d in a large degree unrepresentative. The works of
many of the most brilliant and capable artists who worked in the last
quarter of the nineteenth century are missing from the gallery, and the
endeavour to account for these omissions has formed one main branch of
the inquiry."

"It has been stated that while containing some fine works of art, it is
lacking in variety and interest, and while failing to give expression to
much of the finest artistic feeling of its period, it includes not a few
works of minor importance. Full consideration of the evidence has led
the Committee to regard this view as approximately correct."

Up to 1897, when the collection was handed over to the nation, little
short of L50,000 had been spent upon it. And with five exceptions,
amounting to less than L5000, the whole of that money had been expended
on such works alone as were permitted by the Academy to be exhibited on
their walls.

Of the L5000, it may be noted, L2200 was well laid out on Watts's
_Psyche_; but with regard to the very first purchase made, in 1877, for
L1000,--Hilton's _Christ Mocked_, which had been painted as an
altar-piece for S. Peter's, Eaton Square, in 1839, the following
question and answer are full of bitter significance for the poor artist
of the time:----

Lord Ribblesdale.--Was Mr Hilton's picture offered by the Vicar and
Churchwardens?

The Secretary to the Royal Academy.--Yes, it was offered by
them--one of the Churchwardens was the late Lord Maghermorne--he
was then Sir James M'Garrell Hogg--he was a great friend of Sir
Francis Grant who was the President, and he offered it to him for
the Chantrey Collection.

When repeatedly pressed by the Committee for the reasons why so few
purchases were made outside the Academy exhibitions, the President, Sir
Edward Poynter, repeatedly pleaded the impossibility of a Council of
Ten, all of whom must see pictures before they are bought, travelling
about in search of them. In view of this apparent--but obviously
unreal--difficulty, the following questions were then put by the Earl of
Lytton:----

420. Without actually changing the terms of the will, has the question
of employing an agent for the purpose of finding out what pictures were
available and giving advice upon them ever been suggested?--No.

421. That would come within the term of the will, would it not, the
final voting being, as it is now, in the hands of the Academy; it w