Europe in the Middle Ages. 45
courtiers
were constantly impoverishing themselves in order to minister to her
foibles. The costly parure of Pearls belonging to the unfortunate Mary
Queen of Scots, which Elizabeth bought for much . less than its value,
is thus described by the French ambassador at the English court : "
There are six cordons of large Pearls strung as paternosters, but there
are five and twenty separate from the rest, much finer and larger than
those which are strung ; these are for the most part like black
muscades."
The
discovery of America brought fresh treasures of gems and Pearls to
Europe. As in the Old World, so in the New, they were used to decorate
the gods and their temples, and were also worn by the natives, high and
low. The temple in which the Governor of Mexico, Montezuma, used to
pray at night, had walls of beaten silver and gold, decorated with
Pearls and precious stones. Among the presents which Ferdinand Cortez
received from Montezuma, and which he sent to Europe to Charles V. (I.
of Spain), were necklaces of rubies, emeralds and costly Pearls.
Fernando de Soto, in his expedition against Florida (in 1539) found
great quantities of Pearls, and the Cacique Ichioha presented him with
a splendid string of Pearls long enough to go three times round his
neck, and to reach to his waist. As in Cleopatra's time in Egypt,
