Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-26
STRANGE TREASURES.
Heirlooms jealousy Preserved by Dis
tinguished Families.


If the herlooms that are so jealously
treasured in the stately homes OF Britain
could only be brought together they would
make one OF the most fascinating museums
in the whole world.
Lord Elgin has among his many ances-
trail treasures at Broomhall the very he'll
met which the valiant Robert Bruce once
wore and the huge two-handed sword
which he welded with such deadly effect
in many a hard-fought fray; while the
Douglas banner that hoated in the
thickest Of the fight at Otterburn has
come down to our times through nearly
20 generations of the descendants of
Archibald Douglas, who bore it so gal
lantly.
The brooch of Lorn, too which was
taken from Robert Bruce at the battle of
Dalrigh. has been preserved ever since
at Donelly Castle by the family of Nc
Dougall Another most interesting relic
Of Bruce days is the famous Lee penny
which was the inspiration Of Scott's
"Talisman." The magical coin, which
was a silver groat of Edward Ills time
with a cornelan set in il, was brought
from the East by Sir Simon Lockhart,
and is credited with wonderful powers of
healing the sick and curing those who
have been bitten by mad dogs.
Among the many memorials OF Sir Fran
els Drake TO be seen in private houses is
the very sword which was presented TO
him by the burgesses of Plymouth and
which now belongs TO Sir Francis Elliott
| Drake of BucSland Abbey. At Buck
land Abbey, also, are the drum which
accompanied the great naval hero on his
voyage in the Pelican, a cocoanut cup
mounted in silver gilt given by Queen
! Elizabeth TO Sir Francis, and also a silver
! gilt standing dish and cover. At Kim
| berly Hall, the Norfolk seat of Lord Kim
| bcrly are many valuable memorials of
old days, notably the silver hilt of the
sword which his lordship's Sir John Wode-
house welded at Agncourt, and a rosary
Of coral and gold presented to Sir Philips
wife by Queen Catherine of Valois.
AT Lyme Hall, in Cheshire, is a very
ancient bed, with a canopy of carved black
wood in which the Black Prince used to
sleep; at OXburgh Hall one may look on
the bed in which Henry VII was wont to
take his rest; at Nappa Hail. the ances-
| tral Yorkshire seat Of the Metcalfes, there
| is, or was within recent years a massive
four-poster which the beautiful and ill
iated Queen of Scots occupied for few
nights; and at Sizergh Castle the Strick-
! lands proudly exhibit a magnificent coun-
/ terpane and toilet cover OF the richest
white satin embroidered by the hands of
/ Queen Catharine Parr during a visit she
| paid to the castle as young girl.
The centre of the pattern on both
counterpane and toilet cover is a medal
lion surrounded by a wreath of natural
flowers wrought in twisted silks and
bullion; a spread eagle in bold relief,
gorged with the imperial crown, forms
the middle, and at each corner is a
dragon glowing with purple, crimson and
gold. The colors are almost as fresh
and vivid as when they left the hands of
Cathanne centuries ago.
At Rug, near Bala, are preserved a
knife, fork and dagger, once the property
of Owen Glendower, the famous Welsh
chieftain; Lord De L'Isle and Dudley has
a magnificent twO-handed sword which
was once worn by Robert Dudley, Earl of
Leicester, and the Earl of Pembroke is
very proud OF the suit of russet and gilt
armor which his remote predecessor Viii
liam, Earl Of Pembroke, wore when COM
manding the English army at the battle
OF st. Quentin.
Better known, and Of exceptional in
terest, is the ancient glass goblet known
the world over as the "Luck of Eden
hall, which bears the legend "When this
cup shall break and fall, Farewell the
luck OF Edenhall, and which has been
so long treasured by the Musgraves. A
similar heirloom is the "Luck of Mum
caster" a quaint enameled glass vase.
| presented by Henry vi TO Sir John PEN
nington when he sheltered the king at
Muncaster after the battle of Hexham
in l463; while in the drawingroom of
Morthington Hall, the seat of the Cur
wens, is a small drinking cup of Scotch
agate given by Mary Queen Of Scots as a
parting gift to her friend and host, Sir
Henry CurweE.