1] THE LOST PRINCE. 9

And a diamond-set girdle around him,

Gold pieces not few

Shall be given to you

Who bring the Prince here, when you’ve found him !

This advertisement was forthwith inserted in all
the newspapers, and every means was taken to give
publicity to the astounding circumstances of the
case. Not content with the newspapers, huge adver-
tisements were stuck up at all the principal railway
stations, on the sides of all blank walls (especially
those upon which ‘Stick no bills‘ had been prominently
affixed by the owners) and in every situation where
people were accustomed to congregate. All this,
however, produced not the slightest effect. No tidings
‘whatever were heard of the young Prince, and no
answers were given to the advertisements, except such
as turned out on enquiry to have been sent by rogues
and swindlers who wanted to make a good thing of
it, and were in several instances detected and hung
for their pains.

The worst of it was, in the opinion of the Royal
family, that in spite of the misfortune which had be-
fallen their illustrious house,everything went on just the
same in the rest of the kingdom. No general blight fell
upon everybody and everything, but the people per-
severed in prospering most provokingly, the harvests
were just as good, trade and commerce flourished
equally well, men bought and sold, married and
reared families, and in every respect conducted their
business and passed their lives just as comfortably as
if the young Prince had never been lost at all. That
common people should be happy when Royalty