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even now give his Vermeer away at a higher valuation than he paid. I base my thinking on the possibilitythat Hessen would sell on several things he said and she said after lunch when they took me all over the house and the [[underlined]] big [[/underlined]] house afterwards. They cannot afford to live in the main house and they want to have a lot of pictures restored and reframed, BUT HAVEN'T the money, they said more that twice. They have had furniture recovered for the first time in twenty years and want other furniture polished and restored but haven't the money. It is true they have scads of beautiful things, twenty five or thirty canes in a collection of his father's all with tops in jewels and gold by Faberge, and certainly worth thousands. The furniture, even in run down condition is of signed pieces and very valuable. A portrait of the young Empress of Austria by Vigee le Brun is as good as a Fragonard. But the lunch for ten people was so frugal that I was amazed....and you know [[underlined]] my [[/underlined]] broiled scrod requirements. Their frequent reference to wanting to do things (and they are gradually doing things) but not having the money seemed almost pointed to me. Cash is the thing that will talk, and I am only afraid that someone will come along, and it could well be Rorimer or Ted R. Mr. R.[[^ockefeller]] would be sympathetic I'm sure. Well, I've spoken my piece. I know that a cash offer is a lot more alluring than any proposition that I have or can make. Cannot you get ^[[up]] an idea and get Wrightman to authorize you to make an offer of something, without disclosing the actual name of picture or owner? I fear [[underlined]] he [[/underlined]] would trot right up to Rousseau and ask him to get it if he (or I suppose anyone else with that amount of money, ) knew what you are talking about exactly. To date, I believe ^[[Hessan]] would ask me if he decides to do it that way, but there is always a chance that someone will slip in and defeat us. [[underlined]] Princes Metternich: [[/underlined]] After lunch she asked my advice on how to go about selling a manuscript....the only valuable book they have been able to get out of Bohemia. I said "ASK ME TO SELL IT"....what is it" It is a 1456 manuscript, Italian, [[underlined]] ORLANDO FURIOSO [[/underlined]]. with all perfect vellum pages, illuminations, miniatures galore,borders and initials profusely....she says. It was given to Metternich's ancestor or the Elector of Mainz (?) by Frances II ^[[of France]] and is so inscribed (as I remember it). Two other copies, on in the B.Museum, one in the Biblo. National. The MSS is in a bank in New York and she is sending me photographs, color transparencies, data, documentation and all, for me to get a valuation and to sell it. (Her sister deposited it in the NY bank last Summer and they didn't know what to do next.) I told her of the 32 mss. we [[strikethrough]]have[[/strikethrough]] had from Arenberg. I admit its a bit [[underlined]] late [[/underlined]] for your taste, but it might have a buyer, if its as good as she says. [[underlined]] Their [[/underlined]] paintings have just returned from San Francisco where Tom Howe has had them for an exhibition. I've an idea not too exciting as they are 18th century English. [[underlined]] Dr. Marx-Cremer, (Gisela that is.) [[/underlined]] I phoned and got her at the Hospital, made an appt.. drove out fifteen miles and found that she is one of the nicest women I've ever met, her husband also a doctor equally nice, and two lovely children, all living in a staff house at a large insane asylum of 1300 inmates. She is the granddaughter of the greatest German collector of his time....1200 paintings;and the catalog of a "fringe" of his collection shows that he had a broad and good selective taste. Our friend in Dortmund, the brewer gent, is her eldest brother, believe it or not and I sensed that he isn't very helpful though very rich and having a number of the
