The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-08-03
BROADBRIM'S LETTER FROM PARIS.

! BROADBRlM'S LII TIER fEOh PARiS.
. THE DIAMOND CpLLE'TI". AND .iE CROWN
JEWELS or FRANCE HISTORICAL no
NANCE--''oN DITs" OF THE ExnIEI-
TON.
There are two points III the Paris Exposi-
ton which, for weeks and weeks, have
been constant centers of attraction. Go
when you will, early in the morning, or
when the shadows Of night are falling the
eager, anxious, exciting throng seems
always 10 be the same One of these points
is the exhibition made by the diamond
merchants and jewellers of Peris: the other
is the exhibition Of the crown jewels of
France.
+ While the simple monetary value repre-
sents many thousands of millions Of
/ frances, the historical interest which CEN
/ tiers around the national colicctio is above
aud beyond all estimate. II is not often
/ that the common herd are allowed TO feast
+ their eyes on such sight. IL many places
on the continent rich and royal collec-
tluuS, and in the Tower of London NAV be
seen the jewels of the crown of England,
but the visitor is hurried along and 1T the
very moment his attention is excited by
something of absorbing interest, a gentle
push from the anxious attendant reminds
HIM that time is precious. But here YOU
can stand by the hour if you wisl and ex-
anime these glittering piles of gems rcaliz-
that Strl a prtyifcu.. - i
common people much oftener than once in
a lifetime.
In the national collection are eight royal
coronets and four minor tiaras of enormous
value and of rare ard exquisite beauty.
Four of the eight coronets ATE composed
almost exclusively Of diamonds oue is
composed of magniticen pearls and lia-
m"nds, the others have mingled with the
King OF gems, sapphres, rubies, emcralds,
orais and other precious stones Lovely
strings of pearls are temp,ingly displayed.
but the RegsEt, like 4 clirteriug star,
stands solitary and alone Tins great gem
was formerly known as the Pitt diamond
having been purchased by Mr.. Pitt Of a
native Prince, while Governor of India.
1t was bought by the Due d'Orleans at a
cost Of over four millions of francs, and
shortly after the proclamation of the En-
pine Napoleon had it mounted in the hit
Of his sword. This royal bauble was left
behind Ola the field Of Waterloo, and was
captured by the Prussians. 10y whom it was
restored TO the eighteenth Louis on his
accession to the throne of France. Among
the collection is massive jeweled belt
which can be used either as d kingly collar
or qucenly cestus, which is lovely beyond
description. In the center is mass of
bril!iants of enormous size and of puIest
water Many of these gems have been
purchased ut various times by the Kings
and Queens of France, but many more
have been precious love gifts or have been
brought as royal dowe:s by Prncesses from
other lands. The huge diamond in the
center Of the cestus of which speak, once
glittering in the scepter of Clovis, the first
Christian King Of France, and the two
magnificent pearls under the center dia-
dem were worn by the beautiful Clotilda
Clovis at scissors. \ D., 1873. The three
rayal gems that glittercd in the helmet of
Charles Marital at the terrible battle of
Poitiers, are part of priceless collection.
y collar, of the whtest of pearls, is here,
which once rested on the bosom of the
beautiful and unfortunate Mary, Queen Of
Scots. Before me is the coronct which
crowned the lovely brow OF Josephine on
that proud day, When the husband of her
heart led her up to the most splendid
throne in Europe. 1t is told that when she
first appeared with these superb jewels,
that au old crone who saw her in the dis
lance propheciei the hour of her ruin. 1t
was said that the prophecy reached the
ears of the Empress and haunted her with
cgual foreboding. On the fatal night when
her imperial husband came to inform her
that they must part forever, she was wear
ing the magnificent pearls that now lie
before me; tearing them from her neck she
dashed them to the floor; the fatal proph
ecy came back upon her and she remem-
bered her pearls and her tears.
The estimated value of this royal COL
lection is over twenty thousand millions of
francs. The only wonder is that, in the
midst OF so many revolutions and changes
Of government, that single diamond re-
mains. Rich as this collection is, and
carefully As it is guarded, it has not always
escaped disaster. An inventory WAS made
of them by the order of the Convention of
192, and only few days after the inven-
tory was completed descent was made
upon the place where they where kept, and
the whole of the crown Jewels We're stolen.
Though foIty persons were concerned in
the robbery, only two of them were ever
discovered, and the discovery of these two
might be termed lucky accident. \ hair
dresser, by the name OF 1.ameville, had
been consigned to the Conciergeiie for
forging and had received some kindness
from the Sergeant of the guard. In graft
tudc for his good treatment, he told him of
n conversation he had overheard between
two persons the night before his release.
The Sergeant acted on the hints hc obtained
and succeeded in finding every one of the
jewels concealed in the beams Of a rickety
old house in the Latin quarter. The two
thieves were afterwards hanged, and Lam
ievil,e mas made Colonel of a regiment IF
the line aud fell gallantly fighting at
Mareugo.
The Exposition is now to he seen at its
very best and ing is more striking than
the exquisite taste exhibited in the different
departments in the display of goods, aud
this Characteristic is by no means confined
to any particular nationality and it is GER
tainly not wholly engrossed by the French.
Il is particularly noticeable not only in the
display of the goods themselves, but also
in the ingenious and tasty manner in which
the attention of the public is attracted
One firm distributes beautiful bottles of
rn1nrpr- another has aiyertiSap,ap, ent