Of Sheraton's beds it is not necessary to speak at length. They depend so much for their effect upon draping that they are scarcely to be reckoned as within the cabinetmaker's province. Almost any framework would have sufficed for the very skilful arrangements of stuffs in which Sheraton seems to have delighted. It is true that here and there, as in a 'Sofa Bed, a bit of woodwork is to be seen, and in this particular case it is Louis Seize in style. Like Dr. Johnson, who in his reports of debates took care that the Whigs should not have it all their own way, the patriotic Sheraton is careful to make his English state-bed - to which we have already referred - a much finer thing than its French compeer. As neither of them, nor the 'Elliptic Bed for a single lady,' was probably ever constructed, we may pass them by, simply noting that though they do not agree with our ideas of what is suitable for a healthy bedroom, they show a skill in the arrangement of draped lines which no one has ever surpassed.

Chippendale's draperies are on the whole more stiffly drawn, whilst Heppelwhite's are by no means so ambitious.

Passing now to less important furniture, we find that Sheraton lavished a great deal of inlay upon his tall clock cases. These very frequently have very slender detached pillars on each side of the clock face, and some are finished with rather ugly finials at the top and sides of semi-circular pediments. This finial resembles a mop-head with a small sprig of leafage - like a miniature fir-tree - growing out or the top. The mop-head really consists of an arrangement of the acanthus which Sheraton calls 'the Roman leaf,' set four together with the ends turned downwards. In some instances the detached pillars run down the body of the case. In others the object of varying the long straightness is obtained by spreading the case out with a slight convex curve. A hollow moulding generally joins the body to the plinth, which has small finials on its corners. The lyre and the 'dish-clout,' or draperies caught up, as in the other furniture, reappear in the clocks. The tendency of these at this date and later was to become very squat, and many so-called Sheraton clocks are extremely disproportioned objects. Some of his own actual designs are rather straight-sided, the body being nearly as broad as the face-part of the clock.

In an existing and rather elaborately inlaid example the face, with its applied pilasters, is too low and broad, and is somewhat overpowered by a largish urn as centre finial, with two slender ones at the sides. This clock has reeded pilasters on the body, their bases standing upon an imitation in mahogany of 'rusticated' masonry, of which the architects of the century were so fond. Its representation in mahogany cannot be regarded as a success. Plate clv. represents a tall sideboard clock in mahogany of a peculiar type, with a small oval painting framed in pierced brass-work at the top in the style of Cipriani or Angelica Kauff-mann, and 'scroll' feet of brass. It might be the work of either Shearer, Heppel white, or Sheraton, and perhaps is not later than 1780.

Plate CLV. Mahogany Sideboard Clock

CLV. Sideboard clock, mahogany, with brass-fretted panel enclosing an oval painting in the style of Angelica Kauffmann. C. K. Morris, Esq. (the late).

Height about three feet.

Sheraton's card-tables (Plates cxli., cxliii.) have the same rectangular and tapering, or else turned legs, as his other furniture. The tops are often considerably shaped with curves and re-entering angles. A very pretty little object is his screen-table, which often also has a hanging work-bag, or, as Sheraton calls it, a 'pouch,' underneath. This, in fact, is necessary, if the screen, when lowered, is not to be visible below the table top. The work-bag is tacked to a framing which slides out at one side, and there may also be beneath the table top a slide for writing, covered with green cloth, and which draws out in front. If there is a drawer, it will be under the writing slide and above the framing from which the work-bag hangs.