Show British Hard Times Fill Auction Rooms Treasures From Country Homes N Now ow on Market London Sir London Sir Rider Haggard writes to the Times deploring that the roofs of old English country mansions arc are rotting and falling in because the owners cannot afford to keep them m up and there is no one to buy them and amI 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 known to be immensely rich according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to English values are taking advantage of the high tide of art pric prices For example for sale le upon soon at atthe atthe atthe the famous Christie au auction tion robins is isa isa isa a group of old masters of world reputation tation put up by the duke of Westminster Westminster West Vest minster which 11 includes three picture pictured by Rubens forming part of a series said 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 lot lots offered at Christies Christie's which combine the value of patrician associations with art arc are Old En 1 h fu r ritu m an d n e edle- edle I g ms re u work the property of her grace the duchess of Wellington and carved oak furniture the property of his grace the duke of Marlborough and removed from a farmhouse on th the I Blenheim estate Also porcelains belonging to th the Right Hon Earl Hawe G G. C C. C V. V 0 O. the time heirlooms heirloom's from Keele hall Staffordshire which have a romantic flavor and consist mostly of old silver silver silver sil sil- sil- sil ver furniture and porcelains a valuable valuable valuable able collection of pictures left by th the late carl earl of Hardwicke furniture belonging be bc longing to the earl of Sandwich and anda a few old masters put up by the right honorable the time earl of Clarendon PC G. G C. C B B. B G. G C. C V. V O. O Among the offerings at within the time next month are valuable pictures the time property of Lady Edward Edward Edward Ed Ed- ward Grosvenor Sir John Hippisley and other articles belonging to the countess of Gosford and Cora countess count count- ess of Strafford Private Bargains Are M Made de deIt It is man many years since any of the time duke uke of Westminster's 1 collection of ol old masters have appeared in the auction auction auction tion rooms although some star picture has occasionally been sold by a private private private vate bargain and treasures from fromn Blenheim Blenheim Blen Blen- heim have rarely been obtainable in inthe inthe the lifetime of the present duke of Marlborough The rime belief lief that nearly everything sold goes to America is not entirely rue The rue good old reliable b but lt British landscape artists of II years ago whose works harmon harmonized zed perfectly with the old country houses are enjoying a boom in prices The majority of them are practically unknown unknown unknown un un- known in America and are not in demand demand demand de de- de- de mand there yet the sw swiftness with which 2000 or are bid for pictures pictures pictures pic pic- tures that went begging on the painters painters painter's painters painter's paint paint- ers er's hands shows that there is yet money in England for art |