The Iola register., 1881-02-18
The Crown.jewels Of France.

FOR ten years france mas Oeen iuteu
bv crownless heads. Public opinion de-
ciares 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 ir huge safe, in building
called the /" Garde- -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-iewels; that Kings and Queens
have been dispensed with forever; and
that it is not necessary to keep the royal
reoalia, which are no longer destined to
blaze in the drawing-room of the Tuile-
ries, or to be paraded through h 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. :,
seems a pity that these historic gem;
should be thus scattered to the foul
winds. We like to see and scrutinize
what has belonged to, and even wha'
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, Tor IN
stance, is the fourth diamond in size II
the world. It was bought in India, tw'
centuries ago, by Thomas Pitt, tn
grandfather of the great Earl of Chat
ham: and was sold by him for owe
half q million of dollars to the Frenc
Regent Orleans, who had it set IN
crown for the rosy checked infant King
Louis XIV. The First Napoleon had
set in the hilt of his sword and it rear
peared in the crown of the last Frenc
sovereign who was ever formally crown
: ed-the unfortunate Charles the Tentf
? Another famous stone among the crow
: Jewels is the Sancy diamond: while
|, certain circlet of Oriental pearls al
) pears among them, worth, it is said, or
: hundred thousand dollars.
: It is probably wise and prudent to Sc
' these Jewels and convert their valu
). into practical use. As q matter OF fac
= they have been stored away for ov'
q fifty wears. Neither of the two la
l. sovereigns of .France-Louis Phillip
: and Napoleon the Third-was ev
9 crowned. Neither of them, it
k thought, dared to 60 through Il
9 ceremony of coronation, for fear OF
j. popular outbreak, and it is certain tn
d neither was ever seen to wear roy
p diadem ON any State occasion.
10 The Government will not find it ha
d perhaps to sell even the magnifice
10 Pitt diamond. There is more than o
is potentate rich enough to buy it, even
+ q million; and there will be lively bi
N ding for it by royal bidders.
st The French Republic has lit
le reverence for history or historic
p associations, especially those relating
It the crowned tyrants of the nation; a
rs with the crown-jewels will pass aw
(. almost the last visible vestige OF t
re days of monarchy and empire, L
20 Tuileries is in ruins; St. Cloud no long
exists; the Palais Royal is "a baza
lie and the Luxembourg picture-ga
k The crown-jewels converted into popu
vt. museums will only be one more trans
of monarchial 1uxuries to the n
ho sovereign of France-the people
Youths Conlpaniess.