OF THE MARQUIS OF WORCESTER. 313 



combined effectually to plunge himself, his family, and 

 his posterity into a series of disastrous losses in 

 fortune and property. 



He had not been many months a refugee in France, 

 when he received a very welcome and highly gratifying 

 acknowledgment of his past services, from the exiled 

 Queen, in a present of valuable jewels, accompanied 

 with a testimonial, empowering him to make what use 

 he might please of the regal gift. The original, written 

 in French and sealed with the royal arms, is translated 

 as follows : 



&quot; HENRIETTA MARIA E., 



u We, Henrietta Maria of Bourbon, Queen of Great 

 Britain, have, by the order of the King our very 

 honoured Lord and Husband, caused to be delivered 

 into the hands of our dear and well beloved cousin, 

 Edward Somerset, Count and Earl of Worcester, a 

 necklace of Eubies, containing ten large Eubies and one 

 hundred and sixty pearls set and strung together in gold ; 

 among the said Eubies are likewise two large diamonds 

 called the Sancy and the Portugal, acknowledging 

 that besides the great expenses made by him for the 

 said King our very honoured Lord, he has supplied us 

 with three hundred and seventy thousand Livres 

 Tournois,* exclusive of the very great services at least 

 of equal consequence, which up to the present time, 

 even, he has rendered us, in regard to which we make 

 known that the said necklace and diamonds belong 

 entirely to him, so that he may either sell or engage 

 them without any interference on our part, or that of 



* According to the old money system prevalent in France before the Revolu 

 tion, accounts were kept in Livres Tournois of 20 Sous or Sols. Dr. Patrick 



Kelly s Universal Cambist, 4to. 1811, page 146. 



