260 THE GREAT DIAMONDS OF THE WORLD.
entangled
in that of the "Florentine," elsewhere elucidated. Once separated from
that connection, and from the Burgundian duke, to whom we shall see
that it never belonged, its career, although still somewhat obscure,
becomes at least, consistent with facts, and on the whole, fairly
intelligible.
The
" Sancy" is described as almond-shaped, and originally facetted on both
sides, a form and cut peculiar to India, and altogether unknown in
Europe. We may therefore, take it for granted that it was not one of
the stones manipulated by Louis de Berquem, for Duke Charles. On the
other hand, its Indian origin harmonises with the statement made,
amongst others, by Louis's descendant, Robert de Berquem that the gem
was brought from the East by M. de Sanci, French Ambassador at the
Ottoman Court, who purchased it for a large sum in Constantinople,
apparently about the year 1570. This French gentleman. Nicholas Harlai,
Seigneur de Sancy, was evidently a diamond fancier, as shown by the
fact that he also in 1589, obtained another large stone from Don
Antonio, the pretendant to the Portuguese crown, as security for an
advance of ico.ooo livres, which was never repaid.
Nicholas
was attached both to the Courts of Henry III. and Henry IV., having
been ambassador for the former in Turkey, for the latter in England,
during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. According to two different
versions, obviously of one event, he is stated to have advanced the "
Sancy" to both monarchs, in order to enable them to borrow money on its
security, for the purpose of enlisting a body of
