LADY CHARLOTTE SCHREIBER'S JOURNALS.
Lady Charlotte Schreiber's Journals. Edited by her Son, Montague J. Guest, with annotations by Egan Mew. 2 vols. (John Lane. 42s. net.)—This book is certain to interest collectors, but in the midst of their pleasure there will be antari aliquid ; even as to the salmon fisher of to-day who buys his fish at the rate of some twenty pounds a piece there is a bitterness in a diary of fifty years ago when they did not cost more than ten shillings. These two huge volumes, numbering together more than a thousand pages, cover a period of about sixteen years. The earliest entry bears the date of May 4th, 1869; the latest records the handing over in 1885 of the magnificent collection which is now one of the chief glories of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Lady Charlotte, only daughter of the ninth Earl of Lindsay, married first Sir John Guest (died 1852), and secondly, in 1855, Mr. Charles Schreiber. It was not till ten years after her second marriage that she began her collecting campaign. Once begun it was never permitted to flag. " She left no stone unturned. No difficulty, discomfort, fatigue, or hardship of travel daunted her, or turned her from her purpose," writes her son. She was a shrewd and patient bar- gainer; she knew her subject with a completeness which is a little astonishing when we remember how late she took it up. There is something quite ideal in her collecting career. Her bargains showed an enormous profit, and with this she enriched her country. The prices she gave will seem tantalizingly small to the collectors of to-day. Here is a specimen. She goes to Amsterdam from the Hague, starting before nine, and calls at a dealer's. "Great was my delight and surprise on going to his best cupboard to find a Bristol figure, a youth holding a 'comb, nearly perfect!" "Of course, he had not an idea what it was "—a nice question in casuistry is suggested—" but because it was large he wanted £7 for it. It ended by my just giving him £7 for that and two Bow sauceboats in red camaleu." She goes to another dealer. He wants for "a good box (slightly damaged), a scent-case, and an etui (Battersea enamel) £28 !—a price so enormous that we could do nothing." Any price in double figures seemed enormous. Once we hear of £150; but the vast sunis which we now hear of never occur. Those were indeed happy days. Imagine a Wedgwood dinner and dessert service of more than two hundred and fifty pieces for .215. Of course, there is Wedgwood and Wedgwood ; but to pay a little over a shilling for each piece !- and what Lady Charlotte bought was sure to be pretty good.
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