L23.

A conjuring drum from Lapland, with an almanac cut on a piece of wood.

Several sections in silver of a Turkish galley, a Venetian gondola, an
Indian canoe, and a first-rate man-of-war.

A Saxon king's mace used in war, with a ball full of spikes, and the
handle covered with gold plates, and enamelled, sold for L37 8_s_.

A gorget of massy gold, chased with the manner of a battle, weighing
thirty-one ounces, at L3 10_s_. per ounce, was sent to the Mint.

A Roman shield of buff leather, covered with a plate of gold, finely
chased with a Gorgon's head, set round the rim with rubies, emeralds,
turquoise stones, in number 137, L132 12_s_.

The pictures, taken from Whitehall, Windsor, Wimbledon, Greenwich,
Hampton-Court, &c., exhibit, in number, an unparalleled collection. By
what standard they were valued, it would perhaps be difficult to
conjecture; from L50 to L100 seems to have been the limits of the
appraiser's taste and imagination. Some whose price is whimsically low
may have been thus rated from a political feeling respecting the
portrait of the person; there are, however, in this singular appraised
catalogue two pictures, which were rated at, and sold for, the
remarkable sums of one and of two thousand pounds. The one was a
sleeping Venus by Correggio, and the other a Madonna by Raphael. There
was also a picture by Julio Romano, called "The great piece of the
Nativity," at L500. "The little Madonna and Christ," by Raphael, at
L800. "The great Venus and Parde," by Titian, at L600. These seem to
have been the only pictures, in this immense collection, which reached a
picture's prices. The inventory-writer had, probably, been instructed by
the public voice of their value; which, however, would, in the present
day, be considered much under a fourth. Rubens' "Woman taken in
Adultery," described as a large picture, sold for L20; and his "Peace
and Plenty, with many figures big as the life," for L100. Titian's
pictures seem generally valued at L100.[194] "Venus dressed by the
Graces," by Guido, reached to L200.

The Cartoons of Raphael, here called "The Acts of the Apostles,"
notwithstanding their subject was so congenial to the popular feelings,
and only appraised at L300, could find no purchaser![195]

The following full-lengths of celebrated personages were rated at these
whimsical prices:

Queen Elizabeth in her parliament robes, valued L1.

The Queen-mother in mourning habit, valued L3.

Buchanan's