New-York tribune., 1907-10-28

from his tour or the vast possessions OF the Portu
guese Crown in Africa. repeated reference has
been made to Portugals most famous explorer,
Vasco da CANA whose passage for the first time
around the Cape of Good Hope to the East Indies
furnished the inspiration and the theme to the
great epic poem of Camoens. PortugaPs most IL
lustrious poet. But in these speeches no mention
TO have been made Of the principal object OF
the voyage OF Vasco da Cana, namely. the hope
of cheapening the price of pepper.
Pepper has played q far more important role IN
the history of the world than most people would
be willing to believe. We know that there were
many bags of pepper In the great store Of spices
which the Queen of Sheba. direct ancestress of the
present Emperor of Abyssinia brought to King
Solomon when she paid her memorable visit to
Jerusalem. We know also that several hundred
weights of pepper aided materially in the ran
som of Rome from the hordes of Goths Alaric
and his captains. in spite of their being barbarans
gouTmets, who appreciated at its true value
the most finely favored of all spices And 1t is
a matter of record that owing to the Dutch hav-
ing rased<the price of pepper from three shillnSs
GO cents) to eight shillings (S2) pound the mer-
chants Of London held a meeting at Founders
Hail. with the Lord Mayor in the chair. on Sep
tember o. 1599 and agreed then and there to found
an association for trading directly with India
Such was the beginning of the old East India
Company. which eventually developed into Great
Britain's vast Oriental empire, with its popula-
ton of 3O0O0OOO0
Nor are many people aware of the fact that Peter
Piper" who is recorded in the nursery rhymes as
having picked a peck of pckled peppers" bears
the classical of the pepper which he possibly
picked. For piper niGTum is the correct botanical
name of black pepper. Peter means rock, and the
very finest quality of Malabar pepper-that variety
which has gained for Malabar it's pre-eminence in
the spice markets of the worlds locally known as
kuoo vulIy signifying 'the rock vine The reason
why It is thus called is owing the fact that It
manifests a preference for Clingng to rocks and
great bowlders
may add that the oldest and richest OF the great
livery companies. guilds of the city of London.
Company formerly known as the Pepperers
Guild, and founded in The eleventh century,
enjoying a virtual monopoly In the importation and
sale of pepper and other spices.
THE SECRETS OF THE VATICAN"
Douglas Saden. In his book entitled THE Secrets
of the Vatican" the secrets consisting Of the
marvellous art and archaeological treasures con-
tained in the crypts and vaults beneath St. Peters,
and generally shown to visitors. to be
unaware of the fact that the head of the principal
figure OF the world famed group OF statuary show
ing LAGOON and his struggling with the SER
pents is not original. but merely relatively modern
copy. The original head of LAGOON, belonging TO
the group in the Vatican, was found several
hundred years ago in the River Arno under q
bridge at Florence and has ever since been the
most precious heirloom of the Duke OF Arenberg.
preserved in the historic Arenberg palace at Brus-
sells. Regarded the most perfect specimen OF
ancient Greek in existence it is treasured with
such jealous that 1t is shown excepting
behind steel bars.
The palace overlooks the Square de Sablon. where
in the days of tho Spanish Duke of AIba's vice
royalty hundreds OF and burned
and buried alive. and where the patriot Count Eg-
mont, whom the palace belonged, beheaded.
Tho of this count. whose story constitutes the
theme Of one of Schers most famous dramas, Is
preserved untouched and unchanged since the day
when he left It to go TO the scaffod The Arenbergs
are descended from Robert de Ia Marck. familiar
20 the readers of the novels OF Sir Walter Scott
and the title Of Count de Ia Marck last borne
by that OF the Princes Arenberg who was the
friend OF Mirabeau, the French parliamentary leader
at the close Of the eighteenth century. and served
the go-between in the relations of Mirabeau with
Queen Marie Antonette.
MARQUIS DE FONTENoY.