THE "REGALE'' RUBY 197 



and wlien he failed to present himself, sentence was 

 pronounced against him by default. The sentence 

 was that his bones should be burnt and scattered to 

 the winds ; a poor and inadequate kind of revenge. 

 More to the point, perhaps, was the spoliation of the 

 shrine of the Blessed Thomas ; for the Royal Com- 

 missioners sent to strip it, loaded twenty-six carts 

 with the valuables that had accumulated here during 

 all those centuries, in addition to two coffers of jewels 

 and gold containing the ransom of kings. 



The King kept some of the jewels for his own personal 

 use. Louis the Seventh of France had, a few years 

 after the murder of Becket, visited the Shrine of 

 St. Thomas, and had left there a magnificent ruby. 

 Not merely had he left it ; for the ruby — the " Regale 

 of France," it was called — left itself, so to speak. 

 In point of fact, it had been suggested to the French 

 king that he should present that magnificent stone to 

 the Shrine, and he was objecting to do so, when the 

 great ruby leapt from the ring he was wearing and 

 affixed itself to the Saint's reliquary, where it remained 

 " shining so brightly that it was impossible to look 

 steadily at it." 



So the visitor went away without that gorgeous 

 stone, marvelling greatly, as we do, some seven 

 hundred and fifty years after the event. 



The ruby, indifferently described as being " as large 

 as a hen's egg,'' and " as large as a man's thumb-nail," 

 was appropriated by Henry the Eighth. 



Thus did Henry repay the magnificent hospitality 

 extended him years before at Canterbury. The city 

 saw but little of Royalty for many years afterwards ; 

 and, indeed, it was not until Charles the First came 

 here to be married in the Cathedral that any great 

 State function revived its past glories. Then the 

 display made was worthy of local traditions. Feasting 

 and general jollity prevailed while the newly- wecl 

 King and Queen remained in the city. A few years 

 later, when loyalt}^ was the passion of only a minority 



