The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1865-02-07

II Is not everywhere lhat one can
find crown with loHg history al
tached to it. There ara some few Of
such relics IN tie world. however.
whose interest and yalBe depend on
the history attached to tbem The
crown Of France and the crown Of
England are admired more for tie
jewels that adarn tbem than t9r any
historic associations, or even for tie
sovereignty of which thcv are em-
blems. h is a curious iaei tlai at a
little Italian town, between MILAN and
Como, they keep IN tie cathedral an
old crown. about which are clustered
more grand associations than around
any other relic perhaps in the world.
Offer a collector Of interesting objects
Of rertu, or Of antiquity the golden and
jewelled crowns u EngIAnd, France,
Russia, and Spain, and lhe iron crown
Of Mcnza. ard he would choose the
iron ia preference 70 AL others, spite
Of tie Jewels. The OH crown is kept
! IN side chapel of tie Cathedral a,
Munza, and is known l,history as lh-
Iron Crown OF Mon2a The facts
which are known, beyond dispute,
about il, are. that ii was worn by the
carry Lombard kings, anu As ION .
ago as me crownihs q LaAemoouFs'
IN a. ~ loll' u was usou u tue eef-
emony % coroia'ioh'
Thereafter y was worn oy ioIs
succession OF monarens' ol, ai'er 'ho
'iine y Shatlcs ': res'Su qule' 49,,
uhuiaturoeu ie'ic' y ,he oiu ca,''euf''
uh'ii NaPoieon se'@eu ~ P,aceu y Oh
nus heau WIN ii's o"o i'a,ias, e'us'os
o'snop 5 o'hce'' s"y ihs' ooa uaS
en i 70 me anu woe 20 nun "'o
'oue'l.1 = A'e' nat 'elnafs = =
',io'o '''0 ''"'" " wy ''p' '''V''' ~
Austrian emterors USED II at lhelr
coronallons, and Il sigmiled to them
on such occasions, Tue possession 81
the Lombardo Nemlin kingdom -
But they Will hardly use It again ~
Austria.
This much we know Of a certaiHy
concerning this crown but there is
a tradition connected with It whIci1
makes il one 81 the most interesting
relies IN the known world, The non
band Which eneircles the head Is salQ
10 be formed Of one Of thc nails Rl-h
which the Saviour Of mankind was i
fixed TO the cross. This tradition Is
Of very early date, although i was not
always or universally accepted. The
people Of Nj an denied II. Bul they
we're rivals OF MoVza, iho rene was
pronounced Authentic BY ihe highest
Catholic authority many centuries ago.
Nor is itwholly impossible that i was
50.
Tie historical laris ianwn on ihr
suhJcct q the nalis u me cross are
hose:
When !le Empress lic!ena made
excavations ~ Jerusalem n lhe ~
ginning Of the fourth century, to IN
cover the tomb and place ot eXecu-
tor, she was inIorAed by certain
Christian inhabitants OF Jefusalo m
atthe crosses OF Christ and lhe iN o
thieves were cast into = plt or raYne'
among the rocks,beng, N jewish view
polluted Objects. she dug ouI tins ra
vine, and found vatlons pieces oi 'im-
Der. Whether they were The crosses
10 question, Or whether they were the
tlmbcrs OF old buildings It Is impos9'-
bic 70 affirm. he nails OF SPIKES sac
found also.
One OF these hal's she Sen' y Coh-
stanline, and It was oy MN made inio
a bit or an ornament Tor par1 oi ms
horses bride, possibly ~ Intentional
fulhllmeni OF wei known prophecy
The other mails were also preserved
lhere Is no Ieasoi' ~ uouot 'D"t ma
ny fragments ot me WOOD mus ui'co'
yered by Helena remain in Europe
an churches. 'e iarge ir"smeht II
the basllica OF santa Cree, N i'oiae,
is undoubtedly fragment q lAe "oyu
discovered ny Helena, whatever 'lial
nood was. ! ne h&'ls sappeaiee
from history uniil,soihe hundred years
after Helena, tue iron crown o. Aloh-
"a was said to DO made o. one Oh mem
And possibly 1t was, Probably Z
was. For where q iVt9 u"ai'iot
! states n Itttst. allU L4aEl e IL ilB u AAtifkE