The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-01-05

justly Ce1tUIdLcu, anu LII Its F404uIy y
statues and fragments Of other build
ings have been discovered, among
which is bas-relief representing a
coquettish young woman seated in
the midst of a flower market, beneath
which appears the following naif
and amusing inscription, mon VEN
do nj amantibus coronas. IL sell
my flowers only to lovers.)
Until the 18th century, the archie
ologists held widely divergent views
as to the nature and destination of
the Maison Carree, but it is now gen.
orally admitted that the edifice was
a temple, erected in honor Of the two
brothers Caius and Lucius Agrippa,
sons of the great Agrippa and grand
sons of Caesar Augustus.
But the "Tour Magne" guards its
secret, and has stood for Is hundred
years mute and silent as the sphynx.
Was it a tomb or a watch-tower or
fortress? No one krJvs. Count
less legends have been woven round
it's picturesque and crumbling form,
and one historic incident Of the XII
century, more curious than any of
the traditions, confirms the proverb
that truth is stranger than fiction.
Prior to the year 1900 the tower was
ti12O feet high and was composed Of
two distinct parts; the lower division
which rose to a height Of go feet was
formed of a massive circular wall
filled with earth and stones; upon
this solid bass was built a second
tower. Today the upper tower has
disappeared and the 90 foot base is
a hollow shell. The singular origin Of
the excavations which changed the
aspect of the monument is somewhat
as follows:
Nostradamus, the celebrated as
trologer, whose native town, St.
iRemy, was only few leagues distant
from Mines, predicted in the famous
"Centuries which he published be-
fore becoming the court physician Of
Charles TX, that, some day, Pro-
vencal gardener would become rich
by discovering a golden hen buried
beneath an ancient tower. Nostra-
damus died, and in Provence his
"Centuries,'' which had never been
regarded seriously by his acquaintance
es and neighbors, were soon forgot
ten. He had been the typical "pro-
phet not without honor save in his
own countrv.'' But even if the in
habitants Of Mines, st. Remy and
Avignon had been disposed to place
credence in this greatest Of eharla-
tans, the prophecy regarding the
golden hen was too indefinite to
stimulate them to search for the treas
ure. "Beneath an ancient tower
was the sole indication furnished by
the mysterious volume, and, as all the
world knows, "ancient towers' ale
the common features Of every land
scape in the valley Of the Rhone oe-
tween Lyons and Marseilles. One
might as we'll say today "beneath a
skyscraper in New York; or ''be-
meath a sand-heap in the Sahara. {"
The location would be equally def
mite. However, during the reign of
Henry " the magic cult founded by
Nostradamus was suddenly revived by
the discovery that certain important
political prophecies in the "Centur-
ies'' had been fulfilled in an amaz-
ing manner. Even sin his own coun-
try" the people marveled, and signal
led thair tardy recognition by raising
stutue to the memory Of the ''pro-
phet" Everybody who could read
began to read the "Centuries,' ard
the story Of the golden hen was thus
brought to light a second time. Or
er predictions had come true, why
not this one? Many a poor farmer
neglected his cabbages and potatoes
to sink his spade feverishly into the
stony soil at the foot Of some Roman
or feudal ruin-always with the same
result. Now a certain gardener, nam
ed Traucat, dreamed one night that
the golden hen was hidden beneath
the "Tour Magne'' at Mines. So
impressed was he by the vision that
he sold all that he possessed, bought
a donkey and set out for Paris to see
the king. Two months afterward,
hungry, dirty and in rags he reached
the French capital. To the royal