The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-17
STRANGE BRITISH TREASURES.
Heirlooms That Are JeaIously Pre-
 served by Distinguished Families.
From Tid-Bits.

From Tid-Bits.
 If the heirlooms that are so jealously treasured in the stately homes of Britain could only be brought together they would make one of the most fascinating nut seums in the whole world
 Lord Elgin has among his many ances- tral treasures at Broomhall the very hell met which the valiant Robert Bruce once wore and the huge two-handed sword which he wielded with such deadly effect in many a hard fought fray; while the Douglas banner which foated in the thickest of the fight at Otterburn has ceme down to our times through nearly twenty 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 Donely castle by the family of McDou- gall. Another most interesting relic of Bruce days is the famous Lee penny which was the inspiration of Scotts ''Talisman." This magical coin, which is silver groat of Edward Ills time, with a comedian set in 1t, was brought from the east by Sir Simon Lockhart and Is credited with wonderful powers of heal- ing the sick and curing those who have been bitten by mad dogs.
 Among the many memorials of Sir
 
 houses is the very sword which was pre- sented to him by the burgesses of Ply mouth, and which now belongs to Sir Francis Elliott Drake of Buckland ab- bey At Buckland abbey, also, are the drum which accompanied the great naval hero on his voyage in the Pelican; CO., coanut cup mounted in silver gilt, given by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Francis and also a silver gilt standing dish and cover. At Kimberley hall, the Norfolk seat of Lord Kimberley, are many valuable me- morials of old days, notably the silver hilt of the sword which his lordshp's ances- tor, Sir John Wodehouse, wielded at Agin- court, and rosary of coral and gold presented to Sir Philips wife by Queen Catherine of Valois.
 At Lyme hall, in Cheshire. is a very an- cient 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 Kappa hall, the an- cestral Yorkshire seat of the Metcalfes, there is, or was within recent years. a massive four poster which the beautiful and ill-fated Queen of Scots occupied for few nights, and at Slzergh castle the Stricklands proudly exhibit magnificent counterpane and toilet cover of the rich est white satin embroidered by the hands of Queen Catherine Parr during a visit she paid to the castle as young girl The center of the pattern on both coun- terpane and toilet cover Is a medallion surrounded by a wreath of natural flow CTS wrought in twisted silks and bullion; spread eagle in gold relief, gorged with the imperial crown, forms the middle, and at each corner is dragon glowing wlth~purple, crimson and gold. The col ors are almost as fresh and vivid today as when they left the hands or Catharlne centuries ago.
 At Rug, near Bala, are preserved knife, fork and dagger, once the proper ty of Owen Glendower, the famous Welsh chieftain; Lord De B'Isle and Dudley has a magnificent two-handed sword which was once worn by Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester; and the Earl of Penn broke is very proud of the suit of russet and gilt armor which his remote prede- cessor, William, Earl of Pembroke, wore when commanding the English army at the battle of St. Quentin.
 Better known and of exceptional inter- est Is the ancient glass goblet known the world over as the Luck of Edehall," 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. similar heirloom Is the Luck of Muncaster," quaint enameled glass vase presented by Henry VI. to Sir John Pennington when he sheltered the King at Muncaster after the battle of Hexham in 1643; while in the drawing room of Worthington hall, the seat of the Curwens, Is a small drink ing cup of Scotch agate given by Mary Queen of Scots as a parting gift to her friend and host, Sir Henry Curwen
 At Hesleyside, Durham, Is a very re- markable memorial of past centuries in the form of a formidable spur, six inches long, which, we are told, the ''lady of the family used to serve upon dish to her husband and sons. as hint that the do- nestle larder needed replenishing." At Coleshill house Is wax image of an in- fant, the last hope of the Pleydells. which ia credited with remarkable influence over the fortunes of the Bouveries; and at Matfen one may see the Sockburne fal- chion, the identical sword with which Conyers of Soclkburne Is said to have slain the Serpent.