The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-09-07

LnSidhu Ill IA IA, are Oetttr appreciated
after an examination of the costly ilu-
minated manuscript books of which the
British museum contains SO grand and
priceless display. But amid all its
wealth of accumulated literature and
historic antiquities, felt that l as an
individual owed more indirectly to one
little manuscript we'll protected under
thick glass. than to all else besides. l
mean lie original articles of the Magma
Charts O. King John, A. d., 1915. l
followed Up rny enjoyable visit to the
British Museum by one to the natural
history collection which amply repaid
me for the time ii took to make it. But
to me the most attractive as we'll as IN
,tructlve exhibition which | have Wis
IN The metropolis not excepting the
rational gallery with Its imposing dis
play of the works of SO many schools.
and masters in the noble art of paint
ing, is the South Kensngton Museum
which contains a rare collection OF art
and art manufactures medieval and
modern. 1t contains casts of classical
figures from all foreign galleries and
museums, ancient furniture and tapes
try, pottery, bronze, iewelry and mar
BILE work, and coyers the whole range
of the productions of human skill and
art. 1t would be simply impossible
within any reasonable space to name
even IN order of classification the wealth
of art specimens it contains, made up
by loan contributions and permanent
collections. But the great center OF
attraction is Raphael's Cartoons those
priceless treasures. These celebrated
works of art are drawn with chalk upon
strong paper and colorcd in distemper.
They were executed by Raphael and
his scholars in 1873, as designs for
tapestry work for Pope Leo the Tenth.
The tapestries made from are still at the
Vatican in Rome, but three of the original
cartoons are lost. Reubens saw the
cartoons in the warehouse of a manu-
facturer of tapestry at Arras. He ad-
vised Charles. the First TO purchase
them which he did. After Charles
death, Cromwell bought them for three
hundred pounds sterling. They were
kept at Whitehall until by order of Will
liam the Third, Sir Christoper Wren
built room for them at Hampton
Court, where they remained until Vic
toria gave permission for their removal
to South Kensington. They are large
pictures, about ten feet high and twenty
feet in width preserved under glass.
The subjects have been engraved over
ard over again and represent Scriptural
scenes, Christ's charge to Peter, Paul
preaching at Athens, death of Ananias,
Peter and John healing the lame man,
etc. The educational value of this mu-
scum is incalculable, and yet am from
necessity compelled to pass it over with
this meager reference.
Nobody ever visits London without
a run down to Windsor Castle, one of
the Queens many residences, it having
been built upon the site of more an
cient castle erected by William the
Conqueror. Windsor Park contains old
oaks that are the boast of England,
Queen Victoria's oak being the chief
attraction since a more celebrated one
-Herne's-b down in 1868. Out
side the state apartments which you are
allowed to visit surrounded by cor
don of officers, the principal attractions
in the castle are St. Georges Chapel in
which so many royal marriages have
taken place, and the Albert Chapel
which Victoria has spent two and half
millions of dollars upon as a monument
to the deceased Prince Consort, her
late husband. The Queen keeps here
about ninety horses, which with those
in London number in all about 200,
with sixty carriages of all styles and de-
scriptions. She is now at her Balmoral
Castle in Scotland near Aberdeen, and
will not be at Windsor Castle before
November, from which IN the winter
she will come to London, for residence
at Buckingham Palace. The local sen.
sation of London since | have been
here was the visit of her grandson Will
liam the Second, the present Emperor
of Germany. He followed close upon
the Shah of Persia who was recently
feted by the English nobility and gov
ernment for Russia's special benefit. A
splendid naval review was held of the
combined English and German navy at
Portsmouth on Monday. They tried to
hold the review on the Saturday pre-
vious but a storm prevented, and the
weather was scarcely less boisterous this
week. But royalty had Its sport with
only the loss OF one human life, poor
sajJar ,who was kpocbed overheard and
lackeys at Windsor what paw he receiv-
ed a week. He replied a sovereign and
his board. This is s4.S3 and found,
this to wait on the Queen. A waiter in
Smith & McNell's eating saloon in New
York gets more than double this or ten
dollars a week and his "grub."
The adulation which all the upper
classes cherish for royalty here is some
thing inexplicable to US. Among the
lower or laboring classes there is more
independence of sentiment, but not
| among the middle and upper-middle
classes, to which the merchants and
shop-keepers belong. Our British
| cousins are strictly commercial peo
pie, and worship the almighty sovereign
stamped in gold, just as fondly as their