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The Great Sancy: Henry

Nicholas was attached both to the Courts of Henry III. and Henry IV., having been ambassador for the former in Turkey, for the latter in England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. According to two different versions, obviously of one event, he is stated to have advanced the "Sancy" to both monarchs, in order to enable them to borrow money on its security, for the purpose of enlisting a body of Swiss mercenaries, as was the custom of the times. With regard to Henry III., we read in Varillas (Memoirs), that during the "Holy League," (1576), formed for the threefold purpose of exterminating the Huguenots, shutting up the king in a monastery, and placing the Duke of Guise on the throne, Henry abandoned himself to a life of almost unparalleled debauchery, leaving the cares of State to his mother, Catherine de Medicis. In his twenty-sixth year he became quite bald, and in order to conceal his deformity, the Duc de Sully tells us that he wore "a little turban on his head, his 'toque' as it was called, which was ornamented in front with a very large diamond. It is added that Henry induced M.Sancy to part with the Indian gem, which had already become famous in the West, ostensibly to empawn it for the purpose of obtaining means to engage a body of Swiss soldiers to crush the Duc de Guise. In 1588 the duke was assassinated by the Swiss guard thus formed, who were themselves afterwards shot down by the Parisian rabble. But the jewel does not appear to have ever been pledged by Henry, for it continued to glitter on his toque when he was engaged combing his lap dogs, fondling his monkeys, stringing death's heads, playing with his ivory cup and ball, or caressing his detestable dwarfs and minions, his cheeks plastered with white and rouge, his lips, eyes, and ears smeared with unguents and cosmetics, while the streets of Paris ran with the blood of his bravest subjects, and his realm was brought to the verge of ruin by the feuds and intrigues of lawless passion and religious animosity. Such was the murky atmosphere faintly illumined by this glorious gem, while in the possession of the modern Heliogabalus. From Henry III., assuming the truth of this story, the gem returned to Nicholas Harlai, who, according to the second account, advanced it to the Valois' successor, Henry IV. of Navarre, under peculiarly romantic circumstances. Being desirous of strengthening his army by a body of Swiss recruits, Henry is reported to have borrowed the diamond of Nicholas, now superintendent of finance, intending to raise money on its security. But the messenger charged with the responsibility of conveying the gem either to the king from Harlai, or from the king to the Swiss (for the story is here somewhat confused), disappeared on the way. A long interval elapsed before it became known that he had been waylaid and assassinated. Full of confidence in the loyalty and inventive faculty of his servant, Harlai proceeded to the forest where the murder had been committed. After a long search the body was found, disinterred and opened. In the stomach was found the diamond, which, as suspected by his master, the faithful valet had swallowed to prevent it falling into the hands of the thieves.