Washington sentinel., 1900-10-06
Ut, IT,, SENTINEL
a lew
THE VlCiS STUDIES wee k S
ar r1omNS ago peo-
AA~ "" - 81.

Or Z CHSNNS'
surprised to learn that there still
existed a remarkable link with the
past in the person of one OF the
poor peasants who we're the instru-
ments by which the crown OF Hun
gary was restored to her monarch
some forty odd years ago. The
Hungarian crown has known many
vicissituGes, and probably will
suffice many more, judging from
past experiences. II was made
between eight and nine hundred
years ago for Stephen l., King Of
Hungary, and, although Shakes
pearan scholars will scoh at the
idea, it may have suggested to him
the line, Uneasy lies the head
that wears the crown, lin view Of
the fact that it is made Of pure gold
and is adorned with So sapphires,
almost as many rubies, one emer-
a.d, SsS pearls, and certain oblong
green stones to which lapidaries
cannot agree to put one name, the
whole erection weighing about
fourteen pounds. During its long
life it has found itself at times
among very humble surroundings;
on one occasion, when packed in
a cask, it was all but lost through
the cask falling into 4 ditch; on
another it was sewn up in a cush-
ion and smuggled across the frozen
Danube, only to be pawned for
less than 3, 600 ducats. For a long
time after it had been recovered
from its ignominious sojourn with
the pawnbroker it was guarded by
two noblemen specially detailed
tor the purpose in a Hungarian
fastness; but, falling into the hands
OF Louis Kossuth, the patriot, it
again disappeared, on this oeca-
sion for half a decade, until,
through the agency OF the afore-
mentioned peasant and three
others, it was found among the
roots OF tree in the neighborhood
OF Orsova, where the Dictator Of
Hungary buried It in IS48. AL
though the finders Of the crown OF
the Magyar kings were rewarded
at the time OF the discovery, the
one who is still aIiye fell upon evil
times, consequently early last June
the Emperor Francis Joseph or
dered a pension OF 500 crowns to
to be paid him.
OF course, a State crown, such |
as that fashioned for Her Majesty |
at the time OF her accession, is a
very desirable possession, mas
much as, although it weighs only |
80 o. S dwt. troy, it comprises
precious stones TO the value OF |
$500, 200. Still to the ordinary |
householder its safe keeping would |
be the source Of considerable anx-
iety, from which the keepers Of the
official headgear OF the King Of
Roumania are exempt, that mon
arch's regal covering being the
least valuable specimen in Europe,
as can be gathered from the fact
that it was made from the cannon
captured from the Turks at PleVna
in 1877.
The only other regal crown in
Europe into the design OF which !
any other metal than gold or silver
enters is that which the young
monarch recently placed on the |
Throne Of Italy, by the force OF |
most calamitous circumstances,
will shortly don. By the side oi |
the broad circlet composed OF six |
equal parts Of beaten and hinged !
gold, ornaments d with large, uncut |
rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, on
a ground of blue gold enamel, the
crown Of St. Stephan OF Hungary
is comparatively modern. The |
Iron Crown OF Lombardy, as
Italy's Royal hllet is called, owes
its name to a narrow IRON band |
hree-eighths of an inch broad |
and one-tenth Of an inch in thick
ness that is placed round the inner
circumference Of the crown. Ac-
cording to tradition, the band was
made out of one OF the nails used
in the CruciixiOn, and was pre-
sented to Constantine by his /
mother, the Empress Helena, the
Gl9NOH ~ ~ VI hAAN ~Ag1ot d. a kdAA9-
man; subsequently, it was intro
duced into the crown used at the
coronations ofthe Lombard Kings,
and is now kept in the cathedral at
Monza at which place the late
King Herbert was assassinated.
The monks Of Monza. when the
crown is shown to visitors, point
out that, although the iron circlet
has been in its present position /
fifteen hundred years, and no
cleansing process has ever been
applied to it, yet not speck ofrust
can be discerned upon its surface,
a fact they quote to prove the truth
Of the traditional story respecting
its sacred associations. That the
crown oi Lomoardy has expert
enced several vicissitudes is proved
by the fact that in addition to
thirty.hve monarchs OF Lombardy
three Emperors have donned It
more by might than by right.
Strange Hobbies Of sovereigus.