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XXXII.
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THE HASTINGS.
In the Early Days of our Eastern Empire—National Ingratitude—A Georgian Scandal—Cruel Caricature—The Power of Diamonds.
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N
the year 1786 the " Hastings'' diamond, (which cannot now be identified
in the crown jewels), was sent by the Nizam of the Deccan to King
George III., whose favour Mr. Hastings was about that time anxious to
secure. He was on his trial for having endowed the nation with
an eastern empire. Commissioned to deliver the jewel to the king, this
circumstance brought both himself and the royal family into great
trouble. The report was soon spread that in order to prevent an adverse
sentence, Hastings had bribed the king with a valuable diamond, and as
Queen Charlotte had the reputation of being very avaricious, it was
added that her mediation had also been purchased by similar means. This
gave rise to numerous scurrilous writings and caricatures, which were
publicly hawked about the streets and exhibited in the shop windows. In
one of these advantage was taken of a notorious mountebank, who
professed that he could eat and digest stones like an ostrich, and
whose performances were advertised on posters under the heading of "
The Great Stone Eater." For the juggler the caricaturists substituted
the king, who was represented as " The Greatest Stone Eater." He was
depicted with a diamond in his mouth, and a heap of
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