxes, a magnet, &c.

22 A silver guglet, and a plated wax stand

23 A curious box of the rare old japan

24 Three papier maché snuff-boxes, two of which are inlaid with gold

25 A round snuff box of plum-pudding stone, mounted in gold

26 Three silk purses with gold work

27 A brilliant shirt buckle

28 The conquests of King George II. in a silver box medal

29 A small gold box, and a gold locket

30 A large jasper cup, ornamented with gold and rubies

31 A strong gold-headed cane

32 A fine cane with an amber crutch-head

33 A model of a ship in gold enamelled

34 A large emerald ring

35 Another, set round with brilliants

36 A papier maché snuff-box, painted by Vernet, mounted in gold

37 A silver-mounted spying-glass, a gold-worked purse, and a Chinese shoe

38 A pair of spectacles silver-mounted, a small double reading-glass, and tortoise shell snuff-box inlaid with gold

39 A tortoise-shell snuff-box mounted in gold, and a curious reflecting object-glass

40 A set of Dacier’s medals of the Kings and Queens of England

Brussels, Point, laced and worked Ruffles, &c.

41 Three pair of worked ruffles, and frills

42 Three ditto

43 A pair of fine netting ruffles and frills, in imitation of point

44 A pair of fine lace ruffles and frills

45 Ditto

46 Ditto

47 Ditto

48 Ditto

49 A pair of fine point ruffles and frills

50 A pair of fine lace ruffles and frills

51 Ditto

52 Ditto

53 Ditto

54 Ditto

55 Ditto

56 A pair of elegant Brussels ruffles and frill

57 A piece of painted sattin for a screen

Jewels, Curiosities, &c. continued.

58 A solid gold snuff-box

59 A gold cypher seal, W. H.

60 A curious snuff-box, made of the ROYAL OAK, mounted in silver, with the circumstance of the escape of K. Charles II, engraved on the lid

61 A solid gold snuff-box

62 A silk purse, with gold and silver ornaments

63 Another with a gold runner

64 A set of blue and gold tea china

65 A curious smoking apparatus, the bowl of silver filagree, the other parts richly ornamented, from China

66 A good stop watch, horizontal, capt and jewelled, by Ireland

67 An historical subject of fine old enamel on gold

68 A Centaur enamelled on gold set with diamonds, finely executed

69 A capital single-stone brilliant ring

70 A large and curious antique head, set with diamonds

71 A large mocha agate chest, mounted with or-molu

72 Two round pictures, enamelled on gold

73 A solid gold enamelled snuff-box, which opens to receive a picture, in a shagreen case

74 Aesculapius on a sardonyx, an exceeding fine intaglio, set as a ring in gold

75 An elegant oval ivory snuff-box, mounted in gold, with a miniature on the lid, finely executed

76 Mary Queen of Scots, an exceeding fine cameo, in agate, set in gold as a ring

77 An oval tortoise-shell snuff-box, neatly mounted in gold

78 A large and fine garnet in a ring, set round with brilliants

79 A papier maché snuff-box lined with tortoise-shell, mounted in gold, with a neat landscape and figures on the lid

80 A gold repeater, capt and jewelled, by George Graham

81 A gold sword, richly chased

82 A steel sword, inlaid with gold

83 An elegant steel snuff-box, lined, mounted and inlaid with gold

84 A cluster brilliant ring

85 Ditto

86 A neat blood-stone tooth-pick case, richly mounted in gold, with a ruby stud, in a shagreen case

87 A solid gold snuff-box, enriched with beautiful and highly-finished paintings of figures, and tasteful borders and festoons of flowers in enamel; a most capital piece of workmanship

88 An intaglio in carnelian, fine set as a ring in gold

89 A snuff-box of jaspafied wood, and another of curious lava

90 Two enameled snuff-boxes, one of them with two lids

91 A round French snuff-box, with a picture of a friar in the lid, and a varnished inlaid snuff-box

92 A fine lapis lazuli snuff-box, mounted in gold

93 A crystal bottle, strongly mounted in gold

94 A fine crystal cup, supported by an Indian warrior, silver gilt

95 A fine cameo ring, set round with brilliants

96 A cluster brilliant shirt-pin

97 A gold watch-case, finely enamelled

98 Two snuff-boxes, a pair of Chinese balls, and an intaglio

99 A very large tobacco-pipe, most elaborately carved, and mounted in silver *99 A mourning ring, with an urn, set round with brilliants

100 A curious nest of 8 ivory balls, finely carved, from China

101 A neat mahogany pyramidal cabinet, with various casts of medals in plaster

102 An elegant steel sword, inlaid with gold

103 A gold sugar-basket and tongs, at per oz.

104 Six tea-spoons and strainer, at per oz.

105 An engraved gold almanack case

106 An ivory tooth-pick case, mounted in gold

107 A telescope mounted in silver, and a curiously carved ivory box

108 A rich lapis lazuli snuff-box, set in gold

109 A bull, an intaglio, on sardonyx

110 A whole length figure of Antinous, a fine cameo, set in gold

111 A mask, an intaglio, on red jasper

112 A pocket-book mounted in gold

113 A set of shoe and knee buckles, plated with gold

114 A set of stone shoe and knee buckles

115 A topaz ring, set round with brilliants

116 A patent silver microscope with a descriptive book

117 A steel sword, inlaid with gold

118 A Chinese plate-box, and a mourning sword

119 A monogram in cameo

120 A whole-length figure of Venus, an intaglio, on carnelian

121 The head of a philosopher, an intaglio, on aventurine

122 A set of heads of illustrious men, in bronze

123 A ten shilling piece of Charles I

124 An agate and pebble snuff-box mounted in silver

125 Two smelling bottles in a shagreen case, mounted in gold

126 Three small knives, mounted in gold

127 An agate tooth-pick case, elegantly mounted in gold, and a brilliant stud

128 A large carnelion seal, strongly mounted in gold, the story Hercules and the dragon

129 A pye

130 A wainscot plate chest, iron bound

FINIS.

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