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Lord L'Isle, of the time of Henry VIII. of England, had been committed to the Tower of London on suspicion of being privy to a plot to deliver up the garrison of Calais to the French. But his innocence appearing manifest on investigation, the monarch released and sent him a diamond ring with a most gracious message. Whether it was his liberty or the ring or the message, the fact is that he died the night following "of excessive joy.
The turquoise was valuable enough for princely gift. Anne of Brittany, young and beautiful, Queen of Louis the Twelfth of France, sent a turquoise ring to James the Fourth of Scotland, who fell at Flodden. Scott refers to it:
"For the fair Queen of France Sent him a turquoise ring and glove; And charged him, as her knight and love, For her to break a lance."
And, in a note, he says that a turquoise ring, "probably this fatal gift," is (with James's sword and dagger) preserved in the College of Heralds, London; and gives the following quotation from Pittscottie: "Also, the Queen of France wrote a love-letter to the King of Scotland, calling him her love, showing him that she had suffered much rebuke in France for the defending of her honor. She believed surely that he would recompense her again with some of his kingly support in her necessity, that is to say, that he would raise her an army and come three foot of ground, on English ground, for her sake. To that effect she sent him a ring off her finger, with fourteen hundred French crowns to pay his expenses." |
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Jewelry Guide Vol 1
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