Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-19
Famous Crow,s


Chambers JOurnal.l
The Oldest Of the crowns Of Europe is
the Iron Crown of Lombardy, now re.
stored TO Its resting place of centuries in
the cathedral of. Monza, the sunny little
town which. from the Alpine slopes. looks
down upon Imperial Milan, whittier many
a time It's treasure was borne to be
placed on the brows Of a German Kaiser
at his second coronation. His first was
at Achen, by the tomb Of Charlemagne.
where he received the silver crown Of
Germany; his second at Milan; his third
at Rome, where the Pope conferred on
him the golden Crown of the Empire.
But the Iron Crown wa the most vene.
rable OF all. For thirteen hundred years
the lron crown has held the foremost
place among the diadems Of Europe, for
1t was formed by the skillful hands of
Roman goldsmiths in the sixth century.
and sent by Pope Gregory the Great TO
the Gothic Queen Theodolinda, when she
had freed Lombardy from the Arian
heresy. Its form is simple, as one Il iyht
expect from its ancient date. It ia a
broad Hat ring or diadem ofgold, adorned
with enamelled flowers and precious
stones-stones not cut into facets, as in
modern jewelry, but emeralds, sapphires
and rubies in their rough uncut form as
they came from the mine. But inside
this circle of gold and jewels is a thin
band OF iron, from which the crown takes
its name, and this iron, tradition asserts.
is one of the nails Of the true cross ham.
mered out into a ring. Long and angry
have been the battles fought by ANTIGUA.
ries on this point. Those who deuy its
authenticity, headed by Muratori. GER
tainly bring weighty arguments to the
support of their view; bat the tradition
has survived all their learned folios.
gallant champions have fought pen in
hand in its defence, and still in the Ian
guage Of the people u Sacro chiodo. the
holy nail" 1t graced the imperial front
OF Charlemagne and a long succession OF
German Emperors, ending with Charles
V. But the last sovereign who wore it
was Napoleon l. In May, 1906. he as.
sembled at Milan the dignitaries Of the
empire, the representatives OF his royal
and imperial allies, and a splendid circle
of Marshals and Generals, and in their
presence he placed it on his head, re-
peating the proud motto of the Iron
Crown: God has given it to me; woe to
him who touches it p In 1859 the Aus.
TRANS retresting from Lombardy took
the Iron Crown with them to Mantua,
and subsequently to Vienna. There it
remained until, by the treaty which ceded
Venetia to Italy, in 1866, it was restored
to its old home in the sacristy Of the ca.
thedrsl at Monza, and there it rests to-
day, amid the other treasures of Theodo-
linda-her jewelled comb, her golden hen
and seven chickens (the symbols of Lom-
hardy and its seven provinces and the
crown of her husband Agilulph.
Next in age to the Iron Crown, but far
exceeding it in value and beauty Of work
manship, are the crowns of the old Gothic
kings OF Spain, discovered seventeen
years ago near Toledo. They we're found
in some excavations which were made in
an ancient cemetery at Fuente di Guere-
Ear, two leagues from hat city. They
are eight in number, and their intrinsic
value is estimated at two thousand
pounds sterling. The largest, a splen-
did circle of gold one foot in diameter,
bears the name of King Receswinthus,
who reigned in the middle OF The seventh
century. This diadem is adorned with
fine rubies, pearls and sspphires, and
round it runs a row Of little crosses of
carnelian and gold.
OF the modern crown Of continental
Europe, perhaps, the most remarkable
is the we'll known triple crown or papal
tiara, or perhaps we should say tiaras.
for there are four of them. The tiara is
seldom worn by the Pope; it is carried
before him in procession, but, except on
rare occasions, he wears a mitre like an
ordinary. bishop. OF the existing tiaras,
the most beautiful is that which was
given by Napoleon | TO- Plus. VII in 1906.
1t is said to be worth upwards of nine
thousand pounds. Its three %circlets are
almost encrusted with sapphires, eme-
raids, rubies, pearls and diamonds; the
great emerald at its apex, said to be the
most beautiful in the world, is alone val.
ued at sixteen thousand francs.