Show II British Hard Times Fill Auction r Rooms Ro ms Treasures Treasure From Country Homes Now on Market London Sir London Sir Rider Haggard writes to th the Times deploring that the roofs i I of old English country mansions arc are rotting and fa falling in because the owners cannot afford to keep them up and there is Ss no one to buy them and that with them disappears the old English country life of which they were the center The contents of these old houses are pouring into the market as they have never done before and popular belief is that most of these valuable are bought in by London art dealers for their American customers Even some of the old families which are ire known to be immensely rich according according ac ac- cordin cording to English values are taking advantage of the high tide of art prices For example for sale soon at atthe atthe atthe the famous Christie e auction rooms is isa isa isa a group of old masters of world reputation reputation tation lation put up by the duke of Westminster Westminster Westminster West West- minster which includes three picture by Rubens Ruben forming part of a series said aid to have been painted by order of Philip IV to decorate a Carmelite convent also a Virgin and Child by Vandyke Many Other Treasures Sold Other Jots lots offered at Christies Christie's which combine the value of patrician associations with art are Old English furniture and needlework needlework needlework needle needle- i work the property of her grace the duchess of Wellington ellington and carved oak furniture the property of his grace the duke of Marlborough Maryborough and removed from a farmhouse on th th- Blenheim estate Also porcelains belonging to th the Right lion Hon Earl Hawe G. G C C. V. V 0 O. the heirlooms from Keele hall I I Staffordshire which have a romantic flavor Javor and consist mostly of old silver silver sil silver sil- sil ver furniture and porcelains a valuable valuable valuable able collection of pictures left by t the e elate late earl of Hardwicke furniture belonging be longing to the earl of Sandwich and anda a few old masters put up by the right honorable the earl of Clarendon PC I G G. C. C n. n G G. C. C V. V Q 9 I Among the offerings at Sot he bys by's within the next month are valuable pictures the property of Lady Edward Edward Ed Ed- ward Grosvenor Sir John Hippisley and other oilier articles belonging to the countess of Gosford Cosford and Cora countess countess countess count count- ess of 01 Strafford Stafford I Private Bargains Are Made I It is many years cars since any of the I duke of Westminster's collection ol of old masters have appeared in the auction auction I tion lion room rooms although some star picture has occa occasionally been sold by a private private private vate bargain and ami treasures from Blenheim Blen Ihlen- Blenheim heim have rarely been obtainable inthe in inthe I Ithe the lifetime of the present duke of I Marlborough h. h The f that nearly everything sold I OS s to America is not entirely rue rue The good old reliable but uninspired British la landscape la artists artist of years yeara ago whose works harmonized perfectly with the old country houses are enjoying a boom in prices The majority of them are practically unknown unknown un un- known in America and arc not in demand demand de de- de- de mand there yet the swiftness with which 2000 or are arc bid for pictures pictures pictures pic pic- tures that went begging on the painters painters painter's paint paint- ers er's hands hards shows that there is yet money in England for Tor or art |