230 TOBACCO-PIPES, CIGARS, ETC. 



paid the fine in lieu of doing so) and it became an 

 object of interest to all. A silver side-casing and 

 bottom was added hi 1726; the defeat of the Pretender 

 was commemorated in 174.6 by a portrait of the Duke 

 of Cumberland, with allegorical accessories, the work 

 of Hogarth, which is placed within the lid; and various 

 other additions made until the year 1765, when the old 

 four-penny horn box was completely hidden by deco- 

 rative silver work. It having become a sort of custom 

 with each senior overseer, to add something to the 

 box, and there being no longer a chance of doing it, a. 

 case was prepared for it; and this received a series 

 of silver plates, the gifts of different members, which 

 generally commemorated some historic event which 

 happened in their own time. When the case became 

 covered with these ornaments, a fresh outer case was 

 provided ; and now there is a series of four embel- 

 lished cases to fit over each other, until the whole has 

 become of greater bulk and worth, than any tobacco-* 

 box in the kingdom* Many of these engravings are 

 curious; and a detailed history of the box and its 

 cases, was published by subscription in 1824; it forms 

 a goodly quarto volume, and is decorated with many 

 engravings, fac- similes of those on the silver plates 

 which ornament the cases. In the title-page is a 



* One recreant overseer refused to return the box to the Society, and 

 even threatened its destruction ; it took three years of a weary Chancery 

 Suit to settle the question ; but it was decided in favour of the Society ; 

 and it has since been delivered to its keeper on condition that it be pi'o 

 duced on all necessary occasions, and ultimately delivered to the Society 

 under the penalty of two hundred guineas. 



