The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-12
The Celebrated English States
man and Libertine.
HIS PLACE BEFORE THE FALL.
Historic and Antiquated Home-Peeuii-
sfities OF the Owner-Possibili-
ties Of His Future.

anything OF the lnwardness Of the Craw-
iord-Dilke divorce case, but considerable
interest viii be taken in the statement
which Dixie is about 10 make public.
when the crash came Sir Charles was next
In succession to Gladstone as the next
leader of the Liberal party, with Joseph
Chamberlain striving for the place. shall
not be surprised If the member for Biz
mingham should be placed on exhibition
-as the man he is.
In August of 1SS7 met Sir Charles Dixie
IN the first instance, at the Office of the
lAfhesaxnm. which he owns, at Tookc's
court, Cursitor street, Chancery lane, in a
queer ramshackie, tumble-down house that
looked for all the world as If ;t were a spe-
cial survival of the days immortalized by
Phiz, when he illustrated Dickens novels
After some conversation it was agreed that
should call at his own house next dav.
when he promised to show me his work
ing-room and some of his treasures. He is
a man of many homes, for he owns a
chateau somewhere in the south of France.
a river house at Docket Eddy, Sheppcr-
ton, and an inlsnd cottage at Pyrford.
Maybury, near Working
No. 20 Sloane street, which was the the
alter of those events which eliminated in
the Crawford divorce case, is house of
many angles, corners, stories and half
stories. In garden behind are several
large trees, while the front windows look
out over the ample expanse'of Cadogan
gardens. The property originally be-
longed to Sir Hans Sloane, the founder Of
the British museum. The house was built
100 years ago, but additions have been
made irregularly from time to time; the
walls are finished in dull yellow distemper,
with wainscoat in black, paneled in
turke1-red, the doors being painted TO
match. The effect is antiquated, queer.
quaint and oid-worldly in the extreme,
Sir Charles received me in his working
room, which is situated ON the third half.
story back. A parliamentary and refer
ence library occupies one side of
the room and underneath are two
cases Of mahogany drawers. There is
smaller chest alongsade the door.
giving in all some seventy-five drawers OF
index papers. besides four larger dispatch
boxes. Sir Charles is very fond of fencing,
and there are number Of old swords and
handsome rapiers hanging round tho room,
including dress swords which belonged re-
spectively to his great-grandfather and TO
his great-greAt-grandfather: the mantel-
piece is fpine, painted yellow, above which
il an old mirror In three panels: against
the center ono portrait Of John Bright
leans, fianked by some old-fashionei
candlesticks and china, and above is an
admirable copy of Bellini's "Doge of
Venice, on the left-hand side of the man.
telpiece is collection Of prints relating 10
the famous John Wilkes, made by Sir
Charles grandfather, and on the right
miniatures of Sir Charles father and Tom
Hood, the latter inscribed with the
autograph of the poet Over the nest
of drawers adjoining is . portrait OF
Charles Lamb; and those Of the Keats
family, who have settled in Louisville,
KY, win be interested to know that here
is the original portrait Of John Keats,
painted during the poets lifetime by
Severn, which is . wonderful and beauti-
full piece of work, the wonderful textures
being rendered with exquisite deiicacy
and excellent finish. Above that is a
tracing by Keats of Greek vase. portrait
of Pope, and two sketches by John Leech
of visitors to the exhibition of 1851, which,
although merely suggestions. are full of 60
and spirit; on the other side of the door
are the original drawings of the machine
with which the Jacobites struck off oak
tree medals in l749, when they proposed =
rebellion. and documents thereto relating.
Some of the original dies are now used by
Sir Charles as paper weights.
At the top of the first flight of tairs is q
St. Cecilia by Domenichino, then a square
lobby where there is cabinet from the
exhibition of 1915. in which is superb,
set of Seyres china in green, purple and
a s<,I he
To Sir Charles Dilke's father. on the oc-
casion of the first great international ex-
hibition. On one side of the cabinet hangs
portrait of John Stuart Mill, by Watts.
r. A. and another of SIR Charles Dixie By
the same artist. In the reception room
opening of the landing are portraits Of
Joseph Chamberlain and Henry Fawcetf.
blind statesman. and his wife. and a num-
her of original drawings in color BY the in
spired lunatic Blake, which in their crude
power and mystic rendering of incons-
prehensible meanings, are something ex-
tYaordinary. On the stairs leading TO
the second story there are . number
of landscapes by Tom Hood, the only
serious work he ever attempted. although
plenty OF his drawing in lighter and
laughing vein, may be found In the pages
of his many ANIMALS. The drawing-rooms
are adorned by large collection of minia-
ture and cabinet gems by Teniers. Van
Goyen. Jsn Mel. 0stade apd other artists
of the Dutch school, but the gem of the
collection is q portrait OF Henrietta OF
England. daughter OF Charles l., by Mig
nard. In a room above are miniatures of
Sir Philip Sydney and Sir Harry Vane, the
latter well known TO the first families OF
Virginia, and on the stairs an original
portrait of Pope, and that everlasting por-
trait of George Washington, posing a. an
upright citizen in full dress that one eter-
naily meets everywhere. This brought US
to Sir Charles own working-room, over
the room where he first received me, where
he carefully preserves as precious treasures
the family relics Of the poet Keats: Sir
Charles showed me the poets notebook,
with entries made when he was q medical
student; his Milton, with the first draft or
the sonnet to Sleep" and the first reprint
Of Shakespeare, given 10 Keats, with the
autographs Of Severn and John Hamilton
Reynolds, in which are inscribed the lines
on King Lear and many manuscript notes.
He also showed me his Beaumont and
Fletcher. his Endymion, with copies OF
nearly all the shorter poems in his own
handwriting. = mask OF heats, several
long curIed tress of dark chestnut brown
hair. in perfect preservation, which bal
been cut from the poets head after his
death.
The walls and tables of this room are
Uttered with VARIOUS bric-a-hrac and tribes.
gathered by their owner during his many
piigrimages in foreign lands Russia,
Asia and the far east and west are alike
represented for there is long panorama
Of the Rockies from Denver. done by SIR
Charles himself, and | don't know how
many interesting TRIES that I have No
space 10 enumerate; bat l must not omit
she white x,afrh Of calico crossed with red