HISTORIC PORTRAITS.
[To ran Eamon or ran "Erscraros."]
SIR,—I have read with much interest Mr. John Lane's letter in your last issue. In justice to Mr. Asquith, I do not think he really understood what we were driving at. He seemed to think that the owners of family pictures would consider any attempt to make an inventory of them somewhat inquisitorial. He thought that there was a very great difference between asking old families to open their muniment chests and allow the Historical Manuscripts Commissioners to examine the records and sending a man round to take notes of the portraits of their ancestors. I do not agree with him, but that is his opinion. I see no reason at all why a voluntary society should not be started to commence the work. I think a large number of owners would only be too glad to have a free skilled opinion of their pictures, and it is possible that they may find themselves possessed of pictures of the value of which they had no idea. I intend when the Session opens to speak to the Prime Minister again on the subject and try and make our views more clear to him. As Registrar of the Imperial Society of Knights, I may add that we are commencing to "grangerize" a copy of the "Dictionary of National Biography" by getting a copy of every picture extant of the Knights Bachelors of the Empire from the earliest times.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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