The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-07-12
Foreign Gossip of Interest on
Both Sides of the Atlantic

An attempt ID being made to purchase
for removal to America the famous and
historic staircase In Cromwell House,
Highgate Hill. AS the sum involved in
the leasehold and freehold interests is
only about $4,000. 1t appears strange
that so important a historic relic should
be allowed by Englishmen to be taken
away from Middlesex.
Cromwell House at one time was the
home Of Gen. Ireton and his wife
Bridget. the eldest daughter of the Lord
Protector. 1t is a large mansion. stand
ing on rising ground near Highgate Hill.
1t overiooks waterIow Park and. in
fact, is one of the most important OF The
old structures in the London suburbs.
The finest feature of the house, its
glory, is a beautifully carved oak well
staircase FIVE feet wide with thirteen
+newels, some of which are decorated
with carved figures that were placed
there by Gen. Ireton. These figures are
a little over one and a half inches in
height and represent the various grades
In Cromwelrs army. Some OF the cell
ings In the house also are quite hand
some.
The property is on the MiddIesex Dor
der. ana the county council has placed
the mansion on Its list OF historic build
ings that ought to be preserved. The
council or the Society for the Protection
Of Ancient Buildings should do their
best as good patriots to avert what in
England is regarded as an act OF desc
Grafton.
Friend of Flaneur'' in a letter. post
marked at Memphis. having read In
this column the details OF the British
Lord Chancellor's duties, &C, asks
whether It Is this high orficiaI himself
who has to make the Impressions OF the
Great Seal This task formerly was the
sole duty of an important functionary
called "Chaffwax." The office is abolished
now and the sealing is done by one OF
the Lord Chancellor's messengers. The
last ''Chaffwsx." a venerable old PEN
sioner. draws a comfortable income for
his past services in melting the sealing
wax.
The Great Seal nearly brought dis
aster 10 one Lord Chancellor when 1t
passed into his keeping. When Lord
Selbourne attended the council at Bal
moral on his appointment in 1872, an
accident happened which. to a super
stitious mind. might have seemed a bad
omen. The seal was contained in the
embroidered purse used in public as one
of the symbols of the Lord Chancellor's
office. and as the newly appointed lord
lifted the purse the wrong way from the
table on which 1t lay before the Queen
(Victoria) the seal fell out upon the
floor with a loud thud close to one OF his
feet. which certainly would have been
crushed II so great a weight had fallen
upon II.
Besides being stolen. and twice thrown
into rivers the Great Seal OF England
was once buried TO escape being burned.
In 1872 Lord Chancellor Eldon's house
took fire. and he promptly rushed away
with the Great Seal. which he buried in
the hower-garden. On returning, he
records In his diary. he was so enchanted
with the pretty sight OF the maids. who
had turned out Of their beds and were
handing buckets OF water to the fire en-
CINE. and so alarmed for the safety OF
Lady Eldon. that next morning he
could not remember in which flower
bed he had buried the seal. You never
saw" adds Lord Eldon. anything so
ridiculous as the whole family down the
walks dibbling with bits of stick until
We found it.
Mr.. Adolphus Lidden who has been
to many Lord Chancellors. de-
scribes in his "reminiscences how an i'm ,,
preston OF the Great Seal is made. The /
wax is not put upon the paper as in or
binary seals, but is in the shape of
disc with an impression on each side. |
This is kept in a tin or plated case. and
attached to the document by tag I'm
oedded in wax. Consequently the seal
itself is not a signet. but consists OF |
wo heavy silver plates in one Of which J
: cut the impression OF the front OF the |
ievice in the other that for the back. |
rhe present plates were made at a cost |
II e70O. When a seal Is required a /
arge chunk of wax is first softened in !
rot water, then cooled in cold. after !
which it is placed between the two plates
md pressed. emerging in the shape !
lbove mentioned.
A list has been drawn up Of the most
men in London-of course. |
rs a joke. The first twelve among them
Are naturally supposed to be the very
eaders Of British life OF to-day, and |
lust as naturally. the King is among
hem. And yet II may be said. quite
ruly. that George V may walk-not in
mis- regalIa but d. cssed as a citizen
rom Charing Cross to Ludgate Hill,
hough the busiest part Of the city, with
tut any one noticing him-which goes to
prove that every one may jump of his
picture card, even a king. In this par
ocular instance this may be due to the
'act that the photographers and artists
nave failed altogether (pursposely9 in
the outward show OF the celeb
-itS.
Lord Rosebery was one OF the twelve
greatest ones among the 'recognizables,"