ILLUSTRATIONS.
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The Statue of His Royal Highness thePrince Consort | [Frontispiece] |
South Kensington Museum | [21] |
Sir Henry Cole, K.C.B. | [36] |
South Kensington Museum—GroundPlan | [39] |
Diagram showing Glitter Points in aPicture-gallery | [40] |
Sir Philip Cunliffe Owen, Director ofSouth Kensington Museum | [42] |
North Court, North-west Corner, ShowingCasts of the Biga (or Two-horseChariot), from the Original in Marbleat the Vatican, and of the Pulpitby Giovani Pisano, formerly in theCathedral at Pisa | [44] |
South Court, Showing the Prince Consort’sGallery | [45] |
Chinese Potters at Work—Window inthe Ceramic Gallery | [47] |
Italian Majolica (Urbino). SixteenthCentury | [51] |
Lamp from an Arabian Mosque. FourteenthCentury | [53] |
Palissy, the Potter—Window in the CeramicGallery | [54] |
Sèvres Porcelain Vase. Modern | [55] |
Henri Deux Candlestick | [56] |
Henri Deux Salt-cellar | [58] |
Michael Angelo’s Eros | [62] |
Marble Cantoria. By Baccio D’Agnolo | [65] |
Tabernacle. Andrea Ferrucci | [66] |
Altar-piece—the Virgin with the InfantSaviour.—Enamelled Terra-cotta, orDella Robbia, in High Relief. ByAndrea Della Robbia | [67] |
Hercules, the Duke of Ferrara | [70] |
Ashantee Relics | [72] |
The Cellini Sardonyx Ewer, Mounted inEnamelled Gold, and Set with Gems—Italian.Sixteenth Century | [73] |
Châsse, or Reliquary—Limoges Enamelled.Thirteenth Century | [75] |
Pastoral Staves—Ivory and Enamel.Fourteenth Century | [82] |
Elkington’s Mark | [85] |
Franchi and Son’s Mark | [85] |
Modern Persian Ewer (Copper-coated,with White Metal) | [94] |
Old Persian Earthenware (Water-bottle) | [95] |
Persian Kaliān | [96] |
Ancient Persian Incense-burner (Piercedand Chased Brass) | [97] |
Modern Persian Incense-burner (Brass) | [98] |
Andrea Gritti, Doge of Venice—Italian.Ascribed to Vittore Camelo. SixteenthCentury | [99] |
Tazza—Algerian Onyx and Enamel.Modern French | [100] |
Salt-cellar—Silver Gilt; Italian. FifteenthCentury | [100] |
Ivory Tankard—Augsburg. SeventeenthCentury | [101] |
Finest Raised Venetian Point Lace—FloralDesign. Italian. SeventeenthCentury | [104] |
Nettle in its Natural State | [109] |
Nettle in Geometrical Proportions | [109] |
Plan of Top of Henri Deux Salt-cellar | [111] |
Assize Court, Manchester | [122] |
| [124] | |
Kidderminster Carpet—Fern Design | [127] |
Minton Tiles for Mantel | [129] |
Albert Memorial, Hyde Park | [131] |
Albert Memorial. Europe | [133] |
Albert Memorial—East Front. Painters | [134] |
Albert Memorial—Continuation of EastFront. Painters | [136] |
Albert Memorial—South Front. Poetsand Musicians | [138] |
Albert Memorial—Continuation of SouthFront. Musicians | [140] |
Spandrel Picture | [147] |
Owen Jones | [153] |
Ebony Serving-table, Mr. Lehmann’sHouse | [162] |
Top of Serving-table, Mr. Lehmann’sHouse | [164] |
Pot Designed by Miss Lévin | [167] |
William Morris | [185] |
Moulding over Dado | [186] |
Chippendale Mahogany Moulding, BelmontHouse | [187] |
Drawing-room of Bellevue House | [188] |
Library in Bellevue House | [191] |
Drawing-room in Townsend House | [194] |
A Grate of One Hundred Years Ago | [198] |
Grate made for Baron Rothschild | [199] |
Boyd’s Grate | [200] |
L. Alma Tadema.—[From a Bust by J.Dalou] | [207] |
Candelabra, Townsend House | [209] |
View from a Balcony | [217] |
Dining-room in Tower House | [222] |
Queen Anne’s Gardens | [224] |
Co-operative Stores and Tabard Inn | [225] |
Tower House and Lawn-tennis Grounds | [226] |
Reading and Billiard Room, Club-house | [227] |
A Fancy-dress party at the Club | [229] |
An Artist’s Studio | [233] |
PROLEGOMENA.
HOMELY and Comely were sisters. Their parents were in humble circumstances, and depended mainly on the care and economy of these two daughters—their entire family. They were persons of some social position, and it had constituted a problem how they might preserve some relation to the community and at the same time maintain comfort at home: Youth required the former, Age needed the latter. It was settled in a way which this historian cannot commend: the arrangement was that one of the girls should attend to the external, the other to the internal affairs of the family. So soon as this was resolved, there was no difficulty in determining which of the girls should go out and which stay at home. There was about Comely a certain ease and address, as well as personal attractiveness, which seemed to make society her natural sphere; while the shyness and plainness of Homely made the task of remaining at home congenial. Homely was content with homespun clothes in order that Comely might wear silk. Whenever there was a ball or a festival, Comely was sure to come, and Homely stayed at home.
Gradually, however, this distribution of parts appeared not to have the happiest results. Comely grew so fond of the gay world that her home became distasteful; she demanded, too, more and more of the family resources for her fashionable attire, and the concession deprived the house of everything but the barest utensils. On the other hand, Homely had stayed withindoors so much that she became slovenly, and, as she had to wear her homespun till it was threadbare, in order that her sister might keep up with the fashions, she became unlovely to look upon. Comely came at length to despise her sister. Homely became a peevish drudge. The family by degrees became unhappy, without being very clear as to the cause of their troubles.
One night Comely came home from a ball in unusual agitation. Her sister was aroused to hear the confidence that a lover of rank, handsome and charming, had discovered his interest in Comely. Any differences the sisters may have had were quite forgotten in the renewal of their natural sympathy caused by this incident.
The next morning a messenger arrived to announce that his master, Lord Deeplooke, was on his way to visit Comely and the family in their own home, and would arrive in an hour. Here was a sensation! The two sisters set themselves to work—even Comely using her hands for once—to make the chief room of the house neat. But Comely looked on the blank walls with dismay, and said, “Surely there used to be some pictures.” “Yes,” replied Homely, “but you are wearing the last of them now.” Comely blushed—and the blush was becoming—at this; but the sisters gathered some beautiful flowers and decorated the room as well as they could. When this was attended to Comely was about to repair to her room to decorate herself, and called her sister to do the same; but Homely declared she already had on her very best gown. Comely was shocked at this, and entreated her sister to conceal herself during the nobleman’s visit. This Homely was quite willing to do.