New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-28
LONDON TOPICS.
NELSON RELICS UNDER THE HAMMER
THE GOODE sEvRES COLLECTION
THE FINE ART SOCIETY'S
BLACK AND WHITE
EXHIBITION

or course, as I said some weeks ago, the gen.
eral election has broken up the London season.
but 1t did not deprive us Of Henley or OF the
Elton and Harrow match. or apprec.ably dmin-
tsh the crowds that attended those festivals
The latter a greater success than ever
thanks to fine weather. good play and won
derfuy close finish. I have never seen any
thing on the cricket field like the excitement al
the last half-hour. when Harrow with about
100 runs to make. was losing wicket after Wicket
In the vain attempt 10 make them. while E'on
was straining every nerve to get the whole s;de
out before the call Of time. 1t was beautlfui 10
see the dignity with which the last man "a
boy not much over five feet in height-siowiy
marched to his place at the wicket disregardihs
all the cries Of those who urged him to make
haste: and to watch the eagerness with when
the enormous crowd hung upon the delivery Of
every ball Then. when finally the umpires
called time" and Harrow had made a draw Of
IT, such rush of lads and their elders took place
across the ground as has seldom been wit
messed at Lords The two schools separated and
shouted for their champions Mt the two ends OF
the pavilion till everybody had lost his voice,
and until the heroes Of the day, notably PIX
ington. Of Eton. and Stogdon. of Harrow, were
tired Of bowling their acknowledgements.
Assuredly 1t is we'll for a country to have
national game which excites so much interest as
this which stirs up rivalres that are always at
bottom friendly and that leads to no roughness or
physical injury on either side. After the excite
ment is one may perhaps ask ones self II the
schools do not attach little too much Importance
to cricket and IL while such honors are reserved
for the cricketers. the lads as body can be ex-
pected to give as much time and thought as they
should to the studies which they sent to school
to cultivate. For myself, if I were dictator and
II dictator could do it. should not interfere
much with school cricket or even school football.
but should limit them at the Universities. When
a man goes to Oxford or Cambridge he is supposed
10 have reached years of discretion. and years
at which he may be expected to take delight in
study for its sake. But this is counsel OF
perfection. and there is evidence that the passion
of athleticsm. which was warm enough In all
conscience when was at Oxford thirty years ago.
is still warmer now
BLACK AND WHITE EXHIBITION.
The art shows like everything else of a social
kind in London. are pretty we'll over for the
season, though the Fine Art Society. by way OF
a final effort. is displaying some very Interesting
black and white drawings by the masters OF book
illustration OF thirty thirtyfve years ago-l
mean especially Fred Walker, G. j. Pinwe and
A Is.
wildly remembered by those Of us who as boys
or young men used 10 study THE Cornhill' and
Good Words" in the early sixties. These men
are all gone. but there still remains among Ills
one who was born before any of them. Sir John
Gilbert, while Adolph Mcneil In Berlin still
survives. and l believe occasionally uses that
pencil which now half a century back. did so
much to influence book illustration all over the
world This black and white exhibition ought
not TO be missed; for though 1t represents
sort Of art which is not for the moment In fashion.
II IL undoubtedly interesting both on It's merits
and historically.
As 10 other exhibitions I can only speak with re-
gard to one and that prospectively. The directors
OF the New Gallery propose 10 continue next
winter their retrospective series and to follow up
the Venetian with a Spanish exhibition am
a little doubtful as to whether there are enough
genuine works of Velasquez and Murillo in this
country TO make the pictorial department as In
terestng as 1t should be. will go a step further.
and hazard doubt whether this competition OF
exhibitions has not already gone too far Many
people beginning to think that one good
annual exhibition OF old pictures In London is
as much as can be carried out with any per-
manent success. whereas now we have three
galleree-the Royal Academy. the New and the
listing materials are not sufficient.
Last week saw one verv interesting sale that OF
the Nelson relics belonging to Viscount Brdport,
who is said to have been compelled to sell by
reason Of that agricultural depression which is
making such havoc OF our great houses 1t was
a melancholy sight, this passing away Of the
relics OF Englands greatest naval hero from the
possession OF his family though l am happy TO
say that with regard to the most personal OF all
the relics namely the medals worn by Nelson
at Trafalgar the Government stepped in and pur-
chased them before the sale for the sum OF $500.
They will doubtless be added to the other relics
OF naval heroes at Greenwich Hospital. The other
objects. such the various caskets. dinner and
breakfast services and the like were sold in the
ordinary way at very high prices, many people
being naturally anxious to possess such we'll
authenticated souvenirs Of so great man. That
the Nelson cult is also very sincere and very prac-
tcal was also shown at the picture sale next day.
when Hoppners full-ength portrait Of the Ad-
miral also from Lord Bridports collection, was
sold for no less sum than 1850 guineas
The last-named sale. which. far as pictures
are concerned. practically closes the season. was
miscellaneous but many Of the pictures were
good and the prices were exceedingly high. The
older generation Of collectors will remember the
famous Clever Manor sale in 1876. when the
Dutch and French pictures Of the late Mr.. Fos-
ter were dispersed. bringing very high prices.
From that sale three pictures were withdrawn;
Holy Family by M,rillo sea piece by Rugs
dael and picture of dead game by Jan Weenix.
These came up again last Saturday and the two
former each brought the large price Of 1900
guinsas. No such sum has ever been paid be-
fore at auction for a sea piece by Ruysdael as
Mr. Martin Colnaghi paid for this one; but he
was quite right. for the picture is master
piece broad in conception, brilliant in execu-
ton, and, unlike so many pictures by the
master, entirely uninjured by time. Jacob
Ruysdaers fairgrounds very often darken,
to the serious injury Of the picture; but In