Pawns. — In the earlier history of nations, when wars were
constant, and money, the sinews of war, scarce, sovereigns, who
were as a rule, always poor and in sore need of funds, were
obliged to resort to the expedient of pawning their jewels to
obtain means for the prosecution of their ambitious schemes,
or for maintaining their own power and dignity.
For ten centuries before the present one, it has been said
that there were but few princes who had not pledged their
crown jewels, and during almost the entire reigns of many of
them they were constantly in pawn. This was the case of
Edward III., who not only pledged his own jewels, but was
willing that his queen should pawn hers, including her crown,
to Flemish merchants, to raise money for him to prosecute his
wars. This chivalrous prince allowed the Earl of Derby to
go to a debtor's prison as a voluntary substitute for his sovereign. Richard II. placed the crown jewels in the hands of
the Bishop of London and the Earl of Arundel, as security
fcr money borrowed of London merchants.
From the Plantagenets to the close of the Stuarts, the
crown jewels of England were frequently in pawn, in many
instances on account of the personal extravagance of the
reigning princes. Henry III., always embarrassed for want of
funds, pawned his jewels, of which he had a large collection, to
rebuild Westminster Abbey. Three hundred and twenty-four
of his finger-rings, set with different gems, were at one time
pledged to the King of France. This monarch should have
been endowed with the hands of Briareus on which to display
his ornaments.
Henry V. pawned the crown jewels, including the one known
as the " Great Harry," and other regalia, during his wars in
France, a part of which were subsequently redeemed, while
Henry VI. and his heroic queen surrendered their most valu-
