The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-18

pened to be in Rome. that he appealed
In his predicament.
He did not guess, perhaps. the full
measure of the vanity OF unstable Lord
Brougham, who offered only to purchase
the papers outright. The British pub
lie, he said, was glutted with such
things. But they would be valuable to
Brougham as a weapon to hold kings up
to ridicuie-and to win favor with the
Princess Charlotte-and Brougham, when
he had ridden to power on the Stuart
papers. would procure patronage for
Watson, who should dine at great mems
tables.
Thus Lord Brougham. But Watson
was wiser In his day. and in the end his
bargain, without Lord Brougham's aid
was made complete.
So 1t came about that the trades
mems bills which for years had lain
as waste In a garnet at Rome one day
were taken away in three carloads The
man for whose capture the British gov
eminent had offered an award of 600
seemed on the eve of fame. But there
is many a slip 'twixt cup and lip
The news was whispered at the Vati-
can. the governor of Rome received a
petition protesting against the removal
OF the historical manuscripts. guard
was placed outside the room in which
the papers were stored. and at last the
sale was declared Illegal. Watson re-
fused to give them up. and. not doing
so voluntarily. was made TO do so by
force. Once again the heap OF papers
belonged TO Rome. But they were no
longer kitchen bills, to be stored in. a
garnet. They were a State collection
which might gracefully be presented to
a friendly nation. and the Vatican Of
fered them to the British prince regent.
Thus the Stuart papers came to Eng
land, and in the archives of the state
the credit Of their return is given to
Rome There was little glory for the
man who found them in an attic and
bought them with a borrowed ESQ. Wat
son, II is true, was paid for his trouble;
he had in several sums about G3s00 from
the British national purse. But from the
summers day in 1917. when a man-o'-
war brought the Stuart papers up the
Thames. Robert Watson was a broken
man.
He spoke mysteriously OF other collec-
tons: he brought home the Napoleon
carriage and the Marshal Ney baton.
which everybody has seen at Tussaud's
in Baker Street. But the Stuart papers,
which were the pride of a prince and n
Pope, which Sir Walter Scott was privi-
legged to see as literary curiosity.
which a royal commission was appoint
ed TO collate brought nothing more than
the labOrer's hire to him who saved them
ton And one day an old man tottered
into a tavern in the city OF London.
drew a neckclOth tightly around his
throat. and passed into oblivion.
There Is a strong feeling at CxbridGe
against the removal of the oak paneling
in the old Treaty House." which was
built in l575. and which. in the old-time
coaching days. was the most famous
house between London and Oxford. The
inhabitants are appealing for the fine
old paneling TO be kept in their town.
Urging the county or the British govern
ment to prevent its sale. The matter
has been placed in the hands OF the
national trust for the preservation Of the
places Of historical interest. The his
toric tavern is owned by firm OF brew
ers. and the town authorities have asked
them to delay further action until some
step can be taken. The purchaser of the
room is a wealthy resident of Hounslow.
This Treaty House" seems to have
been admirably adapted for the meeting
between Cavaliers and Roundhcads
which has made It historic. II is good
house. with a fair room in the middle
There were many other rooms on either
side OF this for the commissioners to
retire to when they thought fit to con-
suit by themselves, and there being good
stairs at either end of the house, they
never went through each others quar-
tiers. nor met. except in the great room.
Twenty days was fixed as the period
within which to settle terms OF peace.
At the end of that time they had not
come to an agreement on a single point.
so they separated and started the war
again FLANEIh-