The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-26 00:00:00

SALE OF THE ESTERHAZY JEWELS

The celebrated jewelled orders belonging to the
late Prince Paul, of the great Esterhazy family, have
recently been bought by Mr. Boore, a London dealer
in curiosities and object+ of art,and are about to be re-sold
under the hammer of Messrs. Christie and Manson on
Friday next. These most splendid and valuable jewels,
most of which are diamonds of rare "water " and large size,
were exhibited to private view on Saturday in the Gallery
of the Society of Female Artists, in Conduit-street, Re-
gent-street, where they will, we believe, remain on view
till the day before the sale, under the condition of paying
the ordinary entrance fee to the gallery where the pictures
of the female artists of the society are exhibited. Such
an arrangement was obviously necessary to protect so
attractive an assemblage of costly genii from the pos-
sible chance of a grand attack by the swell mob, and, as
it is, the proprietor will do well to entrust his treasures
wholly to the police.
I The jewels consist almost entirely of the different orders
held by the late prince. There are five full-sized orders
of the Golden Fleece and one miniature, with the Order
of St. Andrew of Russia, which was given to the prince
by the Czar at the last coronation, containiog about 700
brilliants, and the Star of the English Order of the Bath,
given by George IV. at his coronation—the last a very
magnificent etar of flaming rays. These Orders of the
Gulden Fleece are generally formed by • large centre
stone as aqua marine, oriental topaz, emerald, or one very
I large brilliant, as in the one magnificent Order of the
Fleece, which is considered to be matchless is the splen-
dour and value of the stones, in which the centre erns-
' ment consists of no less than 77 liege stones of the
choicest purity; and the Fleece itself, which is commonly
of gold, composed of 108 coloured brilliant. set in gold.
The catalogue shows us that all these orders are to be
divided into convenient lots of the separate parts,
and probably few purchasers will be disposed to retain the
jewels in their present form. A large aigrette or plume is
divided into 18 lots, most of them feathers encrusted with
diamonds, one of which has 203 brilliants, another 412,
another 496, and the largest 533. Some of them are made
to bend and tremble with the movement of the wearer,
and thus give the most splendid effects of flashing and
colour. The emeralds are particularly fine in this orna-
ment, the largest measures nearly threequarters of an
inch square, and in colour is of the richest and deepest
green. The sword, scabbard, belt, with deoorstiona of the
swonl-belt, and various chains and ornaments from round
the " kolpag" embrace many beautiful pieces of ornament
in brilliants, pearls, and enamel work. These are all to
be sold separately, as the value of • mere bees upon the
scabbard is likely to be quite high enough to suit the
ordinary dealer in thesscostly wares. The handle of the
sword forms a lot by itself ; it has one very large
and fine brilliant at the end, and is studded
with more than 2,200 very fine diamonds.
The decoration of the sword-belt comprises several most
superb ornaments, the chief of which is • lion's head
enamelled in gold, with eyes of brilliants, and holding a
ring by which is suspended a magnificent single stone of
17 carats in weight and of the purest quality. The carat
weighs 4 grains, it is • weight derived from India and the
East, where it has been used as a weight for diamonds for
' ages, in the form of • peculiar been or fruit of • tree
called " Xuara," hence the word. Five rows of 99
Oriental pearls support the badge of brilliants and pearls,
and there is an official stick of ebony mounted with
diamond■ and one large atone on the top weighing 43
grains. This stick was presented to the late Prince Nicolas
Esterhazy by the Empress Maria Theresa of Aultria. But
the late prince's trustees, whoever those gentlemen may
I be, are determined not only to realise upon the orders of
the Fleece, but to maks the most of the old clothes of this
family. The cast-off garments of an Eaterhasy, however,
were worth having. Every one has heard of, and some of
us prevent saw at the coronation of Queen Victoria that
famous jacket and pantaloons which every time the prince
wore them it cost him some three or four thousands
in the pearls and jewels that were brushed off the dress
in one night's dancing. Whether the veritable jacket is
here to be seenand sold to the highest bidder wears not it
the secret to pronounce ; but here is spells*, or " dolman"
covered with an embroidery of Oriental pearls too nume-
rous to think of counting them. On the sleeves alone, the
catalogue assures us, "there are nearly 10,000 pearl', many
of them of large and exquisite Orient." Certainly the
lovely ornament of the pearl is not so well bestowed as
upon the more lovely neck of some beauteous bride, but
anything more truly splendid in the way of dives than this
Hungarian uniform in purple velvet could hardly be
conceived.

No small amount of curiosity has arisen as to how such
unique valuables came into possession of an English dealer,
and bow they ever came out of the country where the
prince must have had so many affectionate adherents,
There was some little difficulty about the matter, but
this, as we sea, proved not insurmountable to the diplo-
macy of cash, and whether it was by forty or fifty thousand
pounds that the prince's estate benefited, there can be
little doubt that the jewels sold separately will rea-
lised double this sum.

The popular lecture at Surrey Chapel last even-
ing was delivered by Mr. Handel Comham, on " Power."
Lord Shaftesbupresided, and in the course of his re-
marks said, " The church of England is not • principle but
an uoent. If it does not stand up for the Reforma-
tion as the bulwark against Popery, I say let the church
of England go. But I hope better things." Mr. Cashew's
lecture was described by his lordship as containing •
greater amount of good common sense than he had ever
heard put together in the apace of an hour.
Stuff-Commander Peter Loney, R.N., has been
appointed • naval mil neat ea the Southampton station.