power of keeping perspicuous without trouble; and have thereby caused my subscribers and myself a good deal more than was needful. 19. Henceforward I must ask their permission, unless I receive definite instruction to the contrary, to give names in full, as the subscriptions come in, and give up our occult notation.1 20. I have to acknowledge a quite magnificent gift of modern Japanese inlaid work to our Sheffield Museum, from my kind friend Mr. Henry Willett, of Arnold House, Brighton. A series of some fifty pieces was offered by him for our selection: but I have only accepted a tithe of them, thinking that the fewer examples of each school we possess, the better we shall learn from them. Three out of the five pieces I have accepted are of quite unsurpassable beauty, and the two others of extreme interest. They are sent to the Curator at Sheffield.3 1 [The first edition contained here the following additional passage :— "I am not quite so well pleased with my good friend Mr. Girdlestone's pamphlet on luxury as I was with that on classification of society, though I am heartily glad to be enabled by him to distribute it to my readers, for its gentle statements may be more convincing than my impatient ones. But I must protest somewhat against their mildness. It is not now merely dangerous, but criminal, to teach the lie that the poor live by the luxury of the rich. Able men-even Pope himself-have been betrayed into thinking so in old times (blaming the luxury, however, no less), but the assertion is now made by no intelligent person, unless with the deliberate purpose of disguising abuses on which all the selfish interests of society depend." The pamphlet is entitled Thoughts on Luxury and Poverty, by E. D. Girdlestone, B.A., Weston-super-Mare, 1876. The author (p. 4) characterises as false and dangerous "the statement that the poor live by the luxury of the rich." For Ruskin's reference to Pope, see in the Essay on Man such lines as "The rich is happy in the plenty giv'n" (Epistle II., 264), and the whole argument of Epistle III.] 2 [For notices of Mr. Willett, see Letter 85, § 5 (Vol. XXIX. p. 323); Vol. XVI. p. 255 n.; Vol. XVIII. p. 203 n.; and Deucalion, i. ch. ix. § 3 (Vol. XXVI. p. 206).] 3 [In writing to Mr. Willett in acknowledgment of this gift, Ruskin said (Oxford, March 13, 1876): "Well,—this would be indeed a magnificent gift of yours, but I cannot accept more than the twentieth part of it. I have no room, for one thing; but chiefly, I think this Japanese art, however interesting in itself, not good to be long looked at, or in many examples. I have kept the exquisite inlaid flock black-what should I call them? (there now, I've mislaid the catalogue, and must finish this note without finding it)—the three coloured pictures in pearl, I mean, and three of the bird trays." For the examples accepted for the Museum, see Vol. XXX.] NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE 21. (I.) AFFAIRS of the Company. I give on the next page our banker's account to 14th March of this year. Calling this "Account B," and that given to the end of last year, in last Fors, "Account A," the following abstract of both is, I hope, accurate. By Account A: Cash paid into bank . Interest accumulated. By Account B: Cash paid into bank. Giving total to our credit. Of the cheques for £800 I will give account presently; but first, we must compare the cash paid in with the subscription list. THE UNION BANK OF LONDON (CHANCERY LANE BRANCH) IN ACCOUNT WITH ST. GEORGE'S FUND 56. The mother of the first donor of land to St. George 2 £ s. d. 741 14 10 40 O 1 5 2 2 0 £785 1 10 50 0 0 100 0 0 800 300 50 0 0 20 0 0 200 5 0 0 0 10 0 1023 11 10 977 12 1 Balance in my hands 1 £45 19 9 [Letter 62, § 19 (p. 530), where the amount given is £742, 16s. 10d., amended on p. 557, by the correction of a subscription, to £741, 14s. 10d.] Mrs. Talbot: see above, p. 395.] The sum in my hands, thus amounting to £845, 19s 9d., has been distributed as follows: Purchase of land and house at Sheffield. Henry Swan-Two quarters' salary to 31st March, 1876 Prints (Colnaghi). See November Fors Messrs. Tarrant and Mackrell, 29th December, 1875 Balance in my hands £20 17 52 22. Messrs. Tarrant and Mackrell's accounts follow. I had an offer from Sheffield to do this legal work for nothing; but I wanted to be sure that everything was in due form, and I can trust this London firm. My very good friend Mr. Tarrant must, however, pardon my pointing out to him how much more pleasantly, for all parties, he might be employed, as suggested in Fors, Letter 16, §§ 6, 7, than in taxing this transfer of property to the amount of nearly fifty pounds-(seven pounds odd worth of letters merely).5 For, were the members of the legal profession employed generally in illuminating initials, and so got out of our way, and the lands of the country properly surveyed and fenced, all that would be really needful for the sale of any portion of them by anybody to anybody else, would be the entry in a roll recording the tenure of so many square miles round each principal town. "The piece of land hitherto belonging to A B, is this day sold to and henceforward belongs to C D, whereof, we (city magistrate and a head of any county family) are witnesses."6 THE ST. GEORGE'S COMPANY, To TARRANT & MACKRELL, Costs of Purchase of Freehold Land and Messuage in Bell Haig Road, Sheffield 1875. Sept. 20. On receipt of letters from Messrs. Webster, and from Mr. Ruskin, as to purchase of land and a house at Sheffield, writing Messrs. Webster, the vendor's solicitors, to send us contract Writing Mr. Ruskin as to amount of purchase money, he having stated it to be £600, and Messrs. Webster £630 Oct. 4. On receipt of draft contract for approval from Messrs. Webster, with abstract of title for inspection, looking through abstract, when we found it would be 1 [Letter 59, § 16 (p. 457).] Carry forward £ s. d. 050 036 £0 8 6 2 [The amount as given in the detailed account is, however, £22, Os. 8d. see p. 582. Yet on p. 628 Mr. Tarrant seems to accept the total £47, 13s. 4d. as correct; presumably a small amount was waived.] 3 [The amount was originally misprinted £106, 16s. 5d.: see Letter 65, § 27 (p. 611).] [Vol. XXVII. pp. 282-284.] For Mr. Tarrant's reply, see below, p. 628.] [For a later reference to this subject, see Letter 77, § 11 (Vol. XXIX. p. 118).] 1875. Brought forward £ s. d. 086 necessary to have a copy of plan on deed of 1st May, 1857, and an abstract . Writing Messrs. Webster accordingly 0 13 4 050 Oct. 11. Perusing abstract of title, nine sheets Perusing the Rivelin View Company's Deed of Covenants, four sheets. 068 Writing vendor's solicitors with contract approved and thereon, and for plan which they had omitted to send 050 Oct. 13. Writing Messrs. Webster, acknowledging letter approving of our alterations in contract, and asking for plan which they had omitted to send, although in their letter they stated it was enclosed 050 0 10 6 076 Engrossing one part of the contract for signature of Mr. Ruskin, and paid stamp thereon Drawing plan thereon Writing Mr. Ruskin, with contract for his signature, and fully thereon, and as to the contents of the Rivelin View Society's Deed of Covenants, and as to Trustees of the Company to whom the property might be conveyed, and for cheque for £60 for deposit Oct. 18. On receipt of letter from Mr. Ruskin with contract signed and cheque for deposit, Writing with appointment to exchange contracts and pay deposit Oct. 19. Writing our agents at Sheffield (Messrs. Broomhead and Co.) with abstract of title to examine, with deeds, and instructing them Writing vendor's solicitors that contract exchanged and deposit paid to their 050 Oct. 21. Attending perusing conditions of sale under which Mr. Bagshawe bought the property before drawing requisitions on title Writing Mr. Ruskin on subject of completion, and for cheque for £540 balance of purchase money, and with consent to be signed by him to conveyance being taken to the Right Hon. W. C. Temple and Sir T. D. Acland as Trustees for the Company, Mr. Ruskin having entered into the contract Writing vendor's solicitors, with engrossment for examination, and fully thereon Writing Messrs. Broomhead, our agents, instructing them to make proper searches in the Land Registry at Wakefield, and as to completion of purchase. Νου. 12. Writing our agents at Sheffield, with cheque for £540 purchase money, and very fully as to registering deed of conveyance, searches, and settling. Writing Mr. Ruskin acknowledging receipt of his two letters, with two cheques for, together, £540 Carry forward 068 0 16 0 054 050 0 13 4 0 5 0 |