The Washington herald., 1912-04-08

ain recalls the fact that II was Good
Queen Bess" who was the first monarch
to realize the value OF coal mines as a
state-owned monopoly. She was far
sighted enough to obtain lease of all
the Durham fields for eco a year. where
upon she proceeded TO manipulate
Corner In coal quite successfully. She
annexed the private pits OF the Percy
family. which they were developing
profitably themselves. and only consented
after a time to allow them small per-
centage upon their own material
Queen Elizabeth chartered company
in Newcastle as a virtual monopolist In
the sale Of Northumbrian coal to ship
pers, and so engineered matters that the
lord mayor Of London formally COM
planned that the Newcastle frcemens
rights had been bartered away TO a
monopoly, and begged for some limita-
tions to the price, which had "been
forced up to f1 for a chaldron." Pre-
viously coal had been sold in London 1t
Is a chaldron.
The death OF the nonogenarian London
scientist, DIR. Phene, recalls the remark
able and unique fete given by him five
years ago as master OF the Clothworkers'
Company in the wonderful grounds of his
still more wonderful house in Chelsea
A pavilion. formed OF network. like
the dwellings OF the Gabil. an ancient
Greek colony In Italy. was erected for
the accommodation of the distinguished
company OF guests. before whom the
learned scientist made an address, de-
scribing his archaeological work in Italy.
Greece. and Asia Minor. and how the
results of his studies were synthesized in
his Chelsea house in the renaissance of
his ancestral family home in the Chateau
de Savenay, on the Loire River, in
France
DIR. Phene conducted his guests through
the garden. which had been arranged in
avenues of statues of the personages Of
Latin, Greek, and Scandinavian myth
oIogy. 4 heroes OF the Tudor times. and
ending in a gigantic statue OF Queen
Victoria. Alternating with the statues
were ancient vases of brilliant flowers
and pedestals. showing the progress of
civilization from corn-grinding duerns
flint cells. and arrow heads onward. The
amazing front of the house, representing
The struggle between the Greeks and the
Trojans before Troy, forms part OF the
original stneme.
Inside the house the ceilings exhibit in
high relief the countries visited by the
doctor. with their fauna, fora. buildings.
and religious and civic ceremonies. In
some rooms the ceilings depict the in
terror OF the earth, with the mythology
cal persons supposed to have visited
hades.
The most interesting debutante to ap-
pear at the British court his season Is
the Baroness Beaumont, who Is in her
eighteenth year and a peeress in her own
right. She Is the elder of the two daugh-
ters OF the tenth baron. who was a dis
tinguished soldier and who died in 1896.
when the barony fell into allegiance. Only
few months after she was two years
old the title was revived in her favor.
The youthful baroness is descended
from Edward d. Beaumont, who is said
to have been a grandson Of John de
Brienne, the last King Of Jerusalem.
have already related that he accom-
panied Edward To Scotland in
the war OF 1902 and also TO the Holy
Land as a crusader. was summoned TO
Parliament as Lord Beaumont in 1905.
and later was made Constable OF Scot
land. He married. in 1915, the daughter
and of Lord Buchan.
The ent young baroness heiress-
st-law is her sister. Miss Ivy Stapleton.
who was born eighteen days after the
death of her father. l have enumerated
In a recent letter number Of pretty
brides of the British nobility who are
being presented at court this season, but
there are some very handsome young
girls who are not yet married and who
also will make their bow 10 royalty and
high society OF the Thames metropolis.
Among them are Lady Barbara COnyng-
ham, Lady Ellen Stuart -Wortley. Lady
Henrietta Plunkett IA daughter of Lord
FinRaID, and Lady Norah Hastings.
l have had occasion repeatedly 10 state
that certain British peerages descend by \
virtue OF a special royal grant TO the
female line as well as 10 the male. that
is, providing the entire family. in all its
branches Is not opposed to such heri
tage. Such abeyanCes have been known
TO continue through centuries. because
the rule of the peeraEe is that whenever
only daughters survive, the crown takes
no cognizance of them at all, until one
or another of them dies, leaving only one
to survive, who then is declared heiress
TO the barony.
This particular barony has been in
allegiance a number Of times. AS related
above, it was created ''by summons TO
Parliament in l3S. and continued to
flourish until early in the sixteenth GEN.
tury. when II fell into allegiance and re-
mained so for more than go years, until
1870, when the father Of the late peer at
last recovered possession as the lineal
descendant Of a long line Of female an
cestors. Queen Victoria was very fond
OF recalling peerages out of abeyance.
and the case OF the widowed Lady Beau
mont. an exceptionally beautiful woman.
appealed to her strongly. Hence, a year
after Lord Beaumont's death, and by
means of letters patent. she called the
barony OF Beaumont out of allegiance in
favor of the Hon. Mona Stapleton, a
baby of two years.
The Beaumonts are all Catholics, root |
and branch most likely owing to their |