Digitised Manuscripts and Books

oY deceived by a replica which is easily and cheaply obtained. peril to which it is ex- And -as* "for. old chinac! Thank of the t + } posed by the housemaid's duster or the housekeeper S s0apr.iirer better to get a pair of vases or a service at Minton's and let theiold?one gsosobefore itlissmashed. On ald these occasions venders and buyers hold their tongues , and the world progress- es as satisfactorily as it did before the sale. Could old works of art be acquired in the auction room only , commission agents would prosper but Bond Street would have to go into mourning . This might not be a national calam- ity-, and’ 1 for’ one should note shed manyobitter tears. Lt xis true that I am indebted to dealers for most of the works of art on the possession of which I pride myself. I shall not even srunbile’ at. the profits: they made outs of men 5,7) butr dado + | ) lament the fact that in these transactions the person who most needed it benefited least . Occasionally the owner of ‘some fine article drives a good bargain but as a rule he falls an osrey to the astute tradesman, who is not much troubled by conscience and sets no limit to the intrigues on which he enters or the romances he fabricates to assist him in the accomplishment of his design . The mind of the dealer is fer- tile in resources and in ingenious devices , and he well knows what particular device the occasion renders it advisable to employ. ‘If the owner of the article he ‘covets, but may? have some difficulty in securing, be of a timid or nervous disposi- tion then instead of argument or persuasion he uses strong language, shouts at him as if he were ad @ eaf , and rushes» him so impetuously that rather than stand the ordeal any longer the Owner submits and sells. Some persons are of a credulous and