ormed
the _mundus muliebris_ (wedding gifts) and toilet articles of Maria,
daughter of Stilicho and Serena, sister of Thermantia and Eucherius,
and wife of the emperor Honorius. Besides the names of the four
arch-angels--Raphael, Gabriel, Michael and Uriel--engraved on a band
of gold, those of Domina Nostra Maria, and of Dominus Noster Honorius,
were seen on other objects. The _bulla_ was inscribed with the names
of Honorius, Maria, Stilicho, Serena, Thermantia, and Eucherius,
radiating in the form of a double cross [Symbol: radiating star]
with the exclamation "Vivatis!" between them. With the exception of
this _bulla_, which was bought by Marchese Trivulzio of Milan, at the
beginning of the present century, every article has disappeared. That
the gold was melted, and that the precious stones were disposed of in
various ways, so as to deprive them of their identity, is easy to
understand, but where have the vases gone? Were it not for the rough
sketches made at the time of discovery we should not be able to form
an idea of their beauty and elegance of shape. They were not the work
of goldsmiths of the fifth century, but were of classical origin; in
fact they represent a portion of the imperial state jewels, which
Honorius had inherited from his predecessors, and which he had offered
to Maria on her wedding day. Claudianus, the court poet, described
them expressly as having sparkled on the breast and forehead of
empresses in bygone days.

We know from Paul Diaconus that Honorius was laid to rest by the side
of his empress; his coffin, however, has never been found. It must
still be concealed under the pavement of the modern church at the
southern end of the transept, near the altar of the crucifixion of S.
Peter.

An incident narrated by Flavius Josephus ("Antiqq." xvi., ii.) proves
that even in this line of discoveries there is nothing new under the
sun. Speaking of the financial troubles of King Herod, and of his
urgent need of new resources for the royal treasury, he describes how
Hircanus had rifled the sum of three thousand silver talents
($3,940,000) from the tomb of David. Herod, on being reminded of this
experiment, decided to try it again, in the hope that other treasures
might be concealed in the recesses of the royal vault. Precautions
were taken to conceal the attempt from the people: the tomb was
entered in the darkness of the night, and only a few intimate friends
were admitted to the secret. Herod foun