The San Francisco call., 1905-08-09
HISTORIC HOME
ON THE THAMES
Old Mansion Stands To-Day
Just as 1t Was Built
in the Seventeenth Century
NO CHANGE PERMITTED
House Given by Charles |
to Friend Whom He Gre
ated the Earl of Dysart
Special Dispatch to The Call.

LONDON, Aug. S-American tourists
when they do the Thames cannot fail
TO be impressed by the stately Jacobean
mansion which oyerlooks the river as II
sweeps by Richmond 1t has the most
nrosaie of names-Ham House, the origin
OF which nobody knows-but it is full of
historic and romantic associations. The
vandal hand of the modern renoyator and
restorer has never been laid upon it. 1t
stands as 1t has stood since it was built
in 1910. The visitor for whom the iron
gates of its beautiful grounds swing open
has a rare privilege, and il is small Won
der that the garden party held there the
other day for the. benefit of the Church
Army attracted a brilliant throng.
The grounds of Ham House boast noble
elms and bay trees, together with tall
Scotch frs, the first ever planted on Eng
lish soil. There are roses, irises and lilies
in profusion, while clenatis and honey
suckle climb the garden walls and the
lawns are ahlaze with the brilliant color
ing of rhododendrons and aZaieas. To
turn from the old world gardens to the
old house itself completes the tranSporta-
tion from the twentieth century TO the
seventeenth. Under its stimulus one can
easily imagine himself in the gay period
of the cavaliers, when life had not lost
Its spice and the spirit of adventure ran
>
lightly from lip TO lip.
1t is this that constitutes the magic OF
the house which Charles l gave to his
fayorite companion, William Murray.
whom he afterward created first Earl of
Dysart. 1t allows one with ease TO travel
back athWart the centuries TO the bygone
years when English history was so active
and stirring. Even the statue of the
water god that seems to guard the des-
TIMES of the river helps the transition;
One can shut ones eyes for moment
and then opening them seem to see the
beautiful women and gallant men step
out of their frames In the hall and stalk
forth into existence again.
Here comes my lovely lady who mar
ried the Duke of Lauderdale. She has the
cleverest intellect in London and loves
money, and is not at all serupulous how
she acquires it, 1t is better to bribe her
than to incur her enmity. And there goes
the traitor Duke! He is making for the
room where sits the famous ''eabal" min
istry of Charles II-of the five rogues
none more unprincipled than himself.
A curious hush seems to fall on the
senses in the presence of the old family
portraits of Earls and Countesses long
since departed but whose ineaments
have been preserved by the genius of
Kneller. Lely, Hoppner, Jansen and Sir
Joshua Reynolds. Could they speak
some of them-how tame would appear
even Macaulay's annals in contrast with
the narratives they could unfold.
The historic treasures of Ham House
would take long catalogue to
enumerate. In a little box in a small
cabinet is a lock of hair that once grew
on the head of Robert DevereHx, Earl
of Essex, the ill-starred fayorite of
Elizabeth Appropriately enough, close
by are two miniatures of that great
Queen, one of which was painted when
she was girl, and is absolutely
unique 1t is very small, but it would
sell for enough TO render person of
moderate tastes independent for, the
rest of his days. The old house con-
tains many relics of the past that are
equally valuable. All the furniture is
antique and nearly every piece has its
associations. In the spacious Geneese
velvet-covered chairs most of the
Stuart Kings have lolled. There are
tables on which they played cards with
people who did not always play
square game. One thing only does the
place lack to complete its attractions
a ghost None of the historic cham
bers is haunted No mysterious visit
ant PAGES the corridors at midnight. 1t
Is said the speeters all decamped when
the electric lights were introduced. No
self-respecting spook will submit to
that sort of illuminant in his favorite
lair.
For the picturesque costumes, If not
for the morals of his earlier ancestors,
the present Earl of Dysart entertains
profound respect. He would account
his life well spent if he could induce
swells to dress in such fashion in these
days. He sets the example himself at
Ham House by always arraying himself
for dinner in a pink coat, black tights
and black silk stockings. His pet
abomination is the conventional mas
culine evening dress. Although he is
devoted to music and is an enthusiastic
Wagnerite, he abstains from the opera
because there he would have to wear it.
He Is fond of doctoring his friends with
homeopathic medicines. They submit
freely, even when skeptical about their
curative powers. because they know
that such physic never kills. Like
many eccentric folk, Lord Dysart is de-
cidedly clever and is the author of
somewhat daring novel, which had no
small vogue. He is enormously rich,
but the rich landlords who win do as
he has done-remit 10 per cent of the