Causes Cefebres.
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CAUSES CÉLÈBRES. XIV. THE QUEEN'S NECKLACE. [I786.] IN the first year of the reign of Louis XVI., — that is to say, in 1774, — the court jeweller, Boehmer, succeeded in com pleting a work which had occupied him for several years. This was an assortment of the most beautiful diamonds which could then be found in the market. With his as sociate, Bassange, he had made a necklace composed of stones whose price was enor mous, — 1,600,000 francs then, and to-day the price would be at least 3,000,000 francs. It was destined evidently for a royal icrin. For several years, however, this famous necklace found no purchaser, and the poor jeweller was at his wit's end. A fortune was tied up in these precious jewels, and it must in some way be released. Boehmer finally decided to apply to Marie Antoinette, in the hope that she might purchase it; and fear ing that a direct offer might be rejected, he sought to interest in this negotiation M. de Cam pan, husband of the first femme-dechambre of Marie Antoinette. M. de Campan refused to propose such an expenditure at a time when at court it was a question only of economy. The ladies of honor and ladies of the bed-chamber equally declined the commission. Boehmer then addressed himself to one of the gentlemen-at-arms in the service of the king, who consented to present the necklace. Louis XVI. admired this unique and incomparable parure, and wished to see it on the neck of the young queen. Marie Antoinette was also delighted with this splendid collection of diamonds; but she remembered that she was the queen of a country weighed down by prodigalities of every description. " I should be very sorry," she replied, " that so much money should be spent on such an object. I have already beautiful diamonds, and I do not !1
wear them more than four op five times a year. Send back the necklace. We have now more need of a ship than a jewel."' A year after his first attempt, Boehmer again proposed to the king to buy his neck lace; and the king once more mentioned the subject to the queen, who said that if the purchase was not really onerous, the king might buy it, and preserve it for a marriage gift to his children, but that she would never wear it. The king replied that the children were too young to make so expensive a purchase for their account, and he refused Boehmer's proposition. Thus repulsed, the poor jeweller was in despair, and sought to bring every influ ence to bear upon the king, but all in vain; no one wished to hear a word about the necklace. The unfortunate Boehmer had locked up in these stones the greater part of his fortune; he felt that he was ruined if he did not succeed in selling them. Finally he determined to ask an audience of the queen. Having obtained it, he threw himself upon his knees before Marie Antoinette. "Madame," he said, " I am ruined, dis honored, if you do not buy my necklace. I cannot survive such a misfortune. When I leave here, I shall go and throw myself into the river." "Rise, Boehmer," said the queen, in a severe tone; "I do not like to heat such language, and honest men have no need to supplicate upon their knees. If you were to kill yourself, I should regret it as the act of a foolish person in whom I feel an interest; but I should be in no way respon sible for the deed. Not only have I not ordered the object which is the cause of your despair, but every time that you have
