CHAPTER XI.

stheyotl-bellsoftheAztecs,thatarehunginclusterslikegrapesandahugecylindricaldrum,coveredwiththeskinsofgreatserpents,liketheonethatBernalDiazsawwhenhewentwithCortesintotheMexicantemple,andofwhosedolefulsoundhehasleftussovividadescription.Thefantasticcharacteroftheseinstrumentsfascinatedhim,andhefeltacuriousdelightinthethoughtthatart,likeNature,hashermonsters,thingsofbestialshapeandwithhideousvoices.Yet,aftersometime,heweariedofthem,andwouldsitinhisboxattheopera,eitheraloneorwithLordHenry,listeninginraptpleasureto“Tannhauser”andseeinginthepreludetothatgreatworkofartapresentationofthetragedyofhisownsoul. Ononeoccasionhetookupthestudyofjewels,andappearedatacostumeballasAnnedeJoyeuse,AdmiralofFrance,inadresscoveredwithfivehundredandsixtypearls.Thistasteenthralledhimforyears,and,indeed,maybesaidnevertohavelefthim.Hewouldoftenspendawholedaysettlingandresettlingintheircasesthevariousstonesthathehadcollected,suchastheolive-greenchrysoberylthatturnsredbylamplight,thecymophanewithitswirelikelineofsilver,thepistachio-colouredperidot,rose-pinkandwine-yellowtopazes,carbunclesoffieryscarletwithtremulous,four-rayedstars,flame-redcinnamon-stones,orangeandvioletspinels,andamethystswiththeiralternatelayersofrubyandsapphire.Helovedtheredgoldofthesunstone,andthemoonstone’spearlywhiteness,andthebrokenrainbowofthemilkyopal.HeprocuredfromAmsterdamthreeemeraldsofextraordinarysizeandrichnessofcolour,andhadaturquoisedelavieillerochethatwastheenvyofalltheconnoisseurs. Hediscoveredwonderfulstories,also,aboutjewels.InAlphonso’sClericalisDisciplinaaserpentwasmentionedwitheyesofrealjacinth,andintheromantichistoryofAlexander,theConquerorofEmathiawassaidtohavefoundinthevaleofJordansnakes“withcollarsofrealemeraldsgrowingontheirbacks.”Therewasageminthebrainofthedragon,Philostratustoldus,and“bytheexhibitionofgoldenlettersandascarletrobe”themonstercouldbethrownintoamagicalsleepandslain.Accordingtothegreatalchemist,PierredeBoniface,thediamondrenderedamaninvisible,andtheagateofIndiamadehimeloquent.Thecornelianappeasedanger,andthehyacinthprovokedsleep,andtheamethystdroveawaythefumesofwine.Thegarnetcastoutdemons,andthehydropicusdeprivedthemoonofhercolour.Theselenitewaxedandwanedwiththemoon,andthemeloceus,thatdiscoversthieves,couldbeaffectedonlybythebloodofkids.LeonardusCamillushadseenawhitestonetakenfromthebrainofanewlykilledtoad,thatwasacertainantidoteagainstpoison.Thebezoar,thatwasfoundintheheartoftheArabiandeer,wasacharmthatcouldcuretheplague.InthenestsofArabianbirdswastheaspilates,that,accordingtoDemocritus,keptthewearerfromanydangerbyfire. TheKingofCeilanrodethroughhiscitywithalargerubyinhishand,astheceremonyofhiscoronation.ThegatesofthepalaceofJohnthePriestwere“madeofsardius,withthehornofthehornedsnakeinwrought,sothatnomanmightbringpoisonwithin.”Overthegablewere“twogoldenapples,inwhichweretwocarbuncles,”sothatthegoldmightshinebydayandthecarbunclesbynight.InLodge’sstrangeromance‘AMargariteofAmerica’,itwasstatedthatinthechamberofthequeenonecouldbehold“allthechasteladiesoftheworld,inchasedoutofsilver,lookingthroughfairmirroursofchrysolites,carbuncles,sapphires,andgreeneemeraults.”MarcoPolohadseentheinhabitantsofZipanguplacerose-colouredpearlsinthemouthsofthedead.Asea-monsterhadbeenenamouredofthepearlthatthediverbroughttoKingPerozes,andhadslainthethief,andmournedforsevenmoonsoveritsloss.WhentheHunsluredthekingintothegreatpit,heflungitaway—Procopiustellsthestory—norwasiteverfoundagain,thoughtheEmperorAnastasiusofferedfivehundred-weightofgoldpiecesforit.TheKingofMalabarhadshowntoacertainVenetianarosaryofthreehundredandfourpearls,oneforeverygodthatheworshipped. WhentheDukedeValentinois,sonofAlexanderVI.,visitedLouisXII.ofFrance,hishorsewasloadedwithgoldleaves,accordingtoBrantome,andhiscaphaddoublerowsofrubiesthatthrewoutagreatlight.CharlesofEnglandhadriddeninstirrupshungwithfourhundredandtwenty-onediamonds.RichardIIhadacoat,valuedatthirtythousandmarks,whichwascoveredwithbalasrubies.HalldescribedHenryVIII.,onhiswaytotheTowerprevioustohiscoronation,aswearing“ajacketofraisedgold,theplacardembroideredwithdiamondsandotherrichstones,andagreatbauderikeabouthisneckoflargebalasses.”ThefavouritesofJamesIworeear-ringsofemeraldssetingoldfiligrane.EdwardIIgavetoPiersGavestonasuitofred-goldarmourstuddedwithjacinths,acollarofgoldrosessetwithturquoise-stones,andaskull-capparseméwithpearls.HenryII.worejewelledglovesreachingtotheelbow,andhadahawk-glovesewnwithtwelverubiesandfifty-twogreatorients.TheducalhatofCharlestheRash,thelastDukeofBurgundyofhisrace,washungwithpear-shapedpearlsandstuddedwithsapphires. Howexquisitelifehadoncebeen!Howgorgeousinitspompanddecoration!Eventoreadoftheluxuryofthedeadwaswonderful. ThenheturnedhisattentiontoembroideriesandtothetapestriesthatperformedtheofficeoffrescoesinthechillroomsofthenorthernnationsofEurope.Asheinvestigatedthesubject—andhealwayshadanextraordinaryfacultyofbecomingabsolutelyabsorbedforthemomentinwhateverhetookup—hewasalmostsaddenedbythereflectionoftheruinthattimebroughtonbeautifulandwonderfulthings.He,atanyrate,hadescapedthat.Summerfollowedsummer,andtheyellowjonquilsbloomedanddiedmanytimes,andnightsofhorrorrepeatedthestoryoftheirshame,buthewasunchanged.Nowintermarredhisfaceorstainedhisflowerlikebloom.Howdifferentitwaswithmaterialthings!Wherehadtheypassedto?Wherewasthegreatcrocus-colouredrobe,onwhichthegodsfoughtagainstthegiants,thathadbeenworkedbybrowngirlsforthepleasureofAthena?WherethehugevelariumthatNerohadstretchedacrosstheColosseumatRome,thatTitansailofpurpleonwhichwasrepresentedthestarrysky,andApollodrivingachariotdrawnbywhite,gilt-reinedsteeds?Helongedtoseethecurioustable-napkinswroughtforthePriestoftheSun,onwhichweredisplayedallthedaintiesandviandsthatcouldbewantedforafeastthemortuaryclothofKingChilperic,withitsthreehundredgoldenbeesthefantasticrobesthatexcitedtheindignationoftheBishopofPontusandwerefiguredwith“lions,panthers,bears,dogs,forests,rocks,hunters—all,infact,thatapaintercancopyfromnature”andthecoatthatCharlesofOrleansoncewore,onthesleevesofwhichwereembroideredtheversesofasongbeginning“Madame,jesuistoutjoyeux,”themusicalaccompanimentofthewordsbeingwroughtingoldthread,andeachnote,ofsquareshapeinthosedays,formedwithfourpearls.HereadoftheroomthatwaspreparedatthepalaceatRheimsfortheuseofQueenJoanofBurgundyandwasdecoratedwith“thirteenhundredandtwenty-oneparrots,madeinbroidery,andblazonedwiththeking’sarms,andfivehundredandsixty-onebutterflies,whosewingsweresimilarlyornamentedwiththearmsofthequeen,thewholeworkedingold.”CatherinedeMedicishadamourning-bedmadeforherofblackvelvetpowderedwithcrescentsandsuns.Itscurtainswereofdamask,withleafywreathsandgarlands,figureduponagoldandsilverground,andfringedalongtheedgeswithbroideriesofpearls,anditstoodinaroomhungwithrowsofthequeen’sdevicesincutblackvelvetuponclothofsilver.LouisXIV.hadgoldembroideredcaryatidesfifteenfeethighinhisapartment.ThestatebedofSobieski,KingofPoland,wasmadeofSmyrnagoldbrocadeembroideredinturquois