The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-01

Be
embroidery in gold and pearls that the velvet
is scarcely visible--il the safes along the
sides OF the sacristy, and as the wedding COS
tune worn by any member OF the royai ian,iV
| 10 the perquisite Of this statue, its wealth. mas
always been increasing. Among the treasures
| of the Cathedral OF Valencis, and side by side
with the frst shirt worn by the infant Jesus,
and the skeleton of one of the Holy lnno-
cents is the golden comb OF the virgin IL
Ia of antique form and workmanship, with
teeth on both sides, and is richly Jeweileu'
A beautiful oasket in the same cathedral con-
taips the sdnio calir, or cup, used oy Jesus
Christ at the Last Supper. II Is OF fine onyx,
atudded with gems of rare value, has two
Golden handles and stand of the same metal.
These treasures are not of great value, but they
are of peculiar interest, If only as showing how
blind to all probability or inquiry the Spanish
bigotry which reveres them has become. Ia
the sacTistry of the splendid Cathedral of To-
ledo-a vast and magnificent saloon, painted
by Luc Jordan in the seventeenth century
there are four statues Of massive silver repre-
sentiDg the four quarters of the world, each
figure leaning on globe. The Custodia, or
keeping place for the Host, Is more than nine
feet high, wrought of massive gold and silver,
literally encrusted with diamonds aud other
very valuable precious stones. Among the
ornaments Of the Virgin del Sagrario, an
image which is much venerated, is royal
crown of pure gold, studded with large dia-
monds and emeralds, with bracelets to m atch.
She once possessed necklace of diamonds Of
almost priceless value, but it was stolen by
Mendzbel, during the civil war, and given by
him to his mistress. Her mantles are of gold
brocade, embroidered with large pearls, and
the altar on which she stands is Of solid silver.
Behind her is an Octagonal chapel con-
tanning riches, in jewels, crosses, vases,
and statues, that would 60 far towards
the purchase Of q principality. In the
cathedral hundreds of priests appear in
robes of gold and silver tissues, and under
dresses OF the richest lace and most costly
needlework. The canons wear jewelled collars
of great value, such for value as have never
been worn at Rome but upon the person of the
Pontiff himself. A list of the treasures of
Nuestra Sonora de Montserr9-t fills volume.
Most of the Roman Catholic sovereigns of Eu-
rope, with countless pdnces and mobiles, have
made some oferirg to this doll; but it is
curious fact thS.t, while cardinals, srchbishops,
and bishops have presented costly robes,
lamps, and jewels, the Popes. with the excep-
tlon of Adrian vi, who offered lamp and 200
ducats, have contented themselves with
sending others to the sanctuary, and grant
ing them indulgences. In the centre of the
principal chapel there are two silver lamps,
each of which weighs one hundred and
twenty five pounds, presented by Philip ii
(of Snithfeld memory and Philip w; a
LnlIu lamp, SAqulSAtoly CAdseu, weighing
one hundred and fifty pounds, was given
by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, in 1869.
A silver ship, weighing one hundred and
twenty pounds, of most delicate and beau
tfful workmanship, was the gift of the Mar
quesa de Castel Rodrigo in 1852. A lamp,
value 600 ducats, was presented by the Queen
of Henry ~ of France. All these objects are
| of pure silver, together with the front and the
five steps of the grand altar; and besides these
| treasures there is throne of the same metal.
| On high festival days twenty-four candelabra
| are wheeled out from the sacristy, and stand
before the grand altar; all are of solid silver,
and twelve Of them are five feet high; six sill
yer candlesticks, thirty-two inches high, are
used for the daily service. There are three
silver gilt crosses borne in the procession,
adorned with Jewels the largest of which
weighs one hundred pounds; two rods of sill
yer gilt, one with an emerald Of great value;
twenty-six cbalices and nine salvers. But
these are nothing when compared with the
gems. The image of the Virgin Mary has
three crowns almost covered with dia-
monds, emeralds, sapphires, and ru-
bies, presented by different worship
pers. One of these crowns was made by a
Flemish monk in the convent, who
spent twenty-sev years in the fabrication OF
this and similar one for the image of the in
FAINT Jesus. Nearly as rich in church treasures
| is Seville. During the professions of the Holy
Week, when all the churches send out statues
larger than life into the public streets, an al
most incalculable amount of treasure is dis
played. These wooden images are more than
royalty apparelled, for some of the velvet
robes are twenty feet long, and 80 covered
with pearls and gold embroidery that no
human being could sustain their weight. One
of the mantles is of dark blue velvet and gold,
and was presented by the late Queen OF the
French, Marie Amelie. Almost the whole
figure is dazzling with jewels, and the statues
from the principal churches have always g
crown Of diamonds. Some OF the PROFESSIONS
60 through the streets at night, and on these
occasions the platforms on which the groups
of images are borne are lighted with hundreds
of silver lamps"