THE villa which Empress Elizabeth of Austria is having built at Corfu will certainly be one of the most perfect and luxurious dwellings imaginable. Surrounded by superb grounds which are all the year round a mass of fragrant blossoms, and shaded by dense groves of palm and blue-gum trees, the house, throned, as it were, on a hill, looks like a huge jewel in the glorious light of the Eastern sun. It is constructed in Pompeian style, the walls, of pink Ferrara marble, are adorned with beautiful mosaics, and the flat roof is enclosed by an elaborately - carved balustrade. Behind the villa is a field of roses, comprising 25,000 bushels of all kinds and colours. A trellised walk, covered with climbing noisette and nyphetos roses, encloses this unique collection, the flower-laden branches meeting and interlacing overhead, and hanging down on both sides almost to the ground. Here and there the snowy column of a high-reaching fountain rises far up into the air and falls in glittering spray on the turf smooth as velvet bordered with ground ivy.
The gardens and park are almost completed. The latter descends in sloping terraces to the edge of the sea, where a marble flight of stairs leads to a private harbour. A lighthouse, also built of marble, and provided with an enormous electric lamp, will throw its dazzling rays over the waters and on the surrounding woods. A sea wall of pink marble, studded at intervals with tall vases of majolica filed with aloe plants, stretches along the shore separating the grounds from the golden sands of the beach.
The villa contains 128 rooms, and the stables can hold fifty horses. From the windows of the Empress’s sleeping apartment and boudoir the view is admirable, reaching far away to where the mountains of Cyprus and Albania tower into the sky. All the rooms will be furnished with the exquisite taste ever displayed by the Empress in all interior arrangements. Her Majesty’s boudoir will be entirely in white and silver —walls, ceiling and all —with doors of white lacquered wood painted with groups of lilies of the valley, violets, and heather, and white velvet furniture. But it is said that the stables, saddle and harness rooms will be the greatest marvel of the place. For these Elizabeth has ordered everything to be brought from England, down to the wainscotting of light oak. The building devoted to this part of the' establishment is at some distance from the house, and is very picturesque with its many gables, its latticed windows, and its pointed roofs overrun with creepers. The alley leading to it gently ascends through the woods, and is bordered with variegated geraniums and groves of camelias, azaleas, and gigantic ferns. The villa will cost, when finished and furnished, over 10,000,000 f., not including, of course, the treasures of art which are being sent down to adorn the picture gallery.
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Messrs. Young & Marten, of Stratford, have just issued a new and exhaustive catalogue, containing over a thousand illustrations, with descriptive letterpress and prices attached, revised to date. The list embraces lead, zinc, glass, colours, brushes, and varnishes of all kinds, sanitary and hot-water goods in every form, chimneypieces, stoves, and builders’ ironmongery, mortar-mills and all descriptions of builders’ machinery, electric bells and fittings, gas fittings, shop-window fittings, &c. —in fact, there is scarcely a requisite which the builder or contractor needs, or for which the architect has to specify, which may not be found priced at the lowest rate consistent with good quality in his well-compiled trade list.
The Definition of Genius — Sir Frederick Leighton was, perhaps, wise when, in answer to a correspondent’s query as to whether genius in art was superior to the necessities of a hard apprenticeship, he simply contented himself with saying, “Nothing considerable has yet been done in this world without the bestowal of infinite pains.” To enter into any argument as to what a genius can afford to neglect in the way of study and applied labour, would be as ridiculous as to discuss the question as to whether an extraordinarily clever mechanic could not manage to work with fewer or inferior tools than an ordinary workman. Sir John Millais’ answer to the same correspondent is equally as terse as that of the P.R.A., but it contains a definite opinion as to genius. “I have no belief,” says he, “in what is called genius, as generally understood. Natural aptitude I do believe in, but it is absolutely worthless without intense study and continuous labour.”
A Handicrafts School — Six years ago, a few ladies and gentlemen resident in the neighbourhood of Chertsey, banded themselves together, and, accumulating a sum of £30,000, founded the School of Handicrafts for Boys. Their design was to instruct 150 lads in one or other of the trades of the carpenter, turner, house painter, glazier, boot and shoe maker, gardener, or farmer. After the freehold, house, stock, and implements had been purchased, a balance of £17,500 remained. This, with all else, was placed in trust, and has since furnished a revenue of £630 in addition to the voluntary contributions by which the institution is maintained. The work has steadily progressed, until nearly seventy boys are now resident in the school.
This number will, as soon as practicable, be increased to 120 —a development brought about by the munificence of an anonymous donor, who recently gave £1,200 for the addition of a third home to the existent buildings. This new wing, which is to be known as the “Providence Home,” was formerly dedicated to use on the 6th ulto. The Duchess of Albany performed the opening ceremony. Dr. Hawksley, who has been closely identified with the development of the school, gave a short history of the institution. He mentioned that many boys had already been placed in good situations, and were doing well, and that the sum of only £5,000 was required to complete the design of the founders of the school —namely, to receive and instruct the full complement of 150 boys. Sir Henry Ibbetson, who apologized for the unavoidable absence of the President of the Committee (the Earl of Meath), spoke warmly of the work of the institution. He held that schools like that were the best possible lever one could have to remove pauperism and crime, for those evils could only be grappled with, to any good purpose, in their infancy.
Mr. C. G. Flower has removed from 39, Provost Street, City Road, London, EC, to new and more extensive premises, situated at 100, Leonard Street, Great Eastern Street, EC, where he has considerably enlarged his facilities for the rapid and satisfactory execution of all orders which may be put into his hands. Hitherto Mr. Flower’s name has been associated with the manufacture of frames simply, but he is now carrying on the upholstery business at the above address, and is glad to give proofs of his capabilities in that direction.
