The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-15
The Story Of O Hsuse.


mind. and indeed any dstinctively
literary" readers. will md much Gu
rlous and entertaining matter in The
Greatest House at Chelsey. by RANDALL
DAWES John Lane Company At first
sight you would not think there was
much to be made about house al
Chelsea. even though the greatest
house" there. which was built In 1880
and demolished In l74O and Of which
nothing remains but fragment OF brick
wall. rather disputably said to belong TO
the original structure. and a gateway
designed by lingo Jones. which at the
time Of the demolition was carried
away TO Chiswick and there set up.
where II may still be seen. But when
you are informed that the house in
question was built by Sir Thomas
More and demolished by Sir Hans
Sloane and that among Its owners or
occupants have been Lord Burghley
and his SON. Sir Robert Cecil. created first
Earl Of Salisbury; Sir Arthur Gorges
the first and second Dukes OF Buck
ingham. respectively James is and
Charles lis dukes. and Bulstrode
Whitlocke. the member OF Crom-
wells Council OF State and Amhassa dor
OF the Commonwealth to Sweden. you
perceive that It must have an interest
ing history IL It could only he exhumed
Mr.. Davies has used due diligence. He
has not only read everything pertinent
10 his purpose that has been published
but he has dug in the manuscript COL
lections in which not only the public
libraries Of English are so rich but
also so many country houses. particu-
larry including for the present occasion.
the collection OF unpublished letters at
Knole a house even more famous than
1.-THE greatest house at Chelsey."
Mr.. Davies notes as curiosity that
In all it's history Of over two centuries.
while the house has changed owners
thirteen times. it has descended from
father to son but twice. The most ad-
mirable Of all its inmates remains the
original builder. 1t was at this house
that Erasmus visited Sir Thomas More
and describes him at home: More
hath built near London upon the
Thames side a commodious house.
neither mean nor subject to envy, but
magnificent enough: there ne CONVEX
seth with his family-h!s wife. his son
and daughter-in- law. his three daurh-
ters and their husbands. with eleven
grandchildren. There Is not any man
so loving to his children as he; and he
loveth his old wife as well as II she
were a young maid" A still more in
teresting document Of Sir Thomas's
home life at Chelsea Is Holbe!n's oriei-
nal sketch for his picture of the More
family group. The picture itself has
hopelessly vanished. But the sketch,
which More sent to Erasmus with iden-
tifica tons In his own hand Of the vari-
Gus members of his family circle. is still
extant in the museum OF Basic. and Is
here photographically reproduced. There
is 4 verbal picture. bv Sir Thomas's
son-in-law, OF Henry VIII. visiting More
land after dinner In a faire garden OF
his walked with him by the space OF an
hour holding his arm about his neck"
And there Is an affecting picture of a
visit made by Dame Alice" to her hus-
hand In the Tower to induce him to save
his life by conformity. what the good
YEAR Mr. More. marvel that you. that
have been always hitherunto taken for
so wise q man. will now so play the fool
as to lie here In this close filthy prison,
and be content thus to be shut up among
mice and rats, when you might he
abroad at your liberty and with tn
favor and good will both OF the King
and his Council II you would do so as
all the Bishops and best learned of this
realm have done. And seeing you have
1T Chelsea a right fair house. your gar
den. your orchard and all other neces-
.arles so handsomely about you, where
you might In the company OF me
YOUR wife, your children and household
he merry. muse what in Gods name
makes you this fondly TO tarry." We
all know how vain was the good wife's
intercession.
Pawlet. afterward nrst Marquis o.
winchester. came officially into charge
Of the house after the attalnder OF More
and ultimately received a grant Of It in
Zee from his royal master, to whom II
had escheated. Although he held II
Cor forty years he added nothing to It's
tradition. There Is story here about
him how after he had lived on into tho
spacious times" and become AT a great
age Lord Treasurer Of Queen Elizabeth
she Openly and merrily bemoaned her
self that the Marquis was so old" or
else, by my troth," said she. "if my
Lord Treasurer were but . young man