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Romance and Poetry: Napoleon

This was to Isabey a mystery; and he was so much affected by the earnestness and simplicity of her manner, that he dared not ask for an explanation, though he soon learned from rumour the truth of the meaning; for at this very time Napoleon had asked from the Emperor of Austria the hand of Marie Louisa, and had, at the solicitation of Josephine, given her that suite of jewels in which she went to the levee at the Tuileries for the last time as the wife of Napoleon.

Montalembert, in his "Monks of the West," relates an interesting anecdote of what was called the "Xenodochium," an asylum for the poor and strangers, formed among the monastic precursors in the East, and from that time a necessary appendage to every monastery. The most ingenious combinations, and the most gracious inspirations of charity, are to be found in their history. A certain monastery served as an hospital for sick children, and another was transformed by its founder, who had been a lapidary in his youth, into an hospital for lepers and cripples. "Behold," he would say, while showing to the ladies of Alexandria the upper floor, which was reserved for women, "behold my jacinths." In conducting his visitors to the floor below, where the men were placed, he would exclaim, "See my emeralds."

In a love-song, dating about the year 1200 (Harleian MSS., Brit. Museum), we have-- "Heo is coral for godnesse, Heo is rubie of ryghtfulnesse, Heo is cristal of clannesse."

In the "Life of St. Pelagian" (Caxton's "Golden Legend") we read: "As the bysshop sange masse in the cyte of Usanance, he saw thre dropes ryghte clere all of one grateness, which were upon the aulter, and al thre ranne togyder into a precyous gemme; and when they had set thys gemme in a crosse of golde, al the other precyous stones that were there, fyllen (fell) out; and this gemme was clere to them that were clene out of synne, and it was obscure and dark to synners."

The peculiar cast of romantic invention was admirably suited to serve the purposes of superstition.

Emmerson has some fine sentiments on precious stones:-- "They brought me rubies from the mine, And held them to the sun; I said, 'They are drops of frozen wine From Eden's vats that run.' I look'd again--I thought them hearts Of friends, to friends unknown; Tides that should warm each neighbouring life Are lock'd in sparkling stone. But fire to thaw that ruddy snow, To break enchanted ice, And give love's scarlet tides to flow,-- When shall that sun arise?"

In the curious and rare book of Sylvanus Morgan, "The Sphere of Gentry" (1661), the Diamond is represented as the emblem of fortitude, and its motto, "In aeternum." The Sapphire denotes prudence, "distinguished by their sex, viz., male and female, whereof the bluest are thought to be the male." The Ruby displays the virtue of charity. The Topaz, "the colour of justice in the throne--in blazon attributed to gold." The Emerald, an emblem of hope. The Pearl, "attributed to the metal silver, but not properly among the precious stones, by reason it is ingendred from shell-fish and the heavenly dew, and is not of that antiquity by its mother's side as the other gems are, though it may be reckoned as the chief, as being produced of a globular form; but in blazon by precious stones. I conceive argent ought rather to be blazoned crystal and furres in arms (which are not metals) may be blazoned Pearle. However, all precious stones are generated by their father, air, and mother, earth, which at this time had but the vegetative faculty; and it matters not whether the pearle or crystal had the greatest antiquity, however, the whiteness of it is attributed to the divine grace of faith." The Amethyst denotes temperance, magistracy, and worship.

The heraldic coat "that is displayed by gems and precious stones, is Insignia Gentilitioe, declaring the stock or stem from whence they sprung; and he that finds the first matter must find also the first mover, and will be able to demonstrate that honour is theological, philosophical, and moral in the soul, matter, and form."