Page:King Edward VII, his life & reign; the record of a noble career 3.djvu/25

Rh THE BETHNAL GREEN MUSEUM 5 porcelain, bronzes, decorative furniture, and other articles of artistic luxury. The pictures included some of the best portraits by Reynolds, two lovely Gainsboroughs, and fine specimens of landscape and interiors by Boningtori, Stanfield, David Roberts, and other British masters. The French school, numbering 272 works, comprised eleven Watteaus, twenty-two Greuzes, speci- mens of Boucher and Lancret, and numerous pictures by Horace Vernet, Delaroche, Decamps, Meissonier, Rosa Bonheur, and other renowned artists. The Belgian pictures had among them good examples of Baron Leys and Louis Gallait. The water colours showed the splendid skill of Turner, Prout, David Roberts, and Copley Fielding; the miniatures displayed the exquisite art of Isabey and Cosway. Among the pictures by old masters of the later Flemish, Dutch, and Spanish schools were Rubens's " Rain- bow Landscape ", and fine specimens by Vandyck, Rembrandt, Cuyp, Holbein, Metzu, Teniers, Murillo, and Velasquez. The Italian paintings showed a Titian, a Guido, and an Andrea del Sarto.
 * Such were the contents of the museum at Bethnal Green when

the heir apparent and his wife went thither for the opening. The procession of five open carriages was escorted from Marlborough House, by way of the Mall, Whitehall, Victoria Embankment, Queen Victoria Street, Cornhill, Bishopsgate, and Shoreditch to Bethnal Green Road, by an escort t of 100 Life Guards. The Prince was attired as a general officer; the Princess wore a dress and bonnet of light pink. The east-enders did their utmost to honour their visitors. From Bishopsgate Street onwards, the roadways were profusely adorned with flags, garlands, painted emblems, and mottoes of welcome, some expressing pious wishes for the royal pair. Among the notes of joy were " Welcome to the East "; " Long wished for, come at last "; " Thank you for your kind visit ". The vast crowds sent up tremendous cheers. At 11.30 a.m. nearly every seat in the building was filled; a little later the entrance of the Burmese Ambassadors in bright and picturesque costume drew much attention. On approaching the museum, a red-brick edifice in Cambridge Road, the pro-