Faino7cs Pearls. 287 



that this sober citizen was induced to imitate the 

 absurdity of Cleopatra, by wantonly destroying a 

 Pearl of great price. In Lawson's "History of 

 Banking" the incident is narrated in the following 

 words : — " The Spanish ambassador to the English 

 court, having extolled the great riches of the king 

 his master, and of the grandees of his master, before 

 Queen Elizabeth, Sir Thomas, who was present, 

 told him that the queen had subjects who, at one 

 meal, expended not only as much as the daily 

 revenues of his kingdom, but also of all his grandees ; 

 and added * this I will prove any day, and lay you 

 a considerable sum on the result.' 



" The Spanish ambassador soon afterwards came 

 unawares to the house of Sir Thomas, and dined 

 with him ; and finding only an ordinary meal, said 

 'Well, sir, you have lost your wager.' 'Not at all,' 

 replied Sir Thomas ; ' and this you shall presently 

 see.' He then pulled out a box from his pocket, 

 and taking one of the largest and finest eastern 

 Pearls out of it, exhibited it to the ambassador, 

 and then ground it, and drank the powder of it in 

 a glass of wine to the health of his mistress. ' My 

 lord ambassador,' said Sir Thomas, 'you know I 

 have often refused ;£"! 5,000 for that Pearl: have 

 I lost or won ? ' 'I yield the wager as lost ' said 

 the ambassador, ' and I do not think there are four 



