New-York tribune., 1909-06-06
LONDON NOTES
V;ctor1c Fountains Treasure,
Being Rehoused.

Of the Victoria memorial has dragged on v.s-
after year until King Edward has recorded hi,
irnpatience in the remark: 'It looks as IL Wa
shall all be In cur graves before it is conplstasa
The work is still unfinished. but the bulk Of III.
circular boarding at the top of the Processional
Way has been removed. and the base Of tha
memorial. with marble fountains and basins
granite steps and level retaining walls. sculpr
ured reiiefs IN bronze and marble and electric
lamps has been revealed 10 may be two years
bsfore the colossal statue OF Victoria is IN place
with the attending groups OF Justice. Mother
hood and Truth on level with it. and tha
bronze figure OF Victory is at the top OF the col
umn, with Courage and Constancy in waiting
and with Peace. Progress Manufactures, Agri-
culture and Intelligence the hanking pedes-
tails around the fountains. Yet there is some-
thing beautiful In front OF the palace in plaza
of the ugly timber barricade which has so long
disngured the Professional Way. The base OF
Mr.. Brooks design has been completed. and II
narrnonizes admirably with Sir Aston webb'g
ornamental approaches and barriers. One effect
I'm already conspicuous-the shabbiness OF the
paIace OF the Georges when contrasted with the
magnifcence Of the approaches. When the VIC
toria memorial is finished and the archway at
the entrance to the Mall at Trafalgar Square is -
uncovered, and the quadriga is seen on the Con-
stitution Hill arch. there viii have to be a new
palace to correspond In stateliness with the en-
vironment-
The water for the fountains mainly
from wells at the end OF the lake in ST. Jamess
Park and is pumped into the reservoirs OF the
monument at the rate Of 1OS.OO0 gallons an
hour. When it has passed through the cascades
and basins Il returns to the lake near the PAL
ace. With this large volume Of water excellent
effects are produced On each side there
bronze reliefs-a grouped triton and mermaid
and below them the water falls IN cascades over
marble steps into basins; and on either hand
there is a steady flow from the triton's mouth
Generous az is the water supply. the effect OF
the scuiutured reIiefs in bronze and marble g
svsn richer The work has been planned on
broad lines. and most inadequate idea was
formed of It when the design was exhibited seven
wears ago at the Academy. Mr.. Brock has been
highly favored IN having the cooperation Of
Sir Aston Webb In arranging the outside bar
Hers and approaches. Landscape gardening IS
an art that has been mastered in England
where other forms OF decorative work are not
understood The general setting OF the memo
rial to the great and good Queen win be as
stately and as beautiful as the figures n bronza
and marble.
Ths art treasures OF South Kensington,
fonx housed IN a labyrinth OF blind alleys and
dark passages. are undergoing systematic rear,
rangement IN ths new Victoria and Albert MuN-
scum. Sir Aston webb's big structure has bean
oyerpraised by admirers and untustlY assa1sdi
by censorious critics; but whatever map be ths
defects or merits externally It is admirably
adapted for the exhibition OF the UnlCzs co1sc-i
tion, which has never been properly seen In thsl
old lumber rooms When the King opens tbs
great structure the metal stone, marble and
woodwork will be grouped In orderly way on
zIag
work viii be classed apd graded On the nsxs
floor and the potterfes VIII be rearra1gsd on.
the second floor The old building Is not % De
abandoned but merely relieved OF ths bulk OF
the treasures with which Il has been 0vsrrOTd-
ed The Raphael cartoons. the pictures. ths fnF-
niture the books and other treasures ars to re-
main where they have always been but it VII
be less labOrious exploration 70 find them
Tho new galleries flooded with daylight and
the corridors are not tumbled together IN
hopeless maze The old foEiss win bs unhappy
for years to come. since they viii Be unable 70
poke about In the dark and discover their fayor-
its tapestries their spinsts and virg1nals. tnsir
embroideTies and snufboxes in tbs familiar
hooks and corners OF the shabby rubb!sh-palaca
Newcomers will be pleased VITA the uans-oT-
nation wrought by orderly arrangement When
there Is an abundance OF spaee- Not only VII
the new building be 6edicatad 20 public use oS
the King. but the collection itself. unrivalled IN
the world. will be opened for exhibition as u
has never been before.
Sir Frederick Bridge. most scholarly OF Eng
lish musicians has been delighting the ancisnS
with a Iecture at Gresham College or mUsless
instruments OF the seventeenth century, sueh -
are found IN the South Kensington Museum Hs
began even further back. for he quoted 'trun-
pets and shawns'' and proved that whatever
we're the Hebrew instruments the transLators u
the authorized version did not know what tnsy
were talking about when they carelessly assD
those words The Hebrew sackbut was realS
q large harp: the sO-called trumpets were VIZ
out mechanism. the notes being formed oy u.
blower: and the shawn was used by mediseVaA
vratchmen and was the fOrerunner OF ul9
hautboy and the bassoon- The Rev r w.
GaIpin. who has a famous collection OF hi1S
cal instruments. produced a large nuhaOeI .
them and with assistance from three o0n
experts illustrated rne lecture most effectively
A afteenth century herald's trumpet was soun'-
ed: a clarino and several sixteenth century SUI
stitutes for the trombone were played 'n0
tromba marina described IN detail by Pepys -
his Diary was exhibited: trio for two COZ
and a sackbut was tried; and there were Ia
fares OF genuine trumpets and shawns before 20
entertainment was over Sir Frederick BIids'
has merry wit and there is not duli H
ment when he Is the platform teiIhs =
audience what he has learned by laoorlous S'u''
In his library
The Winchester Cathedral fund has pronIse
by an unusually interesting performance al -
Garrick Theatre. The main number was
Arm of the Law" an adaptation OF La HoO0
Rouge" by " Brieux with Mr.. Bourchlef
Mouzon. the examining magistrate ana -
Violet vanbrugh as the desperate and dena
Yanetta II has been an exhibition OF great ac'-