Elgin. I. Thomas Brucc, 7th earl of Elgin and 11th of Kincardine, a British diplomatist, born July 20, 1766, died in Paris, Nov. 14, 1841. He passed some time at Harrow and at the university of St. Andrews, studied law in Paris, and having pursued military studies in Germany, entered the army and rose to the rank of general. His time, however, was mostly passed in diplomatic employments. After filling missions to Brussels and Berlin, he was sent in 1799 as envoy extraordinary to Constantinople, when the idea occurred to him of rescuing from time and the Turks and removing to England the celebrated sculptures which are now in the British museum, and bear his name. He procured the permission of the Porte to take away from the ruins of ancient Athens "any stones that might appear interesting to him." With the aid of a corps of artists from Italy, and at his own expense (the British government having declined to further the undertaking), he succeeded in the course of ten years in detaching from the Parthenon, or in excavating from the rubbish at its base, abundant specimens of the various descriptions of sculptures with which it was ornamented.

The first instalment of these treasures of antiquity arrived in England in 1808, and excited a feeling of admiration and delight, not unmingled, however, with indignation at what was considered the vandalism of Lord Elgin in removing them from their original resting place, or with doubts as to their artistic value. It was said that he had spent much time and money in procuring indifferent Roman marbles of the time of Hadrian, and the project of purchasing them for the nation was strongly opposed. Lord Byron is said to have carried his feelings on the subject of the alleged depredations of Lord Elgin to such an extent, that on a visit to the Parthenon he inscribed in a conspicuous place, Quod non fecerunt Gothi, hoc fecerunt Scoti; and he further gave vent to his indignation in the " Curse of Minerva," written in 1811. Among those who urged upon government the purchase of the marbles was the painter Haydon, whose style received its direction from the contemplation of them, and to whose earnest pleas with men in power was partly attributed the offer of £30,000 for the entire collection, made by Mr. Perceval, the premier, in 1811, which however was refused.

In 1812, 80 additional cases arrived in England, a number of valuable marbles having previously suffered shipwreck, and in 1815 Lord Elgin offered to make over the collection to the nation for a reasonable sum. In the succeeding year the purchase was effected for £35,-000, the actual outlay having exceeded £50,-000. The services of Lord Elgin in bringing within the reach of artists, as well as in preserving from the ravages of time, these masterpieces of antiquity, are now fully appreciated; subsequent events having shown that, had he not removed them, the greater part would have been long since destroyed. In the war of Greek independence, and especially in the last siege of Athens in 1826-'7, the Parthenon suffered very serious damage. Lord Elgin was a Scotch representative peer for 50 years. In 1810 he published in defence of his conduct a 4to volume, entitled "Memorandum on the subject of the Earl of Elgin's Pursuits in Greece." II. James Brace, 8th earl of Elgin and 12th of Kincardine, a British statesman, son of the preceding, born July 20, 1811, died at Dhurmsala, India, Nov. 20, 1863. His studies were begun at Eton, and completed at Christchurch, Oxford, where he graduated in 1833. He was afterward elected fellow of Merton college.

He commenced public life as one of the members of parliament for Southampton in 1841, but before the year was out succeeded to the title and estates of his father. In 1842 he was appointed governor of Jamaica, and in 1846 governor general of Canada. He negotiated in 1854 a treaty of commercial reciprocity with the United States, after which he resigned his office, returned to England, and received the appointment of lord lieutenant of Fifeshire. In the spring of 1857 he was appointed minister plenipotentiary to Peking, immediately proceeded to the East, was present at the taking of Canton, and, in conjunction with the French, succeeded by vigorous measures in reducing the Chinese to terms. After signing a treaty with the Chinese commissioners at Tientsin, June 26, 1858, the conditions of which were highly favorable to the British, he sailed for Japan, entered the harbor of Yedo, which the Americans had opened to foreigners, obtained important commercial privileges for his countrymen, concluded a treaty with the Japanese, Aug. 26, and in May, 1859, returned to England. He was again sent to China in the following year, and on the conquest of Peking by the allied French and British entered that city in triumph.

He returned in 1861, and in 1862 was appointed viceroy and governor general of India, but was soon compelled by ill health to resign, and died shortly after. His "Letters and Journals," edited by Theodore Walrond, was published in London in 1872.