The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-02-26
The CrOwn.jewels of France.

For ten years France has been ruled
by crownless heads. Public opinion de-
clares that it is not seemly that the Pres
ident of Republic should wear anything
more ornamental than silk hat. Mean
while, the ancient jewels which adorned
the diadems of French Kings and EN-
perors in other days, have been gather
ing dust in huge safe, in q building
called the de-Meuble, )" on the Quai
d'Orsay, in Paris. Now these gems are,
as may be guessed, Of very great value.
Their worth is variously estimated. 1t
is certain that they are worth at least q
million dollars; and if the splendid Pitt
diamond is reckoned among them, their
value can scarcely be less than three
millions.
The Republican authorities, it appears,
have come to the conclusion that France
will have no more need of crowns or
crown-jewels; that Kings and Queens
have been dispensed with forever; and
that it is not necessary to keep the royal
regalia, which are no longer destined to
blaze in the drawing-rooms of the Tuile-
ries, or to be paraded through the streets
of Paris in gorgeous royal professions.
In word, it has been decided to sell
these crown-jewels, and with the goodly
sums thus realized to endow and fur
nish museums for the recreation of the
people. ..1 nuft4.5. ..........
From a sentimental point of view, it
seems a pity that these historic gems
should be thus scattered to the four
winds. We like to see and scrutinize
what has belonged to, and even what
has been worn by, famous historic char
acters; and these jewels have adorned
the brows of two Louis, of the first Ma
poleon, and of Marie Antoinette. Sew
eral of them are very celebrated pre-
'cious stones. The Pitt diamond, for in
stance, is the fourth diamond in size in
the world. 1t was bought in India, two
centuries ago, by Thomas Pitt, the
grandfather of the great Earl of Chat
ham; and was sold by him for over
half million of dollars to the French
Regent Orleans, who had it set in
crown for the rosy-cheeked infant King,
Louis XIV. The First Napoleon had it
set in the hilt of his sword; and it reap
peared in the crown of the last French
sovereign who was ever formally crown
ed-the unfortunate Charles the Tenth.
Another famous stone among the crown
Jewels is the Sancy diamond; while a
certain circlet of Oriental pearls APP
pears among them, worth, it is said, one
hundred thousand dollars.
1t is probably wise and prudent to sell
hese Jewels and convert their value
into practical use. AS matter of fact,
they have been stored away for over
fifty years. Neither of the two last
sovereigns of France-Louis PHILIPPE
and Napoleon the Third-was ever
crowned. Neither of them, it is
thought, dared to go through the
ceremony of coronation, for fear of a
popular outbreak, and it is certain that
neither was ever seen to wear royal
diadem ON any State occasion.
The Government will not find it hard
perhaps to sell even the magnificent
Pitt diamond. There is more than one
potentate rich enough to buy it, even at
a million; and there will be lively bid
ding for it by royal bidders.
The French Republic has little
reverence for history or historical
associations, especially those relating to
the crowned tyrants of the nation; and
with the crown Jewels will pass away
almost the last visible vestige of the
days of monarchy and empire. The
Tuileries is in ruins; St. Cloud no longer
exists; the Palais Royal is bazaar,
and the Luxembourg picture gallery.
The crown-jewels converted into popular
museums will only be one more transfer
of monarchial luxuries to the neD
sovereign of France-the people,
Ioath'S Companion.