CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 245 



that there needed no second bidding. Meanwhile, Mehemet, with 

 characteristic caution, had despatched an order to his envoy then 

 sojourning in Paris, to send him forthwith as many of the diabolical 

 deceptions of the lying Franks, in the way of mock diamonds, as he 

 could collect. Bourguignon undertook to furnish the order, which 

 was executed in due course, and duly appropriated, no doubt, causing 

 many a Mashallah ! of delight to fall from the lips of the Harem 

 beauties of Egypt, and many an Allah Hu ! of loyality from those of 

 their husbands, at sight of so much generosity. It is thus that civili- 

 zation will in time stride round the earth and enable us to deceive 

 one another according to our peculiar means and resources, a result 

 certainly never anticipated by any of the great civilizers of the 

 world. 



One of the most ingenious inventions of M. Bourguignon, and the 

 one upon which he prides himself the most, is that of the crysophate, 

 which for a long time created a kind of fureur amongst the fashionables 

 of Paris, and was described amongst the discoveries of the period as 

 a pierre precieuse, newly discovered and of a raleur inestimable. The 

 invention is, however, strictly due to the Duchess de Berri, whose ex- 

 cellent taste and refined coquetry conduced in so great a degree to the 

 advancement of every art of the toilet during her time. 



C7 



Upon the creation of the grand fetes given to the Due d'Angouleme, 

 on his return from Spain, her Royal Highness, who at that time was 

 the glass of fashion, was anxious to discover some parure which would 

 in daylight help her complexion to a little harmony. The task was 

 difficult; diamonds were too brilliant for her deadened glance, pearls 

 blackened her skin, turquoise made it look yellow, emeralds were 

 dark and heavy. " If I could only find some precious stone of a 

 bright green ! " exclaimed she in very weariness, when she had tried 

 the whole of Talochon's display. Old Talochon laughed, as well he 

 might the thing did not exist. Madame would not believe it. In 

 vain he protested. If it did not exist it must be discovered, for 

 bright green she must have ! Ironically, the name of Bourguignon 

 was mentioned as the most fitting man for such discoveries, but, con- 

 trary to expectation, the duchess took the thing mix serieux. She 

 sent immediately for Bourguignon, and the result of their conference 

 was the discovery of a " bright green stone, called crysophate, of a 

 value inestimable," which adorned the over-bright tresses of the fair 

 duchess on the occasion of the military reception at St. Cloud, and 

 which the journals of the day described as having been found in the 

 mines of Chili, and as being destined to be registered amongst the 

 greatest discoveries of modern times. 



A visit to Bourguignon's shop will inspire the mind with wonder to 

 behold the perfection with which art can be made to imitate the most 

 exquisite productions of nature. The lustre of the diamond; the 

 richness, the double reflection of the ruby ; even the caprice and 

 deviation in the form and color of the pearl, escape not the cunning 

 eye of the artist. Some of the parures are valued as high as live or 

 six thousand francs. The workmanship, however, is as tasteful and 



