The Republican journal., 1870-09-01
From the Charleston Daily News.
THE BRUNSWICK DIAMONDS.

In the year 1880, Charles, the then reign
ing Duke Of Brunswick, eldest son OF Duke
Frederick William. who led ''thc Blacl
| BrunsWickers'' at Quatrc-Bras. was expelled
from his hereditary dominions on account Of
his crimes and misrulc. The two princlpa
traits of the character Of this prince were
proiligacy Che was very handsome MANI
and avarice. Although the inheritor OF much
wealth from his mother, a princess OF Baden
| he had, during a reign of seven years, cN-
torted several millions Of thalcrs from his sub
jects, which he took with him, together with
atamous onyx vase, worth hall million, which
he stole from the museum OF his capital a
few days before his flight. remember when
''the Brunswickers' set his palace on fire.
1t was very interesting scene. Bureaus
full OF louis d'ors, which the duke had TO
leave behind for want of transporations.
were found in the palace and plundered.
Several poor ''Brunswickers' got suddenly
rich in that way. The mob had rolled
numerous casks of choice wines out of the
cellars of the burning palace into the street,
where they drank the Dukes Chateau
Margaux and Chateau dYquen from fire
buckets; the magnificent grand piano, Il
masterpiece of art, inlaid with gold and
mother-o of pearl, on which this modern
Heliogabalus had been in the habit of ac-
companying the singing of his prima donna,
was thrown from a balcony into the palace
court below thc sound Of the dying instru-
ment still rings in my cars,) numerous
splendid paintings which adorned the palace
walls, were cut to pieces by the cnra@ed
people. because, as they said, they were the
portraits of his mistrcsses; some others were
saved, among whicha portrait of Nell Gwynne,
by Sir Peter Lely, Which adorned the Dukes
bedchamber, and has since come into my
possession. The expelled Duke Charles
after some vain attempts TO recover his lost
dominions, went to Paris with his i'll gotten
wealth, where he lived ever since in pr-
vate capacity Qor owing to his degraded
character he was never admitted to cour)
until about two years ago. when he died
While in Paris, the ex-Dukc is said to have
occupied himself almost exclusively with
stock jobbing, with the re-discovery of the
most subtle poisons, such Us the famous
Italian Aqua Tofana of Lucreta Borgia
memory, Che had commenced his career of
crime when young man, with poisoning
first his cats and dogs, then his Moors, and
lastly his old tutor, Count Oberg,) and with
collecting diamonds, for which he had an
irrepressible mania He is said to have left
u whole trunk full of them, and these are the
famous BRUNSWICK diamonds'' which have
puzzled the writer of the ''Impcrial Baby
article
Whoever has been in Paris during the last
thirty years, and has visited the Italian opera,
may have observed in one of the boxes Il
handsome, strangely dressed, painted figure,
covered with u blaze of diamonds that was
the eX-Duke Charles OF Brunswick, son OF
the hero Of Quatre- Bras. Who has inherited
his wealth | cannot tell; certainly not his
brother William, the reigning Duke OF
Brunswick, and the last OF his illustrious
race. Duke Charles was, | believe, united
in morganatic marriage to some countess
perhaps she is now the fortunate owner OF
the famous ''Brunswick diamonds" AT any
rate they have been sent away from Paris t
avoid being captured by the Brunswickers
no Longer black. when the latter ~ct there. >