New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-12-16

pardoned the conviction that nowhere In the
"orld can the old English country home be sur
passed. or even paralleled." He need not assume
that any one will suspect him Of patriotic bias
1t would be idle for any one of any nationality.
to pretend that houses fairly comparable to the
great houses OF England could be found any,
where on the Continent. In England, as Lord
Frederick Hamilton Observes "the town house
has always been an unimportant accessory-ft
Is round the country house that the family asso-
Citations cluster; it is the country house which Is
regarded as tha cradle Of the race as the pre-
cious heritage to be faithfully handed over 70
the next generations for further enrichment and
care at their hands" A striking testimony 10
the truth OF this remark is offered by the pres
ent volume. In more cases than one the essay
on an historic building Is written by a member
or the family which has occupied Il for CEN
turtles
Inc title Of his book is just. Places like Long
leat' like Blicklng Hall, even like stern-vsaged
CLAIMS Castle. the seat Of the Earl Of Strath-
more. In Forfarshire, are emphaticaIIy homes
The traveller in England who has penetrated
within the gates of any old house there knows
Wen what this means. 1t means the simple
stetely lines Of some Tudor mansion rising
atOVe velvet lawn. Inside one finds the hall
hung with ancient leather water buckets, bear
ing perhaps an early Georgian date. The iron
back set in the fireplace OF the old wainscoted
drawing room bears the date Of the Armada
FROM the shelves in the library one takes down
first editions Of Shakespeare, of Florios Mon
taigne. Of Milton. OF Dryden, and of Herrick
books which have been on no other shelves
since they left the shop fresh from the printers
hands. Beautiful tapestries cover the hoary
walls, and. when these are missing faded family
portraits take their place. Outside is a radiant
English landscape; perhaps there is quaint
garden. planned in the italian fashion several
hundred years ago, and still filed with flowers
the very names Of which seem part of English
history and English literature. 1t is a strange
blend of natural beauty Of architectural and
artistic elements. and of varied associations 1t
is strange, it is endlessy fascinating, and it
makes an environment which has all the air OF
being lived in" Next to the privilege of en-
cOUnteriDg this blend the spot. We reckon the
privilege of studying it in some such book as
the one which now lies before US
The illustrations which number close 10
two hundred, take the shape of beautiful half
tones made from photographs. They form d
panorama OF the richest interest When Sir
Walter Scott spent night at CLAIMS Castle, in
1894 he wrote: After very hOspitable recep-
ton conducted to my apartment in Il
distant part Of the building. 1 must own that
ductOr had retired, ] began to consider myself
too far from the living and somewhat too near
the dead" Pictures are here in this volume 10
deepen the eerie impression which get from
Sir Waters note. Tragic memories hang about
this famous place. In the sixteenth century. a
rejected sutton of Lady CLAIMS revenged him
self by telling the authorities that she with her
son and one other, conspiring against the
life of the king, James V, by poison or witch
craft. They were tried, wrOngfully convicted.
and Lady CLAIMS and her sentenced 10
be burned. The escaped the stake. and
some years afterward the who had falsely
testified against him confessed his crime, so
that the young nobleman released from
prison and restored TO his estates and hoEors.
But Lady CLAIMS had TO pay the penalty for a
wrong she had never committed. She was
burned at the stake in Edinburgh in 15i1- An
other grim story relating to the castle is thus
told by the present Lady CLAIMS:
Several centuries ago the Lord CLAIMS Of the
time was entertaining the head of another noble
family then resident in Angus; and in the course
of the evening they commenced 10 play cards.
1t was Saturday night, and so intent We're they