About the Robbery of an Emerald from the Toledo Cathedral

"In the course of my wanderings in the Peninsula, however, I have come upon some frequent memories of the doings of Marshal Junot. He was mad on bric-a-brac, and he had a special predilection for precious stones. Finding himself, on one occasion, at the court of King Joseph, at Madrid, Junot took the opportunity of going to Toledo to see the sights of the place. As may be imagined, everything was freely shown to this master of legions: the splendid jewels of the Cathedral treasury were freely handed to him for his appreciative inspection, and, really, the self-control of this ardent collector seems almost meritorious when it is recorded that he carried away only one little memento of his visit. Among the notable relics of Toledo is the famous gold crown placed on the head of the Virgin on high festivals, radiant with exquisite enamel-work and splendid gems. No royal crown in the world can compare with this truly celestial diadem. The summit was adorned with one priceless gem--an emerald of matchless colour and lustre. After due examination, and not without pointing out, en connoisseur, all the special points of the gem to the little crowd of dignitaries assembled to do him honour, Junot, with the sigh of an ecstatic crocodile, coolly twisted off the gem with his finger and thumb, put it into his waistcoat pocket, and in the very words of the immortal Robert Macaire, simply remarking, 'Ceci doit etre a moi,' took his departure with smiles and salutations. This gem is now replaced by a fac-simile in glass."