THE HOPE DIAMOND.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1672, 8 February 1917, Page 4

THE HOPE DIAMOND.

AND THE HOUSE OF HAPSBURG. An extraordinary narrative, linking the misfortunes of the house of Hapsburg with the tragic fnstory of the Hope diamond, and tracing both to the looting of a temple in Burma, acquires special interest by reason of the death of the Austrian Emperor. . It has been communicated to the Daily Express by a'soldier now on active service, and, says the Express, is “presented to students of the occult for what it may be worth.”

“The story,” says the author, “was told me by a Buddis! priest when 1 was in Ceylon. He was a man of high repute in the native community there, and he assured me that every word of his narrative was strictly and absolutely true. Personally I hold no brief for the occult, and will not venture to express any opinion on the extraordinary series of events recounted to me by the Buddist priest. I transcribe his strange story for the benefit of those who understand more than I do of these mysterious matters.

“Many years ago,” said the priest, “a member of the house of Hapsburg, one Count Hermann, in conjunction with a Duke of Braganza and a number of followers, set out on an expedition to Burma with the ostensible purpose of converting the natives.

“They sailed from Lisbon, and in due course reached Mandalay, near.which town they speedily became involved in a religious controversy which ended in the death of more than a thousand Burmese worshippers. “The Count and the Duke and their followers then made for the great temple of Rama and Sita, which was known to contain gold and jewels in enormous abundance and of priceless value. They slaughtered the priests and all the guardians of the temple , and looted its treasures. The temple walls were inlaid with gold and inset in almost every inch with precious gems. Every stone that could be wrenched from its place was stolen by the marauders, each of whom had his share of booty.

“Two of the finest stones in the temple formed the eyes of the golden statue of Rama. One (to be known later as the “Blue Hope Diamond’) was appropriated by Count Hermann, and the other fell later into the possession of the late King Leopold. “ ‘Rama,’ continued the priest, ‘called down upon the thieves the vengeance of all the gods, and more than fifty persons of high degree have already fallen under Rama’s curs;e, and lost their Jives by violent means. With their death the curse came to an end, but in the case of the house of Hapsburg it goes on for over.’ ”

Whatever may be thought of the Buddist priest's weird story, it is known that the looted jewels were scattered by marriage and inheritance through most of the royal houses of Europe, with the exception of those of England and Denmark, and strangely tragic is the record of many of these regal families.