Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-04-03
HE DRANK A PEARL.
Fool of an Englishman who Initiates
the Egyptian COurteSan.

Sohh
London Society: Gresham is a good
subject to begin a history with, for it
has what is earlier than history-tradi-
ton and romance. The story of the
grasshopper is pretty one, only the
rude hand of the antiquary sets it all
aside by sternly proving that Gresham
was no founding, but born in wealth.
There are plenty of tales left. How is
it with this? 1t is gravely related in 4
work called " Lawson's History of Bank
ing," that the Spanish ambassador to
the English court, having extolled the
great riches OF his king, the master Of
the Indies, and of the grandees of Spain,
before Queen Elizabeth, Sir Thomas
Gresham, who was present, told him
that the Queen had subjects who at one
meal expended not only as much as the
daily revenues of the king, but also of
all grandees, and added: "This | will
prove any day and lay you wager on
it." So Gresham outraged the Span
lard in his own line. The ambassador,
hiding his time, came unawares to the
mansion of Sir Thomas in Bishopsgate,
and dined with him, when, finding Cnlv
an ordinary meal, he said: "WelI, sir,
you have lost your stake" Not at all"
answered Sir Thomas, land this YOU
shall presently see." He then pulled a
box from his pocket, and taking out
one of the largest and finest eastern
pearls, showed it to the ambassador.
After which he ground it down and
drank the dust in glass of wine to the
health of the Queen, his mistress. "My
lord ambassador" said Sir Thomas,
"y you know [ have often refused e15,-
600 for this pearl. Have I lost or won? ?"
6 yield the wager as lost" said the
ambassador; " and I do not think there
are four subjects in the world that
would do as much for their sovereign"
Legend tracks the man. Here is one
that would do for medieval saint, and
also from Lawson. 1t must be borne in
mind that the street before the Grass
hopper-that is, '60-was then used as
the bourse of London, which is not I'M
likely. Gresham, trading to the East
Indies, by which he is reported to have
made much money, at one time was
disconnected by the non-arrival of some
ships, which, it is alleged, had caused
him much embarrassment. While
despondingly walking in Lombard
street, a sailor came up to him and
presented letter, which conveyed the
joyful intelligence that two of the ships
had arrived, and that the box the bear
er would deliver contained some dia-
monds and some pearls OF great value
as a sample of the riches the ships had
brought home. Perhaps it was large
pearl out of this box or out of the two
ships which figured in the other tale.
After getting the good news on the
bourse, Gresham could do no other than
found, at his own cost, al exchange,
laying the first stone on June z, 1866;
and on Jan. q it was opened by Queen
Elizabeth. The Queens majesty, at
tended by her nobility, entered the
bourse on the south side, and after she
had viewed every part thereof, and
seen kind of industrial exhibition
of all sorts of the finest wares in the
city, she caused the same bourse, by a
herald and trumpet, to be proclaimed
The Royal Exchange" and to be so
called thenceforth and not otherwise,
and so it has been.