160 THE BLACK PRINCE'S RUBY.
Henry's
daughter, Elizabeth, was even more extravagantly fond of jewels than he
was himself. The numerous well-known pictures of the queen are more
especially portraitures of Her High-ness's dresses and jewels than
anything else. Elizabeth did not set the Ruby away in her state-crown
but kept it by her, no doubt for the frequent bedecking of her royal
person.
She
showed it upon one occasion to the Scotch envoy, Sir James Melville,
under circumstances of peculiar interest. It was in 1564 when
Elizabeth and Mary Stuart were both young women, the one comely, the
other beautiful, and both were eagerly sought by every unmarried prince
in Europe. Elizabeth had rejected all her offers. Mary had done the
same. The English queen was lavishing honors upon her handsome Master
of the Horse, Robert Dudley, and was generally understood to be
preparing him for a seat on the throne beside herself. At this juncture
she astonished the world by announcing that she had found a husband for
Mary Stuart. This
