286 Pearls. 



(p. 30), that in the portraits of the Sassanian kings, 

 a huge Pearl is represented as hanging from the 

 right ear. This was worn by the monarch as a 

 fitting mark of sovereignty. The Sassanian dynasty 

 reigned in Persia from the year 226 to 641 A.D. 

 Procopius who lived in the reign of Justinian, relates 

 in his History of the Persian wars that a daring 

 diver obtained, by the sacrifice of his life, a -Pearl 

 of great size from the custody of a shark. This 

 Pearl, considered a miracle of nature, was worn by 

 King Perozes, who ultimately lost it in an engage- 

 ment with the Huns. Charging their flying hordes, 

 he was lured by their feigned retreat into a vast 

 pitfall, but to prevent the enemy from possessing 

 such a precious trophy of their victory, he tore the 

 Pearl from his right ear, and cast it before him. 

 This noble jewel was never recovered, although the 

 Huns were stimulated to the search by his Byzantine 

 rival, who promised an enormous reward to the 

 discoverer (see p. 31). 



The Gresham Pearly 1560. 



Sir Thomas Gresham, the wealthy and muni- 

 ficent London merchant of Queen Elizabeth's period, 

 was hardly the man to be led into acts of foolish 

 ostentation. Yet it is related that on one occasion 

 his loyalty so far got the better of his judgment. 



