Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-09-01
foreiea.
The Brunswick Diam0nds-The Gems
and Their Owners.

anu fHCii ONutISs
Allusion has lately been made in the Ca.
bic dispatches to the Brunswick Dia
monds,' which it is said, the Empress Eu-
genie has sent for safety to England. A
writer in the Charleston Daily News thus
describes these treasures:
'In the year 1890, Charles, the then
reipning Duke OF Brunswick, eldest son of
Duke Frederick William, who led the
black Brunswckers' at Quatre-Bras, was
expelled from his hereditary dominions on
account OF his crimes and misrule.
"lhe two principal traits of the charac-
ter of this prince was prohigacy Che was. a
very handsom many ana ayarlce. Although
the inheritor of much wealth from his
mother, princess Of Baden, he had, dur
ing a reign OF seven years, extorted several
million OF thGlers from his subjects, which
he took with him, together win famous
ONYX vase and other articles of 'vertu
worth, perhaps half a million, which he
stole from the museum of his capital few
DAYS before his flight. ] remember when
the 'Brunswickers set his palace on fire.
II was a very interesting scene. Bureaus
full Of louis d'ors, which the duke had to
leave behind for want Of transportation,
were found in the palace and plundered.
Several poor Brunswckers' got suddenly
rich in that way. The mob had rolled
numerous casks OF choice wines oct OF the
cellars OF the burnt palace into the street,
where they drank the Dukes Chateal Mar
paux and Chateau d'Iquem from fre-buck.
ets the magnificent grand piano, master
piece OF art, inlaid with gold, and mother
ot-pearl, on which this modern Eeiiogaba.
lus had been in the habit Of accompanying
the singing Of his prima donna, was thrown
from balcony into the palace court below
1.-THE sound OF the dying instrument still
rings in my ears), numerous splendid
paintings which adorned the palacey walls
were cut to pieces by the enraged people,
because, as they sad, they were the por-
traits ofhis mistresses, some others were
saved, AMONG which was a pretrait Of Nell
Gwyne, by Sir Peter Lely, which adorned
the Duk's bedchamber rand has since come
into my possession. The expelled Duke
Charles, after some vain attempts to recov-
er his lost dominions, went to Paris with
his ill-coaten wealth, where he lived ever
since in q private capacity (ior owing to
his degraded character he Was never adj
mitted to court, until about two years aB2
when he died. While in Paris, the OK.
Duke is said to have occupied himself al
most exclusively with stock iobbing With
the ra-discovry Of the most subtle poisons,
such as the famous Italian Aqua Totana Of
Lucret- B1rgia memory Che had commel-
ced his cA-eer OF crime when a young man,
with poisoning first his cate and dogs, then
his Moore, and lastly his cid tutor, Count
Oberg), and with collecting diamonds, for
which he had en- irrepressole mania. He
is said to have left whole trunk full OF
them, and these are the Iamous Brunswick
diamonds, which have puzzled the writer
of the Imperial Baby article.
whoever has been in Paris during the
last thirty years, and has visited the ltal-
ian opera, may have observed in one OF the
boxes hendsom, strangly-dressed, painted
figure, covered with a 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
feigniug Duke of Brunswick, and the last
of his iilustrous race. DGke Charles was
believe, united in morgaRatic 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 to avoid being cap
turej by the BrunswickerS, no Logger black,
when the latter get there