THE KOH-I-NUR. I07
—
that was all. The ancient kingdom of the Five Rivers ceased to exist,
and its last king became an English gentleman with a large income.
As
a token of his submission, the deposed prince was to send the Koh-i-nur
to the Queen of England. This was accordingly done, and the imperial
gem of India passed to the crown of England, thus once more
vindicating its traditionary character. Again it has passed from the
weak to the strong, from the conquered to the conqueror, but we may
hope that it has left behind it in India all those baleful influences
with which it has been credited.
When
it came to England in 1850 the Koh-i-nur was distinctly an Indian
stone. It had a large flat top, irregular sides, and a multitude of
tiny facets, besides which there were three distinct flaws. It was,
moreover, lacking in light; being scarcely more brilliant than a piece
of gray crystal.
Yet, notwithstanding all these defects, it was
