New-York tribune., 1911-04-23

LADY { II a l. o T T T. = SCHRElBER
JOCRNAIS.-Confidenc of a Collector
of Ceramics and Antiques Throughout
Britain, France. Holland, Belgium.
Spain. Portugal Turkey Austria ;s ana
Germany from the Year 1869 TO lss0
Edited by her son. Montague j. Guest
With annotations by Egan New. Illus
trated. Royal Svo. two volumes PIP. 5OS-
ji The John Lane Company
These two large and copiously illus
trated volumes tell the story of the last
fifteen years of a remarkably happy NE
What. indeed could be more delightful
than the intelligent and ardent pursuit
of an absorbing HOBBY shared with the
adventurer's nearest and dearest in ali
the most interesting and beautiful re-
gions of Europe? Visitors to the South
KensinGton Museum do not need 10 he
told of the singular value Of the collec-
ton of two thousand specimens of old
English pottery. porcelains and cnamels
brought together by Charles Schneider,
NJ F.. and his wife. Lady Charlotte. and
presented 10y the latter to the nation.
These-and many other objects of art
row i'm the possession of Lady Char
iotte's family-werc gathered by the har-
monious pair in the course of many jour
noys on the Continent. The diaries in
which their expeditions and joyous dis
Coveries arc described are full of fasci-
ration for the colector-who can hardly
afford to be ignorant of them.
Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Bertie. who
was born in 1872. was the only daughter
Of the ninth Earl Of Lindsey. Her father
died when she was very young. and. her
mother marrying again. the girl led a
somewhat lonely life She had an eager
mind. and with characteristic energy
she set about educating herself. She
read enormously. She became proficient
IN several modern languages. and she
studied Greek. Latin. Hebrew and Per-
sian with the help Of her brothers tutor
After she married. at twenty-one. Sir
John Guest. the owner of the great
Dowlais ironworks, in Wales. she became
notable Welsh scholar. She won a
never to be forgotten place in literature
as the translator of the 'Mabinogion" :;
or. Tales of King Arthur's Round Table
Tennyson is quoted as saying that
this translation was the first book he
read after his marriage, and that ii was
the inspiration of his 'Idylls of the
King" He was obliged by the way, TO
change a phrase in the story of Geraint
and Enid when he learned from Lady
Charlotte that the E Of his heroine's
name was not long. but short. 1t was
rot only in literature that the young
Englishwoman distinguished herself She
acquired an extraordinary insight into
her husbands business, sometimes acted
as his substitute in arranging matters
with contractors, and had q room fitted
up for her in the London offices of the
great Works. When Sir John died, leav-
ing her. at the end of twenty happy mar
ried years. with ten children. she took
charge of the immense business and con-
Quoted il with perfect success until other
cares led her to resign the management
With all this masculine energy she re-
rnained thoroughly feminine being. de-
voted to feminine duties and occupations
and popular in society.
1t was after her second marriage, be-
tween forty and fifty years ago, that the
collectors passion seized upon her.
Things for which prodigious prices are
paid TO-DAY we're then to be bought for
very little, and the collector who had
knowledge and judgment found treas
ures on every hand. Lady Charlotte had
taste which was almost genius, but she
aid not depend upon that; she studied
Eer subject indefatigibly and became an
authority of renown. Mr.. Mortlock, the
Veil known dealer. has said that nearly
al he knew about china he learned from
her. With her husband she ransacked
little out-of- -the-way villages as well as
cities. and visited museums and private
collections. constantly acquiring richer
knowledge and making interesting ac-