Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-12-19

vi was crowned in 1875, and obtain
ed the Island OF Sicily as part Of
the dover OF his bride. Everything
worn by him and successive emperors
upon taking the throne is carefully
preserved, even the shoes, stockings
and gloves, all beautifully embroider-
ed and bearing inscriptions in Ara
| bic.
| In one of the rooms adjoining is
the cradle of the ill-starred Il Aig-
lon" the son of Napoleon |. and Ma
rie Louise OF Austria, presented to
that infant by the city OF Paris at his
birth March Il. 1911. 1t is entirely
of silver, in the form of a basket,
swinging from a stardard three feet
| high and covered with canopy.
| Much OF the surface is gilded and en-
ameled and set with mother of pearl.
At one end is the eagle of France, At
the other the crest of Napoleon. and
upon the sides are symbols of wis
dom and strength. 1t is perhaps the
most beautiful and costly cradle OF
the world, and melancholy relic Of
| that young king who never sat upon
the throne of Rome. which his father
presented TO him. and who died at
the age of % at the summer palace
OF his grandfather the Emperor Of
Austria. He was known to the pub
lie as the Duke of Reichstadt, and to
the writes of romance as l. Aiglon
(the little eagle.
The coronation robes, the crown,
scepter and the great seal of Ma
M nc Il inc nf IN bAra
served, having been brought to Vienna
by his consort, Marie Louise. and
near them is a casket of delicate
workmanship representing taber
nacle, in which are kept the keys of
the collins of the deceased members
of the imperial family, who lie in the
vault of the church of the Capuchin
monks in Vienna.
In another room, guarded day and
night by formidable-looking soldiers.
are the crown jewels of Austria, most
OF them having been collected by
Marie Theresa. the most famous and
brilliant of expresses, who seems to
have been as luxurious in her tastes
and as extravagant in her personal
adornments as Catherine the Great OF
Russia. But she was a woman of
entirely different character, however,
and when her husband died, in 1765,
Marie Theresa deposited all her jew
els in the imperial treasury, and
never wore ornaments or colors
again. Here they have since re-
mained, with the exception of few
which were reset for the use II the
late Empress Elizabeth in her young
er days. The collection is valued at
several millions of dollars.
The most valuable of the jewels
in her collection is the "Florentine
diamond" exceeded in size by four
others only and weighing 1913 Vienna
carats. 1t has had remarkable his
tory. Charles the Bold. Duke OF
Burgundy. wore it 1t in his helmet,
and 1t fell out of the setting when he
was killed at the battle Of Granson
| in 1476 A swiss peasant who
| found it, supposing it to be only
piece of glass. sold it to the parish
priest of Montalgny for form. 1t
finally was recognized by diamond
merchants to whom it was exhibited,
and after several successive trans
actions passed into the possession of
the Di Medici family, with whom 1t
remained until they were extinct.
The duke of Tuscany inherited It
with other heirlooms of the Di Medi-
els. and presented it to Maria-Ther-
esa of Austria as bridal gift at the
time of their marriage.
The bridal jewels of Marie Anto-
inette and Marie Louise, those two
unfortunate Austrians who sat on
the throne of France, are in the same
case-the former rubies of immense
size and the latter emeralds set In
diamonds, said to be the most beau
| tiful eyamnles in eYiStence