Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-04-03
THAT IRON CROWN. !
1T RESTS ON A VELVET CUSHION ~
THE CATHEDRAL AT MONzA.

''Let no other hand dare to touch 1t, )"
Uaid Napoleon as he placed the iron
crown upon his brow.
1t seems to have been weakness of
the great Napoleon to crown himself, for
he also performed the act i'll the Cathe-
dral of Notre Dame at Paris. In the one
instance he rudely repulsed bishop,
and in the other pope, who were about
to place a crown upon his head.
The mystery of the origin of the iron
crown. the interesting history connect
ed with it, the noble-and ignoble-
heads it has adorned, all make it an OBJ
ject of Importance.
>a Now, after browning 81 monarohs. it
rests on a velvet cushion in glass case
in the cathedral at Monza, locked and
sealed and guarded. Only by the pay
ment Of 81 can the curious obtain even
q glimpse of it. 1t is composed of six
quadrangular pieces of gold united by
hinges and is adorned with % gems of
various colors and "a enameled jewels.
Lining the inner part is the much dis
puted strip of iron. The popular tradi-
tion that this strip is made out of nail
from the true cross is gradually becom-
ing disbelieved, although the clergy
still maintain the right of the strip to
be considered holy.
The story is that Helena, the mother
of Constantine, found the nails with
which Christ was crucified, and of one Of
them made horseshoe and Of the other
diadem. The diadem, all Of gold, but
lined in the interior with thin strip
of iron, was given by Pope Gregory the
Great to Theodolinda, and by her to the
Church of San Giovanni Battista, which
she had founded at Monza. There is an
other crown in the church given by
Theodolinda and called for her, but as
it is of gold and makes no claim to be-
ing holy, being simply v0tive offer
ing, no particular interest attaches to it.
Some writers say that the nail was
not placed in the iron crown, but in the
helm of Constantine; that tho lining
strip of iron is simply band to hold
the inflexible crown in shape 1t is only
since 1717 that the crown has been con-
sidered sacred relic, and discussions
and suppositions have been advanced in
regard to it. 1t is not mentioned in the
reign of Theodolinda, nor until some
centuries afterward. Those who oppose
the idea that the lining strip of iron is
the holy nail say that if it was, the Mil
anese would have resented with the
sword the calling of it crown of straw,
as did Rafael Toscana in his verses:
With iron here Tin Milan) they encircle the
brow,
With straw in Monza and with glittering gold
in Rome.
There were other iron crowns in the
history of the past, among them one
made for Henry VII, in the form of
garland of laurels, ornamented with
rich and precious stones, but all Of these
have been lost or stolen, so that the one
at Monza alone remains.
Between the years of 1859 and 1856
the iron crown was absent from the lit
tie velvet cushion in Monza. 1t was car
ried off by the Austrians, but was re-
turned in 1866 to the king of Italy.
The portraits of all the kings who have
worn this crown are also preserved in
the cathedral at Monza. The last three
were Charles V, at Bologna in 1880;
Napoleon, May 2G, 1906, in the famous
pinnacled cathedral at Milan, and in
the same place Ferdinand I, Sept 6,
1888.
There are other treasures guarded in
the church at Monza-chalices and holy
vases, gems and crowns of silver and
gold. These are venerated and wor-
shipped, and many of them have been
there since the time of Theodolinda but
others have been placed there at differ
emit times by the LON bardian sovereigns.
There was formerly crown in the
church that had been given as votive
offering by Agilulfo, the husband of
Theodolinda. 1t contained the inscrip-
tion, "Agilulfo, by the grace of God,
glorious man and king of Italy, offering
to San Giovanni in the church of Mon
"a. :" The inscription was noteworthy
because in it was used for the first time
the words 'gratia Dei'' (by the grace of
Cody, which have since been adopted
by all the sovereigns. This crown was
melted and sold in 1904, the year before
Napoleon was crowned with the iron
crown.
Napoleon founded an order of knight
hood and called it the Order of Iron
Crown.
Monza, the sleepy old town contain
ing the cathedral that guards this his.
toric crown, lies in the shadow of the
Alps. Looking toward them one sees the
snow glistening on their peaks. Turn
ing in the opposite direction the pima
cles of Milan's cathedral can be seen
white and shining i'll the sunlight,
while above the sky is blue, and at ones
feet flows the peaceful Lambro. 1t is a
scene of quiet beauty and suggests no
thoughts Of stormy times and great revo-
lutions, and yet such have taken place
in and about Monza. In late years many
momentous questions of state have been
s=:s.s..d aere.-Chicago Record.
A good story is told about the smart
sergeant of crack cavalry regiment.
Whenever he had occasion to punish
any of his men he invariably concluded
the sentence by exclaiming. "And you
are another" Every victim noticed this
strange remark, but none could under
eand the meaning of it, and naturally
they were afraid to ask. But one day
newly promoted sergeant determined to
solve the mystery. He said to the SER
geant:
Sergeant, there is one thing I should
like to ask you. I've often heard you
say after indicting punishment on a
man, And you are another. What do
you really mean by that remark?"
"Well, said the sergeant. smiling,
~ will tell you. know that whenever
I am obliged to punish an evildoer the
victim always says to himself, What
a stupid ass the sergeant lisp get even
with him by saying, And you are an
other Keep it dark. boston Post.
If the Rope Broke.
a visitor to Niagara once got a reply
which was by no means the answer he
expected. He was watching the cal
start which is raised or lowered ON the
inclined plane by steam power, but, not
liking the look of the track, did not 60
down himself. After the car had start
ed he turned to the man in charge and