Osage Valley banner., 1880-10-14

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St Simon, however, saw the child with
the eyes of a Duke Of the old regime,
and he reasoned thus;
II agreed with Law (who also advised
the purchase) that II did not become the
grandeur of the King OF France to
allow himself to be frustrated by the
price OF IN object which WAS unique in
the world, aud inestimable; and that
the greater the number of pDtentates
wh0shad not dared TO thinK of Il, the
more we ought 20 beware Of letting it
escape us. The Regent feared 20 be
blamed for making purchase so con-
siderable at time whom we could
scarcely meet necessities the most
pressing, and when we were obliged 10
leave so many people unpaid. praised
this sentiment; but 1 told him that be
ought not TO net for the greatest King in
Europe as he would for a private IN
diyidual. Il was his duty to consider
the honor OF the crown, and not permit
the chance 10 escape of procuring %
diamond without price, which OBJ
liberated those al all Europe | main
tanned that it would be a glory for his
regency which would last forever"
He said, also. that the finances were
IN so bad a condition that two or three
million francs more or less would make
no difference. He prevailed at length.
although tho Regent was obliged 20 buy
the gem on credit aud give the mer-
chant pledge of two million francs
worth of smaller crown jewels until the
price was paid. The prediction OF the
Duke de St. Simon. that the Regent
would be remembered chiefly through
the purchase of the jewel. appears to
have come true. The fact that this
splendid object is called the Regent
does more to perpetuate his memory
than any other act of his careless aud
bad administration People in general
would scarcely know that France had
ever had Regent butfor the diamond.
which to this day retains its rank rs
the finest jewel in the world.
Another of the great diamonds was
called the Sancy. IL rcsembed PEN
du'um in form, was very pure and
brilliant, weighed thirty-thrrc Uarats,
and was valued at two hundred thou
sand dollars. Another was STYLED the
Mirror OF Portugal, ob,Oug in shape.
extremely white aud clear, weighing
twenty-one carats, and was valued 40
fifty thousand dollars. The fourth in
value, called the 1.-THE of Mazarin, was
square in form with rounded edges,
splondidly brilliant, weighing sixteen
cara,s, aud worth ten thousand dollars.
There were also sOmo wonderful pearls
and rubies. Tho most noted pearl
weighed twcnty-sevcn carats and was
valued at forty thousand dollars; and
there was necklace OF twenty five
pearls, valued at two hundred thousand
dollars. A ruby of ffty-slX carat and
another OF twenty-five were greatly all
mired; not to speak Of a bcwilderiug
number of very tine gems of less inn
pcrtance.
Such were the crown Jewels OF France
in 1891, the last year of the ancient
monarchy. They wero many thousands
in number and were estimated 70 be
worth two hundred millions OF francs.
In that year Of excitement and terror
tne revolutionary party were already
beginning 10 think OK utilizing those
gllttering treasures, and were quite de-
tormined that the King and his Austrian
wife should not carry them on The
royal jewels were much in people, 5
minds in those terrible DAYS, and there
were rumors afloat of the arrest Of
fugitives with trunks full of gems. and
of boats floating down the Seine loaded
with the most magnificent diamonds.
1t was, indeed, time to look after these
treasures During the day Of riot and
confusion following the tenth of August,
1882, when allauthority was suspended,
the whole crowd of pickpockets.
burglars and tramps OF Paris surrounded
the Repository whore they were kept,
and stole nearly every jewel of any
value. When order was restored, this
wonderful collection had nearly disap-
peared; the few smaller stones lift
being worth about forty thousand dol
lars. Proclamation was made, and pro
ceedings were instituted. In the course
of that year, about million francs
worth were recovered by the police;
and, four years after, the superb Regent
was found. as 1t is said buried in the
beam of The attic of an old house in
Paris. Al least II was recovered by a
noted detective, who was attarward
promoted to be Chief Of Police, Such a
diamond would have been of no value
whatever TO a thief, as il was a familiar
object 10 every person in the world
able to buy it,
During the reign of Napoleon, the
Regent was inserted in the end ot the
hilt of his sword of State, Upon his
return from Elba, Louis XVIII. carried
off the crown jewels, but brought them
back again after Waterloo. The value
of the collection al the present mo-
ment, according TO the estimate of NJ.
Turquet, is about four millions of dol
lars; of which he proposes TO sell six
hundred thousand dollars worth. This
large sum we'll invested will yield about
twenty thousand dollars year for the
purchase of works OF art.