6 PEARLS [CH. 



as meaning that each pearl was unique, but other 

 theories have been put forward to explain this name. 

 After the fall of Rome and the scattering of its 

 treasures, we find that pearls once more become 

 objects of great value with the rise of another 

 conquering race. Byzantium or Constantinople 

 became the centre and capital of this new " Empire 

 of the East," and with the development of life and 

 luxury arose the desire for adornment which was 

 even more gorgeous than that of the Romans. The 

 treasures of Rome however had been scattered far 

 and wide and the pearl travelled far over Europe 

 even to the ancient cities of Gaul. Then we find 

 that as the Franks, too, became a prosperous and 

 conquering race under Charlemagne, the pearl again 

 came into great favour with the rich and powerful. 

 Later, when learning became the chief object in life 

 and books the greatest treasure, the pearl was chosen 

 to make beautiful the bindings of these books. Many 

 of them were most splendid and costly. One, the Ash- 

 burnham manuscript of the Four Gospels, which long 

 ago belonged to the Abbey of Canonesses on Lake 

 Constance, is now in the possession of Mr Pierpoint 

 Morgan. This MS. was bound about 896—899 A.D. 

 by order of the Emperor Arnulf of the Carolingian 

 dynasty, and according to Kunz and Stevenson has 

 98 pearls on it, all of which came probably from 

 rivers in Europe. 



