FAMOUS PEARLS AND COLLECTIONS 453
Spanish
treasury. After the overthrow of the Spanish monarchy by the French in
1808, Ferdinand VII, during the time of his exile, disposed of many of
these jewels. It is asserted that, after the deposition of Queen
Isabella, in 1868, the crown jewels were divided between herself and
her sister, the pious Duchesse de Montpensier, and a considerable
portion was eventually distributed among the numerous descendants of
the latter. It is also stated that there is no mention of the Spanish
crown jewels during the reign of King Amadeus, the first sovereign of
the restored monarchy. There are, however, great quantities of pearls
and other gems belonging to the various madonnas in the Spanish
churches, as, for example, Nuestra Sefiora de Atocha, Cavadonga and
others.
Pearls of Mary Stuart. The
pearls owned by the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots ( 1542-1587) were
among the most beautiful in Europe. Inventories of these1 show great bordures de tour of large pear pearls with entredeux of
round pearls, long ropes of pearls strung like beads on a rosary,
carcans or broad belts set with pearls, and a large number of loose
pearls. Many of these appear in the portraits of this popular queen ;
but probably the most remarkable exhibition of them is in the portrait
now owned by the Earl of Leven and Melville,2 which appears
to agree fairly well with the inventories of her jewels, although this
portrait is not wholly free from impeachment as to its accuracy and
contemporaneousness.
After
the downfall of the queen, most of her jewels were sold, pawned, or
lost by theft. A number of them passed into the possession of Queen
Elizabeth in 1568, in a manner not wholly satisfactory to lovers
of justice. Some of these were described in a letter dated May 8, 1568,
and addressed to Catharine de' Medici by Bodutel de la Forest, the
French ambassador at the English court, as "six cordons of large
pearls, strung as paternosters; but there are about twenty-five
separate from the others much larger and more beautiful than those
which are strung. They were first shown to three or four jewelers and
lapidaries of this city, who estimated them at three thousand pounds
sterling, and who offered to give that sum; certain Italian merchants
who viewed them afterwards valued them at 12,000 escus, which
is the price, as I am told, this queen [Elizabeth] will take them at.
There is a Genevese who saw them after, the others and estimated them
as worth 16,000 escus [$24,000] ."s
Catharine de' Medici, who was a mother-in-law of Mary Stuart, was
1 See Robertson, "Inventaires de la Royne * Teulet, "Relations politiques de la France dlEcosse," Bannatyne Club, 1863. et de l'Espagne avec l'Ecosse," Vol. II, p.
2 See Lang, "Portraits and Jewels of Mary 352. Stuart," Edinburgh, 1906.
