Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-30
TALK.


pretty stoutly introduced into the world
from time to time.
For one instance, what en- interesting
chapter could be devoted 10 Chatterton
and his alleged discovery of fifteenth CEN
tury poetry, which he claimed was written
by Thomas Rowley, priest.
He was scarcely sixteen years old when
he wrote q remarkable poem, descibing an
ancient procession, and Horace Walpole
believed in this extraordinary find of Chat
terton's in tbs charter room of the church
Of st. Mary, Radcliffe, in Bristol, until IN
deceived by the poet Gray and his friend
Mason.
The extreme youth of Chatterton, his
extraordinary intellectual development.
and bis tragic death by suicide in London
ere completing his his eighteenth year,
having suffered ali the niseries of extreme
poverty, make his career one CT the most
touching and wonderful in human kuowl-
edge.
In 1886, a collector of curioslties in
London named Samuel Ireland, announced
the discovery of Shakespeare Mss, which
naturally created great stir III the literary
world. When the clever trick was detected
and exposed it became known that the son
was accomplished enough to dupe his
father in the matter, expert though the
| parent was regarded in his business of col
lector and publisher of literary curiosities.
In our own day one of the
most laughable discoveries of
imposition IN the artistic line is that ID
volving the integrity of what is known as
the Cesnola collection of Cypriote curiosi-
| ties.
1t was purchased by the trustees of the
Metropolitan Museum Of Art in New York
for $125 900, and they must feel queer as
the revelations of the Feuardent law suit
bring to light the somewhat dubious meth
ods of that practical enthusiast General
Palma di Cesnola.
The evidence is very humorous reading
to ell but the afore mentioned trustees
The masterpiece of the collection was the
large statue of the Hercules which arrived
in New York with only part of his right
leg and one arm. Out of Heterogeneous in
the consignment leg was sawed and an
iron rod run up into the body of Hercules
and screwed fast with a nut above the hip
| holding the artificial leg in place.
A German named Gehlen, as mysterious
and sapient as Faust before his transfer
nation, figures in the suit as the srestorer''
and the owner of an occult wash" which
renders all traces CT the patchwork invisi-
bic, unless subjected to the dripping of
water, besides giving the Jennings the de-
sired antique hue.
This composition, glue or wash was in
constant requisition by the learned and
practical di Cesnola, whether in Cyprus or
New York. His letters from Cyprus are
clamorous for 1t. "Ask that German artist
for his peculiar glue used in the work
of restoration, because I want to use it
here''
The statue of the priest (No. 22) had
originally no right forearm. Under di
Cssnola's direction Mr.. Gehlen sup
piled the deficiency and added
a hand, so that the figure
of tbs priest was complete, even with a
patera in his band. The hand came off
several times because OF a soaking from
leaky roof, but the undaunted Gehlen re
placed it every time, ana now it is solid.
The ''royaP' Oypriote sarcophagus was
badly broken when it reached these credu-
lous shores. One end was knocked out,
and side representing hunting scene
cracked in places. But is was all ''restor-
ed,'' the gaps filled with plaster properly
colored, and then cat and moulded like
the original design. For this dexterous
bit of work by the expert Gehlen, under
the direction OF Mr.. di Cesnola, he reoeiv-
ed much praise from that practical gentle
man.
Feet and legs, arms and hands, boards
and noses. were worked in where
they were lacking, and 10! the
Cypriote collection of General Palma di
Cssnola, which cost the Metropolitan Mu-
scum of Art $3.50 is scarcely more than
conglomerate "Cardif giant" and as 1t
stands illustrated in this law suit pretty
audacious exposition of fraud.
No wonder as the great sCypriote col
lection" sat through the suit in the United
States district court, the reporters desorib-
ed him as ill at ease, extremely nervous,
and with his face half buried in his hand.
The vulgar wretch caught showing the
queer, as the argot is for distributing coun-
terfeit money, is quite harshly dealt with.
No mercy is shown him, and the publib
lie feels safe when he is jailed. But when
this fine gentleman works off his Gig
gers" scarcely more genuine than Arte-
from Wards but to the full as amusing,
what penalty have we for him?
humbugged public and swindled as
ISOLATION should endeavor to make a re-
currenos of artistic frauds somewhat
perilous to the next enterprising and
aesthetic foreigner who vitiates their artis-
tic faith and appropriates their cash with
out giving an honest equivalent. There is
good story told about two we'll known
Englishmen, whose names I cannot now
recall, who were prominent enough Them
selves but had no ancestry to brag Of
One of them saw q portrait at picture
dealers with sort of family likeness,
sufficient to warrant his purchasing it. But
the figure asked vas too mech, and he
gave it up. thinking time would diminish
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