A very interesting plate is in the possession of Doctor Allan McLane Hamilton, of New York. It was given as a keepsake to Mrs. Alexander Hamilton by Mrs. George Washington. It descended from Mrs. Hamilton to Philip Hamilton, the father of the present owner. It is of French porcelain, twelve and a half inches in diameter, with slightly crenated edges. On the left rim it is decorated with a festoon of oak leaves with gold acorns; on the right with a border of laurel or myrtle. Above is a lyre with a garland—both in gold. In the centre of the plate is an eagle, perched upon a bundle of thunderbolts, while on his head are the thirteen stars, all in gold; beneath, in script, are the letters G. & M. W., surrounded by a wreath of roses and forget-me-nots. This plate is unique, the remainder of the service being either lost or destroyed. In the diary of Baron Von Closen, under the date of July 19, 1792, this entry is found: “On my arrival Mrs. Washington requested me to invite Count de Custine—who was then at Colchester—with all the officers of his regiment, to dinner for the next day. The Count accepted the invitation with ten officers of the regiment, and sent Mr. Bellegarde before him with a very valuable present, a set of china coming from his own manufactory at Niederweiler, near Pfalzburg, in Lorraine. It was ornamented with a coat of arms and initials of General Washington, surmounted by a laurel wreath, and was received by Mrs. Washington with most hearty thanks.” I can well believe the latter statement, for this Niederweiler china was by far the most beautiful in quality, decoration, and shape that Washington ever possessed. The pieces were all slightly different, the only universal decoration being a beautiful cipher of Washington’s initials surrounded by a golden brown cloud background, and surmounted by a tiny rose-wreath. The other decorations were of festoons or interlaced wreaths. A saucer of this set, owned by J. Chester Lyman, Esq., is now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was given to Timothy Dwight, Mr. Lyman’s ancestor, by Mrs. Custis. The design on this piece consists of festoons of very delicate leaves in various shades of gold. Another piece has wreaths of tiny roses around the edge. A sugar-box and bowl, owned by Mrs. Beverley Kennon, of Washington, bear still different designs. A covered jug of the set is here shown. The mark on this china was the interlaced Cs, the stamp used by Count Custine, and it also is numbered “No. 29.” Martha Washington divided this set among her three granddaughters during her lifetime, which is the reason it is not mentioned in her will. [Illustration: Washington’s Niederweiler China.]