ThematterwasfinallyreferredtotheProvincialCouncilattheHague，anditwasconfidentlyexpectedthatthewisdomofthisbodywouldinventsomemeasurebywhichcreditshouldberestored。
　　Expectationwasonthestretchforitsdecision，butitnevercame。
　　Thememberscontinuedtodeliberateweekafterweek，andatlast，afterthinkingaboutitforthreemonths，declaredthattheycouldoffernofinaldecisionuntiltheyhadmoreinformation。Theyadvised，however，that，inthemeantime，everyvendorshould，inthepresenceofwitnesses，offerthetulipsinnaturatothepurchaserforthesumsagreedupon。Ifthelatterrefusedtotakethem，theymightbeputupforsalebypublicauction，andtheoriginalcontractorheldresponsibleforthedifferencebetweentheactualandthestipulatedprice。Thiswasexactlytheplanrecommendedbythedeputies，andwhichwasalreadyshowntobeofnoavail。TherewasnocourtinHollandwhichwouldenforcepayment。ThequestionwasraisedinAmsterdam，butthejudgesunanimouslyrefusedtointerfere，onthegroundthatdebtscontractedingamblingwerenodebtsinlaw。
　　Thusthematterrested。Tofindaremedywasbeyondthepowerofthegovernment。Thosewhowereunluckyenoughtohavehadstoresoftulipsonhandatthetimeofthesuddenreactionwerelefttobeartheirruinasphilosophicallyastheycould；thosewhohadmadeprofitswereallowedtokeepthem；butthecommerceofthecountrysufferedasevereshock，fromwhichitwasmanyyearsereitrecovered。
　　TheexampleoftheDutchwasimitatedtosomeextentinEngland。
　　Intheyear1636tulipswerepubliclysoldintheExchangeofLondon，andthejobbersexertedthemselvestotheutmosttoraisethemtothefictitiousvaluetheyhadacquiredinAmsterdam。InParisalsothejobbersstrovetocreateatulipomania。Inbothcitiestheyonlypartiallysucceeded。However，theforceofexamplebroughttheflowersintogreatfavour，andamongstacertainclassofpeopletulipshaveeversincebeenprizedmorehighlythananyotherflowersofthefield。TheDutcharestillnotoriousfortheirpartialitytothem，andcontinuetopayhigherpricesforthemthananyotherpeople。AstherichEnglishmanboastsofhisfinerace-horsesorhisoldpictures，sodoesthewealthyDutchmanvaunthimofhistulips。
　　InEngland，inourday，strangeasitmayappear，atulipwillproducemoremoneythananoak。Ifonecouldbefound，raraintetris，andblackastheblackswanalludedtobyJuvenal，itspricewouldequalthatofadozenacresofstandingcorn。InScotland，towardsthecloseoftheseventeenthcentury，thehighestpricefortulips，accordingtotheauthorityofawriterinthesupplementtothethirdeditionofthe“EncyclopediaBritannica，“wastenguineas。Theirvalueappearstohavediminishedfromthattimetilltheyear1769，whenthetwomostvaluablespeciesinEnglandweretheDonQuevedoandtheValentinier，theformerofwhichwasworthtwoguineasandthelattertwoguineasandahalf。Thesepricesappeartohavebeentheminimum。
　　Intheyear1800，acommonpricewasfifteenguineasforasinglebulb。In1835，sofoolishwerethefanciers，thatabulbofthespeciescalledtheMissFannyKemblewassoldbypublicauctioninLondonforseventy-fivepounds。StillmoreastonishingwasthepriceofatulipinthepossessionofagardenerintheKing’sRoad，Chelsea。Inhiscatalogues，itwaslabelledattwohundredguineas！
　　Thusaflower，whichforbeautyandperfumewassurpassedbytheabundantrosesofthegarden，——anosegayofwhichmightbepurchasedforapenny，——waspricedatasumwhichwouldhaveprovidedanindustriouslabourerandhisfamilywithfood，andclothes，andlodgingforsixyears！Shouldchickweedandgroundselevercomeintofashion，thewealthywould，nodoubt，viewitheachotherinadorningtheirgardenswiththem，andpayingthemostextravagantpricesforthem。Insodoing，theywouldhardlybemorefoolishthantheadmirersoftulips。Thecommonpricesfortheseflowersatthepresenttimevaryfromfivetofifteenguineas，accordingtotherarityofthespecies。
　　Afoutho’auldknick-knackets，Rustyairncapsandjinglin’jackets，WadhaudtheLothiansthree，intackets，Atowmondguid；
　　An’parritchpats，andauldsautbackets，Aforetheflood。
　　Burns。
　　Theloveforrelicsisonewhichwillneverbeeradicatedaslongasfeelingandaffectionaredenizensoftheheart。Itisalovewhichismosteasilyexcitedinthebestandkindliestnatures，andwhichfewarecallousenoughtoscoffat。Whowouldnottreasurethelockofhairthatonceadornedthebrowofthefaithfulwife，nowcoldindeath，orthathungdowntheneckofabelovedinfant，nowsleepingunderthesward？Notone。Theyarehome-relics，whosesacredworthisintelligibletoall；spoilsrescuedfromthedevouringgrave，which，totheaffectionate，arebeyondallprice。Howdeartoaforlornsurvivorthebookoverwhosepageshehasporedwithonedeparted！
　　Howmuchgreateritsvalue，ifthathand，nowcold，hadwrittenathought，anopinion，oraname，upontheleaf！Besidesthesesweet，domesticrelics，thereareothers，whichnoonecancondemn；relicssanctifiedbythatadmirationofgreatnessandgoodnesswhichisakintolove；suchasthecopyofMontaigne’sFlorio，withthenameofShakspeareupontheleaf，writtenbythepoetofalltimehimself；thechairpreservedatAntwerp，inwhichRubenssatwhenhepaintedtheimmortal“DescentfromtheCross；“orthetelescope，preservedintheMuseumofFlorence，whichaidedGalileoinhissublimediscoveries。
　　WhowouldnotlookwithvenerationupontheundoubtedarrowofWilliamTell——theswordsofWallaceorofHampden——ortheBiblewhoseleaveswereturnedbysomesternoldfatherofthefaith？
　　Thustheprincipleofreliquismishallowedandenshrinedbylove。
　　Butfromthisgermofpurityhownumeroustheprogenyoferrorsandsuperstitions！Men，intheiradmirationofthegreat，andofallthatappertainedtothem，haveforgottenthatgoodnessisacomponentpartoftruegreatness，andhavemadefoolsofthemselvesforthejaw-boneofasaint，thetoe-nailofanapostle，thehandkerchiefakingblewhisnosein，ortheropethathangedacriminal。Desiringtorescuesomeslighttokenfromthegravesoftheirpredecessors，theyhaveconfoundedthefamousandtheinfamous，therenownedandthenotorious。Greatsaints，greatsinners；greatphilosophers，greatquacks；greatconquerors，greatmurderers；greatministers，greatthieves；eachandallhavehadtheiradmirers，readytoransackearth，fromtheequatortoeitherpole，tofindarelicofthem。
　　ThereliquismofmoderntimesdatesitsoriginfromthecenturiesimmediatelyprecedingtheCrusades。ThefirstpilgrimstotheHolyLandbroughtbacktoEuropethousandsofapocryphalrelics，inthepurchaseofwhichtheyhadexpendedalltheirstore。Thegreatestfavouritewasthewoodofthetruecross，which，liketheoilofthewidow，neverdiminished。Itisgenerallyasserted，inthetraditionsoftheRomishChurch，thattheEmpressHelen，themotherofConstantinetheGreat，firstdiscoveredtheveritable“truecross“inherpilgrimagetoJerusalem。TheEmperorTheodosiusmadeapresentofthegreaterpartofittoSt。Ambrose，BishopofMilan，bywhomitwasstuddedwithpreciousstones，anddepositedintheprincipalchurchofthatcity。ItwascarriedawaybytheHuns，bywhomitwasburnt，aftertheyhadextractedthevaluablejewelsitcontained。Fragments，purportingtohavebeencutfromitwere，intheeleventhandtwelfthcenturies，tobefoundinalmosteverychurchinEurope，andwould，ifcollectedtogetherinoneplace，havebeenalmostsufficienttohavebuiltacathedral。Happywasthesinnerwhocouldgetasightofoneofthem；happierhewhopossessedone！Toobtainthemthegreatestdangerswerecheerfullybraved。Theywerethoughttopreservefromallevils，andtocurethemostinveteratediseases。Annualpilgrimagesweremadetotheshrinesthatcontainedthem，andconsiderablerevenuescollectedfromthedevotees。
　　Nextinrenownwerethosepreciousrelics，thetearsoftheSaviour。Bywhomandinwhatmannertheywerepreserved，thepilgrimsdidnotofteninquire。TheirgenuinenesswasvouchedbytheChristiansoftheHolyLand，andthatwassufficient。TearsoftheVirginMary，andtearsofSt。Peter，werealsotobehad，carefullyenclosedinlittlecaskets，whichthepiousmightwearintheirbosoms。AfterthetearsthenextmostpreciousrelicsweredropsofthebloodofJesusandthemartyrs。Hairandtoe-nailswerealsoingreatrepute，andweresoldatextravagantprices。ThousandsofpilgrimsannuallyvisitedPalestineintheeleventhandtwelfthcenturies，topurchasepretendedrelicsforthehomemarket。Themajorityofthemhadnoothermeansofsubsistencethantheprofitsthusobtained。Manyanail，cutfromthefilthyfootofsomeunscrupulousecclesiastic，wassoldatadiamond’sprice，withinsixmonthsafteritsseverancefromitsparenttoe，uponthesuppositionthatithadoncebelongedtoasaint。Peter’stoeswereuncommonlyprolific，fortherewerenailsenoughinEurope，atthetimeoftheCouncilofClermont，tohavefilledasack，allofwhichweredevoutlybelievedtohavegrownonthesacredfeetofthatgreatapostle。SomeofthemarestillshowninthecathedralofAix-la-Chapelle。ThepiouscomefromadistanceofahundredGermanmilestofeasttheireyesuponthem。
　　AtPortRoyal，inParis，iskeptwithgreatcareathorn，whichthepriestsofthatseminaryasserttobeoneoftheidenticalthornsthatboundtheholyheadoftheSonofGod。Howitcamethere，andbywhomitwaspreserved，hasneverbeenexplained。Thisisthefamousthorn，celebratedinthelongdissensionsoftheJansenistsandtheMolenists，andwhichworkedthemiraculouscureuponMademoisellePerrier:bymerelykissingit，shewascuredofadiseaseoftheeyesoflongstanding。[Voltaire，SiecledeLouisXIV。]
　　WhattravellerisunacquaintedwiththeSantaScala，orHolyStairs，atRome？TheywerebroughtfromJerusalemalongwiththetruecross，bytheEmpressHelen，andweretakenfromthehousewhich，accordingtopopulartradition，wasinhabitedbyPontiusPilate。TheyaresaidtobethestepswhichJesusascendedanddescendedwhenbroughtintothepresenceoftheRomangovernor。TheyareheldinthegreatestvenerationatRome:itissacrilegioustowalkuponthem。Thekneesofthefaithfulmustalonetouchtheminascendingordescending，andthatonlyaftertheyhavereverentiallykissedthem。
　　Europestillswarmswiththesereligiousrelics。ThereishardlyaRomanCatholicchurchinSpain，Portugal，Italy，France，orBelgium，withoutoneormoreofthem。Eventhepoorlyendowedchurchesofthevillagesboastthepossessionofmiraculousthigh-bonesoftheinnumerablesaintsoftheRomishcalendar。Aix-la-Chapelleisproudoftheveritablechasse，orthigh-boneofCharlemagne，whichcureslameness。HallehasathighboneoftheVirginMary；Spainhassevenoreight，allsaidtobeundoubtedrelics。Brusselsatonetimepreserved，andperhapsdoesnow，theteethofSt。Gudule。Thefaithful，whosufferedfromthetooth-ache，hadonlytopray，lookatthem，andbecured。SomeoftheseholyboneshavebeenburiedindifferentpartsoftheContinent。Afteracertainlapseoftime，waterissaidtooozefromthem，whichsoonformsaspring，andcuresallthediseasesofthefaithful。AtachurchinHalle，thereisafamousthigh-bone，whichcuresbarrennessinwomen。Ofthisbone，whichisunderthespecialsuperintendenceoftheVirgin，apleasantstoryisrelatedbytheincredulous。ThereresidedatGhentacouplewhowereblessedwithalltherichesofthisworld，butwhosehappinesswassoretroubledbythewantofchildren。Greatwasthegriefofthelady，whowasbothbeautifulandloving，andmanyherlamentationstoherhusband。Thelatter，annoyedbyherunceasingsorrow，advisedhertomakeapilgrimagetothecelebratedchasseoftheVirgin。Shewent，wasabsentaweek，andreturnedwithafaceallradiantwithjoyandpleasure。Herlamentationsceased，and，inninemonthsafterwards，shebroughtforthason。But，oh！theinstabilityofhumanjoys！Thebabe，solongdesiredandsogreatlybeloved，survivedbutafewmonths。Twoyearspassedovertheheadsofthedisconsolatecouple，andnosecondchildappearedtocheertheirfire-side。Athirdyearpassedawaywiththesameresult，andtheladyoncemorebegantoweep。“Cheerup，mylove，“saidherhusband，“andgototheholychasse，atHalle；perhapstheVirginwillagainlistentoyourprayers。“Theladytookcourageatthethought，wipedawayhertears，andproceededonthemorrowtowardsHalle。Shewasabsentonlythreedays，andreturnedhomesad，weeping，andsorrow-stricken。“Whatisthematter？“saidherhusband；