Digitised Manuscripts and Books

I00 Lionel , mentioning that in the event of his refusal he would offer them at the same price to the nation . My Uncle, however 7 rad would not entertain-the notion of so vast -avtransaction . Siz Robert subsequently declined a magnificent offer from a foreign Cc dealer , nor could he be induced to send the pictures ties though he was assured by competent experts that they would there realise a far greater sum than he considered them tio be worth 3) end umuch ot © hieaseredit ‘remaining proof against all temptation , to the nation the pictures went. To judge , not from the prices which the old Dutch wasters have recently fetched , but fromthe prices given for those which came into the market at that time , it may be confidently asserted that Sir Robert received for his collection about one-third of its then ~veilue: im Collectors»may deplore the fact. bub it--should be a source of gratification to the public,that most fine works of art drift slowly but surely into museums and public calleries. In private hands they can afford delight to only a small inum- ber of persons . Take even the case of our large country hous- es whose proprietors generously allow them to be visited on certain days . These are accessible to a limited circle . More i d over they run the risk of fire or other damage . Belvoir Cast- le, Ingestre Hall, Crewe Hall , and many other historic mans- | nave been burned down and with them many of their price- ions léss contents have been destroyed . I can speak from exper- 1énce ,» having suffered the loss of Gainsborough's 'Two Sisters which was consumed in a fire caused by t some workmen. In a museum pictures find a safe refuge , and