The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-06-04

some palace in the street of San Giovanni,
ChriSostomo,-ha been reported dead.
Shabby, threadbare. and travel-stained,
they were not particularly reputable rela-
tiens to acknowledge, and they did not find
it altogether easy at first to prove their
identity. Soon after their arrival they sent
to invite all their relatives to a sumptuous
banquet, when they appeared in three sue
cessive changes of raiment, each more
splendid than the last. When the enter
tainment was over Marco Polo rose from
his seat, and going into an adoing room,
returned with the three patched and much
worn garments in which the brothers had
appeared on their first return. With the
assistance of knife these dresses were
ripped up, and to the astonisment and de-
| light of the assembled guests, quantities
of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other
gems were produced from the Innings Of the
patches and heaped on the banqueting-
table. So great was the amount of wealth
thus displayed, that the mansion of the
brothers Pole received the name of "La
Corte del Millioni." AS may be supposed,
no further opposition was made to their
claims of relationship.
An engraver of the name Of Giacome di
Tuzzo appears to have been the first who
cut devices ON the diamond. Several en-
amongst the rest, an antique head, in the
possession of the Duke of Bedford but on
account of the excessive hardness of this
stone, such engravinSs are extremely rare,
and it is even doubted whether these men,
toned are not colorless sapphires.
There are only six great diamonds known
in the world that is, taking hundred
carats as the minimum. Each of these has
its history. The largest is the one belong
ing to the Rajah of Nathan. The Dutch
Governor of Batavia proposed to give
$50, 900 sterling, and two gunboats, with
stores and ammunition complete, for this
wonderful jewel; but the offer was refused
on account of the Raiah's belief in the tai
ismanic properties of this diamond, and
consequent dependence of the fortune of
his family on its possession.
The celebrated koh-i-noor, or Mountain
of Light, is we'll known. The Hindoos.
with their usual eXaggeration, trace it back
to Kama, King of Anga who reigned three
thousand years ago, or even to the god
krischna. When Tavernier was in India,
he saw it in the treasury of the Emperor
Aurungzebe. In the beginning of the pres
ent century it was in the possession of the
Khan of Cabul. Runjeet Singh, having
heard of this exquisite gem, determined to
make it his own. To that end he invited
the Khan to visit him at Lahore, and when
his guest arrived, demanded the transfer of
the diamond The Khan had not been
without his suspicious, however, and had
provided himself with crystal counterfeit :;
this, after much delay and pretended reluc-
lance, he consented to part with He was
allowed to return home, and Runjeet Singh,
delighted with his acquisition, sent for
ieweller in order to have the precious dia-
mond mounted. His exhultation was soon
changed to wrath, for the jeweller pro-
nounced the supposed koh-i-noor to be
nothing but piece of worthless chrystal.
The Khan of Cabul gained nothing by his
deception in the long run. Runieet Singh
ordered his palace to be invested and ran
sacked. but no Koh-i-noor was found :;
at last slave betrayed its hiding place
under a heap Of ashes, and Runieet Singh
carried it off in triumph. When the Pun
jaub was conquered after the Sikh Mutiny,
the Koh-i-noor fell into the hands of the
English, and was presented to Queen Vic
toria in 1880
The most romantic story is connected
with the celebrated Sanci diamond. 1t
formerly belonged to Charles the Bold,
Duke of Burgundy, who wore it at the bat
tie of Nancy, where he lost his life, in 1447.
A Swiss soldier found the diamond Oh the
field Of battle, and sold it to a French gen
tleman Of the name of Sanci, in whose fam
lily it was retained for nearly a hundred
years Henry III. Of France, wishing to
raise recruits amongst the Swiss, and find
ing his exchequer empty, borrowed the
Sanci diamond, in order to pawn it. 1t was
entrusted by NJ Sanci to one Of his ser
wants; but neither servant nor diamond
reached the place of destination. The
king blamed NJ. Sanci for trusting
the conveyance Of SO valuable
Jewel to mental hands, but the latter had
perfect confidence in the mans honesty,
and his fears took another direction. He
caused 4 search to be made, when it was
discovered that the valet had been attacked
and slain by robbers, and that the body
was buried i'll a neighboring forest. 1t
would seem as if promise had been made on
the mans part, as it is difficult to imagine
how such proceeding could have occurred
to his master. BE this as it may, M. Sanci
had the body opened, and there the dia-
mond was discovered, the man having swal-
lowed it to save it from the brigands.
Diamonds are associated with many men,
orable events of history. 1t was to the
diamond ring that the Emperor Charles V.
gracefully lost to the Duchess d Estampes,
that he probably owed his liberty when
passing through the dominions of his an
Gent enemy, Francis |. of France.
1t was diamond ring that was sent by
Queen Elizabeth as a token of friendship
to Mary Queen of Scots,-a pledge that in
duced Queen Mary to intrust herself to
English hands. This was one of those old
fashioned rings termed gimmel rings. 1t
is described by the antiquary Aubrey as
having consisted of separate joints, which,
when united, formed the device of two right
hands supporting heart. The heart was
composed of two diamonds, held together
by central spring, which, when opened,
would allow either of the halves to be de-
tached.
The story of the diamond necklace with
which the fair fame of the unfortunate
Marie Anteinette was involved-though
there is now no doubt that the whole trans
action was a swindle and a forgery--is
familiar to all.
We have no occasion to 60 further back
than our own era for one of the most inter
esting diamond stories on record. 1t has
always been the custom of the city of Paris
to present the bride of the reigning sover-
eign with a gift on her wedding day. When
the Empress Eugene was chosen to share
the throne of Napoleon I'LL, the city, rep
resented by the Municipal Commission,
voted the sum of 60O,0 600 francs for the pur-
chase Ol ulinoua neckldce. AS SoOH DIS
the vote was made known, the jewellers
We'd with each other in offering their cheic-
est gems as contributions to this valuable
gift. But two days after the vote, the fair
young Empress caused her wish to be made
known to the Commission, that the sum
voted, instead of being expended in dia-
monds, should be employed in founding an
educational institution for the poor girls of
the Faubourg st. Antoine,-a institution
that will always be one of the brightest
Jewels in the Empress,s crown.
A curious fact connected with diamonds
is the intense love that has been lavished
upon them, amounting to passion. 1t is
related of a jjeweller in Paris, that having
had diamond necklace stolen from him
necklace he had spent much time in per-
fecting-he took the loss so much to heart,
not for the meAey-value, but from love of
the jewels, that he died raving mad some
months after. There is a story also of sew
+ eral mysterious murders having been COM
mitted fer the sake of robbery; these
crimes were at length traced to a ,jeweler,
who being unable to endure parting with
the diamonds he had sold, had taken this
method Of repossessng himself of the gems.
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