New-York tribune., 1909-10-06
NAY GOELET'S HOME
Duchess of ROrburghe Leases an
Historic London Mansion.

~,,v-,rh, 1909 by the brentwood Company
--h nuke of Roxburghe and his unulti-nniIlionairs
..,a-scsn wife who Miss May Goelet have
s-sIlv settled upon town house in London and
60 rented from LADY Burton Chesterfield House.
=. usvfair. II Is one Of the historic mansions Of
=. British metropolis. and built for Philip
--,er Stanhope author Of the celebrated Letters"
= RS son in the reign Of George II. The house
s--,irS took place in February. 1882, and IS
s.-~ihes in tire writings OF Horace wAlpole: while
:, vas IN its antechambers that DIT. johnson was
~, waiting long before being admitted into the
-sence n earl that he refrained from carving
-, his intention Of inviting the peer 10 become the
,,a,ron Of his great dictionary. The scene OF Dr.
Johnson sitting in the antechanlber OF Chesterfield
z4ouse has furnished the theme OF many successful
s,ntinE The Two succeeding earls OF Chesterfield
ved there and aftervard il passed by purchase into
-.a hands of Mr.. MaEniac and from him 10 the
,s,s Lord Burton in 1854.
The house is of red brick with cut stone trim
,,,,es and has a frontage OF $50 feet looking on
>, SPACIOUS courtyard. which is separated from the
or,er world by 12-foot wall. On each side of the
COURTYARD there is stonework screening ornament
~ with numerous handsome Corfnthian columns.
vtich were bought by Lord Chesterfield in I747 az
.be sale n Canons the palace OF the Duke OF
r1sr5os near EdCware. inlrnortalized by Pope one
- he n the house Is the superb staircase,
,rtich has European celebrity. II is composed OF
uhfe marble. each step being cut out OF entire
tlo,k and measuring twenty feet in width When
fe frst landing is reached the staircase divides into
-uo flights. reaching 10 the corridor on the hrst
snor which IS supported by three marble arches and
s-s- fu-e5 Corinthian columns with an exquisite
,o-rice and frieze. This design is repeated the
ssnle scale from the first floor and carried up 20
-be 5oueG roof The ballroom as a particularly
hanasoue apartment, In white and gold, the tracery
of fhe c. -nE being picked out in gold, which has
never needed renewing since the building OF the
tsuse nearly two centuries ago The furniture Is Of
Youis XVI srvle and al least dozen Of the arm
esrs and Of the sofas have occupied their same
Mace - -he ballroom ever since the time when they
were first placed there by the fourth Lord Chester
seIs in 1-52 From the smaller dining room
F-srcr window leads through the loggia down
eighr n steps the gardens. which were much
more extensive when the house first built: and
q vas there that the fourth Lord Chesterfield was
81 frequently seen, sitting rustic seat. baskng
n the Sun A. one end OF the gardens located
ne stables snd the machinery generating the cleo
,ric ligt used in the house The appearance OF the
lT5-a-v IS absolutely unchanged since the fourth
To-5 Chesterheld's time Above the bookcases.
ranged all round the room in very ornamental
erucc7 framing Is series Of portraits OF celebrated
reore Hy SIR Joshua Reynolds. RaebUrn and other
masters including picture Of DR.. Johnson. Imme-
6.steIv over the portraits and underneath the mas
sirs co-ros are following lines from Horace, IN
capitals foot deep:
"Nurc ve-erum Hbris. nunc souno q inertibus
ho~tz dvcere solicits tucunda oblivia vits."
Chesterfield House has. by reason Of its historic
associations and age. come 10 be regarded one
q the hest known landmarks in London The duke
ans duchess could not have found a more stately
abode for their metropolitan home nor one better
a6apted for entertainments a grand scale