The Washington times., 1903-09-13
The Papal Tiara.

The vicissitudes of the Papal tiara have been
remarkable. Take the case Of the first, that
Of St sylvester Clement had that brought
out Of the sacTarium az the Lateran 70 AVignon
Ic served the uses of some Of the Popes there
Gregory VI took it back 10 Rome. The French
cardinals who elected Clement VII in opposi-
tion 10 Urban VI, carried IL back 10 France
Benedict XIII took it with him 70 Spain 1t
was restored TO the Lateran; and, somewhere
about 1854, II was stolen SO it disappears
from history.
Meanwhile Martiuus V, the elect Of the
Council Of Constance, IL 14I7, had supplied him
self with a new tiara, which also disappeared
His successor. Eugenius ", replaced it. But
he had TO pledge his tiara for the $1,000 crowns
that wSs required 70 pay the expenses Of the
Council Of Florence. and the entertainment Of
the Oriental bishops lie got back, indeed, an
Avignon tiara; and Calixtus III sold the stones
out Of it 10 provide the sinews fer the holy
war against the infdel Thus de 5poiled. this
tiara was not good enough for the fasridious
Venetian who was Paul II. lie spent some
thing Ike 10000 crowns upon his headgear.
and Sixtus ~ and Innocent VII both found II
useful for their respective requirements. Tiaras
we're portable securities Ag0ssino Chigi, the
banker. lent Iiliys II very substantial sum
Paul ", sold stock tiara out and out The
stock. notwithstanding, seems to have been
considerable Clement VII. before Charles QJint
sacked Rome in 1927, kept Benvenuto CeIlini
busy in breaking up the contents Of the Sacra-
rum as a precautionary measure. Yet Plus VI
found hall dozen tiaras still remaining. and
spent a million crowns upon their mOdeTniZa-
tiOn. \ few years later the treaty OF Tolentino
bad deprived him Of them all. General Bona
parte had agreed 70 accept a part Of the
%. 900 francs which he had imposed as
war contribution in valuable property Of this
kind. BY and by, on May ii. 1877, he was
complaining to the directory that ne had got
too much of it-eight millions in precious
stones. and not a sou Of ready money for his
army His holiness was obliged TO buy back
some Of his proDerty for cash down loan
was raised from certain bankers at Geneva
The directory got wind Of rilis, and simpified
the proceedings by snnexing the loan right
away.
The Holy See temporarily recovered a portion
Of its effects in 1905. Out Of the tiaras that
went TO T0leutino the emperor had one made
for Plus VII TO crown him in. But when that
unfortunate Pontif was arrested and impris-
oned his tiara promptly taken away from
him and relegated 20 the imperial treasury. Il
did not get 20 Rome till 1913 When it was
made the Pope had been reduced TO the neces-
sity OF wearing a tiara Of covered cardboard,
set with imitation gems. II was, az any rate.
light and easy 70 wear, and such commended
itself 70 his SUCCESSORS on occasions OF minor i'm
portance. Gregory XVI replaced it by some
thing less theatrical and more artistic and
Pho Mono by ~omething quite as light and more
imposing. In 1850, however. Queen Isabella Of
Spain presented him with a magnificent tisra
in diamonds And in lsSS, when the late Pope
celebrated his sacerdotal jubilee, the faithful of
Paris made him an Offering Of chef d'oeuvre
Of Froment- -Meurice. in the shape Of triregno,
which has now become hiStoric.-W. F. W in
London Pail Mall Gazette