The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-21
luxury N OLDEA TIMES.
nxTRAvA0ANCE or rHE WEALTHY
NOT PECULIAR TO THIS AGE.
Limits Set By Law - Republican
America Not Behina Monarchical
Uarope In Expenditures for jew
elry = Cleopatra AID the Pearl.

kind II heir, and that for this reason II -
necessary to return to the simple customs
Of the good old times" Nine Fashion
laughs at such philosophy and deductions;
for Mime. Fashion may be young and may
be renewed every season, or several times
In one season, yet she IL AZ old a. the
world stands.
Certainly, luxury has reached the height
Of development In these days. Fortunes
are expended by fashionable women for
jeweiry alone. not to speak Of costumes.
SILK hosiery. dainty lingerie. and other
requisites OF fashionable female attire.
This holds true Of republican America AZ
well as OF the courts OF Europe, where
the dresses for functions Of state are ale
most concealed by loads of jewelry. II
the dowager empress Of Russia, Maria
Feodorowna, appears In the national cos
tune at q state function she looks like q
figure from the Arabian Nights with the
myriads Of jewels and precious stones she
wears.
In the "Good ola Time"
But the good old times" II one under
stands how to follow fashion through the
course Of history he or she will discover
that the time Of yore was not any simpler
than the present one. Cleopatra dissolved
a pearl Of immense value in vinegar to
drink the queer solution for the beAutify-
ing Of her complexion. The fashionable
women OF Rome in Its empire days wore
on their white tunics purple ornaments
set with gold The latter was rolled out
Of the solid lump ana cut into the forms
prescribed by fashion. Pearls were as
common as blackberries, so that Old Pliny'
feels called upon to say that the Roman
matron of his day walked upon pearls"
which seems to indicate that these costly
ornaments were worn not only on the
tunics but also on the sandals and on the
lowest hem OF the dress.
And furnishings and fittings Of the
houses were in keeping with the luxury
In dress Rugs Of the finest lambs wool.
woven into exquisite patterns and dyed
in many colors, were particularly in style.
and some Of them cost fabulous prices.
The seats OF the chairs were framed from
polished turtle backs and covered with
hand-embroidered pillowA Images Of ivory
and silver. candelabra, tripods and other
furniture OF gold and precious metal orna-
mented the rooms. Rich canopies were
placed at the banquets above the heads
Of those who Toasted. Flowers were an
other expression Of luxury. Slaves
strewed flowers and petals upon the floors
of polished marble and upon the divans,
and crowned each guest with roses bound
with silken fiber.
The description Of the costume and the
F. comforts OF rich woman in ancient POM
peii reads Ike symphony in gold and
precious stones. A table Of Jasper and
sapphire bears mirror OF polished steel,
surrounded by gold and silver boxes con.
tanning perfumes, soap and cosmetics.
Through the subdued light Of the apart
ment glow the colors of the frescoes,
whose inim.table enamel denes the centu-
ries. Oriental rugs cover the floor, and
silken .draperies embroidered with golden
arabesques serve insteadA Of doors. The
particular business Of one or the female
slaves Is to take care of the jewelry Of
her mistress, the bracelets and rings Of
ufvyr sold 10 han lRssv~ =
clasps for the fastening Of the toga, and
the purple belt with its costly jewels.
The carriages which were used by the
rich In Pompeii were decorated with art,s-
tic relief work and drawn by Parthenian
horses Of rare breed. The dress Of such
tunic, and the fibula with which 1t was
fastened around the waist shone with
emeralds. Around his neck he wore a
golden chain, ending at the middle of the
breast in a snake head, from whose mouth
his seal was suspended The wide sleeves
Of his tunic were ornamented with golden
fringe. His golden belt, of the finest
workmanship, served instead Of q pocket
to carry kerchief. purse. stylus and tab
let's.
Descriptions of positively incredible lux
ury come from the chroniclers Of old BY
zantium. The throne of Emperor Romanos
and Empress Augusta Zoe about the year
1923. was guarded by two lions of pure
gold which. moved by some mechanical
continuance. rose. roared, and laid down
again. Before the throne was a golden
plane tree. in the branches Of which nu-
merous artificial birds of gold and Jewels
perched.
The palaces and houses Of the rich and
the nobility were on commensurate
scale. Wonderful marble structures and
magnificent gardens stretched down to the
sea. Stairways of jasper and alabaster
led to the shore. The magnificence of Lin
derhof and Herrenchiemsee, the famous
castles OF the insane Ludwig II. Of Bava-
ria, pales In comparison with the traditions
of those ancient times.
Cruaades Bring Luxury.
In ancient Germany the simplicity of
life and habits remained longest until
increasing trade brought growing luxury.
The crusades carried thousands across the
sea into the splendid Orient, whence lux
ury soon found its way into tho countries
of Europe.
During the thirteenth century the first
silk merchants came from TUSCANY ana
Lombardy to Paris. Even today the name
OF the street where they lived is Rue des
LombardA Venice furnished plumes, lew
els, rugs ana other magnificent products
of the Orient.
King Wengeslaus of Bohemia. had n
garment made in 1867 which cost NOT less
than $4,000 of the American money OF the
present day. The members OF the rich
italian families Of Medici and Borgia were
also exceedingly destinations. Guiliano al
Medici wore, in 1869, ON the occasion ~
tournament in Florence, a costume which
cost $4,000. Lucretia Borgia's dover on
the occasion of her marriage with Alfonso
OF Este. contained 200 chemises OF which
each one cost a hundred ducats Charles
the Bold. of Burgundy. that heroic giant,
owned coats upon which the verses of his
favorite poets were embroidered in dia-
mcnds. Each one of these poetical gar
ments was worth fortune, the chronicler
speaking of 100000 ducats as the cost Of
each coat Upon his campaigns the duke
carried not less than 400 boxes filed with
articles of his wardrobe. King Amadeus
VI, of Saxony, was another ostentatious
monarch.
The silk stocking did not come into vogue
until the period of Queen Elizabeth, of
England. 1t is reported of her that she
wore the first silken hosiery knitted by.