L100, and sometimes did not reach L50.  At the sale of “Rosslyn House,” Hampstead, in 1830, a mansion of considerable importance, the highest-priced article was “A capital maghogany pedestal sideboard, with hot closet, cellaret, 2 plate drawers, and fluted legs,” which brought L32.  At the sale of the property of “A man of Fashion,” “a marqueterie cabinet, inlaid with trophies, the panels of Sevres china, mounted in ormolu,” sold for twenty-five guineas; and a “Reisener (sic) table, beautifully inlaid with flowers, and drawers,” which appears to have been reserved at nine guineas, was bought in at eight-and-a-half guineas.  Frequenters of Christie’s of the present day who have seen such furniture realize as many pounds as the shillings included in such sums, will appreciate the enormously increased value of really good old French furniture.

Perhaps the most noticeable comparison between the present day and that of half-a-century ago may be made in reading through the prices of the great sale at Stowe House, in 1848, when the financial difficulties of the Duke of Buckingham caused the sale by auction which lasted thirty-seven days, and realised upwards of L71,000, the proceeds of the furniture amounting to L27,152.  We have seen in the notice of French furniture that armoires by Boule have, during the past few years, brought from L4,000 to L6,000 each under the hammer, and the want of appreciation of this work, probably the most artistic ever produced by designer and craftsman, is sufficiently exemplified by the statement that at the Stowe sale two of Boule’s famous armoires, of similar proportions to those in the Hamilton Palace and Jones Collections, were sold for L21 and L19 8s. 6d. respectively.

We are accustomed now to see the bids at Christie’s advance by guineas, by fives and by tens; and it is amusing to read in these old catalogues of marqueterie tables, satin wood cabinets, rosewood pier tables, and other articles of “ornamental furniture,” as it was termed, being knocked down to Town and Emanuel, Webb, Morant, Hitchcock, Raldock, Forrest, Redfearn, Litchfield (the writer’s father), and others who were the buyers and regular attendants at “Christie’s” (afterwards Christie and Manson) of 1830 to 1845, for such sums as 6s., 15s., and occasionally L10 or L15.

A single quotation is given, but many such are to be found:—­Sale on February 25th and 26th, 1841.  Lot 31.  “A small oval table, with a piece of Sevres porcelain painted with flowers. 6s.”

It is pleasant to remember, as some exception to this general want of interest in the subject, that in 1843 there was held at Gore House, Kensington, then the fashionable residence of Lady Blessington, an exhibition of old furniture; and a series of lectures, illustrated by the contributions, was given by Mr., now Sir, J.C.  Robinson.  The Venetian State chair, illustrated on p. 57, was amongst the examples lent by the Queen on that occasion.  Specimens of Boule’s work and some good pieces of Italian Renaissance were also exhibited.