“A silver strainer, in which in times more economical than our own, the lady of the house placed the tea-leaves after the very last drop had been exhausted, that they might hospitably be divided among the company to be eaten with bread and butter.” The Scots are a hardy race. In lieu of the strainer a long-handled spoon with pierced bowl was used to thrust down the spout, as sometimes the tea refused to pour out. Etiquette forbade the hostess to blow down the spout. The beauty and variety of the cream-jugs may be traced for a whole century. One of the earliest examples (illustrated p. 301) shows a fine helmet-shaped jug, having the London hall-marks for the year 1736, and the mark of Paul de Lamerie the maker, renowned for his superlative work. The handle is original in conception and has a grotesque head as a terminal. The ornament is elaborate and representative of the best types of the George II era. A cream-jug of about 1740, made in Dublin by John Hamilton (illustrated p. 339) may be compared with the above example. The helmet form with the undulating rim is common to both specimens, but the treatment differs in character. The Irish example has three feet and possesses beauties peculiarly its own. [Illustration: CREAM-JUGS. GEORGE I. 1726. GEORGE III. 1764. Evolution from rotund form of early eighteenth century to slender shapes. The handle becomes broken in its curves. Three feet are in frequent use. The lip pointed and elongated. (See Irish cream-jugs, p. 339.)] [Illustration: CREAM-JUGS. GEORGE III. 1779. GEORGE III. 1780. The single foot varying in length and the body becoming elongated. Compare with casters of same period as to elongation from foot. (_By courtesy of Messrs. Elkington & Co._)] That early eighteenth-century examples were not always highly ornate is shown by the cream-jug with London hall-marks for 1726. This represents the transitional stage between the simple character of the Queen Anne styles and the elaboration found in those of the reign of George III. The series of cream-jugs illustrated (p. 305) shows the evolution in form from the Queen Anne rotundity to more slender examples; the handle becomes broken in its curves and three feet are in frequent use. The lip is pointed and elongated. This latter style lasted from about 1740 to about 1765 (see a fine Irish example of this type illustrated, p. 339). This specimen is in date 1764. Illustrated on page 305 are two typical examples of the last quarter of the eighteenth century. It will be observed that the three feet have in 1779 disappeared. The single foot is now fashionable and varies in height. The body becomes elongated. The handles still retain the older mid-century forms, with slight variations. The tendency to increased height in the cream-jugs at this date may be compared with the casters illustrated in Chapter IX.