The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-10-26
THE wARLOCK PEAR.
Said to Be the Most Wonderful Vege-
table Curiosity in Existence.

table Curiosity in Existence.
Few families possess an heirloom
that can compare either in rarity o.
antiquity with the Warlock pear o.
Colstoun, which is, beyond doubt, thu
most wonderful vegetable curiosity II
existence and in authenticity beyond
dispute. Hugo, Lord Clifford of Yester
the magician, lived in ,he reign Of
! King Alexander III. of Scotland Hf
presented himself before the King pre-
| vious to the battle of Large, 1858, and
is described by Sir Walter Scott in
| "Marmion.'
/ The wizard Lord of Yester gave his
daughter in marriage to a scion of the
ancient family of Hay, ancestor to the
| present Marquis Of Tweeddale. AS the
| bridal party was in its way to the
| church the magician plucked a pear
| from trae hard by and gave it TO his
| daughter as her dowry, informing her
| that so long as she and her descend
ants preserved 1t, so long should they
prosper. The pear was in consequence
carefully preserved as the precious pal
ladium Of the family, whose fortunes
during the next 300 years, rapidly adj
vanced John Hay, in 147S, being rails
ed to the peerage of Scotland as Baron
Hay Of Yester. He was succeeded by
his son John, second baron, who was
succeeded by his son John, third baron,
whose daughter, Jean, was married to
George Broun, laird of Colstoun, serv-
ed heir 1904.
The "Warlock pear which again
played the part of dowry, thus passed
to her descendants, the. Brouns. of
Costoun, who derived their pedigree
from the ancient kings Of France, an
origin alluded to by their arn1oral
bearlngs-gules three feurs de lis or.
In 1886 Patrick Broun of Colstoun was
created haronet of Nova Scotia and
was succeeded by his son George Sec
ond baronet of Colstoun, in whose time
the pear, hitherto carefully cherished
and which, to all appearances, was as
fresh as when plucked, began, in ac-
cordance with the warning of the en-
chanter, to exert its influence malig-
nanty, Sir George was married to the
Lady Elizabeth Mackenzie, daughter
of George, first Earl of Cromartie (the |
famous Viscount Tarbat of Queen An
mes seign), whose armorial bearing |
was azure, harris head cabossedior |
holding the pear, longed to taste it. |
and, as in the case of remote ances-
tress, the temptation was too strong to |
be resisted.
Authorities differ as to whether the
Lady Elizabeth really bit the pear or
merely dreamed she did Debrett, in
his Baronetage, states that she dream
ed she bit it, but the late, Sir Richard
Brown, Bart, author of an elaborate
MS. history of the house of Colstoun,
says distinctly that she bit it. and it
is certain that there are marks of
teeth in the pear, which is now hard
as a stone. Whether the bite was real
OF imaginary, the fact remains that al
most Immediately the family fortunes
began to wane. Sir George Broun was
soon afterward drowned in the Tyne
Ills, and the Lady Elizabeth only es-
capped by her clothes bearing her up
n the water. Sir George died without
heirs, male, and the title, which was
10 heirs male general became dormant,
md though subsequently assumed by
collateral branch again became dor
nant in 1I76, and so remained for
more than fifty years, until after pro-
,eedings, very interesting, a young .
-adet of a distant branch proved his .
ather to be entitled to the baronetcy
md was accordingly declared heir
The entire estates had passed away,
md together with the magic cornac,
we're become the property of the fam
ly of Ramsey, Earl of Dalhousie
whose predecessor had married the
iece of the unfortunate Sir George
oroun above mentioned.
In silver box, with strong casket,
afe under locks and bolts, the magic
ornac now reposes, in the custody of
ord Dalhouse. and one can readily
Understand how highly the relic is
rized and how jealousy preserved by
he present possessor.-Fr the Chi
ago Daily News