man and his precious trouvaille, but in vain. He could not be found, and the bracelet probably was melted down almost before the search for him commenced.
In Denmark, a wise and liberal policy with regard to treasure trove is securing to Copenhagen a museum of national relics such as no other nation possesses.
A peasant finding any antiquities on his land, receives the full value for his prize. In consequence of this wise arrangement, every year adds to the treasures of the Danish Museum.
Denmark is, indeed, singularly rich in “hid treasures.” In her Museum are to be found the relics of the “age of stone,” mentioned by Sir C. Lyell. And golden hair-pins, needles, and stilettos of the same precious metal, once used by the fair “Sea- kings’ daughters” of former ages, attest the honesty of her peasantry and the success of her liberal law. With these are also preserved some golden war trumpets of the old Scandinavians, of rare value and beauty. Perhaps our Mountfield horns might have proved of the same age and fashion if they could have been compared with each other.
The largest and most perfect horn yet discovered was found near Tonder, in Slesvig, in 1639,[1] by a young Danish peasant, called Katherina. As she was returning home one evening she saw something sticking up from the ground, but passed it without examining it. Some days later her foot struck against the same object, and she determined to pull it up and see what it was. By dint of great exertion she succeeded, took it home, carefully washed it, and rubbed it free from mud, and was laughed at as wasting her labour on a brass horn! But Katherina liked her found treasure, and believed in it, and took one of the rings which hung from it to a goldsmith in the village, who declared it to be gold.
The discovery was noised abroad, and at length reached the ears of the king (Christian IV.), then on a visit to his son, the Crown Prince, at Glückstadt. He purchased the horn of the girl, and presented it to the prince. It weighed seven pounds, and was worth about 450l.
In the year 1737, near the same place, a peasant, named Erik Lauritzen, found another gold horn. He presented it to Count Schack, the owner of the land, who gave it to Christian VI. The king sent the peasant 25l. The value of the horn was 500l. The peasant was so delighted that he wrote twice to thank the king for his liberality.
These horns were drinking-cups. One of them contained three pots and a-half of wine; a cup worthy of Thor himself! Their story is not yet finished.
In 1802 they were stolen by a jeweller named Heidenreich, and were melted down before their loss was discovered. The robber was imprisoned for life, and that life lasted eighty weary years!
But the great treasure trove of the present century was that made in Spain in 1859.
Romance and tradition have always associated the idea of hidden treasure with the name of Andalusia. Everybody knows that if one could but find the lost key of the hall of the Abencerages in the Alhambra, one would be able to discover the Moorish treasure hidden in its vaults and gardens (for the key is as communicative as Blue Beard’s!); and the discoveries of four years ago appear to confirm romance and tradition in their assertions.
For, behold, a peasant digging a wild, uncultivated spot near La Fuenta de Guazzazar, discovered there eight golden crowns enriched with gems of rare value! Attached to four of them were massive jewelled crosses of gold, which, with two inscriptions of a very singular and elegant character, are supposed to prove that they were offerings made by a Gothic king to the church, for pendant from the largest crown, by small separate chains, are letters of gold forming these words:
Reccesvinthus. Rex. Offeret.
Now Reccesvinthus was king of the Visigoths in 653; he is described in the chronicle of the Archbishop of Toledo as a devout Catholic, and one who
“Altaria Christi ornamentis variis decorabat.”
Thus we easily ascertain the date and destination of these crowns. Were they a thanksgiving for some household mercy vouchsafed to the family, or only a united offering of devout worshippers? for strangely enough, they consist of a king’s crown, a queen’s, and six small ones of varied size, belonging evidently to children.
Very splendid was the gift. The largest crown is twenty-seven inches in circumference—a hoop of massive gold plates soldered together, the margin of Cloisonée work with incrustations of cornelian. It is enriched with thirty Oriental sapphires of large size, en cabochon, and set in collets, giving to the gems a very prominent relief. Thirty very large Oriental pearls alternate with the sapphires; the intervening spaces are pierced in open work, and engraved to represent foliage and flowers.
But the chief beauty of this remarkable crown is the fringe of jewelled letters, which, as we have already said, records the offering it by the king. Four golden chains attached to the upper margin (united by an elegant foliated ornament enriched with pendent pearls and emeralds, and surmounted by a knob of rock crystal elaborately carved and polished) served doubtless to hang it up in the church.
Within the crown, suspended by a long slender chain, is a Latin cross, which hangs a little lower than the letter-fringe. It is set with six fine sapphires and eight pearls in very high relief; jewelled pendents are attached to the arms and foot of the cross, and on its reverse side is the acus, by which it might be attached, when worn as a fibulæ, to the royal robes.
Our lady-readers might like to know what sort of crown the Visigoth queen wore. It is a broad circlet set with fifty-four rubies, sapphires, emeralds and opals. A fringe of eight pendent sapphires rested on her brow, and there are little loops within the edges for attaching to it a cap or lining, so that the heavy gold might not chafe her delicate forehead. This crown has also a cross within it, but less costly than the king’s.
The children’s crowns are small circlets of open- ↑ See “Jutland and the Isles,” by H. Marryat.
