. Vanishing England . d books, andeven of houses. Some nobleman or gentleman, throughthe extravagance of himself or his ancestors, or on accountof the pressure of death duties, finds himself impover-ished. Some of our great art dealers hear of his unhappystate, and knowing that he has some fine paintings—aVandyck or a Romney—offer him twenty-five or thirtythousand pounds for a work of art. The temptationproves irresistible. The picture is sold, and soon findsits way into the gallery of a rich American, no one inEngland having the power or the good taste to purchaseit. We spend our money in oth
. Vanishing England . d books, andeven of houses. Some nobleman or gentleman, throughthe extravagance of himself or his ancestors, or on accountof the pressure of death duties, finds himself impover-ished. Some of our great art dealers hear of his unhappystate, and knowing that he has some fine paintings—aVandyck or a Romney—offer him twenty-five or thirtythousand pounds for a work of art. The temptationproves irresistible. The picture is sold, and soon findsits way into the gallery of a rich American, no one inEngland having the power or the good taste to purchaseit. We spend our money in other ways. The followingconversation was overheard at Christies: Here is abeautiful thing; you should buy it, said the speaker to 6 VANISHING ENGLAND a newly fledged baronet. Im afraid I cant afford it,replied the baronet. Not afford it? replied his com-panion. It will cost you infinitely less than a baronetcyand do you infinitely more credit. The new baronetseemed rather offended. At the great art sales rare folios. Detail of Seventeenth-century Table in Miltons Cottage,Chalfont St. Giles of Shakespeare, pictures, Sevres, miniatures from Englishhouses are put up for auction, and of course find theirway to America. Sometimes our cousins from across theAtlantic fail to secure their treasures. They have strivenvery eagerly to buy Miltons cottage at Chalfont , for transportation to America; but this efforthas happily been successfully resisted. The carved INTRODUCTION 7 table in the cottage was much sought after, and waswith difficulty retained against an offer of ,£150. Anold window of fifteenth-century workmanship in an oldhouse at Shrewsbury was nearly exploited by an enter-prising American for the sum of ,£250; and someyears ago an application was received by the HomeSecretary for permission to unearth the body of WilliamPenn, the founder of Pennsylvania, from its grave in theburial-ground of Jordans, near Chalfont St. Giles, andtransport it to Philadelphia. This a
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