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diff --git a/43707-0.txt b/43707-0.txt index ffdde45..0987c94 100644 --- a/43707-0.txt +++ b/43707-0.txt @@ -1,38 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Finger-Ring Lore, by William Jones - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Finger-Ring Lore - Historical, Legendary, Anecdotal - -Author: William Jones - -Release Date: September 13, 2013 [EBook #43707] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FINGER-RING LORE *** - - - - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - - - - - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43707 *** FINGER-RING LORE @@ -18449,360 +18415,4 @@ Superscripted characters are indicated by {superscript}. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Finger-Ring Lore - Historical, Legendary, Anecdotal - -Author: William Jones - -Release Date: September 13, 2013 [EBook #43707] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FINGER-RING LORE *** - - - - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - - - - - - - - -FINGER-RING LORE - - - - - LONDON: PRINTED BY - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE - AND PARLIAMENT STREET - - - - - FINGER-RING LORE - - _HISTORICAL, LEGENDARY, ANECDOTAL_ - - - BY WILLIAM JONES, F.S.A. - - - _WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS_ - - - London - CHATTO AND WINDUS, PICCADILLY - 1877 - - - - - TO MY WIFE: - - [Illustration: _A pledge of Happy Wedded Life_] - - =Bon Coeur: Sans Peur.= - - - - -PREFACE. - - -I had intended to confine my observations exclusively to the subject of -'ring superstitions,' but in going through a wide field of olden -literature I found so much of interest in connection with rings generally, -that I have ventured to give the present work a more varied, and, I trust, -a more attractive character. - -The importance of this branch of archæology cannot be too highly -appreciated, embracing incidents, historic and social, from the earliest -times, brought to our notice by invaluable specimens of glyptic art, many -of them of the purest taste, beauty, and excellency; elucidating obscure -points in the creeds and general usages of the past, types for artistic -imitation, besides supplying links to fix particular times and events. - -In thus contributing to the extension of knowledge, the subject of -ring-lore has a close affinity to that of numismatics, but it possesses -the supreme advantage of appealing to our sympathies and affections. So -Herrick sings of the wedding-ring: - - And as this round - Is nowhere found - To flaw, or else to sever, - So let our love - As endless prove, - And pure as gold for ever! - -It must be admitted that in many cases of particular rings it is sometimes -difficult to arrive at concurrent conclusions respecting their date and -authenticity: much has to be left to conjecture, but the pursuit of -enquiry into the past is always pleasant and instructive, however -unsuccessful in its results. One of our most eminent antiquarians writes -to me thus: 'We must not take for granted that everything in print is -correct, for fresh information is from time to time obtained which shows -to be incorrect that which was previously written.' - -My acknowledgments are due to friends at home and abroad, whose -collections of rings have been opened for my inspection with true masonic -cordiality. - -I have also to thank the publishers of this work for the liberal manner in -which they have illustrated the text. Many of the engravings are from -drawings taken from the gem-room of the British, and from other museums, -and from rare and costly works on the Fine Arts, not easily accessible to -the general reader. Descriptions of rings without pictorial -representations would (as in the case of coins) materially lessen their -attraction, and would render the book what might be termed 'a garden -without flowers.' - -In conclusion I will adopt the valedictory lines of an old author, who -writes in homely and deprecatory verse: - - FOR HERDE IT IS, A MAN TO ATTAYNE - TO MAKE A THING PERFYTE, AT FIRST SIGHT, - BUT WAN IT IS RED, AND WELL OVER SEYNE - FAUTES MAY BE FOUNDE, THAT NEVER CAME TO LYGHT, - THOUGH THE MAKER DO HIS DILIGENCE AND MIGHT. - PRAYEING THEM TO TAKE IT, AS I HAVE ENTENDED, - AND TO FORGYVE ME, YF THAT I HAVE OFFENDED. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. RINGS FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD 1 - - II. RING SUPERSTITIONS 91 - - III. SECULAR INVESTITURE BY THE RING 177 - - IV. RINGS IN CONNECTION WITH ECCLESIASTICAL USAGES 198 - - V. BETROTHAL AND WEDDING RINGS 275 - - VI. TOKEN RINGS 323 - - VII. MEMORIAL AND MORTUARY RINGS 355 - - VIII. POSY, INSCRIPTION, AND MOTTO RINGS 390 - - IX. CUSTOMS AND INCIDENTS IN CONNECTION WITH RINGS 419 - - X. REMARKABLE RINGS 457 - - APPENDIX 499 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - PAGE - - Egyptian gold signet-ring 2 - - Egyptian bronze rings 4 - - Egyptian signet-rings 6 - - Egyptian porcelain ring 9 - - Egyptian mummy, rings on the fingers of an 10 - - Egyptian gold ring from Ghizeh 11 - - Etruscan ring with chimeræ 15 - - Roman-Egyptian ring 15 - - Modern Egyptian rings 17 - - Modern Egyptian ring with double keepers 17 - - Etruscan ring representing the car of Admetus 19 - - Etruscan rings with serpents and beetle 19 - - Etruscan ring with scarabæus 20 - - Etruscan ring with representation of two spirits in combat 20 - - Etruscan ring with intaglio 21 - - Greek and Roman rings 22 - - Late Roman rings 23 - - Ring found at Silchester 24 - - Ring of a group pattern 24 - - Ancient plain rings 24 - - Iron ring of a Roman knight 25 - - Roman ring, crescent-shaped 26 - - Roman ring of coloured paste 28 - - Gallo-Roman ring representing a cow or bull 29 - - Roman thumb-ring 29 - - Roman ring, with a representation of Janus 32 - - Roman ring, with figures of Egyptian deities 32 - - Roman ring, with busts; from the Musée du Louvre 33 - - Roman ring, with head of Regulus 34 - - Roman rings from Montfaucon 36, 37, 38 - - Roman ring in the Florentine Cabinet 39 - - Roman 'memorial' gift-rings 41 - - Anglo-Roman 41 - - Anglo-Roman and Roman rings 42 - - Roman rings found at Lyons 43 - - Roman bronze ring of a curious shape 44 - - Roman key-rings 45 - - Roman rings, with inscription and monogram 47 - - Roman 'legionary' ring 47 - - Roman 'legionary' ring 48 - - Roman amber and glass rings 48 - - Byzantine ring, from Montfaucon 49 - - Byzantine ring, found at Constantinople 49 - - Rings from Herculaneum and Pompeii 49 - - Roman bronze ring 50 - - Roman 'trophy' ring 50 - - Roman ring, from the Museum at Mayence 50 - - Roman key-rings 51 - - Roman, late, from the Waterton Collection 52 - - Anglo-Saxon rings 53 - - Early British (?) ring found at Malton 54 - - Ring of King Ethelwulf 54 - - Anglo-Saxon rings 58 - - Early Saxon rings found near Salisbury 59 - - South Saxon ring found in the Thames 60 - - Ancient Irish rings found near Drogheda 61 - - Early Irish gold ring 62 - - The 'Alhstan' ring 62 - - Anglo-Saxon ring found near Bosington 63 - - Rings found at Cuerdale, near Preston 64 - - Rings in the Royal Irish Academy 65 - - Spiral silver ring, found at Lago 66 - - Ring found at Flodden Field 66 - - Figured ring supposed to represent St. Louis 67 - - Rings found in Pagan graves 68 - - Rings of the Frankish and Merovingian periods 69, 70 - - Gold 'Middle Age' ring, from the Louvre 71 - - Rings on the effigy of Lady Stafford 72 - - Enamelled floral ring 75 - - 'Merchant's Mark' rings 75, 87 - - Ring of the sixteenth century 76 - - Ring of Frederic the Great 76 - - Venetian ring 76 - - Italian diamond-pointed ring 76 - - Italian symbolical ring 77 - - Venetian ring 78 - - East Indian ring, with drops of silver 78 - - Indian rings 79 - - Spanish ring 79 - - 'Giardinetti' or guard rings 79 - - French rings of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries 80 - - 'Escutcheon' ring, French 81 - - French rings 81, 82, 83 - - Moorish rings 82 - - Bavarian peasant's ring 84 - - Thumb-rings 89, 90, 139 - - Divination-rings 101, 102 - - Roman amulet-rings 104, 105, 107 - - Astrological ring 108 - - Zodiacal ring 110 - - Amulet rings 126, 138, 141, 151, 152 - - Charm-rings 133, 153 - - Talismanic rings 134, 135, 136 - - Cabalistic rings 139, 147 - - Mystical rings 140 - - Rings of the Magi 143 - - Rings with mottoes, worn as medicaments 148 - - Rings, Runic 150 - - Toadstone rings 157, 158 - - Cramp rings 163, 165 - - Serjeant's ring 190 - - Ring of the 'Beef Steak' Club 193 - - The Fisherman's Ring 199 - - Ring of Thierry, Bishop of Verdun 204 - - Ring of Pope Pius II. 206 - - Papal rings 208 - - Episcopal rings 217, 226, 230, 231 - - Episcopal thumb-ring 219 - - Ring of Archbishop Sewall 225 - - Ring of Archbishop Greenfield 225 - - Ring of Bishop Stanbery 226 - - Decade ring with figure of St. Catherine (?) 249 - - Decade thumb-ring 249 - - Silver decade ring 250 - - Decade ring found near Croydon 250 - - Decade signet-ring 251 - - Decade rings 251, 252 - - Decade ring of Delhi work 253 - - Trinity ring 254 - - Religious rings 254, 255, 256, 260, 261, 262, 263 - - 'Paradise' rings 257 - - Reliquary ring 257 - - Early Christian rings 258, 259, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273 - - Ecclesiastical ring 264 - - Pilgrim ring 264 - - Roman key-rings 294 - - Hebrew marriage and betrothal rings 299, 300, 302 - - Byzantine ring 304 - - Betrothal ring 307 - - Half of broken betrothal ring 309 - - Jointed betrothal ring 314 - - Gemmel ring, found at Horselydown 316 - - Ring with representation of Lucretia 318 - - Wedding-ring of Sir Thomas Gresham 319 - - Gemmel ring 319 - - 'Claddugh' ring 320 - - Betrothal ring with sacred inscription 321 - - Devices on wedding rings 322 - - The 'Devereux' ring 338 - - The 'Essex' ring 342 - - Old mourning ring 360 - - Memorial rings, Charles I. 366, 367, 370 - - Royalist memorial ring 370 - - Memorial and mortuary rings 373 - - Squared-work diamond ring found in Ireland 380 - - Mortuary rings at Mayence 381, 382 - - Gold rings from Etruscan sepulchres 383 - - Ring found at Amiens 383 - - Ring found in the tomb of William Rufus, Winchester Cathedral 385 - - Ring discovered in Winchester Cathedral 385 - - Ring of Childeric 386 - - Motto and device rings 390, 406 - - Posy-ring 391, 417 - - Inscription rings 410, 411, 412, 417 - - New Year's gift ring 421, 422 - - Poison-rings 433 - - Dial-rings 452, 453 - - Signet-ring of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Darnley ring 460 - - Supposed ring of Roger, King of Sicily 465 - - The Worsley seal-ring 467 - - Ring of Saint Louis 469 - - Ring-devices of the Medici family 472, 473 - - Ring found at Kenilworth Castle 474 - - Heraldic ring 481 - - Martin Luther's betrothal and marriage rings 481, 482, 483 - - Shakspeare's ring (?) 484 - - Initials of Sir Thomas Lucy, at Charlecote Hall 486 - - Ivory-turned rings 488 - - Squirt ring 494 - - - - -FINGER-RING LORE. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -RINGS FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD. - - -The use of signet-rings as symbols of great respect and authority is -mentioned in several parts of the Holy Scriptures, from which it would -seem that they were then common among persons of rank. They were sometimes -wholly of metal, but frequently the inscription was borne on a stone, set -in gold or silver. The impression from the signet-ring of a monarch gave -the force of a royal decree to any instrument to which it was attached. -Hence the delivery or transfer of it gave the power of using the royal -name, and created the highest office in the State. In Genesis (xli. 42) we -find that Joseph had conferred upon him the royal signet as an insignia of -authority.[1] Thus Ahasuerus transferred his authority to Haman (Esther -iii. 12). The ring was also used as a pledge for the performance of a -promise: Judah promised to send Tamar, his daughter-in-law, a kid from -his flock, and for fulfilment left with her (at her desire) his signet, -his bracelet, and his staff (Genesis xxxviii. 17, 18). - -Darius sealed with his ring the mouth of the den of lions (Daniel vi. 17). -Queen Jezebel, to destroy Naboth, made use of the ring of Ahab, King of -the Israelites, her husband, to seal the counterfeit letters ordering the -death of that unfortunate man. - -The Scriptures tell us that, when Judith arrayed herself to meet -Holofernes, among other rich decorations she wore bracelets, ear-rings, -and rings. - -The earliest materials of which rings were made was of pure gold, and the -metal usually very thin. The Israelitish people wore not only rings on -their fingers, but also in their nostrils[2] and ears. Josephus, in the -third book of his 'Antiquities,' states that they had the use of them -after passing the Red Sea, because Moses, on his return from Sinai, found -that the men had made the golden calf from their wives' rings and other -ornaments. - -Moses permitted the use of gold rings to the priests whom he had -established. The nomad people called Midianites, who were conquered by -Moses, and eventually overthrown by Gideon (Numbers xxxi.), possessed -large numbers of rings among their personal ornaments. - -The Jews wore the signet-ring on the right hand, as appears from a passage -in Jeremiah (xxii. 24). The words of the Lord are uttered against -Zedekiah: 'though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, King of Judah, were the -signet on my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence.' - -We are not to assume, however, that all ancient seals, being signets, were -rings intended to be worn on the hand. 'One of the largest Egyptian -signets I have seen,' remarks Sir J. G. Wilkinson, 'was in possession of a -French gentleman of Cairo, which contained twenty pounds' worth of gold. -It consisted of a massive ring, half an inch in its largest diameter, -bearing an oblong plinth, on which the devices were engraved, 1 inch long, -6/10ths in its greatest, and 4/10ths in its smallest, breadth. On one side -was the name of a king, the successor of Amunoph III., who lived about -fourteen hundred years before Christ; on the other a lion, with the legend -"Lord of Strength," referring to the monarch. On one side a scorpion, and -on the other a crocodile.' - -This ring passed into the Waterton Dactyliotheca, and is now the property -of the South Kensington Museum. - -[Illustration: Egyptian Bronze Rings.] - -Rings of inferior metal, engraved with the king's name, may, probably, -have been worn by officials of the court. In the Londesborough collection -is a bronze ring, bearing on the oval face the name of Amunoph III., the -same monarch known to the Greeks as 'Memnon.' The other ring, also of -bronze, has engraved on the face a scarabæus. Such rings were worn by the -Egyptian soldiers. - -In the British Museum are some interesting specimens of Egyptian rings -with representations of the scarabæus,[3] or beetle. These rings generally -bear the name of the wearer, the name of the monarch in whose reign he -lived, and also the emblems of certain deities; they were so set in the -gold ring as to allow the scarabæus to revolve on its centre, it being -pierced for that purpose. - -Colonel Barnet possesses an Egyptian signet-ring formed by a scarabæus set -in gold. It was found on the little finger of a splendid gilded mummy at -Thebes. In all probability the wearer of the ring had been a royal scribe, -as by his side was found a writing-tablet of stone. On the breast was a -large scarabæus of green porphyry, set in gold. - -The Rev. Henry Mackenzie, of Yarmouth, possesses an Egyptian scarabæus, a -signet-ring, set with an intaglio, on cornelian, found in the bed of a -deserted branch of the Euphrates, in the district of Hamadân in Persia. -The engraving is unfinished, the work is polished in the intaglio, and the -date has therefore been supposed not later than the time of the Greeks in -Persia, _circa_ 325 B.C. - -[Illustration: Egyptian Signet-rings.] - -The representations here given illustrate the large and massive Egyptian -signet-ring, and also a lighter kind of hooped signet, 'as generally worn -at a somewhat more recent period in Egypt. The gold loop passes through a -small figure of the sacred beetle, the flat under-side being engraved with -the device of a crab.' - -In the British Museum, in the first Egyptian Room, is the signet-ring of -Queen Sebek-nefru (Sciemiophris). 'Sebek' was a popular component of -proper names after the twelfth dynasty, probably because this queen was -beloved by the people. On Assyrian sculptures are found armlets and -bracelets; rings do not appear to have been generally worn. - -At a meeting of the Society of Biblical Archæology, in June 1873, Dr. H. -F. Talbot, F.R.S., read an interesting paper on the legend of 'Ishtar -descending to Hades,' in which he translated from the tablets the -goddess's voluntary descent into the Assyrian _Inferno_. In the cuneiform -it is called 'the land of no return.' Ishtar passes successively through -the seven gates, compelled to surrender her jewels, viz. her crown, -ear-rings, head-jewels, frontlets, girdle, _finger-_ and toe-_rings_, and -necklace. A cup full of the Waters of Life is given to her, whereby she -returns to the upper world, receiving at each gate of Hades the jewels she -had been deprived of in her descent. - -Mr. Greene, F.S.A., has an Egyptian gold ring, formerly in the possession -of the late Mr. Salt, belonging to the nineteenth dynasty, probably from -the Lower Country, below Memphis. It is engraved with a representation of -the goddess Nephthis, or Neith. Another gold ring of a later period, from -the Upper Country, dates, probably, from the time of Psammitichus, B.C. -671 to 617. - -In the collection of Egyptian antiquities formed by the late R. Hay, Esq., -of Limplum, N.B., were two Græco-Egyptian gold rings, found, it is -conjectured, in the Aasa-seef, near Thebes. One of these is of the usual -signet form, but without an inscription; the other is of an Etruscan -pattern, and is composed of a spiral wire, whose extremities end in a -twisted loop, with knob-like intersections. Both these objects are of fine -workmanship, and are wrought in very pure gold. Sir J. G. Wilkinson, in -'Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians,' remarks: 'The rings were -mostly of gold, and this metal seems always to have been preferred to -silver for rings and other articles of jewellery. Silver rings are, -however, occasionally to be met with, and two in my possession, which were -accidentally found in a temple at Thebes, are engraved with hieroglyphics, -containing the name of the royal city. Bronze was seldom used for rings; -some have been discovered of brass and iron (of a Roman time), but ivory -and blue porcelain were the materials of which those worn by the lower -classes were usually made.' - -The Rev. C. W. King observes: 'I have seen finger-rings of ivory of the -Egyptian period, their heads engraved with sphinxes and figures of eyes -cut in low relief as camei, and originally coloured.' - -The porcelain finger-rings of ancient Egypt are extremely beautiful, the -band of the ring being seldom above one eighth of an inch in thickness. -Some have a plate in which in bas-relief is the god Baal, full-faced, -playing on the tambourine, as the inventor of music; others have their -plates in the shape of the right symbolical eye, the emblem of the sun, of -a fish of the perch species, or of a scarabæus. Some few represent -flowers. Those which have elliptical plates with hieroglyphical -inscriptions bear the names of Amen-Ra, and of other gods and monarchs, as -Amenophis III., Amenophis IV., and Amenmest of the eighteenth and -nineteenth dynasties. One of these rings has a little bugle on each side, -as if it had been strung on the beaded work of a mummy, instead of being -placed on the finger. Blue is the prevalent colour, but a few white and -yellow rings, and some even ornamented with red and purple colours, have -been discovered. It is scarcely credible that these rings, of a substance -finer and more fragile than glass, were worn during life, and it seems -hardly likely that they were worn by the poorer classes, for the use of -the king's name on sepulchral objects seems to have been restricted to -functionaries of state. Some larger rings of porcelain of about an inch in -diameter, seven-eighths of an inch broad, and one-sixteenth of an inch -thick, made in open work, represents the constantly-repeated -lotus-flowers, and the god Ra, or the sun, seated and floating through the -heavens in his boat. - -At the Winchester meeting of the Archæological Institute in 1845 a curious -swivel-ring of blue porcelain was exhibited, found at Abydus in Upper -Egypt; setting modern. It has a double impression: on the one side is the -king making an offering to the gods, with the emblems of life and purity; -on the other side the name of the monarch in the usual 'cartouche,' one -that is well known, being that of Thothmes III., whom Wilkinson supposes -to have been the Pharaoh of Exodus. It is worthy of remark that this -cartouche is 'supported' by asps, which are usually considered to be the -attributes of royalty. - -[Illustration: Egyptian Porcelain Ring.] - -The annexed engraving represents an Egyptian ring, _en pâte céramique_, -from M. Dieulafait's 'Diamants et Pierres Précieuses.' - -The signet of Sennacherib in the British Museum is made of Amazon stone, -one of the hardest stones known to the lapidary, and bears an intaglio -'which,' observes the Rev. C. W. King, 'by its extreme minuteness, and -the precision of the drawing, displays the excellence to which the art had -already attained.' - -On a mummy-case in the British Museum is a representation of a woman with -crossed hands, covered with rings; the left hand is most loaded. Upon the -thumb is a signet with hieroglyphics on the surface, three rings on the -forefinger, two on the second, one formed like a snail shell, the same -number on the next, and one on the little finger. The right hand carries -only a thumb ring, and two upon the third finger. - -[Illustration: Rings on the fingers of a Mummy.] - -Sir J. G. Wilkinson observes: 'The left was considered the hand peculiarly -privileged to bear these ornaments; and it is remarkable that its third -finger was decorated with a greater number than any other, and was -considered by them, as by us, _par excellence_, the ring-finger, though -there is no evidence of its having been so honoured at the marriage -ceremony.' - -The same author mentions that rings were a favourite decoration among the -Egyptians; women wore sometimes two or three on the same finger. They -were frequently worn on the thumb. Some were simple, others had an -engraved stone, and frequently bore the name of the owner; others the -monarch in whose time he lived, and they were occasionally in the form of -a snail, a knot, a snake, or some fancy device. A cat--emblem of the -goddess Bast, or Pasht, the Egyptian Diana--was a favourite subject for -ladies' rings. - -[Illustration: Egyptian Gold Ring, from Ghizeh.] - -One of the oldest, if not the most ancient ring known, is supposed to be -that in the collection of Dr. Abbot, of Cairo, now preserved with his -other Egyptian antiquities at New York. It is thus described by -him:--'This remarkable piece of antiquity is in the highest state of -preservation, and was found at Ghizeh, in a tomb near the excavation of -Colonel Vyse, called Campbell's tomb. It is of fine gold, and weighs -nearly three sovereigns. The style of the hieroglyphics within the oval -make the name of that Pharaoh (Cheops, Shofo) of whom the pyramid was the -tomb. The details are minutely accurate and beautifully executed. The -heaven is engraved with stars; the fox or jackal has significant lines -within its contour; the hatchets have their handles bound with thongs, as -is usual in the sculptures; the volumes have the strings which bind them -hanging below the roll--differing in this respect from any example in -sculptured or painted hieroglyphics. The determinative for country is -studded with dots, representing the land of the mountains at the margin of -the valley of Egypt. The instrument, as in the larger hieroglyphics, has -the tongue and semi-lunar mark of the sculptured examples; as is the case -also with the heart-shaped vase. The name is surmounted with the globe and -feathers, decorated in the usual manner; and the ring of the cartouche is -engraved with marks representing a rope, never seen in the sculptures; and -the only instance of a royal name similarly encircled is a porcelain -example in this collection, inclosing the name of the father of Sesostris. -The O in the name is placed as in the examples sculptured in the tombs, -not in the axis of the cartouche; the chickens have their unfledged wings; -the cerastes its horns, now only to be seen with a magnifying glass.' - -In a lecture to the deaf and dumb in St. Saviour's Hall, Oxford Street, -London (October 1875), on 'Eastern Manners and Customs,' amongst various -relics exhibited was the hand of a female mummy, on one finger of which -was a gold ring, with the signet of one of the Pharaohs. - -A gold ring exhibited at the exhibition of antiquities at the Ironmongers' -Hall, in 1861, had hieroglyphics meaning 'protected by the living goddess -Mu.' - -Among some interesting specimens of Egyptian rings exhibited at the South -Kensington Loan Exhibition of 1872 I may mention an antique ring of pale -gold, with a long oval bezel chased in intaglio, with representation of a -_sistrum_ (timbrel, used by the Egyptians in their religious ceremonies), -the property of Viscount Hawarden; an antique ring of pale gold (belonging -to Lady Ashburton), formed of a slender wire, the ends twisted round the -shoulders, upon which is strung a signet, in form of a cat, made of -greenish-blue glazed earthenware. - -From the collection of R. H. Soden Smith, Esq. F.S.A., an ancient pale -gold ring, with revolving cylinders of lapis-lazuli, engraved with -hieroglyphics; the shoulders of the hoop wrapped round with wire ornament. - -The Waterton Collection contains Egyptian rings of various descriptions: -one of silver, with revolving bezel of cornelian representing the -symbolical right eye. Several rings of glazed earthenware; one of gold, -very massive, with revolving scarab of glazed earthenware, partially -encased in gold. A gold ring, the hoop of close-corded work, revolving -bezel with blood-stone scarab, engraved with Hathor and child. The same -engraving is on a gold signet-ring, with vesica-shaped bezel, and upon a -white-metal ring, where the figures are surrounded by lotus-flowers. -Another gold signet-ring is engraved with the figure of Amen-ra; a -probably Egyptian white-metal ring, with narrow oblong bezel, engraved -with a frieze of figures, and winged Genii, divided by candelabra. - -Several of the Egyptian rings in the Museum of the Louvre at Paris date -from the reign of King Moeris. One of the oldest rings extant is that of -Cheops, the founder of the Great Pyramid, which was found in a tomb there. -It is of gold, with hieroglyphics. - -The Egyptian glass-workers produced small mosaics of the most minute and -delicate finish, and sufficiently small to be worn on rings. - -Dr. Birch, in a very interesting paper communicated to the Society of -Antiquaries, at the meeting of November 17, 1870, observes, with regard to -the scarabæi and signet-rings of the ancient Egyptians, that the use of -these curious objects (the exhibition comprising upwards of five hundred -scarabs from the collection of Egyptian antiquities formed by the late R. -Hay, Esq., of Sinplum, N.B., to which I have alluded) dates back from a -remote period of Egyptian history. 'As it is well known, they were not -merely made in porcelain, but also in steatite, or stea-schist, and the -various semi-precious stones suitable for engraving, such as cornelian, -sard, and such-like.' In the time of the twelfth dynasty the cylindrical -ring, also found in use among the Assyrians and Babylonians, came into -vogue. The hard stones and gems were of later introduction, probably under -the influence of Greek art, for the ancient Egyptians themselves do not -appear to have possessed the method of cutting such hard substances. A -few, however, exist, which are clearly of great antiquity--as, for -example, a specimen in yellow jasper now in the British Museum. - -The principal purpose to which these scarabs were applied was to form the -revolving bezel of a signet-ring, the substance in which the impression -was taken being a soft clay, with which a letter was sealed. - -It is singular that some of these objects have been found in rings fixed -with the plane engraved side inwards, rendering them unfit for the -purposes of sealing. It is well known that the use of these scarabs was so -extensive as to have prevailed beyond Egypt, being adopted by the -Phoenicians and the Etruscans. - -On this subject the Rev. C. W. King remarks that gold rings, even of the -Etruscan period, are very rare, the signets of that nation still retaining -the form of scarabæi. 'The most magnificent Etruscan ring known, belonging -once to the Prince de Canino, and now in the matchless collection of -antique gems in the British Museum, is formed of the fore-parts of two -lions, whose bodies compose the shank, whilst their heads and fore-paws -support the signet--a small sand scarab, engraved with a _lion regardant_, -and set in an elegant bezel of filagree-work. The two lions are beaten up -in full relief of thin gold plate, in a stiff archaic style, but very -carefully finished.' - -The Waterton Collection contains a gold ring of Etruscan workmanship, of -singular beauty. It is described by Padre Geruchi, of the Sacred College, -as a betrothal or nuptial ring. It has figures of Hercules and Juno placed -back to back on the hoop, having their arms raised above their heads. -Hercules is covered with the skin of a lion, Juno with that of a goat. - -[Illustration: Etruscan, with Chimeræ.] - -[Illustration: Roman-Egyptian.] - -Fairholt, in 'Rambles of an Archæologist,' describes an ancient Etruscan -ring in the British Museum, with chimeræ on it opposing each other. The -style and treatment partake largely of ancient Eastern art. There is also -in the same collection a remarkable ring having the convolutions of a -serpent, the head of Serapis at one extremity and of Isis at the other; by -this arrangement one or other of them would always be correctly posited; -it has, also, the further advantage of being flexible, owing to the great -sweep of its curve. Silver rings are rarer than those of gold in the -tombs of Etruria, and iron and bronze examples are gilt. - -All the Hindoo Mogul divinities of antiquity had rings; the statues of the -gods at Elephanta, supposed to be of the highest antiquity, had -finger-rings. - -The Rev. C. W. King describes a ring in the Waterton collection, of -remarkable interest--apparently dating from the Lower Empire, for the head -is much thrown up, and has the sides pierced into a pattern, the -'_interrasile opus_, so much in fashion during those times. It is set with -two diamonds of (probably) a carat each: one a perfect octahedron of -considerable lustre, the other duller and irregularly crystallised. -Another such example might be sought for in vain throughout the largest -cabinets of Europe.' - -After the conquest of Asia Alexander the Great used the signet-ring of -Darius to seal his edicts to the Persians; his own signet he used for -those addressed to the Greeks. - -Xerxes, King of Persia, was a great gem-fancier, but his chief signet was -a portrait, either of himself, or of Cyrus, the founder of the monarchy. -He also wore a ring with the figure of Anaitis, the Babylonian Venus, upon -it. Thucydides says that the Persian kings honoured their subjects by -giving them rings with the likenesses of Darius and Cyrus. - - * * * * * - -The late Mr. Fairholt purchased in Cairo a ring worn by an Egyptian lady -of the higher class. It is a simple hoop of twisted gold, to which hangs a -series of pendant ornaments, consisting of small beads of coral, and thin -plates of gold, cut to represent the leaves of a plant. As the hands move, -these ornaments play about the finger, and a very brilliant effect might -be produced if diamonds were used in the pendants. - -The rings worn by the middle class of Egyptian men are usually of silver, -set with mineral stones, and are valued as the work of the silversmiths of -Mecca, that sacred city being supposed to exert a holy influence on all -the works it originates. - -[Illustration: Modern Egyptian Rings.] - -A curious ring with a double keeper is worn by Egyptian men. It is -composed entirely of common cast silver, set with mineral stone. The -lowermost keeper, of twisted wire, is first put on the finger, then -follows the ring. The second keeper is then brought down upon it: the two -being held by a brace which passes at the back of the ring, and gives -security to the whole. - -[Illustration: Modern Egyptian Ring, with Double Keepers.] - -Tavernier states in his 'Travels' that the Persians did not make gold -rings, their religion forbidding the wearing of any article of that metal -during prayers, it would have been too troublesome to take them off every -time they performed their devotions. The gems mounted in gold rings, sold -by Tavernier to the King, were reset in silver by native workmen. - -The custom of wearing rings may have been introduced into Greece from -Asia, and into Italy from Greece. They served the twofold purpose, -ornamental and useful, being employed as a seal, which was called -_sphragis_, a name given to the gem or stone on which figures were -engraved. The Homeric poems make mention of ear-rings only, but in the -later Greek legends the ancient heroes are represented as wearing -finger-rings. Counterfeit stones in rings are mentioned in the time of -Solon. Transparent stones when extracted from the remains of the original -iron-rings of the ancients are sometimes found backed by a leaf of red -gold as a foil.[4] The use of coloured foils was merely to deceive and -impose upon the unwary, by giving to a very inferior jewel the finest -colour. Solon made a law prohibiting sellers of rings from keeping the -model of a ring they had sold. - -The Lacedæmonians, according to the laws of Lycurgus, had only iron rings, -despising those of gold; either that the King devised thereby to retrench -luxury, or not to permit the use of them. - -The Etruscans and the Sabines wore rings at the period of the foundation -of Rome, 753 B.C. - -The Etruscans made rings of great value. They have been found of every -variety--with precious stones, of massive gold, very solid, with engraved -stones of remarkable beauty. Among Etruscan rings in the Musée Nap. III. -the table of one offers a representation, enlarged, of the story of -Admetus, the King of Pheræ in Thessaly. He took part in the expedition of -the Argonauts, and sued for the hand of Alcestis, the daughter of Pelias, -who promised him to her on condition that he should come to her in a -chariot drawn by lions and boars. This feat Admetus performed by the -assistance of Apollo, who served him, according to some accounts, out of -attachment to him, or, according to others, because he was obliged to -serve a mortal for one year, for having slain the Cyclops. - -[Illustration: Etruscan (Admetus).] - -[Illustration: Representation of Admetus.] - -[Illustration: Etrusca.] - -Among rings taken out of the tombs there are some in the form of a knot or -of a serpent. They are frequently found with shields of gold, and of that -form which we call Gothic, that is elliptical and pointed, called by -foreigners _ogive_, with raised subjects chiselled on the gold, or with -onyxs of the same form, but polished and surrounded with gold. There are -some particular rings which appear more adapted to be used as seals than -rings, and they have on the shields, relievos of much more arched, and -almost Egyptian, form.[5] - -[Illustration: Etruscan.] - -[Illustration: Etruscan.] - -Among the antique jewels at the Bibliothèque Nationale at Paris are two -fine specimens of Etruscan rings. One is of gold, on which is a scarabæus -in cornelian; the stomach of the scarabæus is engraved hollow and -represents a naked man holding a vase. The other is a gold ring found in a -tomb at Etruria, of which the bezel, sculptured in relief, could not serve -as a seal. The subject is a divinity combating with two spirits, a -representation of the eastern idea of the struggles between the two -principles of good and evil, such as are found on numerous cylinders that -come from the borders of the Euphrates and the Tigris. This analogy -between the religious ideas of the Etruscans and those of the most ancient -monuments of the East is not astonishing when it is shown that the -Etruscans, the ancient inhabitants of Italy, were originally from Asia. -The following engraving represents an intaglio on a scarabæus ring, of -fine workmanship, preserved in Vienna. - -At a meeting of the Archæological Institute (May 3, 1850) the Dowager -Duchess of Cleveland exhibited a curious Roman ring of pure gold (weight -182 grains), of which an illustration is given in the Journal of the -Institute (vol. vii. p. 190). 'It was found, with other remains, at Pierse -Bridge (AD TISAM), county of Durham, where the vestiges of a rectangular -encampment may be distinctly traced. The hoop, wrought by the hammer, is -joined by welding the extremities together; to this is attached an oval -facet, the metal engraved in intaglio, the impress being two human heads -_respectant_, probably male and female--the prototype of the numerous -"love seals" of a later period. The device on the ring is somewhat -effaced, but evidently represented two persons gazing at each other. This -is not the first Roman example of the kind found in England. The device -appears on a ring, apparently of that period, found on Stanmore Common in -1781. On the mediæval seals alluded to, the heads are usually accompanied -by the motto "Love me, and I thee," to which, also, a counterpart is found -among relics of a more remote age. Galeotti, in his curious illustrations -of the "Gemmæ Antiquæ Litteratæ," in the collection of Ficoroni, gives an -intaglio engraved with the words "Amo te, ama me."' - -[Illustration: Etruscan.] - -The following engravings represent: A ring in the Musée du Louvre, with a -lion sculptured by a Greek artist, in an oriental cornelian; the reverse -has an intaglio of a lion _couchant_. The second, from the Webb -Collection, is that of an ancient Greek ring, of solid gold, with the -representation of a comic mask in high relief. The other, a gold ring with -a bearded mask, Roman, in the Waterton Collection at the South Kensington -Museum--also in high relief--has the shoulders thickened with fillets, -engraved with stars. - -[Illustration: Greek.] - -[Illustration: Greek.] - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -A singular discovery of Roman relics was made in 1824 at Terling Place, -near Witham, Essex, by some workmen forming a new road; the earth being -soaked by heavy rains the cart-wheels sank up to their naves. The driver -of the cart saw some white spots upon the mud adhering to the wheels, -which proved to be coins. On further search a small vase was discovered in -which had been deposited with some coins, two gold rings, which are -interesting examples of late Roman work; and representations of these, by -Lord Rayleigh's permission, were given in the 'Journal of the -Archæological Institute' (vol. iii. p. 163) and are here shown. One of the -rings is set with a colourless crackly crystal, or _pasta_, uncut and _en -cabochon_; the other with a paste formed of two layers, the upper being of -a dull smalt colour, the lower dark brown. The device is apparently an -ear of corn. - -[Illustration: Late Roman.] - -The Hertz Collection contained a well-formed octahedral diamond, about a -carat in weight, set open in a Roman ring of unquestionable authenticity. - -At the Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South -Kensington Museum, in 1872, John Evans Esq., F.S.A., contributed a series -of seven rings, gold and silver, Roman, set with antique stones; one very -massive, of silver and gold, set with intaglio on nicolo onyx; one with an -angular hoop, and another with beaded ornaments. - -'Though,' remarks Mr. Fairholt, 'a great variety of form and detail was -adopted by Greek and Roman goldsmiths for the rings they so largely -manufactured, the most general and lasting resembled a Roman ring, -probably of the time of Hadrian, which is said to have been found in the -Roman camp at Silchester, Berkshire. The gold of the ring is massive at -the face, making a strong setting for the cornelian, which is engraved -with the figure of a female bearing corn and fruit. By far the greater -majority of Roman rings exhumed at home and abroad are of this fashion, -which recommends itself by a dignified simplicity, telling by quantity and -quality of metal and stone its true value, without any obtrusive aid.' -Sometimes a single ring was constructed to appear like a group of two or -three upon the finger. Mr. Charles Edwards, of New York, in his 'History -and Poetry of Finger Rings,' has given an example of this kind of ring. -Upon the wide part of each are two letters, the whole forming 'ZHCAIC,' -_mayst thou live!_ - -[Illustration: Ring found at Silchester.] - -[Illustration: Group Pattern.] - -'The simplest and most useful form of rings, and that by consequence -adopted by people of all early nations, was the plain elastic hoop. Cheap -in construction and convenient in wear, it may be safely said to have been -generally patronised from the most ancient to the most modern times.' An -engraving by Mr. Fairholt represents 'the old form of a ring made in the -shape of a coiled serpent, equally ancient, equally far-spread in the old -world, and which has had a very large sale among ourselves as a decided -novelty. In fact, it has been the most successful design our ring-makers -have produced of late years.' - -[Illustration: Ancient Plain Rings.] - -The statues of Numa and Servius Tullius were represented with rings, while -those of the other Kings had none; which would induce the belief that the -use of rings was little known in the early days of Rome. Pliny[6] states -that the first date in Roman history in which he could trace any general -use of rings was in A.U.C. 449, in the time of Cneius Flavius, the son of -Annius. Less than a century before Christ, Mithridates, the famous King of -Pontus, possessed a museum of signet-rings; later, Scaurus, the stepson of -the Dictator, Sylla, had a collection of signet-rings, but inferior to -that of Mithridates, which, having become the spoil of Pompey, was -presented by him to the Capitol. - -In Rome every freeman had the right to use the iron ring, which was worn -to the last period of the Republic, by such men as loved the simplicity of -the good old times. Among these was Marius, who, as Pliny tells us, wore -an iron ring in his triumph after the subjugation of Jugurtha. In the -early days of the Empire the _jus annuli_ seems to have elevated the -wearer to the equestrian order. Those who committed any crime forfeited -the distinction, and this shows us the estimation in which the ring, as an -emblem of honour, was regarded. - -[Illustration: Iron Ring of a Roman Knight.] - -We are told of Cæsar that when addressing his soldiers after the passage -of the Rubicon he often held up the little finger of his left hand, -protesting that he would pledge even to his ring to satisfy the claims of -those who defended his cause. The soldiers of the furthest ranks, who -could see but not hear him, mistaking the gesture, imagined that he was -promising to each man the dignity of a Roman Knight. - -Gold rings appear to have been first worn by ambassadors to a foreign -State, but only during a diplomatic mission; in private they wore their -iron ones. - -In the course of time it became customary for all the senators, chief -magistrates, and the _equites_ to wear a gold seal-ring. This practice, -which was subsequently termed the _jus annuli aurei_, or the _jus -annulorum_, remained for several centuries at Rome their exclusive -privilege, while others continued to wear the iron ring. In Plutarch's -Life of Caius Marius he mentions that the slaves of Cornutus concealed -their master at home, and hanging up by the neck the body of some obscure -person, and putting a gold ring on his finger, they showed him to the -guards of Marius, and then wrapping up the body as if it were their -master's, they interred it. - -Magistrates and governors of provinces seem to have possessed the -privilege of conferring upon inferior officers, or such persons as had -distinguished themselves, the right of wearing a gold ring. Verres thus -presented his secretary with a gold ring in the assembly at Syracuse. - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -Montfaucon mentions in his 'Antiquity Explained' (English Edition, 1722, -vol. iii. p. 146), a Greek seal-ring, which has the shape of a crescent. -An illustration is here given of a similarly-formed Roman ring, with the -letters Q. S. P. Q., Quintanus Senatus Populusque, from the 'Gemmæ Antiquæ -Litteratæ.' - -Some wore rings of gold, covered with a plate of iron. Trimalchion wore -two rings, one upon the little finger of his left hand, which was a large -gilt one, and the other of gold, set with stars of iron upon the middle of -the ring-finger. Some rings were hollow, and others solid. The _Flamines -Diales_ could only wear the former. - -During the Empire the right of granting the privilege of a gold ring -belonged to the emperors, and some were not very scrupulous in conferring -this distinction. - -Severus and Aurelian granted this privilege to all Roman soldiers; -Justinian allowed all citizens of the empire to wear such rings. - -But there always seems to have been a difficulty in restricting the use of -the gold ring. Tiberius (A.D. 22) allowed its use to all whose fathers and -grandfathers had property of the value of 400,000 sestertia (3,230_l._). -The restriction, however, was of little avail, and the ambition for the -_annulus aureus_ became greater than it had ever been before. - -Juvenal, in his eleventh 'Satire,' alludes to a spendthrift who, after -consuming his estate, has nothing but his ring:-- - - At length, when nought remains a meal to bring, - The last poor shift, off comes the Knightly ring, - And sad Sir Pollio begs his daily fare, - With undistinguished hands, and fingers bare. - -Martial attacks a person under the name of Zoilus, who had been raised -from a state of servitude to Knighthood, and was determined to make the -ring, the badge of his new honour, sufficiently conspicuous:-- - - Zoile, quid tota gemmam præcingere libra - Te juvat, et miserum perdire sardonycha? - Annulus iste tuus fuerat modo cruribus aptus; - Non eadem digitis pondera conveniunt. - -The keeping of the imperial ring (_cura annuli_) was confided to a state -keeper, as the Great Seal with us is placed in custody of the Lord -Chancellor. - -With the increasing love of luxury and show, the Romans, as well as the -Greeks, covered their fingers with rings, and some wore different ones for -summer and winter, immoderate both in number and size.[7] The accompanying -illustrations represent a huge ring of coloured paste, all of one piece, -blue colour--one of the rings of inexpensive manufacture in popular use -among the lower classes. It is smaller on one side, to occupy less space -on the index or little finger. - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -The following illustrates a supposed Gallo-Roman ring of outrageous -proportions, similar to those complained of by Livy (xxxiii., see -Appendix), for their extravagant size. It is of bronze, and supposed to -represent a cow or bull seated, with a bell round the neck. - -Heavy rings of gold of a sharp triangular outline were worn on the little -finger in the later time of the Empire. A thumb-ring of unusual magnitude -and of costly material is represented in Montfaucon. It bears the bust in -high relief of the Empress Plotina, the consort of Trajan: she is -represented with the imperial diadem. It is supposed to have decorated the -hand of some member of the imperial family. The Rev. C. W. King mentions a -ring in the Fould Collection (dispersed by auction in 1860), the weight of -which, although intended for the little finger, was three ounces. It was -set with a large Oriental onyx, not engraved. - -[Illustration: Supposed Gallo-Roman.] - -[Illustration: Roman Thumb-ring.] - -Juvenal alludes to the 'season' rings:-- - - Charged with light summer rings his fingers sweat, - Unable to support a gem of weight. - -The custom of wearing numerous rings must have been at a comparatively -early period: it is alluded to both by Plato and Aristophanes. According -to Martial, one Clarinus wore daily no less than sixty rings: 'Senos -Clarinus omnibus digitis gerit,' and, what is more remarkable, he loved to -sleep wearing them, 'nec nocte ponit annulos.' Quintilian notices the -custom of wearing numerous rings: 'The hand must not be overloaded with -rings, especially with such as do not pass over the middle joints of the -finger.' Demosthenes wore many rings and he was stigmatised as -unbecomingly vain for doing so in the troubled times of the State. - -Seneca, describing the luxury and ostentation of the time, says: 'We adorn -our fingers with rings, and a jewel is displayed on every joint.' - -As a proof of the universality of gold rings as ornaments in ancient -times, we are told that three bushels of them were gathered out of the -spoils after Hannibal's victory at Cannæ. This was after the second Punic -war. - -According to Mr. Waterton it is believed that gems were not mounted in -rings prior to the LXII. Olympiad. - -Nero, we are informed, during his choral exhibitions in the circus, was -attended by children, each of whom wore a gold ring. Galba's guard, of the -_Equites_, had gold rings as a distinguishing badge. - -Rock crystal appears to have been much in use among the Romans for making -solid finger-rings carved out of one single piece, the face engraved with -some intaglio serving for a signet. - -'All those known to me,' remarks the Rev. C. W. King in 'Precious Stones,' -&c., 'have the shank moulded into a twisted cable; one example bore for -device the Christian monogram, which indicates the date of the fashion. It -would seem that these rings superseded and answered the same purpose as -the balls of crystal carried at an earlier period by ladies in their hands -for the sake of the delicious coolness during the summer heat.' - -Stone rings were in common use, formed chiefly of chalcedony. 'It is most -probable,' remarks the Rev. C. W. King, 'that the first ideas of these -stone rings were borrowed by the Romans from the Persian conical and -hemispherical seals in the same material. Some of these latter have their -sides flattened, and ornamented with divers patterns, and thus assume the -form of a finger-ring, with an enormously massy shank and very small -opening, sufficient, however, to admit the little finger. And this theory -of their origin is corroborated by the circumstance that all these Lower -Roman examples belong to the times of the Empire, none being ever met with -of an early date.' - -Silver rings were common: Pliny relates that Arellius Fuscus, when -expelled from the equestrian order, and thus deprived of the right of -wearing a gold ring, appeared in public with silver rings on his fingers. - -Among the ancient jewels in the Bibliothèque Nationale at Paris is a fine -Roman ring, of which the bezel, a cornelian graved hollow, represents a -Janus with four faces. - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -Another Roman ring, also of gold, is attributed to the epoch of the -Emperor Hadrian. The three golden figures represented on it are those of -Egyptian deities, which have suffered under the hands of a Roman jeweller. -It is, however, possible to distinguish them as one of the most important -of the Egyptian Pantheon; that is to say, Horus, Isis, and Nephtys. -Isis-Hathor is shown with cow's ears; she has near her Horus-Harpocrates, -her son, who is crowned with the _schent_; the mother and child rise from -a lotus flower: on the left is Nephtys, crowned with a hieroglyphic -emblem, accidentally incomplete, but the signification of which is the -name even of this divinity, 'the lady of this house.' - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -Montfaucon, in his 'L'Antiquité Expliquée,' describes a ring with a gem -engraved representing Bellerophon, Pegasus, and the Chimæra. The hero, -riding on his famous horse, in the air, throws a dart at the monster -below, whose first head is that of a lion, the goat's head appears on her -back, and her tail terminates in a large head of a serpent. This ring was -found on the road to Tivoli, among some ashes of a dead body. - -[Illustration: Representation of a ring ornamented with busts of -divinities. From the Musée du Louvre.] - -Montfaucon gives the contents of a Roman lady's jewel box cut upon the -pedestal supporting a statue of Isis, and amongst other rich articles for -female decoration are, for her little finger, two rings with _diamonds_; -on the next finger a ring with many gems (_polypsephus_), emeralds, and -one pearl. On the _top joint_ of the same finger, a ring with an emerald. -The Roman ladies were prodigal in their display of rings: we read that -Faustina spent 40,000_l._ of our money, and Domitia 60,000_l._ for single -rings. Greek women wore chiefly ivory and amber rings, and these were less -costly and numerous than those used by men. - -The Rev. C. W. King remarks of Roman rings that if of early date, and set -with good intagli, they are almost invariably hollow and light, and -consequently are easily crushed. Cicero relates of L. Piso, that 'while -prætor in Spain he was going through the military exercises, when the gold -ring which he wore was, by some accident, broken and crushed. Wishing to -have another ring made for himself, he ordered a goldsmith to be summoned -to the forum at Cordova, in front of his own judgment-seat, and weighed -out the gold to him in public. He ordered the man to set down his bench in -the forum, and make the ring for him in the presence of all, to prove that -he had not employed the gold of the public treasury, but had made use only -of his broken ring.' - -The signs engraved on rings were very various, including portraits of -friends and ancestors, and subjects connected with mythology and religion. -In the reign of Claudius no ring was to bear the portrait of the emperor -without a special licence, but Vespasian, some time after, issued an -edict, permitting the imperial image to be engraven on rings and brooches. -Besides the figures of great personages, there were also representations -of popular events: thus, on Pompey's ring, like that of Sylla, were three -trophies, emblems of his three victories in Europe, Asia, and Africa. -After the murder of this great general, his seal-ring, as Plutarch tells -us, was brought to Cæsar, who shed tears on receiving it. The Roman senate -refused to credit the news of the death of Pompey, until Cæsar produced -before them his seal-ring. - -[Illustration: Head of Regulus, between cornucopiæ.] - -On the ring of Julius Cæsar was a representation of an armed Venus, as he -claimed to be a descendant of the goddess. This device was adopted by his -partisans; on that of Augustus, first a sphinx; afterwards the image of -Alexander the Great, and at last, his own portrait, which succeeding -emperors continued to use.[8] - -Among the ancients the figures engraved on rings were not hereditary, and -each assumed that which pleased him. Numa had made a law prohibiting -representations of the gods, but custom abrogated the ordinance, and the -Romans had engraved in their rings not only figures of their own deities, -but those of other countries, especially of the Egyptians. The physician -Asclepiades had a ring with Urania represented upon it. Scipio the African -had a sphinx; Cornelius Scipio Africanus, younger son of the great -Africanus, wore the portrait of his father, but as his conduct was -unworthy of the character of his illustrious sire the people expressed -their disgust by depriving him of the ring. Sylla had a Jugurtha; the -Epicureans, a head of Epicurus; Commodus, an Amazon, the portrait of his -mistress Martia; Aristomenes, an Agathocles, King of Sicily; Callicrates, -a Ulysses; the Greeks, Helen; the Trojans, Pergamus; the inhabitants of -Heraclia, a Hercules; the Athenians, Solon; the Lacedæmonians, Lycurgus; -the Alexandrians, an Alexander; the Seleucians, Seleucus; Mæcenas, a frog; -Pompey, a dog on the prow of a ship; the Kings of Sparta, an eagle holding -a serpent in its claws; Darius, the son of Hystaspes, a horse; the -infamous Sperus, the rape of Proserpine; the Locrians, Hesperus, or the -evening star; Polycrates, a lyre; Seleucus, an anchor. - -The Rev. C. W. King, in 'Antique Gems,' informs us that 'the earliest -mention of a ring-stone in relief occurs in Seneca, who, in a curious -anecdote which he tells ("De Beneficiis," iii. 26) concerning the informer -Maro and a certain Paulus, speaks of the latter as having had on his -finger on that occasion a portrait of Tiberius in relief upon a projecting -gem, "Tiberii Cæsaris imaginem ectypam atque eminente gemma." This -periphrasis would seem to prove that such a representation was not very -common at the time, or else a technical term would have been used to -express that particular kind of gem-engraving.' - -Among the discoveries made during some excavations at Canterbury in 1868 -was a Roman ring of exceedingly pure gold, the stone being a very fine and -highly-polished onyx, engraved with a Ganymede. - -At a meeting of the Archæological Institute at Norwich in 1847 a fine gold -Roman ring found at Caistor was exhibited, set with an intaglio on onyx, -the subject being the Genius of Victory. The following illustrations of -engraved Roman rings are taken from Montfaucon's 'L'Antiquité -Expliquée':-- - -[Illustration: Gold ring, with head of Trajan, radiated.] - -[Illustration: Silver ring, with head of the Empress Crispina.] - -[Illustration: Head of the Emperor Gordian III.] - -[Illustration: Iron ring, with head of Socrates.] - -[Illustration: Gold ring, with name, Vibianæ.] - -[Illustration: Iron ring, representing a shepherd and goat.] - -[Illustration: Jupiter Serapis.] - -[Illustration: Galba.] - -[Illustration: Pan and Goat.] - -[Illustration: Hygeia.] - -[Illustration: Mercury.] - -[Illustration: Bust, with inscription 'Lucilla Acv. Sta. Virgo,' formerly -in the collection of St. Geneviève; added to the splendid Cabinet of -Antiquities at Paris in 1796.] - -The following engraving (from Gorlæus) refers to the story of Masinissa -and Sophonisba, well known to classical readers. She was betrothed at a -very early age to the Numidian prince, but was afterwards married to -Syphax, B.C. 206. This warrior, in a battle with Masinissa, was conquered, -and Sophonisba became a prisoner to the Numidian prince, who, won by her -charms, married her. Scipio, fearing her influence, persisted in his -immediate surrender of the princess, and Masinissa, to spare her the -humility of captivity, sent her a bowl of poison, which she drank without -hesitation, and thus perished. - -[Illustration: Ring with figures of Masinissa and Sophonisba.] - -The portraits of Caligula and Drusilla, in an iron ring, made to turn from -one side to the other (Gorlæus):-- - -[Illustration: Caligula and Drusilla.] - -A representation of Victory, suspending a shield to a palm-tree -(Gorlæus):-- - -[Illustration: Roman ring of 'Victory.'] - -With regard to the engraved representations on rings, Clemens -Alexandrinus gives some advice to the Christians of the second century: -'Let the engraving upon the stone be either a pigeon, or a fish, or a ship -running before the wind, or a musical lyre, which was the device used by -Polycrates; or a ship's anchor, which Seleucus had cut upon his signet; -and if it represents a man fishing, the wearer will be put in mind of the -Apostle, and of the little children drawn up out of the water. For we must -not engrave on them images of idols, which we are forbidden even to look -at; nor a sword, nor a bow, being the followers of peace, nor drinking -goblets, being sober men.' (See Chapter IV., 'Rings in connexion with -ecclesiastical usages,' _religious rings_.) The Rev. C. W. King remarks -that 'the practice of engraving licentious subjects on rings was very -prevalent in Ancient Rome. Ateius Capito, a famous lawyer of the Republic, -highly censured the practice of wearing figures of deities on rings, on -account of the profanation to which they were exposed.' - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -The same distinguished writer mentions an antique gold ring now in the -Florentine Cabinet, set with a cameo, which evidently shows that it -belonged to some Roman sporting gentleman, who, as the poet says, 'held -his wife a little higher than his horse,' for it is set with a cameo-head -of a lady, of tolerable work in garnet, and on the shoulders of the ring -are intaglio busts of his two favourite steeds; also a garnet with their -names cut in the gold on each side--_Amor_ and _Ospis_. On the outside of -the shank is the legend _Pomphonica_, 'success to thee, Pomphius,' very -neatly engraved on the gold. - -In the possession of Captain Spratt is a remarkably fine specimen of early -Greek work, a large ring of thin gold, set with an intaglio on very fine -red sard, oval, of most unusual size, representing a figure of Abundantia -beside an altar; the edge of the setting slightly bended; the stone held -in its position by thin points of gold. This most important gem is in its -original gold setting, and was purchased in June 1845 at Milo, where it -had been found the previous year, within a short distance of the theatre, -near the position in which the Venus of Milo had been discovered about -thirty years previously. - -Such was the value attached by the Romans to the setting of gems in rings, -that Nonius, a senator, is said to have been proscribed by Antony, for the -sake of a precious opal, valued at 20,000_l._ of our money, which he would -not relinquish. - -The taste for engraved gems, 'grew,' observes the Rev. C. W. King, 'into -an ungovernable passion, and was pushed by its noble votaries to the last -degree of extravagance. Pliny seriously attributes to nothing else the -ultimate downfall of the Republic; for it was in a quarrel about a ring at -a certain auction that the feud originated between the famous demagogue -Drusus, and the chief senator Cæpio, which led to the breaking out of the -Social War, and to all its fatal consequences.' - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a gold Roman finger-ring, with two hands -clasping a turquoise in token of concord: this device, a favourite one in -mediæval times, has thus an early origin. In the same collection is a -beautiful Romano-British gold ring, chased to imitate the scales of a -serpent, which it resembles in form: the eyelet-holes have been set with -some coloured gem, or paste, now lost. - -Sometimes the decoration of a ring was not confined to a single gem. -Valerian speaks of the _annulus bigemmis_, and Gorlæus gives specimens; -one, the larger gem of which has cut upon it the figure of Mars, holding a -spear and helmet, but wearing only the chlamys; the smaller gem is incised -with a dove and myrtle-branch. Engraved are two examples of the emblematic -devices and inscriptions adopted for classic rings when used as memorial -gifts. The first is inscribed,--'You have a love-pledge,' the -second,--'Proteros (to) Ugiæ,' between conjoined hands. - -[Illustration: Roman 'memorial' gift-rings.] - -The annexed illustration represents a jewelled ring of gold, considered to -be of Roman work. It is formed with nine little bosses, set with uncut -gems, emeralds, garnets, and a sapphire: one only, supposed to be a blue -spinel, is cut in pyramidal fashion. - -[Illustration: Anglo-Roman.] - -A similar ring, of gold, found in Barton, Oxfordshire, may, probably, be -ascribed to the same period of the Roman rule in Britain. Weight 3 dwts. -16 grains. ('Archæological Journal,' vol. vi. p. 290.) - -[Illustration: Anglo-Roman.] - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -The Roman ring here given must have been inconvenient to the wearer from -its form, but may have been used as a signet. Rings were chiefly used by -the Romans for sealing letters and papers; also cellars, chests, casks, -&c.[9] They were affixed to certain signs, or symbols, used for tokens, -like what we call tallies, or tally-sticks, and given in contracts instead -of a bill, or bond, or for any sign. Rings were also given by those who -agreed to club for an entertainment, to the person commissioned to bespeak -it, from _symbola_, a reckoning; hence, _symbolam dare_, to pay his -reckoning. Rings were also given as votive offerings to the gods. - -In 1841 a curious discovery was made at Lyons of the jewel-case of a -Roman lady containing a complete _trousseau_, including rings: one is of -gold, the hoop slightly ovular, and curving upward to a double leaf, -supporting three cup-shaped settings, one still retaining its stone, an -Arabian emerald. Another is also remarkable for its general form, and -still more so for its inscription, 'Veneri et Tvtele Votvm,' explained by -M. Comarmond as a dedication to Venus, and the local goddess Tutela, who -was believed to be the protector of the navigators of the Rhine; hence he -infers these jewels to have belonged to the wife of one of those rich -traders in the reign of Severus. - -[Illustration: Roman rings, found at Lyons.] - -Boeckh's Inscriptions (dating from the Peloponnesian War) enumerate in the -Treasury of the Parthenon, among other sacred jewels, the following rings: -an onyx set in a gold ring; ditto in a silver ring; a jasper set in a gold -ring; a jasper _seal_, enclosed in gold, seemingly a mounted scarabæus; a -signet in a gold ring, dedicated by Dexilla (the two last were evidently -cut in the gold itself); two gem signets set in one gold ring; two signets -in silver rings, one plated with gold; seven signets of _coloured glass_ -plated with gold (_i.e._ their settings); eight silver rings, and one gold -piece, fine (probably a Daric), a gold ring of 1-1/2 drs. offered by -Axiothea, wife of Socles; a gold ring with one gold piece, fine, _tied_ to -it, offered by Phryniscus, the Thessalian; a plain gold ring weighing 1/2 -dr. offered by Pletho of Ægina (a widow's mite). - -Fabia Fabiana, a Roman lady, offered in honour of her granddaughter Avita, -amongst other costly gifts, two rings on her little finger with diamonds, -on the next finger a ring with many gems, emeralds and one pearl; on the -top joint of the same ring, a ring with an emerald. 'The notice of the two -diamond-rings and the emerald-ring on the top joint of the ring-finger -are,' remarks the Rev. C. W. King, 'very curious. The pious old lady had -evidently offered the entire set of jewels belonging to her deceased -grandchild for the repose of her soul.' - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -The annexed engraving represents a remarkably fine Roman bronze ring of a -curious shape. The parts nearest the collet are flat and resemble a -triangle from which the summit has been cut. The peculiarity of the ring -is an intaglio, here represented, cut out of the material itself, -representing a youthful head. The two triangular portions which start from -the table of the ring are filled with ornaments, also engraved hollow. -Upon it is the word VIVAS, or _Mayest thou live_; probably a gift of -affection, or votive offering. - -In many of the Roman keys that have been discovered the ring was actually -worn on the finger. The shank disappears, and the wards are at right -angles to the ring, or in the direction of the length of the finger. - -[Illustration: Roman 'Key-rings.'] - -When a person, at the point of death, delivered his ring to anyone, it was -esteemed a mark of particular affection. The Romans not only took off the -rings from the fingers of the dead, but also from such as fell into a very -deep sleep or lethargy. Pliny observes: 'Gravatis somno aut morientibus -religione quadam annuli detrahuntur.' Some have conjectured that Spartian -alludes to this custom where, taking notice in the Life of the Emperor -Hadrian of the tokens of his approaching death, he says: 'Signa mortis hæc -habuit: annulus in quo Imago ejus sculpta erat, sponte de digito lapsus -est.' The ring, with his own image on it, fell of itself from his finger. -Morestellus thinks they took the rings from the fingers for fear the -Pollinctores, or they who prepared the body for the funeral, should take -them for themselves, because when the dead body was laid on the pile they -put the rings on the fingers again, and burnt them with the corpse. - -The custom of burning the dead lasted to the time of Theodosius the Great, -as Gothofredus states. Macrobius, who lived under Theodosius the Younger, -says the custom of burning the dead had quite ceased in his time. - -The Romans commonly wore the rings on the _digitus annularis_, the fourth -finger, and upon the left hand, but this custom was not always observed. -Clemens Alexandrinus remarks that men ought to wear the ring at the bottom -of the little finger, that they might have their hand more at liberty. For -Pliny's account of this, and other ring customs, I refer the reader to the -Appendix at the end of this volume. - -The clients of a Roman lawyer (remarks Fosbroke), usually presented him, -as a birthday present, with a ring, which was only used on that occasion. - -Rings were given among the Romans on birthdays--generally the most solemn -festival among them, when they dressed and ornamented themselves, with as -much grandeur as they could afford, to receive their guests. Persius -alludes to the natal ring in his first Satire, in which a ring, richly set -with precious stones, figures as a part of the ceremonial. - -The gladiators often wore heavy rings, a blow from which was sometimes -fatal. The ring of the first barbarian chief who entered and sacked Rome -was a curious cornelian inscribed 'Alaricus rex Gothorum.' - -In the famous Castellani Collection of Antiques, now in the British -Museum, are some splendid specimens of Roman rings: one with an uncut -crystal of diamond, a stone of great rarity, and highly prized; also a -minute votive ring set with a cameo, which probably adorned the finger of -a statuette; a curious double ring for two fingers. The early Christian -rings are very remarkable; one has a crossed 'P' in gold, formerly filled -with stones or enamel; another has an anchor for device, and one a ship, -emblematic of the Church. - -Amongst the Greek rings in this superb collection is the most splendid -intaglio, _on gold_, ever discovered; the bust of some Berenice or -Arsinoe side by side with that of Serapis; the ring itself, plain and very -massive, is, as the Rev. C. W. King observes, 'a truly royal signet.' - -A ring in the Londesborough Collection bears the _Labarum_, the oldest -monogram of Christianity, derived from the vision in which Constantine -believed he saw the sacred emblem, and placed it on his standard with the -motto, 'In hoc signo vinces.' This ring came from the Roman sepulchre of -an early Christian. - -An engraving of another ring in the same collection of massive silver is -inscribed SABBINA, most probably a love-gift. - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -The following represents a bronze 'legionary' ring, of oval form, with -flattened bezel, supposed to be Early Christian; obtained from Rome -('Arch. Journal,' vol. xxvi. p. 146):-- - -[Illustration: Roman 'Legionary' ring.] - -Another, of the same description, is more elaborate:-- - -[Illustration: Roman 'Legionary' ring.] - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -The collections of our English antiquaries contain numerous specimens of -Roman rings. At Uriconium several have been found of very varied -materials. Rings formed of bone, amber,[10] and glass were provided for -the poorer people, as was the case in ancient Egypt. - -[Illustration: Roman amber and glass rings.] - -In the later period of the Roman empire a more ostentatious decoration of -rings, derived from Byzantium, became common. In Montfaucon we find -illustrations of this change from the classical simplicity of earlier -times. - -A specimen of this character is given by Montfaucon:-- - -[Illustration: Byzantine.] - -The annexed represents a gold ring, probably of the fifth or sixth -century, found at Constantinople ('Arch. Journal,' vol. xxvi. p. 146):-- - -[Illustration: Byzantine.] - -In the Museum at Naples are two fine specimens of rings discovered at -Herculaneum and Pompeii, illustrations of which are here given from the -work of M. Louis Barré, 'Herculaneum et Pompeii' (Paris, 1839-40):-- - -[Illustration: Rings from Herculaneum and Pompeii.] - -A bronze ring is curious from having similar ornaments to those of the -horse-furniture discovered some years ago at Stanwick, on the estates of -the Duke of Northumberland in Yorkshire, and which are analogous in the -character of their design to those found in Roman places of sepulture in -Rhenish Germany. - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -Representation of a 'trophy' ring in the Museum of the Hermitage, St. -Petersburg; the figure of a lion on the convex; on the reverse a trophy:-- - -[Illustration: Roman 'Trophy' ring.] - -[Illustration: Roman ring (from the Museum at Mayence).] - -In the Waterton Collection are some valuable and curious specimens of -Greek and Roman art in ring-manufacture. These are composed of gold, -silver, bronze, iron, lead, earthenware, amber, vitreous paste, jet, white -cornelian, lapis-lazuli, chrysoprase, &c. Amongst these will be seen some -interesting Roman rings for children; one engraved with a rude figure of -Victory, found at Rietri, in 1856, diam. 9/16 in. In the same collection -are bronze 'legionary' rings--perhaps the number of a 'centuria,' some -corps employed about Rome, where all the rings of this character connected -with the collection have been found. - -Among the 'votive' rings in this collection, is one in the form of a shoe, -inscribed FELIX, of bronze. - -There are also specimens of rings with the key on the hoop, to which I -have alluded in the chapter on 'Betrothal and Wedding Rings.' One has a -fluted pipe; another has a key with two wards; in another the key is -riveted on the hoop. - -[Illustration: Roman Key-rings.] - -The earthenware rings are of brown or red. The amber rings are of mottled -deep red, set with green paste. Those in vitreous paste are of pale blue, -transparent yellowish and transparent brown. A 'jet' ring belongs to the -late Roman period. A white cornelian ring has a smaller part of the hoop -cut down, so as to form an oval bezel, on which is engraved a standing -figure of Æsculapius. A gold ring, Roman, set with oval intaglio, on -cornelian, of a trophy consisting of a horse's head bridled, and two -Gallic shields crossed, with the name of Q. Cornel Lupi, is the seal of -Quintus Cornelius Lupus, commemorating a victory over the Gauls: the -setting is modern. Another gold ring, with oval bezel, set with an -intaglio on yellow sard, has a youthful bust, full-faced; on one side a -spear, on the other side, in Greek letters, 'Hermai.' A gold ring with -nicoli onyx is inscribed 'VIBAS LUXURI HOMO BONE.' - -Some of the 'Early Christian' rings in the same collection are very -interesting. These are of silver, bronze, and lead. One of silver has an -octagonal bezel engraved with the Agnus Dei; another, of bronze, has a -square bezel inscribed 'VIVAS IN DEO'; a bronze ring with oval bezel is -chased with a lamb, the shoulders and hoop chased so as to represent a -wreath of palms; another, of bronze, has a projecting octagonal bezel, -engraved with a dove and a star, the hoop formed so as to resemble a -wreath. A massive bronze ring has the bezel engraved with the figure of an -_orante_; on the hoop is also a _sigillum_ engraved with a cross. One -ring, of lead, has a flattened bezel rudely incised with a cross. - -The following engraving represents the fore-finger, from a bronze statue, -of late Roman workmanship, on which a large ring is seen on the second -joint. A similar custom prevails in Germany. - -[Illustration: Late Roman (from the Waterton Collection).] - -The latest 'surprise' in regard to rings is that in connection with Dr. -Schliemann's discovery of antiquities upon the presumed site of Troy. The -Doctor, in June 1873, after indefatigable exertions in excavating, came -upon a _trouvaille_ consisting of ancient relics of great rarity, value, -and importance, including finger-rings, of which, as I have mentioned, -the Homeric writings make no mention. These were found among a marvellous -assemblage of bronze, silver, and gold objects, which lay together in a -heap within a small space. This seemed to indicate that they had -originally been packed in a chest which had perished in a conflagration -(most of the articles having been exposed to the action of fire), a bronze -key being found near them. The period to which these objects belong is the -subject of much controversy, but their origin must date from a very remote -period. - - * * * * * - -Among our British, Saxon, and Mediæval ancestors, rings were in common -use. Pliny ('Hist. Nat.' lib. xxxiii. c. 6) mentions, that the Britons -wore the ring on the middle finger. In the account of the gold, silver, -and jewellery belonging to Edward the First is mentioned 'a gold ring with -a sapphire, the workmanship of St. Dunstan.' Aldhelm, '_De Laud. Virg._', -describes a lady with bracelets, necklaces, and rings set with gems on her -fingers. Rings are frequently mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon annals. They -appear to have been worn then on the finger next to the little finger, and -on the right hand--for a Saxon bard calls that the golden finger--and we -find recorded that a right hand was once cut off on account of this -ornament. - -[Illustration: Anglo-Saxon.] - -[Illustration: Early British (?) ring, found at Malton.] - -It was not uncommon for Saxon gold rings to have the name of the owner for -a legend. Some of the rings of the Anglo-Saxon period which have been -discovered would not discredit the workmanship of a modern artificer. One -of the most interesting relics of enamelled art which is exhibited in the -medal room of the British Museum is the gold ring of Ethelwulf, King of -Wessex (A.D. 837-857), the father of Alfred the Great. It was found in the -parish of Laverstock, Hampshire, in a cart-rut, where it had become much -crushed and defaced. Its weight is 11 dwts. 14 grains. This ring was -presented to the British Museum by Lord Radnor, in 1829. Ethelwulf became -later in life a monk at Winchester, where he had been educated, and he -died there. No reasonable ground can be alleged for doubting the -authenticity of this ring.[11] - -[Illustration: Ring of Ethelwulf.] - -M. de Laborde, in his 'Notice des Émaux, &c., du Louvre,' considers the -character of the design and ornament to be Saxon; and there is every -reason to suppose it was the work of a Saxon artist. - -In connexion with this valuable relic is the gold ring of Æthelswith, -Queen of Mercia, the property of the Rev. W. Greenwell, F.S.A., by whom it -was exhibited at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries in January 1875. -On this occasion, A. W. Franks, Esq., Director of the Society, made the -following observations:--'This ring is one of the most remarkable relics -of antiquity that has appeared in our rooms for many years past. - -'It was ploughed up in Yorkshire, between Aberford and Sherburn in the -West Riding, and it is said that the fortunate finder attached it to the -collar of his dog as an ornament. It is of gold, weighing 312 grains; the -outer surface is engraved, and partly filled up with niello. In the centre -of the bezel is the Agnus Dei, accompanied by the letters A.D. The second -letter has a stroke passing through it, so as to resemble the Saxon _th_. -If this stroke is not to be considered a simple contraction, it may be -intended for [Greek: arnos] or [Greek: arnion Theou]. In the half circle -on each side are conventional animals or monsters; the whole is surrounded -by a border of dots, much worn in places. The most remarkable part of the -ring, however, is the inscription within, which is in letters large in -proportion to the surface they occupy, and which read EATHELSVITH REGNA. -These letters, excepting the two last, are in double outline. The -engraver seems to have miscalculated the space necessary, and has left out -one letter towards the end and given the NA in single lines; or, perhaps, -the I and the N are combined in a monogram. - -'The inscription is perfectly genuine, and we have, therefore, before us -the ring of Queen Æthelswith. The only person to whom, with any -probability, this inscription can be applied is Æthelswith, daughter of -Ethelwulf, and wife of Burgred or Burhred, King of Mercia. She was thus -sister to Alfred the Great. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, under -the year 853 (854), Burhred, King of the Mercians, prayed in that year -King Ethelwulf to aid him in reducing the North Welsh to obedience, which -he did; the Easter after which King Ethelwulf gave his daughter in -marriage to Burhred. She appears as witness to the charter of Burhred in -855 and 857, and 866 and 869 (Kemble's Codex, cclxxvii., cclxxviii., -cclxxx., ccxci., ccxii., ccxcix.). In 868 we have a charter giving to her -faithful servant Cuthwulf land in Lacinge. About 872-4 she is witness to a -charter of Æthelred, Duke of Mercia. In 888 (889) we learn from the -"Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" that she died:--"And Queen Æthelswith, who was -King Alfred's sister, died on the way to Rome, and her body lies at -Pavia." - -'She was daughter of Ethelwulf by Osburh, daughter of Oslac, the King's -cup-bearer, and must have been many years older than her brother Alfred, -as he was only five years old at the time of her marriage. - -'With regard to the inscription within the ring, it may be noticed that it -exhibits scarcely any traces of wear, while the edges of the ring show -marks of having been long worn. The engraving (which illustrates this -explanation in the "Proceedings of the Society") moreover, scarcely looks -like the work of a goldsmith. I would, therefore, suggest that the Queen -had probably offered this ring at some shrine, and the priests connected -with the shrine had engraved her name within the ring, to record the royal -giver. It could scarcely have been deposited in her tomb, as she is -recorded to have been buried at Pavia.' - -In the rings of King Ethelwulf and his daughter, certain -symmetrically-placed portions of the design are not filled with niello. -These may (observes Mr. Franks) have been enriched with some coloured -mastic now perished. It has been habitual to describe the inlaying of -Ethelwulf's ring as blue enamel, which is certainly an error. Enamel was -very seldom employed by the Anglo-Saxon jeweller, and enamel and niello -could with difficulty be applied to the same object, on account of the -different heat at which these two substances melt. - -An illustration of the remarkable ring of the Queen of Mercia is displayed -on the cover of this work. - -Rings were given in Anglo-Saxon times to propitiate royal favours. Thus, -towards the end of the tenth century, Beorhtric, a wealthy noble in Kent, -left in his will a ring worth thirty mancuses of gold that the queen might -be his advocate that the will should stand. In the Braybrooke Collection -is a plain silver ring, inscribed on the top of the exterior of the hoop, -with the Anglo-Saxon word 'Dolghbot,' the meaning of which is, -compensation made for giving a man a wound, either by a stab or blow. This -ring is ornamented by a simple wavy line, and dots, as if to represent a -branch, and was found in Essex. From its size, probably a woman's -ring--perhaps for injury, or the death of her husband. - -There are various nielloed rings of the Saxon period; notably a gold ring -with an inscription, and partly in runes, meaning 'Alhreds owns me, Eanred -engraved (or wrought) me,' now in the British Museum, which also has a -gold ring with two facets, found in the river Nene, near Peterborough, -engraved in the Archæological Institute Proceedings for 1856. - -[Illustration: Anglo-Saxon.] - -Plain wire rings were used by the South Saxons; specimens have been -obtained in Anglo-Saxon grave-mounds in England, and others, identical in -form, in the old Saxon cemeteries in Germany. Mr. Fairholt says: 'In the -museum at Augsburg are several, which were found in cutting for the -railway near that city. One of the plain wire rings' (the first of our -illustrations) 'was exhumed from a tumulus on Chartham Downs, a few miles -from Canterbury, in 1773, by the Rev. Bryan Faussett, who says: "The bones -were those of a very young person. Upon the neck was a cross of silver, a -few coloured earthen beads, and two silver rings with sliding knots." The -second illustration--a wire ring, twisted so as to resemble a seal -ring--was discovered in a Saxon cemetery on Kingston Downs, Canterbury.' - -[Illustration: Early Saxon rings, found near Salisbury.] - -The simplest form of finger-ring worn by our ancestors, consisted of a -band of metal, merely twisted round to embrace the finger, and open at -either end. One of these rings found upon the finger-bone of an early -Saxon, in excavating at Harnham Hill, near Salisbury, was found on the -middle finger of the right hand of a person of advanced age. Sometimes -several rings were found on one hand. Among the bones of the fingers of -the left hand of an adult skeleton was found a silver ring of solid form, -another of spiral form, and a plain gold ring. Mr. Akerman, who -superintended these researches, says: 'Similar rings have been found at -Little Wilbraham, at Linton Heath, at Fairford, and other localities. -They are, for the most part, of a uniform construction, being so contrived -that they could be expanded or contracted, and adapted to the size of the -finger of the wearer.' - -[Illustration: South Saxon ring, found in the Thames.] - -In the Waterton Collection is a very curious South Saxon ring, described -as 'an elongated oval with a circular centre; within the circle is the -conventional figure of a dragon, surrounded by four convoluted ornaments, -reminding one of the prevailing enrichments so lavishly bestowed on old -Runic ornaments, at home and abroad. Four quaintly-formed heads of dragons -occupy the triangular spaces above and below this centre. The ground -between the ornaments has been cut down, probably for the insertion of -niello or enamel colour.' It was found in the Thames at Chelsea in 1856. - -At a meeting of the Royal Archæological Institute in June 1873 Mr. J. J. -Rogers exhibited some Anglo-Saxon bronze rings which were found in a cave, -in the parish of St. Keverne, Cornwall. - -The Duke of Northumberland possesses a beautiful ring of pale-coloured -gold (weight 157 grains), set with a ruby-coloured gem, surrounded with -filagree work, the hoop beaded with small circles, punched, as on work of -the Saxon age. It was discovered, about 1812, by a boy who was ploughing, -near Watershaugh, Northumberland, and found the ring fixed on the point of -his ploughshare. - -In the collection of R. H. Soden Smith, Esq., F.S.A., is a curious -Anglo-Saxon ring, found about ten feet below the surface of the ground, in -making Garrick Street, Covent Garden. It is of gold, the hoop nearly half -an inch wide, with a broad oval bezel, expanding to 1-3/16 inches; the -gold pale, alloyed with silver. The whole is overlaid with funiform wire -ornaments and granulated work; on the bezel are four curves of beaded -filagree radiating from the centre ornament, and having smaller bosses of -similar work between.[12] - -Spiral elastic band rings of Anglo-Saxon work have been found in -considerable numbers in excavations. Douglas, in his 'Nenia Britannica,' -describes many specimens under this term, found by him in the graves of -Anglo-Saxon tribes. - -[Illustration: Ancient Irish rings, found near Drogheda.] - -In the earlier history of Ireland we find instances of a wonderful -development of artistic skill in goldsmith work. The Royal Irish Academy -possesses some beautiful specimens of rings. The Londesborough Collection -includes two remarkable rings which were found with other gold ornaments -near the remarkable tumulus, known as 'New Grange,' a few miles from -Drogheda. They were accidentally discovered in 1842 by a labouring man, -within a few yards to the entrance of the tumulus, at the depth of two -feet from the surface of the ground, and without any covering or -protection from the earth about them. Another labouring man, hearing of -this discovery, carefully searched the spot whence they were taken, and -found a denarius of Geta. The stone set in both rings is a cut agate. - -Aildergoidhe, son of Muinheamhoin, monarch of Ireland, who reigned 3070 -A.M., is traditionally said to have been the first prince who introduced -the wearing of gold rings into Ireland, which he bestowed on persons of -merit who excelled in knowledge of the arts and sciences. - -[Illustration: Early Irish gold ring.] - -The engraving (from the 'Archæological Journal,' June 1848), represents a -gold ring twisted, or plaited, of early Irish work, in the fine collection -of antiquities of Edwin Hoare, Esq., of Cork. - -[Illustration: The 'Alhstan' ring.] - -The Alhstan ring, engraved and described in the 'Archæologia' (vol. iv. p. -47), is in the Waterton Collection. Some observations on this very -remarkable ring are given by that learned antiquary, the Rev. Mr. Pegge. -It was found by a labourer on the surface of the ground at Llysfaen in -Caernarvonshire. It is of good workmanship, and weighs about an ounce. It -bears the inscription of Alhstan, which was a common Saxon name. Mr. Pegge -appropriates the ring to the Bishop of Sherborne of that name, because -the dragon of Wessex, apparent in the first lozenge, was not only the -device on the royal standard of Wessex, but the Bishop of Sherborne had -often conducted armies under it, having been much engaged in affairs of -war. The prelate died in 867, in the beginning of the reign of Ethelred I. - -[Illustration: Anglo-Saxon ring, found near Bosington.] - -In the Journal of the British Archæological Association (vol. i.) is a cut -of an Anglo-Saxon gold-ring, discovered at Bosington, near Stockbridge; it -is of considerable thickness, ornamented with rich chain-work, and has in -its centre a male head, round which is inscribed 'NOMEN EHLLA FID IN -XPO,'--my name is Ella; my faith is in Christ. It is now in the Ashmolean -Museum at Oxford. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - -In 1840 at Cuerdale, near Preston, some curious discoveries of coins and -treasure were made, considered to have been deposited about the year 910, -and the ornaments such as were worn about the time of Alfred, or somewhat -earlier. These included several rings, representations of which are given -in the 'Archæological Journal' (vol. iv. p. 127). One is merely a piece of -metal hammered flat, thinner and narrower at the ends, and formed into a -circle; the ends lapping over, but without any fastening. It is entirely -without ornament. In some specimens the metal is hammered and bent into -the form of a ring, in the same manner as the flat one. Two rings are -formed exactly like some armlets, found at the same time; the punch has -had a triangular point, and triangles conjoined at their bases having been -struck side by side, parallel rows of sunk lozenges have been produced. -Another ring has been hammered into a small four-sided bar, then twisted, -and ultimately formed into a ring, the ends of which meet, but have not -been united. In another ring two wires have been hammered into a roundish -form, tapering towards the ends, which have been tied together. Each wire -has been ornamented by transverse blows of a blunt chisel, and has the -appearance of being also twisted; these two have been twined together to -form one ring. - -In a communication from Mr. Worsaae, of Copenhagen, to the 'Archæological -Journal,' he observes that the triangular pattern with three or four -points on the Cuerdale rings differs totally from the designs on Celtic, -Roman, or Saxon remains, and which never seems to occur on any objects -found in the interior or southern parts of Europe. 'To the instances which -Mr. Hawkins has already cited of similar patterns on silver objects found -in Denmark and in Finland, I can only add that I have seen precisely -similar objects with the same pattern in Ireland, Prussia, and Sweden, and -that in the interior of Russia, in _tumuli_ in the neighbourhood of -Moscow, the same patterns have been found on rings. In nearly every -instance these ornaments have been found along with oriental or Cufic -coins, as in the case at Cuerdale.' Mr. Worsaae is of opinion that they -are of eastern origin, and were brought to the north in the same way as -the oriental coins. - -In the collection of antiquities of the Royal Irish Academy there are two -curious specimens of rings; one, like a ferule, fluted both externally and -internally, so as to resemble seven plain rings, attached to one another; -and their weight is 9 dwts. - -[Illustration: Rings in the Royal Irish Academy.] - -The other is a five-sided bar of gold, flat on the inside near the finger, -and angular externally; weight 1 oz. 12 dwts. 6 grs. This might be -denominated a torque ring. - -The following illustration represents a spiral silver ring, found at -Largo, weighing 120 grs. It is shaped, apparently, by the hammer. The -edges are serrated. A spiral ring found with Saxon remains in Kent, -engraved by Douglas in his 'Nenia,' and another found in the Isle of -Wight, represented in the 'Winchester' volume of the Archæological -Association, may be compared with the present example. - -[Illustration: Spiral silver ring.] - -Dr. Mantell has a massive gold ring, supposed to have been worn on the -finger, formed of two square bars rudely twisted together, and gradually -diminishing in size towards the extremities, where they are united -together. It was ploughed up at Bormer, in Sussex, and was presented to -Dr. Mantell by the Earl of Chichester. It is represented in Horsfield's -'History of Lewes,' plate iv. Similar rings of this description, but -differing in the fashion of the twist, have been noticed as found in -Britain. The resemblance between these ornaments and the gold 'ring-money' -of the interior of Africa is exceedingly curious. - -[Illustration: Ring: Flodden Field.] - -The annexed engraving (from the 'Archæological Journal,' vol. iii. p. 269) -represents a gold ring, belonging to Sir Noel Paton, F.S.A., Scotland, -reported to have been found on the field of Flodden: weight 8 dwts. 17 -grs. Other rings of a similar form have been discovered, and 'they appear -to offer some analogy with the torc of the Celtic age.' - -The annexed illustration represents a remarkably fine ring engraved in -Chifflet's 'Anastasis Childerici' (1655), on the same page as that of the -Childeric ring (described in the chapter on 'Memorial and Mortuary -Rings'), for purposes of comparison, in carrying out his original theory, -that the supposed bees of Childeric were, by gradual transition, converted -into the figure known as the _fleur de lys_ of a later monarchy, as he -endeavours to illustrate by numerous diagrams, but he omits to say where -this ring marked 'sapphirus' was originally found. It is a mere -supposition that the figure represents St. Louis, but in Montfaucon's -'Monuments de la Monarchie Française' (Paris, 1729), in a long -disquisition on the origin, &c., of the _fleur de lys_, on referring to -plate xxiii. tom. ii. p. 158, where St. Louis 'instruit ses enfans,' his -shield is noticed as bearing for the _first time three fleurs de lys_. - -[Illustration] - -Sandford, in his 'Genealogical History' (pp. 270, 289), says that Henry -the Fifth, being Prince of Wales, 'did bear azure, 3 _flowers de lys or_, -for the Kingdom of France, reducing them from _semée_ to the number 3, as -did Charles VI., the present King.' - -Among the old Northmen rings were generally worn by rich people and -persons of rank. Such rings are frequently found in barrows of pagan date, -and from their nature and quality it is easy to determine that they were -generally of very simple workmanship; the reason of which, undoubtedly, -was that they were used instead of money in commercial transactions, and -had, therefore, not unfrequently to be cut asunder. Still, rings of more -artistic workmanship are sometimes found in pagan graves. - -[Illustration: Gold.] - -[Illustration: Gold.] - -[Illustration: Bronze.] - -[Illustration: Gold, enamelled and inlaid.] - -[Illustration: Gold.] - -[Illustration: Gold.] - -[Illustration: Gold.] - -The preceding cuts are taken from examples in the Royal Museum, -Copenhagen, of the curious twisted spiral rings alluded to, found in the -graves of the old Northmen. - -Charlemagne sealed all his acts with his ring. That of his son Louis le -Débonnaire had for inscription XPE. PROTÈGE HELLDOVICUNI. IMPERATOREM. - -From the reign of Hugh Capet each King had his particular seal-ring. St. -Louis had for device a ring interlaced with a garland of lilies and -daisies, in allusion to his name and that of his queen. - -Two curious rings of early date are here represented: one a seal-ring of -the Frankish period, found near Allonnes (Sarthe) bearing the monogram -Lanoberga; the other, of gold, Merovingian, found in Vitry-le-Français, -supposed to be a conjugal ring, with inscription. - -[Illustration: Frankish period.] - -[Illustration: Merovingian.] - -The annexed illustration represents a gold ring, in the Bibliothèque -Nationale at Paris, with the initials S. R., and supposed by the Abbé -Cochet ('La Normandie Souterraine') to mean 'Sigebertus Rex,' but which -of the three Sigeberts, Kings of Austrasia (the name given, under the -Merovingians, to the eastern possessions of the Franks), cannot be -conjectured. - -[Illustration: Merovingian.] - -To a similar period may, perhaps, be ascribed the ring found near Blois, -represented in the following engraving:-- - -[Illustration: Merovingian.] - -The annexed cuts represent a gold signet-ring, inscribed 'Heva,' and a -seal-ring, both of the Merovingian period. - -[Illustration: Merovingian.] - -A remarkable ring of the Merovingian period, now in the collection of R. -H. Soden Smith, Esq., F.S.A., was exhibited at the Archæological Institute -in 1874. It is a massive gold ring, with oval bezel 1-1/4 inches long, by -1 inch in width, set with an antique polished chalcedony of two layers, -the edges bevelled. The setting is rather more than a quarter of an inch -deep, and is formed of a band of gold, supported by perpendicular ridges, -made by folding another thick band, or ribbon, of gold; a double row of -pellets of gold, and others on the shoulder of the hoop, add to the rich -effect of the whole. The hoop is a somewhat rude angular band, with a -zigzag punched ornament round it. This ring was found in the neighbourhood -of Bristol. - - * * * * * - -It was in the Middle Ages, however, after a period of comparative -mediocrity, that the greatest degree of perfection in goldsmiths' work, -and especially in rings, began to display itself. In the reign of Edward -III. (1363), so great was the extravagance in dress and decoration that an -Act was passed to repress the evil. All persons under the rank of -Knighthood, or of less property than two hundred pounds in land and -tenements, were forbidden to wear rings, and other articles of jewellery. - -[Illustration: Gold 'Middle Age' ring, from the Louvre.] - -In the 'Vision of Pierce Ploughman,' written, it is supposed, about this -date, the poet speaks of a richly-adorned lady, whose fingers were all -embellished with rings of gold, set with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. - -In a parchment roll of Prayers to the Virgin in the Library of Jesus -College, Oxford, which formerly belonged to Margaret of Anjou, there is a -portrait of that queen who is represented wearing two rings on each finger -except the least, placed on the middle as well as the third joint of the -fingers--a fashion probably introduced by her, and shown in the curious -portrait of this queen on the tapestry at Coventry. - -In later ages we find the same practice of ornamenting the fingers with -several rings. In the description of a Scottish woman of the middle of the -sixteenth century, attributed to Dunbar, we find:-- - - On ilkune fyngar scho weirit ringis tuo - Scho was als proud an ony papingo. - -Queen Elizabeth had an immoderate love for jewellery; and the description -given of her dresses covered with gems of the greatest rarity and beauty -reads like a romance. For finger-rings she had a remarkable fondness. Paul -Hentzner, in his 'Journey into England,' 1598, relates that a Bohemian -baron having letters to present to her at the palace of Greenwich, the -queen, after pulling off her glove, 'gave him her right hand to kiss, -sparkling with rings and jewels--a mark of particular favour.' - -[Illustration: Rings on the effigy of Lady Stafford.] - -In Bromsgrove Church, Staffordshire, are the fine monumental effigies of -Sir Humphrey Stafford and his lady (1450)--remarkable alike for the rich -armour of the knight and the courtly costume of the lady. She wears a -profusion of rings; every finger, except the little finger of the right -hand, being furnished with one. They exhibit great variety of design. The -two hands are lifted in prayer. - -'In the Duke of Newcastle's comedy,' observes Mr. Fairholt, 'the "Country -Captain" (1649), a lady of title is told that when she resides in the -country a great show of finger rings will not be necessary: "Show your -white hand, with but one diamond, when you carve, and be not ashamed to -wear your own ringe with the old posie." That many rings were worn by -persons of both sexes is clear from another passage in the same play, -where a fop is described, 'who makes his fingers like jewellers' cards to -set rings upon.' - -The same custom prevailed in France. Mercier, in his 'Tableau de France,' -mentions that at the close of the eighteenth century enormous rings were -worn. The hand of a woman presented a collection of rings, 'et si ces -bagues étaient des antiques, elles offriraient un échantillon d'un cabinet -des pierres gravées.' He adds that 'the nuptial ring is now unnoticed on -the fingers of women; wide and profane rings altogether conceal this -warrant of their faith.' - -So important a business was the making of rings that it was separated from -the ordinary work of the goldsmith, and became a distinct trade. - -In the sixteenth century, among the various articles carried by the pedlar -rings were reckoned. In Heywood's 'Four PP (A Newe and a very mery -Enterlude of a Palmer, a Pardoner, a Potycary, and a Pedler),' the -Potycary addresses the Pedler:-- - - What the devyll hast thou there at thy backe?-- - -to which he replies:-- - - What dost thou not knowe that every pedler - In all kinde of trifles must be a medler? - Gloves, pinnes, combes, glasses unspotty'd, - Pomanders, hookes, and lases knottyed; - Broches, _rynges_, and all maner of bedes. - -The instances in which brooches and rings are mentioned together are -numerous. In Scott's edition of Sir Tristrem (pages 23, 28) we find:-- - - Who gaf broche and beighe (ring)? - Who but Douk Morgan? - - A loud thai sett that sleigh - With all his winning yare - With broche and riche beighe. - -In the Chester Mystery Plays the shepherds do not know what to present to -the Babe of Bethlehem, and Secundus Pastor says:-- - - Goe we nere anon, with such as we have broughte, - Ringe, broche, ner precious stoune, - Let us see yf we have oughte to proffer. - -And the 'first boye' adds:-- - - Nowe Lorde for to geve thee have I no thinge, - Neither goulde, silver, broche, ner ringe. - -In the old ballad of Redisdale and Wise William the lady is enticed with -rich presents:-- - - Come down, come down, my lady fair, - A sight of you i'll see, - And bonny jewels, broaches, rings, - I will give unto thee. - -to which she replies:-- - - If you have bonny broaches, rings, - Oh, mine are bonny tee, - Go from my yettes, now, Reedisdale, - For me ye shall not see. - -Of the later period of ring decoration there are some splendid specimens -in various collections. Mr. Fairholt, in his 'Facts about Finger-rings,' -has given illustrations and descriptions of two rings of this character in -the Londesborough Collection. One is decorated with floral ornament, -engraved and filled with green and red enamel colours. The effect on the -gold is extremely pleasing, having a certain quaint sumptuousness -peculiarly its own. The other specimen, a signet-ring, bears a 'merchants' -mark' (see notice of 'Merchants' marks' at the end of this chapter) upon -its face. - -[Illustration: Enamelled floral ring.] - -[Illustration: 'Merchant's' ring.] - -In the same collection is a ring, doubtless a _gage d'amour_, the hoop of -which is richly decorated with quaint floriated ornaments, cut upon its -surface, and filled in with the black composition termed _niello_, once -extensively used by goldsmiths in enriching their works. This beautiful -ring is inscribed within the hoop, '=Mon Cor Plesor=,'--'my heart's -delight.' - -There are two very beautiful examples of sixteenth century rings, one in -the Londesborough Collection, which has a ruby in a very tall setting, -enriched by enamel. The sides of the hoop are highly decorated with -flowers and scroll ornament, also richly enamelled. The other ring is in -the Waterton Collection, gold, enamelled, set with a large turquoise in -the centre, and surrounded by six raised garnets. This ring is said to -have subsequently belonged to Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, whose -cipher is upon it. - -[Illustration: Ring: Sixteenth Century.] - -[Illustration: Ring of Frederick the Great.] - -Rings of Italian workmanship of a late period are remarkably beautiful. -Venice particularly excelled in this art. In the Londesborough Collection -is a fine specimen. The four claws of the other ring in open-work, support -the setting of a sharply-pointed pyramidal diamond, such as was then -coveted for writing on glass. The shank bears a fanciful resemblance to a -serpent swallowing a bird, of which only the claws connecting the face -remain on view. - -[Illustration: Venetian.] - -[Illustration: Italian diamond ring.] - -'It was,' remarks Mr. Fairholt, 'with a similar ring Raleigh wrote the -words on a window-pane: "Fain would I rise, but that I fear to fall," to -which Queen Elizabeth added: "If thy heart fail thee, do not rise at -all"--an implied encouragement which led him on to fortune.'[13] - -The annexed engraving represents a gold symbolical ring of the sixteenth -century, enamelled, of various colours. - -[Illustration: Italian.] - -Two rings are described by Mr. Fairholt of a peculiar construction. One, -of Venice work, is set with three stones in raised bezels; to their bases -are affixed, by a swivel, gold pendant ornaments, each set with a garnet. -As the hand moves, these pendants fall about the finger, the stones -glittering in the movement. This fashion was evidently borrowed from the -East, where people delight in pendant ornaments, and even affix them to -articles of utility. - -The other ring, of silver, is of East Indian workmanship, discovered in -the ruins of one of the most ancient temples: to its centre are affixed -bunches of pear-shaped, hollow drops of silver, which jingle with a soft, -low note as the hand moves.[14] - -[Illustration: Venetian.] - -[Illustration: East Indian.] - -The Indians prefer rings with large floriated faces spreading over three -fingers like a shield. When made for the wealthy, in massive gold, the -flower leaves are of cut jewels, but the humbler classes are content with -them in cast silver. Representations are here given of these rings. - -[Illustration: Indian.] - -In Southern Europe, where jewellery is deemed almost an essential of life -and the poorest will wear it in profusion, though only made of copper, the -rings are curious and elaborate. A Spanish ring, of the early part of the -last century, has a heart, winged and crowned, in its centre: the heart is -transfixed by an arrow, but surrounded by flowers. It may possibly be a -religious emblem. Another Spanish ring, of more modern manufacture, has a -very light and elegant design. The flowers are formed of rubies and -diamonds, and the effect is extremely pleasing. Such work may have -originated the 'giardinetti' rings, specimens of which are seen in the -South Kensington Museum. Two are there described as English work of the -seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They appear to have been used as -'guards,' or 'keepers,' to the wedding-ring, and are of pleasing floriated -design, and of very delicate execution. - -[Illustration: Spanish.] - -[Illustration: 'Giardinetti' rings.] - -Annexed are representations of some remarkably fine rings (French) dating -from the close of the fourteenth century or the commencement of the -fifteenth. - -[Illustration: French.] - -A handsome ring, of silver gilt, representing St. George and the Dragon, -belongs to the end of the fifteenth century. There is a border of roses -and fleurs-de-lys around the saint. - -[Illustration: French.] - -[Illustration: French.] - -The following examples of French art of the sixteenth century are in the -Museum of the Louvre:-- - -[Illustration: French.] - -The annexed illustration represents an escutcheon ring (from Viollet le -Duc) of the Middle Ages, and is thus described by M. Chabouillet in his -'Catalogue Général.' The Cabinet of Medals at Paris possesses a ring -dating from the commencement of the fifteenth century, if one may judge -from the form of the letters, and that of the helmet engraved on the seal. -The ring is of massive gold; the arms, engraved hollow on the seal, -represent a shield, charged with a dragon, carrying (perhaps) some prey in -his jaws. On the two sides of the intaglio are two names--MARIN, PIXIAN. -On the sides of the ring are two inscriptions in relief, one only of which -is legible, and this is taken from St. Luke--'Jesus autem transiens per -medium illorum ibat.' - -[Illustration: 'Escutcheon' ring. French.] - -The accompanying are from Chabouillet's 'Orfévrerie de la Rénaissance,' in -the Fould Collection (dispersed by auction in 1860). - -[Illustration: French.] - -These engravings are from Labarte's 'Orfévrerie du XV. et XVI. Siècles':-- - -[Illustration: French.] - -[Illustration: French.] - -The following represent rings in the Musée Sauvageot, of the sixteenth and -seventeenth centuries; one is elaborately wrought of chiselled iron, of -French manufacture--date, 16th century. - -[Illustration: French.] - -The annexed are two fine specimens of comparatively modern date; one -ending in volutes near the bezel, the other enamelled white, red, green, -and blue--a turquoise, with diamonds and rubies in settings. - -[Illustration: French.] - -Mr. Fairholt mentions two characteristic specimens of modern French -ring-work; one a signet ring, the face engraved with a coat of arms. At -the sides two _Cupidons_ repose amidst scroll-work partaking of the taste -of the _Rénaissance_. The same peculiarity influences the design of the -second ring; here a central arch of five stones, in separate settings, are -held by the heads and outstretched wings of _Chimæras_, whose breasts are -also jewelled. Both are excellent designs. - -[Illustration: Modern French.] - -[Illustration: Moorish.] - -In the Londesborough Collection is a triplicate of Moorish rings, which -will enable us to understand their peculiarities. One has a large circular -face composed of a cluster of small bosses, set with five circular -turquoises and four rubies; the centre being a turquoise, with a ruby and -turquoise alternating round it. This ring is of silver. Another, of the -same material, is set with an octangular bloodstone, with a circular -turquoise on each side. There is, also, a silver signet ring, bearing the -name of its original owner, engraved on a cornelian. - -[Illustration: Bavarian.] - -In the South Kensington Museum is a massive and heavy brass ring, with -octagonal bezel armed with five projecting points, used as a weapon by -peasants in Upper Bavaria from about the year 1700 to the present time. - -The Indians prefer rings with large floriated faces, spreading over three -fingers like a shield. When made for the wealthy in massive gold, the -flower leaves are of cut jewels, but the humbler classes, who equally love -display, are content with them in cast silver. Such a ring is in the -British Museum, where there are also two specimens of rings beside it such -as are worn by the humbler classes. - - * * * * * - -A curious gold ring, bearing the impress a 'merchant's mark,' was -exhibited by Mr. Sully at a meeting of the Archæological Institute of -November 1851. It was found at St. Anne's Well, near Nottingham, and the -date is about the time of Henry VI. From a representation in the 'Journal' -the impress appears to be composed of the orb of sovereignty, surmounted -by a cross, having two transverse bars, like a patriarchal cross. The -extremities of the lower limbs terminate with the Arabic numerals, 2--0, -the cipher being transversed by a diagonal stroke, as frequently written -in early times. On one side of the hoop is seen the Virgin and Child, on -the other the Crucifix; these were originally enamelled. Within is -inscribed--=Mon Cur avez=. Weight 7 dwts. 21 grs. - -A brass signet-ring found in the Cathedral Close at Hereford, bears for -impress a kind of merchant's mark, a cross, with the lower extremity -barbed like an arrow, between the initials G. M.--now in the possession of -the Dean of Hereford. - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a bronze signet-ring with a merchant's -mark within a cable border: the mark may be intended to represent a buoy, -which would accord well with the border, supposing it to be a trader's -cipher; the hoop is likewise twisted to imitate the strands of a rope. -This ring was found in the Thames. - -In the same collection is a massive gold thumb-ring engraved as a signet, -with a merchant's mark within a rude shield. The shoulders of the hoop are -chased with Marguerite flowers, which were commonly adopted in the reign -of Henry VI., in honour of the queen-mother, and may indicate the date of -the ring. It was found at Littlebury, Essex, in 1848. In the same -collection is a large gold thumb-ring, with a round hoop and signet, on -which is engraved the letter E of Longobardic form, within -delicately-cusped tracery, surmounted by a coronet. The hoop is inscribed -externally with the words _in. on. is. al._ (in one is all): probably -intended for a charm, of which so many forms are found upon rings of the -fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. - -In the Londesborough Collection is the fine specimen (to which I have -alluded in a previous page) of a signet-ring bearing a 'merchant's mark.' - -'The marks,' observes Mr. Fairholt, 'varied with every owner, and was as -peculiar to himself as the modern autograph; they were a combination of -initials, or letter-like devices, frequently surmounted by a cross, or a -conventional sign, believed to represent the sails of a ship. The marks -were placed upon the bales of merchandise, and were constantly used where -the coat armour, or badge of a nobleman or gentleman entitled to bear arms -would be placed. The authority vested in such merchants' rings is -curiously illustrated in one of the historical plays on the life and reign -of Queen Elizabeth, written by Thomas Heywood, and to which he gave the -quaint title: "If you know not me, you know nobody." Sir Thomas Gresham, -the great London merchant, is one of the principal characters, and in a -scene where he is absent from home, and in sudden need of cash, he -exclaims: "Here, John, take this seal-ring, bid Timothy send me presently -a hundred pound." John takes the ring to the trusty Timothy, saying: -"Here's his seal-ring; I hope a sufficient warrant." To which Timothy -replies: "Upon so good security, John, I'll fit me to deliver it." Another -merchant in the same play is made to obtain his wants by similar means:-- - - ------receive thou my seal-ring: - Bear it to my factor; bid him by that token - Sort thee out forty pounds' worth of such wares - As thou shalt think most beneficial. - -The custom must have been common to be thus used in dramatic scenes of -real life. These plays were produced in 1606.'[15] - -'Merchants' marks, which appear to have been imitated from the Flemings -during the reign of Edward the Third, and became very common during the -fifteenth and early part of the sixteenth century, both on seals and -signet-rings, offer a somewhat curious field for research, and are often -very useful in identifying the persons by whom domestic and parts of -ecclesiastical edifices on which they occur were built. They were more -generally used in the great seaports of England than in the south--a fact -which is readily accounted for by the frequent intercourse between those -ports and Flanders. It may be observed also that such marks belonged -chiefly to wool-factors, or merchants of the staple.'--_Archæological -Journal_ for March 1848. - -[Illustration: Merchants' rings.] - - * * * * * - -In the collections of our English antiquaries are numerous specimens of -_thumb-rings_, and in the chapter on 'Ecclesiastical Usages in Connection -with Rings' I have mentioned several of particular interest, notably an -effigy with a signet-ring of remarkable size represented as worn over both -the thumbs. Dr. Bruce found some thumb-rings along the line of the Roman -wall. - -The custom of wearing thumb-rings is alluded to by Chaucer, in the -'Squire's Tale,' where it is said of the rider of the brazen horse who -advanced into the hall, Cambuscan, that 'upon his thumb he had of gold a -ring.' Brome, in the 'Antipodes,' 1638, and also in the 'Northern Lass:' -'A good man in the city wears nothing rich about him but the gout, or a -thumb-ring.' - -In the 'Archæological Journal' (vol. iii. page 268) is a representation of -a curious thumb-ring, which supplies a good example of the signet -thumb-ring of the fifteenth century. It is of silver, alloyed, or plated -with baser metal and strongly gilt. The hoop is grooved spirally, and the -initial H is engraved upon it; weight 17 dwts. 18 grs. It was found in -1846, in dredging in the bed of the river Severn, at a place called -Saxon's or Saxton's Lode. - -Signet rings of this kind were worn by rich citizens, or persons of -substance not entitled to bear arms. Falstaff bragged that in his earlier -years he had been so slender in figure that he could readily have crept -through an 'alderman's thumb-ring,' and a ring thus worn--probably, as -more conspicuous--appears to have been considered as appropriate to the -customary attire of a civic dignitary at a much later period. A character -in the Lord Mayor's show in 1664 is described as 'habited like a grave -citizen--gold girdle and gloves hung thereon, rings on his fingers, and a -seal-ring on his thumb.' - -In Labartes 'Hand-book of the Fine Arts in the Middle Ages' is a -representation of a fine thumb-ring, of Hindoo workmanship, cut out of a -single piece of jade, decorated with gold filagree, and incrusted with -rubies. - -A magical thumb-ring of gilt, bearing the figure of a toad, and of German -workmanship of the fourteenth century is in the Londesborough Collection, -and is described in the chapter on 'Ring Superstitions.' The annexed -representation is from a ring in the same collection. - -[Illustration: Thumb-ring.] - -The figure of a morse ivory thumb-ring of an Earl of Shrewsbury, belonging -to Dr. Iliff, is given in the 'Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries' -(December, 1859), in which it is fully described. On this is engraved -various coats of arms, surrounded by the Garter, and ensigned with an -earl's coronet. A list of the quarterings is also given.[16] - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a massive latten thumb-ring, with a signet -engraved with I.H.S. and three tears below; the words, 'in Deo Salus' are -inside the hoop. They are from the Penitential Psalms, and in union with -the tears. Date from the thirteenth century. - -In a portrait of Lady Anne Clifford, the celebrated Countess of Pembroke, -she wears a ring upon the thumb of her right hand. - -To the practice of English ladies wearing, formerly, the wedding-ring on -the thumb I have alluded in the chapter on 'Betrothal and Wedding-rings.' - -Dr. Thomas Chalmers wore the ring of his great-great-great-grandfather, -John Alexander, on his thumb. - -'Oriental rings,' remarks the Rev. C. W. King, 'exactly like the ancient -in shape, and made of cornelian, chalcedony, and agate, with legends in -Arabic on the face, for the use of signets, are by no means uncommon in -collections. They are of large size, being designed to be worn on the -_thumb_ of the right hand, in order to be used in drawing the bow-string, -which the Orientals pull with the bent thumb, catching it against the -shank of the ring, and not with the two first fingers, as is the practice -of English archers.' - -[Illustration: Brass Thumb-ring.] - -A brass seal-ring large enough for a man's thumb was found in Hampshire -some years ago, and is noticed in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' vol. liv. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -RING SUPERSTITIONS. - - -A mysterious significance has been associated with rings from the earliest -periods, among various nations. They were supposed to protect from evil -fascinations of every kind, against the 'evil eye,' the influence of -demons, and dangers of every possible character; though it was not simply -in the rings themselves that the supposed virtues existed, but in the -materials of which they were composed, in some particular precious stone -that was set in them, as charms or talismans, in some device or -inscription on the stone, or some magical letters engraven on the -circumference of the ring. - -The ring worn by the high-priest of the Jews was of inestimable value, -chiefly, according to a tradition, of its celestial virtues; and the ring -of Solomon, as Hebrew legends state, possessed powers which enabled him to -baffle the most subtle of his enemies.[17] Some curious particulars -respecting this ring will be found in Josephus (lib. viii. ch. 2), which, -however, are considered as interpolations. According to this he witnessed -the healing of demoniacs by one Eleazar, a Jew, in the presence of the -Emperor Vespasian, by the application of a medicated ring to the nostrils -of the patient. The Jew recited several verses connected with the name of -Solomon, and the devils came forth through the noses of the patients. 'It -was to this great prince the honour of this discovery is attributed, as -well as other magical operations, and without him it would be improbable -to obtain success.'[18] The signet-ring of Solomon had the mystic word -_schemhamphorasch_ engraved upon it, and procured for him the wonderful -_shamir_, which enabled him to build the temple. Every day at noon it -transported him into the firmament, where he heard the secrets of the -universe. This continued until he was persuaded by the devil to grant him -his liberty, and to take the ring from his finger; the demon then assumed -his shape as King of Israel, and reigned three years, while Solomon became -a wanderer in foreign lands. - -According to an Arabian tradition, King Solomon, on going to the bath, -left his ring behind him, which was stolen by a Jewess, and thrown by her -into the sea. Deprived of his miraculous amulet, which prevented him from -exercising the judicial wisdom for which he was celebrated, Solomon -abstained for forty days from administering justice, when he at length -found the ring in the stomach of a fish that was served at his table. Many -curious fictions on this subject are related by Arabian writers in a book -called 'Salcuthat,' devoted to the subject of magical rings, and they -trace this particular ring of Solomon in a regular succession from Jared, -the father of Enoch, to the 'wisest of men.'[19] - -Old legends state that Joseph and the Virgin Mary used at their espousals -a ring of onyx or amethyst. The discovery is dated from the year 996, when -the ring was given by a jeweller from Jerusalem to a lapidary of Clusium, -who indicated its origin. The miraculous powers of the ring having been -found out by accident, it was placed in a church, when its efficacy in -curing disorders of every kind was remarkable--trifling, however, in -comparison with its singular power of multiplying itself. Similar rings -were claimed as the genuine relic by many churches in Europe at the same -time, and received the same devout homage. - -This superstition of the 'Virgin's Ring' still prevails in Catholic -countries. Thus, the correspondent of the 'Standard' newspaper, in an -article contributed to that journal on 'Art in Perugia' (Sept. 4, 1875), -writes:--'We went into the Duomo, or cathedral of Perugia. It is not among -the churches most worth visiting. Several other churches contain far more, -and more interesting works of art in various kinds. The "Nuptial Ring of -the Virgin Mary," which is the treasure on which the Chapter of Perugia -most prides itself, is not to be seen. A sacristan whom I innocently asked -to show it to me, looked at me and spoke to me as much as if I had -requested him to show me round the wondrous scene described by the Seer of -the Apocalypse. He told me, indeed, when his first astonishment at my -ignorant audacity had somewhat calmed down, that the ring could be seen if -I would "call again" on St. Joseph's day next, on which solemnity it is -every year exhibited from a high balcony in the church to the kneeling -crowds of the faithful from all the country-side. Meanwhile it was locked -away behind innumerable bars and doors, the many keys of which are in the -keeping of I do not know how many high ecclesiastical authorities. - -'The ring itself, a plain gold circlet--large enough, apparently, for any -man's thumb, and about six times as thick as any ordinary marriage-ring (I -have seen an accurate engraving of it)--is, of course, in no wise worth -seeing. But the casket in which it is kept--a very remarkable specimen of -mediæval goldsmiths' work--is, by all accounts, very much so. However, it -is not to be seen, not even on St. Joseph's day, to any good purpose.' - -I may add that the celebrated painting of the Marriage of the Virgin, by -Perugino, was formerly in this chapel of the cathedral, called 'Del Santo -Anelo,' or the Holy Ring, but was removed, with many other spoils, after -the treaty of Tolentino, and is now in the Museum of Caen, in Normandy. - -In the old Mystery of the 'Miraculous Espousal of Mary and Joseph,' -Issachar, the 'Busshopp,' says:-- - - 'Mary; wole ye have this man - And hym to kepyn, as yo lyff?' - _Maria._--'In the tenderest wyse, fadyr, as I kan, - And with all my wyttys ffyll.' - _Ep'us._--'Joseph; with this rynge now wedde thi wyff, - And be her hand, now, thou her take.' - _Joseph._--'Ser, with this rynge, I wedde her ryff, - And take her' now her' for my make.'[20] - -The planet Jupiter was considered by the Hebrews propitious for weddings, -and the newly-married gave rings on those occasions, on which the words -_Mazal Tob_ were inscribed, signifying that good fortune would happen -under that star. - -A remarkable gold talismanic ring, supposed, on satisfactory grounds, by -Colonel Tod (author of 'Annals and Antiquities of Rajast'han') to be of -Hindu workmanship, was found some years since on the Fort Hill, near -Montrose, on the site of an engagement in the reign of the unfortunate -Queen Mary. This ring had an astrological and mythological import. It -represented the symbol of the sun-god Bal-nat'h, around which is wreathed -a serpent _guardant_, with two bulls as supporters, or the powers of -creative nature in unison, typified in the miniature Lingam and Noni--in -short, a graven image of that primæval worship which prevailed among the -nations of antiquity. This is 'the pillar and the calf worshipped on the -fifteenth of the month' (the sacred _Amavus_ of the Hindus) by the -Israelites, when they adopted the rites of the Syro-Phoenician adorers of -Bal, the sun. Colonel Tod considered that this curious relic belonged to -some superstitious devotee, who wore it as a talisman on his thumb. - -According to Zoroaster, Ormuzd represented the Good Principle, and -Ahrimanes the Evil. The former is seen on ancient sculptures, holding, as -an emblem of power, a ring in one hand. - -All the Hindu Mogul divinities are represented with rings. The statues of -the gods at Elephanta have, amongst other ornaments, finger-rings. - -From Asia, legends connected with rings were introduced into Greece, and -numberless miraculous powers were ascribed to them. The classical -derivation of the ring was attributed to Prometheus, who, having incurred -the displeasure of Jupiter, was compelled to wear on his finger an iron -ring, to which was attached a fragment of the rock of the Caucasus. - - To adorn the finger-ring with inlaid stone - Was first to men by wise Prometheus shown, - Who from Caucasian rock a fragment tore, - And, set in iron, on his finger wore. - -The ring of Gyges, King of Lydia, rendered the wearer invisible when the -stone turned inwards[21] (so also the ring of Eluned, the Lunet of the old -English romance of Ywaine and Gawaine, and in several German stories). The -ring of Polycrates the tyrant, which was flung into the sea to propitiate -Nemesis, was found, like that of Solomon, inside a fish served at his -table. The story is thus related by Herodotus. Amasis, King of Egypt, -after Polycrates had obtained possession of the island of Samos, sent the -tyrant a friendly letter, expressing a fear of the continuance of his -singular prosperity, for he had never known such an instance of felicity -which did not come to calamity in the long run; advising, therefore, -Polycrates to throw away some favourite gem in such a way that he might -never see it again, as a kind of charm against misfortune. Polycrates -took the advice, and, sailing away from the shore in a boat, threw a -valuable signet-ring--an emerald set in gold--into the sea, in sight of -all on board. This done he returned home and gave vent to his sorrow. It -happened five or six days afterwards that a fisherman caught a fish so -large and beautiful that he thought it well deserved to be presented to -the King. So he took it with him to the gate of the palace, and said that -he wanted to see Polycrates. On being admitted the fisherman gave him the -fish with these words: 'Sir King, when I took this prize I thought I would -not carry it to market, though I am a poor man who lives by his trade. I -said to myself, it is worthy of Polycrates and his greatness, and so I -brought it here to give to you.' The speech pleased the King, who replied: -'Thou didst well, friend, and I am doubly indebted both for the gift and -the speech. Come now and sup with me.' So the fisherman went home, -esteeming it a high honour that he had been asked to sup with the King. -Meanwhile the servants, in cutting open the fish, found the signet of -their master in the stomach. No sooner did they see it than they seized -upon it, and, hastening to Polycrates with great joy, restored it to him, -and told him in what way it had been found. The King, who saw something -providential in the matter, forthwith wrote a letter to Amasis telling him -all that had happened. Amasis perceived that it does not belong to man to -save his fellow-man from the fate which is in store for him. Likewise, he -felt certain that Polycrates would end ill, as he prospered in everything, -even finding what he had thrown away. So he sent a herald to Samos, and -dissolved the contract of friendship. This he did that when the great and -heavy misfortune came he might escape the grief which he would have felt -if the sufferer had been his loved friend. Polycrates died in the third -year of the 64th Olympiad. This seal-ring was taken later to Rome, where -Pliny relates that he saw and handled it. The Emperor Augustus had it -inserted in a horn of gold, and placed it in the temple of Concord, in the -midst of other golden objects of great value. The seal is represented to -have been as large as a crown piece, in shape a little oblong. The subject -was a lyre, around which were three bees in the upper part; at the foot -was a dolphin on the right, and the head of a bull on the left--the lyre, -the emblem of poetry; the bees, industry; the bull, production; and the -dolphin, a friend to man. - -Some years ago, it was reported that this remarkable seal-ring was found -by an inhabitant of Albano in a vineyard, but this story has never been -confirmed. - -Apart from the superstitious inferences deduced from the singular recovery -of the ring, the fact itself may be probably accepted. The Rev. C. W. -King, in 'Precious Stones, Gems, and Precious Metals,' observes: 'There -can be little doubt that this tale of the "Fish and the Ring" is true. -Fish, especially the mackerel, greedily swallow any glittering object -dropped into the sea; and within my own recollection, one when opened was -found to contain a wedding-ring.'[22] - -Legends of the fish and the ring are found in most countries: the ancient -Indian drama of Sacontala has an incident of this character. In the -armorial bearings of the see of Glasgow, and now of the city, the stem of -St. Kentigern's tree is crossed by a salmon bearing in its mouth a ring. -The legend attached to this is related in 'Jocelin's Life of St. -Kentigern.' In the days of this saint, a lady having lost her -wedding-ring, it stirred up her husband's jealousy, to allay which she -applied to Kentigern, imploring his help for the safety of her honour. Not -long after, as the holy man walked by the river, he desired a person who -was fishing to bring him the first fish he could catch, which was -accordingly done, and from its mouth was taken the lady's ring, which he -immediately sent to her, to remove her husband's suspicions. So runs the -legend; but a more truthful explanation of the arms of St. Mungo -attributes the ring to the episcopal office, and the fish to the scaly -treasures of the river at the foot of the metropolitan cathedral.[23] - -An Italian legend ascribes as an omen of the downfall of the Venetian -republic that the ring cast into the Adriatic by the Doge, in token of his -marriage to the sea, was found in a fish that was served up at his table a -year after the custom had been observed. - -A popular ballad of old, called the 'Cruel Knight, or the Fortunate -Farmer's Daughter,' represents a knight passing a cot, and hearing that -the woman within is in childbirth. His knowledge in the occult sciences -informs him that the child to be born is destined to become his wife. He -endeavours to evade the decrees of fate, and, to avoid so ignoble an -alliance, by various attempts to destroy the child, but which are -defeated. At length, when grown to woman's estate, he takes her to the -sea-side, intending to drown her but relents; at the same time, throwing a -ring into the sea, he commands her never to see his face again, on pain of -death, unless she can produce the ring. She afterwards becomes a cook in a -gentleman's family, and finds the ring in a cod-fish as she is dressing it -for dinner. The marriage takes place, of course. - -The monument to Lady Berry in Stepney Church bears:--paly of six on a -bend, three mullets (Elton) impaling a fish, and in the dexter chief point -an annulet between two bends wavy. This coat of arms, which exactly -corresponds with that borne by Ventris, of Cambridgeshire, has given rise -to the tradition that Lady Berry was the heroine of the above story. The -ballad lays the scene of the events in Yorkshire, but incidents of the -ring and the fish are, as I observed, numerous.[24] - -The various arts employed by the ancients in 'divination' were many. The -annexed illustrations, representing divination rings, are taken from -Liceti, 'Antiqua Schemata' (_Gemmarium Annularium_); the two figures on -one ring are trying eagerly to discover future events in a crystal globe. -Crystallomancy included every variety of divination by means of -transparent bodies. These, polished and enchanted, signified their meaning -by certain marks and figures. - -The serpent held by the female figure refers to _ophiomancy_, the art -which the ancients pretended to, of making predictions by serpents. -According to the _ophites_, who emanated from the Gnostics, the serpent -was instructed in all knowledge, and was the father and author of all the -sciences. - -[Illustration: Divination ring.] - -The hieroglyphic ring represents a sphinx, the monster described by the -poets as having a human face with the body of a bird or quadruped, the -paws of a lion, the tail of a dragon, &c. It was said to propose riddles -to those it met with, and destroyed those who could not answer them. Upon -this they consulted the oracle, to know what should be done. It answered -that they could not be delivered until they could solve this riddle: 'What -creature is that which has four feet in the morning, two at noon, and -three towards night.' Oedipus answered that it was a man, who, in his -infancy, crawled on all fours, until he was sufficiently strong to walk; -then went on two legs, until old age obliged him to use a staff to help -and support him. On this the monster is said to have dashed out its brains -against a rock. - -[Illustration: Divination ring.] - -The star over the head of the sphinx in the engraving represents the -divination by stars practised by the Cabalists. The stars vertical over a -city or nation were so united by lines as to form resemblances of the -Hebrew letters, and thus words which were deemed prophetic. Burder remarks -that the rise of a new star, or the appearance of a comet, was thought to -portend the birth of a great person; also that the gods sent stars to -point out the way to their favourites, as Virgil shows, and as Suetonius -and Pliny actually relate in the case of Julius Cæsar. - -The cup or vase represented in the engraving near the sphinx refers to the -divination by the cup, one of the most ancient methods of discovering -future events by crystalline reflection. The divining cup of Joseph shows -that its use was familiar in Egypt at that remote period.[25] - -Charmed rings found easy believers among the Greeks and the Romans, and -were special articles of traffic. Such objects, made of wood, bone, or -some other cheap materials, were manufactured in large numbers at Athens, -and could be purchased, gifted with any charm required, for the small -consideration of a single drachma. - -In the 'Plutus' of Aristophanes, to a threat on the part of the sycophant, -the just man replies 'that he is proof against evil influences, having a -charmed ring.' Carion, the servant, observes 'that the ring would not -prevail against the bite of a sycophant.' The ring was probably a -medicated one, to preserve from demons and serpents. - -The following engraving from Gorlæus represents a human head with an -elephant's trunk, &c., holding a trident, an amulet against the perils of -the sea:-- - -[Illustration: Amulet ring: Roman.] - -The council of ravens, prophetic birds (and attributes of Apollo), or -crows, which were used as symbols of conjugal fidelity:-- - -[Illustration: Amulet ring: Roman.] - -A silver ring on a sardonyx, engraved with the figure of a sow, as a -propitiatory sacrifice:-- - -[Illustration: Amulet ring: Roman.] - -In Lucian's 'Philopseudes,' in a dialogue called the Ship or Wish, a man -is introduced who desires that Mercury should bestow a ring on him to -confer perpetual health and preservation from danger. - -Benvenuto Cellini, in his 'Memoirs,' mentions the discovery in Rome of -certain vases, 'which appeared to be antique urns filled with ashes; -amongst these were iron rings inlaid with gold, in each of which was set a -diminutive shell. Learned antiquarians, upon investigating the nature of -these rings, declared their opinion that they were worn as charms by those -who desired to behave with steadiness and resolution either in prosperous -or adverse fortune. I likewise took things of this nature in hand at the -request of some gentlemen who were my particular friends, and wrought some -of these little rings, but I made them of steel, well-tempered, and then -cut and inlaid with gold, so that they were very beautiful to behold; -sometimes for a single ring of this sort I was paid above forty crowns.' - -In Rome there were altars to the Samothracian deities, who were supposed -to preside over talismans. The people of that island were extensive -manufacturers of iron rings, to which they attached supernatural -qualities. - -On ancient Mexican rings and seals set with precious stones are -constellation representations, as, for example, Pisces. Those people -awaited their Messiah, or Crusher of the Serpent, during the conjunction -of Jupiter and Saturn, in the same zodiacal sign of Pisces, the protecting -sign of Syria and Palestine. - -Pliny informs us that the ancients set additional value on articles made -of jet, such as rings, buttons, &c., from a notion that it possessed the -virtue of driving away serpents--a belief which existed also in the days -of the Venerable Bede, who, describing the various mineral productions of -Britain, says: 'It has much excellent jet, which is black and sparkling, -glittering at the fire, and, when heated, drives away serpents.' Some -examples of jet rings have been found at Uriconium. - -A portrait of Alexander the Great, set in a gold or silver ring, and -carried about on the finger, was supposed by the Greeks to ensure -prosperity to the wearer; as a reverse, one of the omens announcing the -fall of Nero was the presentation to him of a ring engraved with the Rape -of Proserpine, being a symbol of death.[26] - -Spartian includes among the omens of Hadrian's coming death the falling -off from his finger of his ring, 'which bore a likeness to himself,' as he -was taking the auspices on a New Year's day, and so obtaining a -foreshadowing of the events of the coming year. - -A portrait of Hadrian, engraved with Mercury in a magic ring (Gorlæus):-- - -[Illustration: Amulet ring: bust of Hadrian.] - -Heliodorus describes a precious stone as set in the King of Ethiopia's -ring, one of the royal jewels, the shank being formed of electrum and the -bezel flaming with an Ethiopian amethyst, engraved with a youthful -shepherd and his flock--an antidote to the wearer against intoxication. - -Philostratus relates how Chariclea escaped unharmed from the funeral pyre -on which she was condemned to be burnt by the jealous Arsace, from having -secreted about her the espousal-ring of King Hydaspes, 'which was set with -the stone called Pandarbes, engraved with certain sacred letters' and -antagonistic to fire. - -In the British Museum is a remarkable collection of ornaments of the Roman -period connected with the worship of the Deæ Matres, discovered in the -county of Durham, or in some adjoining district in the beginning of this -century. Among these are several rings which have been elaborately -described by Mr. Edward Hawkins in the 'Archæological Journal' for March -1851 (vol. viii.), with illustrations. - -In the Waterton Collection are some specimens of Gnostic Roman rings, of -the third century: one, of silver, is set with an intaglio on bloodstone -of an Abraxas figure, with head of a jackal. The others have Gnostic -emblems and inscriptions. - -Astrological rings in connexion with mythological representations were -worn by the ancients. - -The accompanying engraving from Gorlæus represents the sun and stars. -According to the Gnostic theories, the properties of the sun on the -destinies of men were numerous and important. The mystical virtues of the -most precious stones were under the solar influence. - -[Illustration: Astrological ring.] - -Planetary rings were formed of the gems assigned to the several planets, -each set in its appropriate metal: thus, the Sun, diamond or sapphire in a -ring of gold; the Moon, crystal in silver; Mercury, magnet, in -quicksilver; Venus, amethyst in copper; Mars, emerald in iron; Jupiter, -cornelian in tin; Saturn, turquoise in lead. - -From the remotest antiquity every planet in the heavens was believed to -possess a virtue peculiar to itself. Each presided over some kingdom, -nation, or city; then, extending its influence to individuals, it decided -their personal appearance, temperament, disposition, character, health, -and fortune, and even influenced the several members and parts of the -body. After this, it ruled plants, herbs, animals, stones, and all the -various productions of nature. Southey, in the 'Doctor' (vol. iii. p. -112), commenting on the exhibition of the Zodiacal signs in the 'Margarita -Philosophica,' a work of the sixteenth century, observes: 'There Homo -stands naked, but not ashamed, upon the two Pisces, one foot upon each; -the fish being neither in air nor water, nor upon earth, but -self-suspended, as it appears, in the void. _Aries_ has alighted with two -feet on Homo's head, and has sent a shaft through the forehead into his -brain. _Taurus_ has quietly seated himself across his neck. The _Gemini_ -are riding astride a little below his right shoulder. The whole trunk is -laid open, as if part of the old accursed punishment for high treason had -been performed on him. The _Lion_ occupies the thorax as his proper -domain, and the _Crab_ is in possession of his domain. _Sagittarius_, -volant in the void, has just let fly an arrow which is on its way to his -right arm. _Capricornus_ breathes out a visible influence that penetrates -both knees. _Aquarius_ inflicts similar punctures upon both legs. _Virgo_ -fishes, as it were, at his intestines, _Libra_ at the part affected by -schoolmasters in their anger, and _Scorpio_ takes the wickedest aim of -all.' - -The old astrological definition of the Zodiac seems to be this--that it -was the division of the great circle of the heavens into twelve parts. -These twelve parts are divided into those called _northern_ and -_commanding_ (the first six), and those called southern and _obeying_ (the -remaining six). The other constellations of the two hemispheres are not -unconsidered in astrology, but those of the zodiac are more important, -because they form the pathway of the sun, the moon, and the planets, and -are supposed to receive from these bodies, as they roll through their -spaces, extraordinary energy.[27] - -The following illustration from Liceti, 'Antiqua Schemata Gemmarum -Annularium,' represents Jupiter, Mercury, Pallas, and Neptune surrounded -by the signs of the Zodiac:-- - -[Illustration: Zodiacal ring.] - -Among the various modes of enquiring by magical means as to who should -succeed to the Roman emperorship during the reigns of Valentinian and -Valens, we are told that the letters of the alphabet were artificially -disposed in a circle, and a magic ring, being suspended over the centre, -was believed to point to the initial letters of the name of him who should -be the future emperor. Theodorus, a man of most eminent qualifications and -high popularity, was put to death by the jealousy of Valens on the vague -evidence that this kind of trial had indicated the first letters of his -name. Gibbon remarks on this point that the name of Theodosius, who -actually succeeded, begins with the same letters which were indicated in -this magic trial. - -This ring mystery, the _Dactylomancia_ (from two Greek words signifying -_ring_ and _divination_), was a favourite operation of the ancients. It -was preceded by certain ceremonies, and the ring was subjected to a form -of conjuration. The person who held it was arrayed in linen, a circlet of -hair was left by an artistic barber on his head, and in his hand he held -a branch of vervain. An invocation to the gods preceded the ceremony. - -The 'suspended ring,' another mode of divination practised at a later -period, is thus described by Peucer among various modes of hydromancy: 'A -bowl was filled with water, and a ring suspended from the finger was -librated in the water, and so, according as the question was propounded, a -declaration, or confirmation of its truth, or otherwise, was obtained. If -what was proposed was true, the ring, of its own accord, without any -impulse, struck the sides of the goblet a certain number of times. They -say that Numa Pompilius used to practise this method, and that he evoked -the gods, and consulted them in water this way.' - -The ring suspended over a monarch was supposed to indicate certain persons -among those sitting round the table, and if a hair was used, taken from -one of the company, it would swing towards that individual only. An -ancient method of divining by the ring is similar in principle to the -modern table-rapping. The edge of a round table was marked with the -characters of the alphabet, and the ring stopped over certain letters, -which, being joined together, composed the answer. - -In another method of practising Dactylomancy, rings were put on the -finger-nails when the sun entered Leo, and the moon Gemini, or the sun and -Mercury were in Gemini and the moon in Cancer; or the sun in Sagittarius, -the moon in Scorpio, and Mercury in Leo. These rings were made of gold, -silver, copper, iron, or lead, and magical characters were attached to -them, but how they operated we are not informed. - -Another mode of water divination with the ring was to throw three pebbles -into standing water, and draw observations from the circles which they -formed. - -Divination by sounds emitted by striking two rings was practised by -Execetus, tyrant of the Phocians. - -In the enchanted rings of the Greeks the position of the celestial bodies -was most important. Pliny states that all the Orientals preferred the -emerald jasper, and considered it an infallible panacea for every ill. Its -power was strengthened when combined with silver instead of gold. Galen -recommends a ring with jasper set in it, and engraved with the figure of a -man wearing a bunch of herbs round his neck.[28] Many of the Gnostic or -Basilidian gems, evidently used for magical purposes, were of jasper. -Apollonius of Tyana, in Cappadocia, who flourished in the first age of the -Christian era, and who fixed his residence in the temple of Æsculapius, -considered the use of charmed rings so essential to quackery that he wore -a different ring on each day of the week, marked with the planet of the -day. He had received a present of the seven rings from Iarchas, the Indian -philosopher.[29] - -It was a belief among the Poles that each month of the year was under the -influence of a precious stone. Thus January was represented by the garnet, -emblem of constancy and fidelity; February, the amethyst, sincerity; -March, bloodstone, courage and presence of mind; April, diamond, -innocence; May, emerald, success in love; June, agate, health and long -life; July, cornelian, contented mind; August, sardonyx, conjugal -felicity: September, chrysote, antidote against madness; October, opal, -hope; November, topaz, fidelity; December, turquoise, prosperity. These -several stones were set in rings and other trinkets, as presents, &c. - -In the early and middle ages it was not only generally believed that rings -could be charmed by the power of a magician, but that the engraved stones -on ancient rings which were found on old sites possessed supernatural -properties, the benefits of which would be imparted to the wearer. - -The great potentate Charlemagne, we are told by old French writers, was, -in his youth, desperately in love with a young and beautiful woman, and -gave himself up to pleasure in her society, neglecting the affairs of -State. She died, and Charles was inconsolable at her loss. The Archbishop -of Cologne endeavoured to withdraw him from her dead body, and at length, -approaching the corpse, took from its mouth a ring in which was set a -precious stone of remarkable beauty. It was the talisman which had charmed -the monarch, whose passionate grief became now immediately subdued. The -body was buried, and the Archbishop, fearing lest Charles might experience -a similar magical effect in another seducer, threw it into a lake near -Aix-la-Chapelle. The virtue of this marvellous ring was not, however, lost -by this incident, for the legend relates that the monarch became so -enamoured of the lake that his chief delight was in walking by its margin, -and he became so much attached to the spot that he had a palace erected -there, and made it the seat of his empire. - -In the Persian Tales a king strikes off the hand of a sorceress (who had -assumed the appearance of his queen), which had a ring upon it, when she -immediately appears as a frightful hag. - -The charmed ring of Aladdin plays a wonderful part in the 'Arabian Nights' -Entertainments.' - -One of the earliest ring superstitions in our own country, is that -connected with the life of Edward the Confessor. In the mortuary chapel of -this saintly monarch in Westminster Abbey are fourteen subjects in -_relievi_, represented on the frieze of the screen on the western side, of -incidents in the King's life, in which the legend of the 'Pilgrim' -(derived from a chronicle written by Ælred--a monk, and, later, abbot of -Rievaulx, who died in 1166--but taken almost entirely from the life of St. -Edward, by Osbert or Osbern, of Clare, prior of Westminster). is curiously -displayed. The whole length of this sculpture is thirty-eight feet six -inches by three feet in height. The relief is very bold, the irregular -concave ground being much hollowed out behind. The compartment relating -to the ring represents St. John, in the garb of a pilgrim, asking alms of -the King. The figures are much injured. The monarch occupies the centre of -the compartment, and a pilgrim or beggar is before him on the spectator's -right hand. Behind the King is a figure holding a pastoral staff--probably -an ecclesiastic--and in front of whom, between the King and himself,--is -an object not easily defined, but which appears like a basket. This design -is interesting, from the back-ground being entirely filled in by a large -and handsome church. This refers to the subject mentioned by Ælred, of the -King being engaged in the construction of a church in honour of St. John, -when the pilgrim appeared and asked alms. - -According to the legend, King Edward was on his way to Westminster, when -he was met by a beggar, who implored him in the name of St. John--the -apostle peculiarly venerated by the monarch--to grant him assistance. The -charitable King had exhausted his ready-money in alms-giving, but drew -from his finger a ring, 'large, beautiful, and royal,' which he gave to -the beggar, who thereupon disappeared. Shortly afterwards, two English -pilgrims in the Holy Land found themselves benighted, and in great -distress, when suddenly the path before them was lighted up, and an old -man, white and hoary, preceded by two tapers, accosted them. Upon telling -him to what country they belonged, the old man, 'joyously like to a -clerk,' guided them to a hostelry, and announced that he was John the -Evangelist, the special patron of King Edward, and gave them a ring to -carry back to the monarch, with the warning that in six months' time the -King would be with him in Paradise. The pilgrims returned and found the -King at his palace, called from this incident 'Havering atte Bower.' He -recognised the ring, and prepared for his end accordingly. On the death -of the Confessor, according to custom, he was attired in his royal robes, -the crown on his head, a crucifix and gold chain round his neck, and the -'Pilgrim's Ring' on his finger. The body was laid before the high altar at -Westminster Abbey (A.D. 1066). On the translation of the remains of Henry -the Second, the ring of St. John is said to have been withdrawn, and -deposited as a relic among the crown jewels.[30] During the reign of Henry -III. some repairs were made at the tower, and orders were given for -drawing in the chapel of St. John two figures of St. Edward holding out a -ring and delivering it to St. John the Evangelist. - -As a proof, also, how this beautiful legend was engrafted on the popular -mind in after ages, we find it stated in the account of the coronation of -Edward II. (1307), that the King offered, first a pound of gold, made like -a king holding a ring in his hand, and afterwards a mark, or eight ounces -of gold, formed into the likeness of a pilgrim putting forth his hand to -receive the ring, a conceit suggested by the legend of the Confessor. So -great was the sanctity in which this monarch (who was influenced by -childish and superstitious fancies) was held, that Richard II., whenever -he left the kingdom, confided the ring which he usually wore to the -custodian of St. Edward's shrine. - -'It appears,' observes Mr. Edmund Waterton ('Archæological Journal,' No. -82, 1864), 'that St. Edward's ring was deposited with his corpse in his -tomb. His translation took place on the third of the ides of October -(October 13), A.D. 1163, ninety-seven years after the burial. This -ceremony was performed at midnight, and on opening his coffin the body was -found to be incorrupt. On this occasion the Abbot Lawrence took from the -body of the sainted king his robes and the ring of St. John; of the robes -the abbot made three copes, as appears from the following entry in the -catalogue of the relics of the saint. The abbot also gave the ring to the -abbey: "Dompnus Laurentius quondam abbas hujus loci ... sed et annulo -ejusdem (Sancti Edwardi) quem Sancto Johanni quondam tradidit, quem et -ipse de paradiso remisit, elapsis annis duobus et dimidio, postea in nocte -translationis de digito regis tulit, et pro miraculo in loco isto -custodiri jussit." The same manuscript ("De Fundacione ecclesie Westm." by -Ric. Sporley, a monk of the abbey, A.D. 1450), contains the indulgences to -be gained by those who visited the holy relics:--"Ad annulum Sancti -Edwardi vj. ann. iijc. xi. dies." No further mention has been found of St. -Edward's ring.'[31] - -Another legendary story, in connection with saintly interposition, is -related in the annals of Venice. Moreover, it forms the subject of a -painting, attributed (though with some doubt) to Giorgione, 'St. Mark -staying, miraculously, the tempest,' in the Accademia Picture Gallery at -Venice. - -'In the year 1341, an inundation of many days' continuance had raised the -water three cubits higher than it had ever before been seen at Venice; and -during a stormy night, while the flood appeared to be still increasing, a -poor fisherman sought what refuge he could find by mooring his crazy bark -close to the _Riva di San Marco_. The storm was yet raging, when a person -approached and offered him a good fare if he would but ferry him over to -_San Giorgio Maggiore_. 'Who,' said the fisherman, 'can reach San Giorgio -on such a night as this? Heaven forbid that I should try!' But as the -stranger earnestly persisted in his request, and promised to guard him -from all harm, he at last consented. The passenger landed, and having -desired the boatman to wait a little, returned with a companion, and -ordered him to row to _San Nicolo di Lido_. The astonished fisherman again -refused, till he was prevailed upon by a further assurance of safety and -excellent pay. At _San Nicolo_ they picked up a third person, and then -instructed the boatman to proceed to the Two Castles at Lido. Though the -waves ran fearfully high, the old man had by this time become accustomed -to them, and moreover, there was something about his mysterious crew which -either silenced his fears, or diverted them from the tempest to his -companions. Scarcely had they gained the Strait, than they saw a galley, -rather flying than sailing along the Adriatic, manned (if we may so say) -with devils, who seemed hurrying with fierce and threatening gestures, to -sink Venice in the deep. The sea, which had been furiously agitated, in a -moment became unruffled, and the strangers, crossing themselves, conjured -the fiends to depart. At the word the demoniacal galley vanished, and the -three passengers were quietly landed at the spots where each, -respectively, had been taken up. - -The boatman, it seems, was not quite easy about his fare, and before -parting, he implied, pretty clearly, that the sight of the miracle would, -after all, be bad pay. 'You are right, my friend,' said the first -passenger; 'go to the Doge and the Procuratori, and assure them that, but -for us three, Venice would have been drowned. I am St. Mark; my two -comrades are St George and St. Nicholas. Desire the magistrate to pay you; -and add that all the trouble has arisen from a schoolmaster at San Felice, -who first bargained with the devil for his soul, and then hanged himself -in despair.' - -The fisherman, who seemed to have, all his wits about him, answered that -he might tell that story, but he much doubted whether he should be -believed; upon which St. Mark pulled from his finger a gold ring, worth -about five ducats, saying:--'Show them this ring, and bid them look for it -in my Treasury, whence it will be found missing.' On the morrow the -fisherman did as he was told. The ring was discovered to be absent from -its usual custody, and the fortunate boatman not only received his fare, -but an annual pension to boot. Moreover, a solemn procession and -thanksgiving were appointed in gratitude to the three holy corpses which -had rescued from such calamity the land affording them burial.' - -Pope Hildebrand, one of the prime movers of the Norman invasion of -England, excommunicated Harold and his supporters, and despatched a sacred -banner, as well as a diamond ring enclosing one of the Apostle Peter's -hairs, to Normandy. - -The mediæval romances abound in allusions to the wonderful virtues of -rings. These were cherished conceits among the old writers. In the -fabulous history of Ogier le Danois the fairy Morgana gives that hero a -ring, which, although at that time he was one hundred years old, gives him -the appearance of a man of thirty. After a lapse of two hundred years -Ogier appears at the court of France, where the secret of his -transformation is found out by the old Countess of Senlis, who, while -making love to him, draws the talisman from his finger, and places it on -her own. She instantly blossoms into youth, while Ogier as suddenly sinks -into decrepitude. The Countess, however, is forced to give back the ring, -and former appearances are restored, but as she had discovered the virtues -of the ring, she employs thirty champions to regain it, all of whom are -successfully defeated by Ogier. - -In the 'Vision of Pierce Plowman' (about 1350) the poet speaks of a woman -whose fingers were all embellished with rings of gold, set with diamonds, -rubies, and sapphires, and _also Oriental stones or amulets to prevent any -poisonous infection_. - -In the romance of 'Sir Perceval of Galles' the knight obtains -surreptitious possession of a ring endowed with mysterious qualities:-- - - Suche a vertue es in the stane - In alle thys werlde wote I nane, - Siche stone in a rynge; - A mane that had it in were, - One his body for to bere, - There scholde no dyntys hym dere, - Ne to the dethe brynge. - -So in 'Sir Eglamour of Artois':-- - - Seyde Organata that swete thynge - Y schalle geve the a gode golde rynge - With a fulle ryche stone, - Whedur that ye be on water or on londe, - And that rynge be upon yowre honde, - Ther schall nothyng yow slon. - -The ring, a gift to Canace, daughter of King Cambuscan, in the 'Squire's -Tale' of Chaucer, taught the language of birds, and also imparted to the -wearer a knowledge of plants, which formed an important part of the -Arabian philosophy:-- - - The vertue of this ring, if ye wol here, - Is this, that if hire list it for to were, - Upon hire thomb, or in hire purse it bere, - There is no fowle that fleeth under haven, - That she ne shal wel onderstond his steven (language) - And know his mening openlie and plaine, - And answere him in his langage againe,[32] - And every gras that groweth upon rote, - She shal eke know and whom it wol do bote, - All be his woundes never so depe and wide. - -In the romance of Ywain and Gawaine (supposed to have been written in the -reign of Henry VI.), when the knight is in perilous confinement, a lady -looks out of a wicket which opened in the walls of the gateway, and -releases him. She gives him a ring:-- - - I sal leue the her mi ring, - Bot yelde it me at myne askyng, - When thou ert broght of al thi payn, - Yelde it than to me ogayne: - Als the bark kills the tre, - Right so sal my ring do the; - When thou in hand hast the stane, - Der (harm) sal thai do the nane; - For the stane es of swilk might, - Of the sal men have na syght-- - -thus possessing the power ascribed to the ring of Gyges. In a story of the -'Gseta Romanorum' a father, on his death-bed, gives a ring to his son, the -virtue of which was that whoever wore it would obtain the love of all men. - -In chapter x. of the same work the Emperor Vespasian marries a wife in a -distant country, who refuses to return home with him, and yet declares -that she will kill herself if he leaves her. In this dilemma the emperor -orders two rings to be made having wonderful efficacious properties; one -represents on a precious stone the figure of Oblivion, and the other bears -the image of Memory. The former he gives to the empress, the latter he -keeps himself. Chapter cxx. contains the story of the legacy of King -Darius to his three sons. The eldest receives his inheritance, the second -all that had been acquired by conquest, and the third a ring, a necklace, -and a rich mantle, all of which possess magical properties. He who wore -the ring gained the love and favour of all; the collar obtained all that -the heart could desire, and whoever laid down on the mantle would be -instantly transported to any part of the world he might desire to visit. - -In the romance of 'Melusine,' the heroine, when about to leave the house -of her husband, gives him two rings, and says: 'My sweet love, you see -here two rings which have both the same virtue, and know well for truth, -so long as you possess them, or one of them, you shall never be overcome -in pleading, nor in battle, if your cause be rightful, and neither you nor -others who may possess them shall ever die by any weapons.' - -The ring given by the Princess Rigmel to Horn possessed similar -properties, as also the ring in the 'Little Rose-garden,' given by the -Lady Similt to her brother Dietlieb. - -In Orlando's 'Inamorata' the palace and gardens of Dragontina vanish at -Angelica's ring of virtue, which also enables her to become invisible. - - Now that she this upon her hand surveys, - She is so full of pleasure and surprise, - She doubts it is a dream, and, in amaze, - Hardly believes her very hand and eyes. - Then softly to her mouth the hoop conveys, - And, quicker than the flash which cleaves the skies, - From bold Rogero's sight her beauty shrouds, - As disappears the sun concealed in clouds. - -Lydgate, in his 'Troy book' (1513), relates how Medea gives to Iason, when -he is going to combat the brazen bulls, and to lull to sleep the dragon -that guarded the golden fleece, a ring, in which was a gem charmed against -poison, and would render the wearer invisible. 'It was a sort of precious -stone,' says Lydgate, 'which Virgil celebrates, and which Venus sent her -son Æneas that he might enter Carthage.' - -In the metrical romance of 'Richard Coeur-de-Lion,' King Modard gives -him:-- - - Two riche rings of gold: - The stones wherein be full bold. - Hence to the land of Ind, - Better than they shalt thou not find. - For whoso hath that one stone, - Water ne shall him drench none. - That other stone whoso that bear - Fire ne shall him never dere (hurt). - -In 'Floire and Blanceflor' the latter, drawing from her finger a ring -containing a small talisman, says to her lover: 'Floire, accept this as a -pledge of our mutual love; look on it every day; if thou seest its -brilliancy tarnished, it is a sign that my life or my liberty is in -danger.' - -In another part of the story, when going in search of Blanceflor, who has -been carried away, Floire receives a ring from his mother: 'Have now, lief -son, this ring: whilst thou preservest it neither fire shall burn, nor -water drown, nor weapon injure thee, and all thy wants shall be instantly -supplied.' - -In the 'Archæologia' (vol. xix. p. 411) is a notice of a gold ring found -in the ruins of the palace at Eltham, in Kent, bearing on the side edges -of the interior the following inscription:-- - - Qui me portera ecploitera - Et a grant Joye revendra. - - Who wears me shall perform exploits, - And with great Joy shall return: - -implying that the ring was an amulet, and may, possibly, have been -presented to some distinguished personage when setting out for the Holy -Land in the time of the Crusades. The ring is set with an oriental ruby -and five diamonds, placed at equal distances round the exterior. - -[Illustration: Amulet ring.] - -The inscription is in small Gothic characters, but remarkably well-formed -and legible. The shape of the ruby is an irregular oval, while the -diamonds are all of a triangular form and in their natural crystallised -state. - -An emerald ring was thought to ensure purity of thought and conduct. In -'Caltha Poetarium, or the Humble Bee,' by T. Cutwode (1599), Diana is -represented adorning the heroine of the piece:-- - - And, with an emerald, hangs she on a ring - That keeps just reckoning of our chastity: - - * * * * * - - And, therefore, ladies, it behoves you well - To walk full warily when stones will tell. - -In the ballad of 'Northumberland betrayed by Douglas,' Mary, a Douglas -that dabbled in sorcery, shows the chamberlain of Earl Percy, James -Swynard, the foes of the former in the field, through the 'weme' (hollow) -of her ring:-- - - I never was on English ground, - Ne never sawe it with mine eye, - But as my book it sheweth me, - And through my ring I may descrye. - -The treachery of Earl Douglas is thus foreshadowed, and the chamberlain -returns sorrowfully to his master with the news of what he had seen. Earl -Percy, however, is determined to keep his hunting appointment with -Douglas:-- - - Now nay, now nay, good James Swynard, - I may not believe that witch ladye; - The Douglasses were ever true, - And they can ne'er prove false to me. - -The 'witch-ladye' who effects such powerful influences with her magic ring -is, nevertheless, rewarded for her warnings:-- - - He writhe a gold ring from his finger - And gave itt to that gay ladye; - Sayes 'it was all that I cold save - In Harley woods where I cold bee' (where I was). - -A ring story in which the Venus of antiquity assumes the manners of one of -the Fays, or Fatæ of romance, is quoted by Sir Walter Scott in his notes -to the 'Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border.' It is related by Fordun in his -'Scotichronicon,' by Matthew of Westminster, and Roger of Wendover. In the -year 1058 a young man of noble birth had been married at Rome, and during -the period of the nuptial feast, having gone with his companions to play -at ball, he put his marriage-ring on the finger of a broken statue of -Venus in the area to remain while he was engaged in the recreation. -Desisting from the exercise he found the finger on which he had placed the -ring, contracted firmly against the palm, and attempted in vain either to -break it, or to disengage his ring. He concealed the circumstance from his -companions, and returned at night with a servant, when he found the finger -extended and his ring gone. He dissembled the loss and returned to his -wife; but whenever he attempted to embrace her he found himself prevented -by something dark and dense, which was tangible, though not visible, -interposing between them, and he heard a voice saying: 'Embrace me, for I -am Venus whom you this day wedded, and I will not restore your ring.' As -this was constantly repeated, he consulted his relations, who had recourse -to Palumbus, a priest skilled in necromancy. He directed the young man to -go at a certain hour of the night to a spot among the ancient ruins of -Rome, where four roads met, and wait silently until he saw a company pass -by; and then, without uttering a word, to deliver a letter which he gave -him to a majestic being who rode in a chariot after the rest of the -company. The young man did so, and saw a company of all ages, sexes, and -ranks, on horse and on foot, some joyful and others sad, pass along; among -whom he distinguished a woman in a meretricious dress, who, from the -tenuity of her garments, seemed almost naked. She rode on a mule; her long -hair, which flowed over her shoulders, was bound with a golden fillet, and -in her hand was a gold rod with which she directed the mule. In the close -of the procession a tall majestic figure appeared in a chariot adorned -with emeralds and pearls, who fiercely asked the young man what he did -there. He presented the letter in silence, which the demon dared not -refuse. As soon as he had read, lifting up his hands to heaven, he -exclaimed: 'Almighty God, how long wilt thou endure the iniquities of the -sorcerer Palumbus?' and immediately despatched some of his attendants, -who, with much difficulty, extorted the ring from Venus, and restored it -to its owner, whose infernal bands were thus dissolved.[33] - -Another mediæval story is founded on the same myth, but purified and -Christianised. A knight is playing at ball and incommoded by his ring. He -therefore removes it, and places it for safety on the finger of a statue -of the Blessed Virgin. On seeking it again he finds the hand of the finger -clasped, and is unable to recover his ring; whereupon the knight renounces -the world, and, as the betrothed of the Virgin, enters a monastery. - -Gifts of rings to the Virgin were common in the Middle Ages. Monstrelet -relates that at the execution of the Constable of France, Louis de -Luxembourg, in the reign of Louis XI., he took a gold ring set with a -diamond from his finger, and, giving it to the Penitentiary, desired he -would offer it to the image of the Virgin Mary, and place it on her -finger, which he promised to perform. - -Mr. J. Baring Gould, in his 'Curious Myths of the Middle Ages,' relates a -legend by Cæsarius of Heisterboch of a similar character to that of Venus -and the ring. A certain clerk, Philip, a great necromancer, took some -Swabian and Bavarian youths to a lonely spot in a field, where, at their -desire, he proceeded to perform incantations. First, he drew a circle -round them with his sword, and warned them on no consideration to leave -the ring. - -Then, retiring from them a little space, he began his incantations, and -suddenly there appeared around the youths a multitude of armed men -brandishing weapons, and daring them to fight. The demons, failing to -draw them by this means from their enchanted circle, vanished, and there -was seen a company of beautiful damsels, dancing about the ring, and by -their attitudes alluring the youths towards them. One of them, exceeding -in beauty and grace the others, singled out a youth, and, dancing before -him, extended to him a ring of gold, casting languishing glances towards -him, and, by all the means in her power, endeavouring to attract his -attention and kindle his passion. The young man, unable to resist any -longer, put forth his finger beyond the circle to take the ring, and the -apparition at once drew him towards her, and vanished with him. However, -after much trouble, the necromancer was able to recover him from the evil -spirit. - -'The incident of the ring,' remarks Mr. Gould, 'in connexion with the -ancient goddess, is certainly taken from the old religion of the Teutonic -and Scandinavian peoples. Freyja was represented in her temples holding a -ring in her hand; so was Thorgerda Hördabrúda. The Faereyinga Saga relates -an event in the life of the Faroese hero Sigmund Brestesson, which is to -the point. "They (Earl Hakon and Sigmund) went to the temple, and the earl -fell on the ground before her statue, and there he lay long. The statue -was richly dressed, and had a heavy gold ring on the arm. And the earl -stood up and touched the ring, and tried to remove it, but could not; and -it seemed to Sigmund as though she frowned. Then the earl said: 'She is -not pleased with thee, Sigmund, and I do not know whether I shall be able -to reconcile you; but that shall be the token of her favour, if she gives -us the ring which she has in her hand.' Then the earl took much silver, -and laid it on her footstool before her, and again he flung himself before -her, and Sigmund noticed that he wept profusely. And when he stood up he -took the ring, and she let go of it. Then the earl gave it to Sigmund and -said: 'I give thee this ring to thy weal; never part with it;' and Sigmund -promised he would not." - -'This ring occasions the death of the Faroese chief. In after years King -Olaf, who converts him to Christianity, knowing that this gold ring is a -relic of paganism, asks Sigmund to give it to him: the chief refuses, and -the king angrily pronounces a warning that it will be the cause of his -death. And his word falls true, for Sigmund is murdered in his sleep for -the sake of the ring.' - -There was no limit to the credulity of believers in the mystic in the -middle and even in later ages. Sir Walter Scott, in his 'Demonology and -Witchcraft,' remarks that the early dabblers in astrology and chemistry, -although denying the use of all necromancy--that is, unlawful or black -magic--pretended always to a correspondence with the various spirits of -the elements, on the principle of the Rosicrucian philosophy. They -affirmed that they could bind to their service, and imprison in a ring, a -mirror, or a stone, some fairy sylph or salamander, and compel it to -appear when called, and render answers to such questions as the viewer -should propose.'[34] - -In the reign of Henry VIII. (1533) Jones, the famous, or rather infamous, -'Oxford Conjurer,' told his dupe, Sir William Neville, that amongst other -marvels he could make rings of gold which would ensure the favour of great -men to those who wore them. He said 'that my lord cardinal (Wolsey) had -such,' and he promised one to Sir William and his brother.[35] - -It is not a little curious that Henry VIII. himself, the despoiler of -monasteries, and, to a certain extent, the uprooter of many superstitious -practices, placed such faith in the traditional virtues of a jewel that -had for ages decked the shrine of Thomas à Becket at Canterbury that he -caused it to be placed in a ring, which he constantly wore afterwards, in -the manner of those times, on his enormous thumb. The last time that this -jewel appears in history is among the 'diamonds' of the golden collar of -his daughter Queen Mary, who, although a bigoted Roman Catholic, did not -scruple to wear the spoils of a shrine. This jewel was called the 'royal -of France' having been presented to the shrine of the murdered Archbishop -by King Louis VII. in 1179.[36] - -[Illustration: Charm-rings.] - -Religious charms were of exhaustless variety. In the Braybrooke Collection -is a bone charm-ring, surmounted by a circular signet, on which is -engraved the crucifix, with our Saviour upon it, and the two Maries -standing on either side of the stem: round the edge of the signet is the -inscription 'In hoc signo vinces,' headed with a small cross. - -In the 'Journal of the Archæological Institute' (vol. iii. p. 358) is an -account of a curious magical ring, found on the coast of Glamorganshire, -near to the 'Worm's Head,' the western extremity of the county, where -numerous objects have been found at various times on the shifting of the -sand, such as fire-arms, an astrolabe, and silver dollars. This ring is of -gold, much bent and defaced, and inscribed with mystic words both inside -and outside the hoop. - -[Illustration: Talismanic ring.] - -'The talismanic character of these mysterious words seems to be -sufficiently proved by comparison with the physical charms given in an -English medical MS., preserved at Stockholm, and published by the Society -of Antiquaries. Amongst various cabalistic prescriptions is found one "for -peynys in theth.... Boro berto briore + vulnera quinque dei sint medecina -mei + Tahebal + ghether (or guthman) + + + Onthman," &c. The last word -should probably be read Guthman, and it is succeeded by five crosses, -probably in allusion to the five wounds of the Saviour.' It is supposed -that this ring and the other remains alluded to indicate the spot where a -Spanish or Portuguese vessel was wrecked about two hundred years ago. - -The following engraving, from the 'Archæological Journal' (vol. iii. p. -267), represents another cabalistic ring, found in Worcestershire, and the -property of Mr. Jabez Allies. It is of base metal, plated with gold, and -is, apparently, of the fourteenth century. - -[Illustration: Talismanic ring.] - -In the 'Archæological Journal' (vol. v. p. 159) is an engraving and -description of a curious talismanic ring, with an inscription showing -stronger evidence of oriental origin than any heretofore noticed, the -Greek letters _theta_ and _gamma_ occurring twice in the legend. The -discovery of this relic, which is of gold, weighing 56 grains, was -singular. It was found in digging up the roots of an old oak-tree which -had been blown down by a violent wind in 1846, on a farm called the -'Rookery,' in the parish of Calne, Wiltshire, belonging to Mr. Thomas -Poynder, who thinks that the spot where the ring was found was in the -track of the fugitive Royalists, after the battle at Rounday Hill, near -Devizes, on their retreat towards Oxford, where the King's head-quarters -were stated to be at that time. This curious ring is divided into eight -compartments, with a row of three little rounded points, or studs, between -each. The hoop is bent irregularly, so that the inner circle presents -seven straight sides, but the angles thus formed do not correspond -precisely with the external divisions. - -[Illustration: Talismanic ring.] - -[Illustration: Talismanic ring.] - -A talismanic ring of gold found in Coventry Park in 1802, represents in -the centre device Christ rising from the sepulchre, and in the background -are shown the hammer, sponge, and other emblems of the Passion. On the -left is figured the wound at the side, with an inscription 'the well of -ewerlastingh lyffe.' In the next compartment, two smaller wounds, with -'the well of confort,' 'the well of gracy,' and afterwards two other -wounds inscribed 'the well of pitty,' 'the well of merci.' - -From some small remains it is evident that the figure of our Saviour, with -all the inscriptions, had been filled with _black_ enamel, whilst the -wounds and drops of blood issuing from them were appropriately -distinguished by _red_. On the inside of the ring is the following -inscription: 'Wulnera quinq' dei sunt medecina mei, pia crux et passio xpi -sunt medecina michi, Jaspar, Melchior, Baltasar, ananyzapta -tetragrammaton.' - -In the 'Archæologia' (vol. xviii.) it is stated that Sir Edward Shaw, -goldsmith and alderman of London, by his will (_circâ_ 1487), directed to -be made sixteen rings of 'fyne gold, to be graven with the well of pitie, -the well of mercie, and the well of everlasting life.' - -It is, perhaps, impossible now to explain the import of the legends which -occur on certain mediæval rings, and devices which are probably, in many -cases, anagrammatic, and the original orthography of the legend corrupted -and changed in others; but they, no doubt, had a talismanic meaning. A -gold ring found in Rockingham Forest in 1841 has inscribed on the outer -side, _guttv_: _gutta_: _madros_: _adros_; and in the inner side, _vdros_: -_udros_: _thebal_. A thin gold ring discovered in a garden at Newark in -1741 was inscribed with the words _Agla_: _Thalcvt_: _Calcvt_: _Cattama_. - -The mystic word, or anagram, _Agla_ is engraved on the inner side of a -silver ring (of the fourteenth century) found in 1846 on the site of the -cemetery of St. Owen's, which stood on the west site of Gloucester, a -little without the south gate, and was destroyed during the siege of 1643. -On the outside of the ring is engraved + AVE MARIA, and within appear the -letters AGLA, with the symbol of the cross between each letter. The weight -of the ring is 20 grs. The term Agla designated in the East a wand of -dignity or office, and may possibly have been used in connection with -magical or alchemical operations. - -There is a notice of a curious magical ring against leprosy in the -'Archæologia' (vol. xxi. p. 25, 120). In the Londesborough Collection is a -'religious,' or 'superstitious' ring of silver, the workmanship of which -dates it at the end of the fifteenth century, and which is supposed to -have been worn as a charm against St. Vitus's dance. To a circular plate -are attached three large bosses, and, between each, two smaller bosses, -all the nine of which are hollow, and were filled, apparently, by some -resinous substance. On the three larger bosses are engraved the letters S. -M. V. (Sancta Maria Virgo) in relief. - -In the same collection is a gold ring of the same century, the face -engraved with St. Christopher bearing the infant Saviour, worn as a charm -against sudden death, more particularly by drowning. - -It is very delicately engraved. The circle is formed by ten lozenges, each -of which bears a letter of the inscription, 'de boen cuer.' - -[Illustration: Amulet rings.] - -Sir John Woodford is in possession of a gold ring found on the field of -Azincourt, which bears the inscription BURO. BERTO. BERIORA. These mystic -words occur likewise in the charm against tooth-ache given in the -Stockholm MS. ('Archæological Journal,' vol. iv. p. 78). - -A thumb-ring was discovered a few years since in the coffin of an -ecclesiastic, in Chichester Cathedral, set with an Abraxas gem,[37] an -agate; the deceased churchman, it may be well believed, had worn it -guiltless of all knowledge of Alexandrine pantheism. The ring was of gold, -and was found on the right-hand thumb-bone of a skeleton, the supposed -remains of Seffrid, Bishop of Chichester, A.D. 1125. - -[Illustration: Cabalistic ring.] - -A very large ring, bearing great resemblance to the episcopal ring, was -occasionally worn as a thumb-ring by the laity. In the Londesborough -Collection is a fine specimen. It is somewhat roughly formed of mixed -metal, and has upon the circular face a conventional representation of a -monkey looking at himself in a hand-mirror. This is surrounded by a -cable-moulding, and on each side is set two large stones. The outer edge -of this ring is also decorated with a heavy cable-moulding; inside, next -the figure, is the cross and sacred monogram, placed on each side of the -mystic word _anamzapta_, showing it to be a charm-ring. - -Another mystical ring in the same collection is inscribed, on an oval -boss, hETh; the workmanship, probably English, of about the fifteenth -century. This ring was bought at Ely. _Heth_ was the sacred name of -Jehovah. Dr. Dee and similar Gnostics composed several mystical -arrangements founded on these four letters. - -[Illustration: Mystical ring.] - -The Londesborough Collection has also a massive thumb-ring, having the -tooth of some animal as its principal gem, supposed to have mystic power -over its possessor. It is set all around with precious stones to ensure -its potency. - -[Illustration: Mystical ring.] - -The last leaf of the 'Theophilus' MS. of the fourteenth century has: -'Against the falling sickness, write these characters upon a ring; -outside, + ou. thebal gut guthani; inside, + eri gerari.' - -A ring that had belonged to Remigius, being dipped in holy water, -furnished, it is said, a good drink for fever and other diseases. - -The sacred names of 'Jesus,' 'Maria,' and 'Joseph' were formerly inscribed -on rings, and worn as preservatives against the plague. Rings simply made -of gold were supposed to cure St. Antony's fire, but if inscribed with -magical words their effect was irresistible. - -A representation is annexed of an amulet ring found near Oxford, about -1805, bearing an inscription SCA. BAR., Sancta Barbara. The legend of St. -Barbara calls her a patroness against storms and lightning. - -[Illustration: Amulet ring.] - -The following engraving represents an amulet wedding-ring, conjectured to -be the figure of St. Catherine with her wheel, being an emblem of good -fortune; the other being probably, St. Margaret (with the church), an -emblem of her faith, wisdom, constancy, and fortitude: time of Richard II. - -[Illustration: Amulet ring.] - -Rings in which pieces of what was asserted to be the 'true cross' were -placed are sometimes met with in old writings. St. Gregory states that his -sister wore one of this kind. That this belief was not always credited is -seen in the case of an exchange of rings between a bishop and an abbot in -the annals of St. Alban's Abbey. This occurred in the reign of Richard -II., when the Bishop of Lincoln (Beaufort) gave his to John, fifth abbot -of St. Alban's, for one containing a piece of the true cross, and was -therefore earnestly prized and begged for by the bishop. Whether the -prelate had his misgivings as to the alleged sanctity of the splinter, or -considered the garniture of the ring too plain, he very soon after -informed the abbot that his own ring was the most valuable of the two, and -the difference in value must be paid to him in money. In his zeal for his -material interests the bishop overlooked the assurances of friendship -which the exchange conveyed, and the abbot was obliged to give him five -pounds. - -Relics of martyrs and saints were frequently inserted in rings: in the -Londesborough Collection is a silver reliquary, probably intended for the -thumb. It has a heart engraved on a lozenge, the reliquary being enclosed -beneath. It was found in the ruins of the abbey of St. Bertin, at St. -Omer. - -In the possession of Lady Fitz Hardinge is a remarkable reliquary ring, of -admirable workmanship, probably of the tenth century, perhaps Anglo-Saxon, -but possibly of Irish (Celtic) origin. It is of gold with very large -expanded bezel, cruciform or quatrefoil, 1-7/8 in. wide. In the centre is -a raised boss, intended, possibly, to contain a relic, as the ring is, no -doubt, ecclesiastical; from this radiates four monsters' heads, similar to -those on early Irish work, marked with thin lines of niello, the eyes -formed of dots of dark glass pastes, the whole edged with fine corded -ornament. - -In the collection of Mr. R. H. Soden Smith is a reliquary gold ring, -having suspended on the bezel side a small gold relic-case, chased with -two crosses, and edged with beaded work of the twelfth century. - -Mr. Fairholt describes a curious Venetian ring, the bezel formed like a -box to contain relics. The face of the ring has a representation of St. -Mark seated, holding his gospel and giving a benediction. The spaces -between this figure and the oval border are perforated, so that the -interior of the box is visible, and the relic enshrined might be seen. - -Liceti, a Genoese physician of the seventeenth century, who wrote a book -on rings, ascribed the want of virtue in medicated rings to their small -size, observing that the larger the ring or the gem contained in it, the -greater was the effect. He endeavoured to prove that the Philistines, when -they were punished for touching the ark of Israel, wore rings on their -fingers with the image of the disease engraved on them by way of -expiation. - -[Illustration: Rings of the Magi.] - -The names of the Three Kings of Cologne constituted a popular charm -against diseases and evil influences in the Middle Ages. The late Crofton -Croker, in his description of the rings in the Londesborough Collection, -mentions one dating from the fourteenth, or early in the fifteenth -century, engraved outside with these names: Gasper: Melchior: Baltazar: -in. God. is. a. r.--the latter words, probably, implying 'in God is a -remedy.' The three Kings were supposed to be the Wise Men (according to -the legend, three Kings of Arabia) who made offerings to our Saviour. -Their bodies travelled first to Constantinople, thence to Milan, and, -lastly, to Cologne, by various removals.[38] These three potent names -have continued as a charm even to a late period; for, in January 1748-9, -one William Jackson, a Roman Catholic, and a proscribed smuggler, being -sentenced to death at Chichester, had a purse taken from his person, -containing the following scrap:-- - - Sancti tres Reges, - Gaspar, Melchior, Baltasar, - Orate pro nobis nunc et in hora - Mortis nostræ. - -The paper on which this invocation was written had touched the heads of -the Three Kings at Cologne. - -In 'Reynard the Fox,' the hero of that satirical work, describing the -treasure he pretends to have discovered for the sole benefit of his royal -master and mistress, says: 'Oon of them was a rynge of fyne gold, and -within the rynge next the fyngre were wreton lettres enameld wyth sable -and asure, and there were three Hebrew names therein, y coude not myself -rede ne spelle them, for I onderstand not that language, but mayster -Abryon of Tryers, he is a wise man, he onderstandeth wel al maner of -langages, and the virtue of al maner of herbes. And yet he byleveth not in -God, he is a Jewe, the wysest in conynge, and specyally he knoweth the -virtue of stones. I shewed him thys ryng, he sayd that they were the thre -names that Seth brought out of Paradys, when he brought to his fader Adam -the oyle of mercy. And whomsoever bereth on hym thyse thre names, he shal -never be hurte by throndre ne by lyghtning, ne no wytchcraft shal have no -power over hym, ne be tempted to doo synne; and also he shall never take -harme by colde though he laye thre wynters long nyghtes in the felde -though it snowed, stormed, or froze never soo sore, so grete myghte have -these wordes.' - -The stone set in the ring and its wonderful properties are then -enumerated, and the conclusion is: 'I thought in myself that I was not -able ne worthy to bere it, and therefore I sent it to my dere lord, the -Kyng, for I knew hym for the moost noble that now lyveth, and also all our -welfare and worship lyeth on hym, and for he shold be kepte fro al drede, -nede, and ungeluck.' - -While the names of saints were employed for the prevention or relief of -bodily ailments, those of 'devils' were made the agency for criminal -objects; thus we read in Monstrelet's 'Chronicles,' that in the plea of -justification made by the Duke of Burgundy for the assassination of Louis, -Duke of Orleans, in 1407, he accused the latter of having conspired -against the King of France by means of sorcery. Among other things a ring -was made use of 'in the name of devils.' A monk undertook this 'who -performed many superstitious acts near a bush, with invocations to the -devil.' Two evil spirits appeared to him in the shape of two men, one of -whom took the ring, which had been placed on the ground, and vanished. -After half an hour he returned, and gave the ring to the monk, 'which to -the sight was the colour of red, nearly scarlet,' and said to him: 'Thou -wilt put it into the mouth of a dead man in the manner thou knowest,' and -then vanished. The monk obeyed these instructions 'thinking to burn the -lord our King.' - -Mr. Fairholt describes a mechanical ring, of mystic signification, as one -of the most curious rings in the Londesborough Collection. The outside of -the hoop is perfectly plain, and is set with a ruby and amethyst. Upon -pressing these stones a spring opens, and discovers the surface covered -with magical signs and names of spirits; among them Asmodiel, Nachiel, and -Zamiel occur, a similar series occupying the interior of the hoop. Such a -ring might be worn without suspicion of its true import, looking -simplicity itself, but fraught with unholy meaning. It was, probably, -constructed for some German mystic philosopher, at a time when students -like Faust devoted themselves and their fortune to occult sciences, -believing in the philosopher's stone, the elixir of life, and the power -given to man to control the unseen world of spirits. - -[Illustration: Cabalistic ring.] - -Among the charges brought against Joan of Arc were that she had charmed -rings to secure victory over her enemies. - -The ancient physicians and empirics employed numerous charms for the cure -of diseases, and the practice was common among the medical professors of -the middle and lower Roman empire. Marcellus, a physician who lived in the -reign of Marcus Aurelius, directs the patient who is afflicted with a pain -in the side to wear a ring of pure gold, inscribed with some Greek -letters, on a Thursday, at the decrease of the moon. It was to be worn on -the right hand if the pain was on the left side, and _vice versâ_. -Trallian, another physician, living in the fourth century, cured the colic -and all bilious complaints by means of an octangular ring of iron, on -which eight words were to be engraved, commanding the bile to take -possession of a lark! A magic diagram was to be added. He tells us that he -had great experience in this remedy, and had considered it extremely -foolish to omit recording so valuable a treasure, but he particularly -enjoined keeping it a secret from the profane vulgar, according to an -admonition of Hippocrates, that sacred things are for sacred persons only. -He recommends also a cure for the stone by wearing a copper ring with the -figure of a lion, a crescent, and a star, to be placed on the fourth -finger; and for the colic in general a ring with Hercules strangling the -Nemæan lion. - -Michaelis, a physician of Leipsic, had a ring made of a sea-horse's tooth, -which he applied to all diseases indiscriminately,[39] but jasper was the -favourite substance employed when a particular disorder was in question. - -[Illustration: Rings with Mottoes, worn as Medicaments.] - -Galen mentions a green jasper amulet belonging to the Egyptian King -Nechepsus, who lived 630 years before the Christian era. It was cut in the -form of a dragon surrounded with rays, and worn to strengthen the organs -of digestion. - -The numerous magical properties of the jasper made it a favourite among -the Gnostic or Basilidian gems. - -At a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries in March 1875 Mr. Robert -Ferguson, M.P., &c., exhibited among other rings, one of yellow metal, -with Anglo-Saxon runes;[40] diameter 1-1/10 inch. It bears an inscription -similar to the Cumberland specimen now in the British Museum. The ring is -said to have belonged to a Major Macdonald, in 1745, and was obtained by -Mr. Ferguson from his descendant. Mr. Ferguson has since presented this -ring to the British Museum. - -A somewhat similar ring, the property of the Earl of Aberdeen, is -described in the 'Archæological Journal' (vol. xxi. p. 256) bearing the -Runic inscription, 'whether in fever or leprosy, the patient be happy and -confident in the hope of recovery.' - -[Illustration: Runic.] - -The accompanying illustration represents a Dano-Saxon ring worn as a charm -against the plague, and bearing an inscription thus rendered:-- - - Raise us from dust we pray to thee; - From pestilence O set us free, - Although the grave unwilling be. - -[Illustration: Dano-Saxon Runic ring.] - -At the proceedings of the Royal Society of Antiquaries at Copenhagen, in -1838, a gold ring with a Runic inscription, found in Fionia, was -exhibited. The words _röd eg lagd álaga_ may be rendered 'I guide the -chain of destiny,' and show that its Scandinavian possessor considered it -an amulet. - -Rings of lead, mixed with quicksilver, were used against headaches and -other complaints. - -In the 'Récueil des Historiens de France' we read that Passavant, Bishop -of Mans, possessed a ring which had belonged to Gulpherius de Lastour, -during the Crusades, which was very precious, and cured a great number of -sick persons. - -A gold ring of the fourteenth century, in the Londesborough Collection, -has an inscription which, freely translated, is 'May you be preserved from -the evil eye!' - -In the Shrewsbury Museum is a small iron ring, with an intaglio -representing a fawn springing out of a nautilus-shell. It was discovered -at Wroxeter. This and similar devices the Rev. C. W. King ascribes as -probable charms against the 'evil eye.' - -This superstition still prevails extensively in the East, and is also -entertained in many parts of Europe. That it was well known to Romans we -have the authority of Virgil: 'Nescio quis teneros oculus mihi fascinat -agnos' (_Ecl._ iii.). - -The following engraving (from the Collection Chabouillet) represents a -Greek amulet ring, adopted by the Etruscans and Romans, and which offers, -by the stone and setting, the figure of an eye. These rings were movable, -and turned on the axis. - -[Illustration: Amulet against the 'evil eye.'] - -The great preservative against this was the wearing of a ring, with the -figure of a cockatrice, supposed to proceed from a cock's egg under -various planetary and talismanic influences. The Londesborough thumb-ring -has two cockatrices cut in high relief upon an agate. - -[Illustration: Amulets against the 'evil eye.'] - -The deadly power of the cockatrice is alluded to by Shakspeare in 'Twelfth -Night' and in 'Romeo and Juliet'-- - - Say thou but _I_, - And that base vowel _I_ shall poison more - Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice. - -So Dryden says:-- - - Mischiefs are like the cockatrice's eye; - If they see first, they kill; if seen, they die-- - -alluding to the counter-action, that if the creature was seen by a person -first, without being perceived by it, the cockatrice died from the effect -of the human eye. The figure of the bird merely gave security against the -evil eye; it had no other effect, and for this purpose various engraved -stones were used. Thus a ring in the Londesborough Collection has in its -centre a Gnostic gem with cabalistic figures, believed able to avert the -dreadful glance. - -In the same collection is a massive thumb-ring, having the tooth of some -animal as its principal gem, supposed to have mystic power over the -fortunes of its possessor. It is set all round with precious stones of -talismanic virtues. - -A dove, with a branch of olive in its mouth, engraved in pyrites, and -mounted in a silver ring, ensured the wearer the utmost hospitality -wherever he went, possessing the power of fascination. A fair head, well -combed, with a handsome face, engraved on a gem, secured joy, reverence, -and honour. - -Rings made of the bones of an ostrich were assumed to be of rare virtue. - -[Illustration: Charm-ring.] - -Annexed is a representation of a silver charm-ring in the South Kensington -Museum; the hoop is spirally fluted, widening towards the bezel, which is -set with a tooth; the shoulder of the ring is pierced in floriated German -work of the eighteenth century. - -In the Waterton Collection are several rings of hoof--probably that of an -ass--enclosed in gold, and considered a remedy for epilepsy. From Cardan -(de Venenis) we learn, among other means for a physician to find out -whether a patient is 'fascinated,' that of a ring made of the hoof of an -ass, put on his finger, growing too large for him after a few days' -wearing. It seems that among the Indians and Norwegians the hoof of the -elk is regarded as a sovereign cure for the same malady. The person -afflicted applies it to his heart, holding it in his left hand, and -rubbing his ear with it. - -Brand, in his 'Popular Antiquities,' states that in Berkshire a ring made -from a piece of silver collected at the Communion is supposed to be a cure -for convulsions and fits of every kind. If collected on Easter Sunday its -efficacy is greatly increased. Silver is not considered necessary in -Devonshire, where a ring is preferred made out of three nails or screws -that have been used to fasten a coffin, and that have been dug out of the -churchyard. It is curious to notice that, according to Pliny, the ancients -believed that a nail drawn out of a sepulchre and placed on the threshold -of a bed-chamber door would drive away phantoms in the night. - -In Lucian's 'Philopseudes' one of the interlocutors states 'that since an -Arabian had presented him with a ring made of iron taken from the gallows, -together with a written charm, he had ceased to be afraid of the -demoniacs, who had been healed by a Syrian in Palestine.' - -In the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for 1794 we are told that a silver ring will -cure fits when it is made from five sixpences collected from as many -bachelors, to be conveyed by the hands of a bachelor to a smith that is a -bachelor. None of the persons who gave the sixpences were to know for what -purpose, or to whom they gave them. The 'London Medical and Physical -Journal' for 1815 notices a charm _successfully_ employed in the cure of -epilepsy, after the failure of various medical means. It consisted of a -silver ring contributed by twelve young women, and was to be constantly -worn on one of the fingers of the patient. - -In 'Notes and Queries' (vol. i. 2nd series, p. 331) we find a -Gloucestershire ring prescription for epilepsy, which shows the -persistence of credulity even in the present enlightened period. 'The -curate of Hasfield, going into the house of a parishioner whose daughter -was afflicted with epileptic fits, was accosted by the mother of the -damsel in a most joyous tone: "Oh! sir, Emma has got her ring." The good -curate, fearing that the poor girl might have stooped to folly, and that -this was an intimation that her swain intended to make an honest woman of -her, sought an explanation, which was afforded in the following -prescription:--"Why, you see, sir, our Emma has been long troubled with -the fits, and she went to the church door, and asked a penny from every -unmarried man that went in, till she got twenty-four. She then took them -to a silversmith in Gloucester, who promised to get them changed for -'Sacrament' money (which he said he could easily do, as he knew one of the -cathedral clergy). And with that money, sir, he made her a silver ring, -and Emma is wearing it, and has not had a fit since."' - -In Somersetshire it is a popular belief that the ring-finger, stroked -along any sore or wound, will soon heal it. All the other fingers would -poison the finger instead of healing it. It is still an article of belief -in some persons that there is virtue enough in a gold ring to remove a -stye from the eye, if it be rubbed with it. - -Although silver appears to be the happy medium chiefly in these wonderful -cures, yet we are told that Paracelsus had a ring made of a variety of -metallic substances, which he called electrum, and which not only cured -epilepsy, but almost every other complaint. - -At the meeting of the 'Society of Antiquaries' (June 12, 1873) a very -interesting collection of so-called Tau (T) rings were exhibited by -Octavius Morgan, Esq., F.R.S., F.S.A. These, bearing the mystical emblem -of the T (tau), are by no means of frequent occurrence, and it is not -likely that so many were ever brought together before. The tau was early -esteemed a sacred symbol, and was considered to be the mark placed on the -forehead, as mentioned in the Bible. 'I have,' remarks Mr. Morgan, 'in my -collection a champlevé enamel of the thirteenth century, where the "man in -the linen garment," as mentioned in Ezekiel ix., is represented marking -the T on the forehead of the faithful children of Israel. A mystical -virtue was attached to this T, and, in company with the word -ANANIZAPTA--which, being faithfully translated from the Chaldee, according -to the Rev. C. W. King, means, "Have mercy on us, O Judge"--was thought a -most powerful prophylactic against epilepsy.' - -A description of these curious rings will be found in the 'Proceedings of -the Society' (vol. vi. No. 1, pp. 51, 53). - -A toadstone ring (the fossil palatal tooth of a species of Ray) was -supposed to protect new-born children and their mothers from the power of -the fairies; and this continued a late-day superstition, for Joanna -Baillie, in a letter to Sir Walter Scott, mentions one having been -repeatedly borrowed from her mother for that purpose. It was believed also -to be a specific in cases of diseased kidney, when immersed in water which -was drunk by the patient. - -In the inventory of the Duke de Berry is mentioned 'une crapaudine assize -en un annel d'or;' also, in the inventory of the Duke of Burgundy, we find -'deux crapaudines, l'une en ung anneau d'or, l'autre en ung anneau -d'argent.' These were highly esteemed for their magical properties, as I -have remarked, and were probably also worn to prevent the administration -of poison, being supposed to indicate its presence by perspiring and -changing colour. Fenton, who wrote in 1569, says, 'Being used in rings -they give forewarning of venom.' In Ben Jonson's 'Fox' (ii. 5) it is thus -alluded to:-- - - Were you enamoured on his copper rings, - His saffron jewel, with the toadstone in't? - -Lupton, in his 'Thousand Notable Things,' says that the stone (which, -according to Fenton, was most commonly found in the head of a he-toad) was -not easily attained, for the toad 'envieth so much that man should have -that stone. To know whether the stone called _crapaudina_ be the right or -perfect stone or not, hold the stone before a toad so that he may see it, -and, if it be a right and true stone, the toad will leap towards it, and -make as though he would snatch it from you.' - -[Illustration: Silver toadstone ring (fifteenth century).] - -An ingenious method of obtaining the stone is given by the same writer: -'Put a great or overgrown toad (first bruised in divers places) into an -earthen pot; put the same into an ant's hillock, and cover the same with -earth, which toad at length the ants will eat, so that the bones of the -toad and stone will be left in the pot.' A mediæval author, however, -states that the stone should be obtained while the toad is living, and -this may be done by simply placing upon him a piece of scarlet cloth, -'wherewithal they are much delighted, so that, while they stretch out -themselves as it were in sport upon that cloth, they cast out the stone of -their head, but instantly they sup it up again, unless it be taken from -them through some secret hole in the same cloth.' - -The scarlet, however did not always perform this miracle, for Boethius -relates how he watched a whole night an old toad he had laid on a red -cloth to see him cast forth the stone, but the toad was stubborn, and left -him nothing to 'gratify the great pangs of his whole night's -restlessness.' - -The Londesborough Collection contains two remarkable specimens of rings -connected with toad superstition, thus described by Mr. Fairholt: 'The -first is of mixed metal, gilt, having upon it the figure of a toad -swallowing a serpent. There is a mediæval story of a necromancer -introducing himself to another professor of magic by showing him a -serpent-ring, upon which the latter, who did not desire anyone to -interfere with his practice, produced his toadstone ring, observing that -the toad might swallow the serpent, thereby intimating his power to -overcome him. The second ring is curious, not only as containing the true -toad-stone, but the stone is embossed with the figure of a toad, according -to the description of Albertus Magnus, who describes the most valuable -variety of this coveted gem as having the figure of the reptile engraved -on it.' - -[Illustration: Toadstone rings.] - -Prætorius mentions that a member of the German house of Alveschleben -received a ring from a 'Nixe' to which the future fortunes of his line -were to be attached. - -The turquoise ring of Shylock, which he would not have given for a -'wilderness of monkeys' ('Merchant of Venice,' scene i.), was probably -more esteemed for its secret virtues than from any commercial value, the -turquoise, turkise, or turkey-stone having, from remote periods, been -supposed to possess talismanic properties. Fenton, in his 'Secret Wonders -of Nature' (1569), thus describes the stone: 'The turkeys doth move when -there is any peril prepared to him that weareth it.' - -Dr. Donne alludes to - - A compassionate turquoise, that doth tell, - By looking pale, the wearer is not well. - -Among the virtues of the turquoise is one which would spare us the shame -of a divorce-court, as it was believed to take away all enmity, and to -reconcile man and wife. Holinshed, speaking of the death of King John, -says: 'And when the king suspected them (the pears) to be poisoned indeed, -by reason of such precious stones as he had about him cast forth a certain -_sweat_, as it were bewraeing the poison, &c.' The turquoise was a -supposed monitor of poison from this circumstance. - -'With the Germans the turquoise is still the gem appropriated to the ring, -the "gage d'amour," presented by the lover on the acceptance of his suit, -the permanence of its colour being believed to depend upon the constancy -of his affection. Inasmuch as this stone is almost as liable to change, -and as capriciously as the heart itself, the omen it gives is verified -with sufficient frequency to maintain its reputation for infallibility' -(The Rev. C. W. King, on 'Precious Stones,' &c.). - -Camillus Leonardus, in the 'Mirror of Stones,' describes the _carbuncle_ -as 'brandishing its fiery rays on every side, and in the dark appearing -like a fiery coal. It is esteemed the first among burning gems.' - -The ancients supposed this stone to give out a native light without -reflection, and they ranked it fifth in order, after diamonds, emeralds, -opals, and pearls. The virtue of the carbuncle was to drive away poisonous -air, repress luxury, and preserve the health of the body. The wonderful -light emitted from the stone is one of the most prolific resources of -romance among old writers. - -Shakspeare alludes to the superstition in 'Titus Andronicus' (Act ii. sc. -4). - - _Martius._ Lord Bassianus lies embruèd here - All on a heap, like to a slaughtered lamb, - In this detested, dark, blood-drinking pit. - _Quintus._ If it be dark, how dost thou know 'tis he? - _Martius._ Upon his bloody finger he doth wear - A precious ring that lightens all the hole, - Which, like a taper in some monument, - Doth shine upon the dead man's earthy cheeks, - And shows the rugged entrails of the pit. - -Ben Jonson and Drayton also refer to the same superstition. - -The change of colours[41] in stones, portent of evil, was a deep-set -superstition in most parts of the world. In the Scotch ballad of 'Hynd -Horn' we find:-- - - And she gave to me a gay gold ring - With a hey lillelu and a how lo lau, - With three shining diamonds set therein, - And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie. - - * * * * * - - What if these diamonds lose their hue, - With a hey lillelu and a how lo lau, - Just when my love begins for to rew, - And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie. - - For when your ring turns pale and wan - With a hey lillelu and a how lo lau, - Then I'm in love with another man, - And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie. - - * * * * * - - Seven long years he has been on the sea, - With a hey lillelu and a how lo lau, - And Hynd Horn has looked how his ring may be, - And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie. - - But when he looked this ring upon, - With a hey lillelu and a how lo lau, - The shining diamonds were pale and wan, - And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie. - - Oh! the ring it was both black and blue, - With a hey lillelu and a how lo lau, - And she's either dead or she's married, - And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie. - -A curious passage occurs in a letter addressed by Lord Chancellor Hatton -to Sir Thomas Smith, preserved among the Harleian MSS., relating to an -epidemic then prevailing: 'I am likewise bold to commend my humble duty to -our dear mistress (Queen Elizabeth) by this letter and ring, which hath -the virtue to expel infectious airs, and is (as it letteth me) to be worn -between the sweet duggs, the chaste nest of pure constancy (!). I trust, -sir, when the virtue is known it shall not be refused for the value.' - -'Medijcinable' rings for the cure of the falling sickness and the cramp -are mentioned in the Household Books of Henry IV. and Edward IV.; the -metal they were composed of was what formed the King's offering to the -Cross on Good Friday, that day being appointed for the blessing of the -rings. - -The following entry occurs in the account of the seventh and eighth years -of Henry IV. (1406). 'In oblacionibus domini regis factis adorando crucem -in capella infra manerium suum de Eltham, die parasceves, in precio trium -nobilium auri, et v. solidorum sterlyng, xxv. s.' - -'In denariis solutis pro eisdem oblacionibus reassumptis, pro annulis -medicinalibus inde faciendis, xxv. s.' - -A ring considered to possess some healing or talismanic virtues was also -termed, in mediæval Latin, _vertuosus_. Thus Thomas de Hoton, rector of -Kyrkebymisperton, 1351, bequeathed to his chaplain 'j. zonam de serico, j. -bonam bursam, j. firmaculum, et j. anulum vertuosum. Item, domino Thome de -Bouthum, j. par de bedes de corall, j. annulum vertuosum.' - -Andrew Boorde, who lived in the reign of Henry VIII., alluding to the -cramp-rings, says, in his 'Introduction to Knowledge,' the 'Kynges of -England doth halow every yere crampe rynges, ye whych rynges worn on one's -finger doth helpe them whych have the crampe.' And, again, in his -'Breviary of Health' (1557), he writes: 'The kynge's majesty hath a great -helpe in this matter in halowynge crampe rings, and so given without money -or petition, ye which rynges worne on one's finger doth helpe them,' &c. -This ceremonial was practised by previous sovereigns. Hospinian gives an -account of the proceedings, and states that they took place on Good -Friday, and originated from the famous 'pilgrim' ring of King Edward the -Confessor. According to tradition the sapphire in the British crown came -from this ring, the possession of which gave English sovereigns the power -of procuring an efficacious blessing to the cramp-rings. Gardiner, in -1529, received a number of cramp-rings to distribute among the English -embassage to the Pope, 'the royal fingers pouring such virtue into the -metal that no disorder could resist it.'[42] - -[Illustration: Silver Cramp-ring.] - -The superstitious belief in the efficacy of cramp-rings was by no means, -as we have seen, confined to the ignorant and uneducated classes; even -Lord Berners, ambassador to the Emperor Charles V., writing to 'my Lord -Chancellor's Grace' from Saragossa (June 30, 1518), says, 'If your Grace -remember me with some crampe-ryngs, ye shall doe a thing muche looked for, -and I trust to bestowe theym well, with Goddes grace, who evermore -preserve and increase your most reverent estate.' - -The late Cardinal Wiseman ('Notes and Queries,' vol. vii., 1st series, p. -89) had in his possession a manuscript containing both the ceremony for -the blessing of the cramp-rings, and that for the touching for the King's -evil. At the commencement of the manuscript are emblazoned the arms of -Philip and Mary. The first ceremony is headed 'Certain Prayers to be used -by the Quene's Heignes in the Consecration of the Crampe-rynges.' -Accompanying it is an illumination, representing the queen kneeling, with -a dish containing the rings to be blessed on each side of her. The second -Ceremony is entitled 'The ceremonye for ye Heling of them that be diseased -with the Kynge's Evill.' This manuscript was exhibited at a meeting of the -Archæological Institute, June 6, 1851. - -In Burnet (vol. ii. p. 266 of 'Records') there is the whole Latin formula -of the consecration of the cramp-rings. It commences with the psalm 'Deus -misereatur nostri.' Then follows a prayer invoking the aid of the Holy -Spirit: the rings then lying in one basin or more, a prayer was said over -them, from which we learn that the rings were made of metal, and were to -expel all living venom of serpents. The rings were then blessed with an -invocation to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and signed frequently -with the cross. In the last benediction the prayer is made 'that the rings -may restore contracted nerves.' A psalm of benediction follows, and a -prayer against the frauds of devils. 'The Queen's Highness then rubbeth -the rings between her hands, saying the prayer implying that as her hands -rub the rings, the virtue of the holy oil wherewith she was anointed might -be infused into their metal, and, by the grace of God, might be -efficacious.' The remainder of the curious ceremony concluded with holy -water being poured into the basin with further prayers. This ceremonial -was practised by previous sovereigns, and discontinued by Edward VI. Queen -Mary intended to revive it, and, in all probability, did so, from the -manuscript to which I have alluded as having belonged to the late Cardinal -Wiseman.[43] - -The annexed cut represents a cramp-ring of lead, simply cast in a mould, -and sold cheap for the use of the commonalty. It belongs to the fourteenth -century. - -[Illustration: Lead Cramp-ring.] - -A curious remnant or corruption of the use of cramp-rings at the present -time is noticed by Mr. Rokewode, who says that in Suffolk the use of -cramp-rings as a preventive against fits is not entirely abandoned: -'Instances occur where young men of a parish each subscribe a crooked -sixpence to be moulded into a ring for a young woman afflicted with that -malady.' - -The use of galvanic rings for the cure of rheumatism belongs to our own -time, and is by no means extinct; however, we have no right to class this -practice among our superstitions. After all, faith works wonders! - -Particular rings were worn on certain days from superstitious motives; -thus in the inventory of Charles V., in 1379, a ring with a cameo -representing a Christian subject is thus described:--'annel des vendredis, -lequel est néellé et y est la croix double noire de chacun costé, où il y -a ung crucifix d'un camayeux, Saint Jean et Notre-Dame, et deux angeloz -sur les bras de la croix, et le porte le roy continuellement les -vendredis.' - -Evil portents with regard to rings prevailed in the reign of Elizabeth. -The queen's coronation-ring, which she had worn constantly since her -inauguration, having grown into her finger, necessitated the ring being -filed off, and this was regarded as an unfavourable augury by many, who, -doubtless, attributed any untoward event that occurred at this period to -an omen. Few were more credulous in such matters than the strong-minded -(in most respects) queen herself, who was a firm believer in the still -popular superstition of 'good luck.' - -Long after this period, however, there were not wanting believers in the -supernatural efficacy of charmed rings; there was even a charge against -the Puritans of having contributed to foster the popular delusion. In the -'Scourge,' a series of weekly papers which appeared between 1717 and 1718, -alluding to May 29, the writer says of the Roundheads: 'Yet these priests -of Baal had so poisoned the minds of the populace with such delusive -enchantments that from rings, bodkins, and thimbles, like the Israelitish -calf of gold, would start up a troop of horse to reinforce the saints.' - -Even to a comparatively late period the belief in the Gnostic amulets was -current in our own country. Immediately after the battle of Culloden the -baggage of Prince Charles Edward fell into the hands of the Duke of -Cumberland's army, and many private and curious articles came into the -possession of General Belford--amongst others a stone set in silver -attached to a ring, which probably the superstitious Prince may have -obtained on the Continent as a charm, and carried it as a protection in -the hazardous enterprise in which he was engaged. It was a ruby -blood-stone, having on one face the figure of Mars, with the inscription -beside it, I A _w_. On the other face was a female naked figure, probably -Isis, with the inscription, A T I T A. - -The ancient superstition of securing the favour of the great by wearing -certain precious stones appears in the East by the aid of a talismanic -ring--simply, however, of silver, without the assistance of a jewel. In -Herbelot's 'Customs of the Mussulmans of India' a formula is given for the -making of these rings: 'Should anyone desire to make princes and grandees -subject and obedient to his will he must have a silver ring made, with a -small square tablet fixed on it, upon which is to be engraved the number -that the letters composing the _ism_ represent, which in this case is -2.613. This number by itself, or added to that of its two demons, 286 and -112, and its genius, 1,811--amounting in all to 4,822--must be formed into -a magic square of the _solacee_ or _robace_ kind, and engraved. When the -ring is thus finished, he is, for a week, to place it before him, and -daily, in the morning and in the evening, to repeat the _ism_ five -thousand times, and blow on it. When the whole is concluded he is to wear -the ring on the little finger of the right hand.' - -The losing of a ring given as a pledge of affection was considered in -former times, as it is not unfrequently now, to be an omen of mishap. The -widow of Viscount Dundee, the famous Claverhouse, was met and wooed at -Colzium House, in Stirlingshire, by William Livingstone (afterwards -Viscount Kilsyth). As a pledge of his love he presented her with a ring, -which she lost, next day, in the garden; and this giving rise to sad -presentiments, a large reward was offered for its finding and restoration. -Strange it may seem, but Lady Kilsyth was killed in Holland with her -infant, by the fall of a house, and their bodies were brought to Scotland -and interred at Kilsyth. In 1796 the tenant of the garden in which the -ring was lost discovered it, when digging for potatoes, in a clod of -earth. At first he regarded it as a bauble, but the moment the inscription -became apparent the tradition came fresh to his recollection, and he found -it was the identical ring of Lady Kilsyth. It was of gold and about the -value of ten shillings; nearly the breadth of a straw, and without any -stone. The external surface is ornamented with a wreath of myrtle, and on -the internal surface is the legend: 'Zovrs onlly & euver.' This ring came -into the possession of the Edmonstone family. - -In Sir John Bramstone's autobiography (1631) it is related that his -stepmother dropped her wedding-ring off her finger into the sea, near the -shore, when she pulled off her glove. She would not go home without the -ring, 'it being the most unfortunate that could befall anyone to lose the -wedding ring.' Happily for her comfort, the ring was found. - -Rings _bursting_ on the fingers, as an ill-omen, is thus alluded to in the -Scotch ballad of 'Lammilsin': - - * * * - - The Lord sat in England - A drinking the wine. - - I wish a may be weel - Wi' my lady at hame; - For the rings of my fingers - They're now burst in twain. - -In the 'State Trials' (vol. xiv., Case of Mary Norkott and John Okeman) is -a curious instance of superstition connected with the marriage-ring. It -was a case of murder, and the victim, at the touch of the person accused -of the crime, 'thrust out the ring or marriage-finger three times, and -pulled it in again, and the finger dropped blood upon the grass.' Sir -Nicholas Hyde said to the witness: 'Who saw this beside you?' The answer -was: 'I cannot swear what others saw; but, my Lord, I do believe the whole -company saw it, and if it had been thought a doubt, proof would have been -made of it, and many would have attested with me.' - -The breaking of a ring was of ominous import. Atkinson, in his 'Memoirs of -the Queen of Prussia,' says: 'The betrothal of the young couple (Frederic -and Sophia Charlotte, first King and Queen of Prussia) speedily followed. -I believe it was during the festivities attendant upon this occasion that -a ring worn by Frederic, in memory of his deceased wife, with the device -of clasped hands, and the motto "_à jamais_," suddenly broke, which was -looked upon as an omen that this union, likewise, was to be of short -duration.' - -The breaking of a wedding-ring is still regarded in some parts of England -as an import that its wearer will soon be a widow. A correspondent of -'Notes and Queries' found this superstition current in Essex a few years -ago. A man had been murdered in that county, and his widow said: 'I -thought I should soon lose him, for I broke my wedding-ring the other day, -and my sister lost her husband after breaking her ring. It is a sure -sign'! - -It was an olden superstition that the bending of the leaves to the right -or to the left of the orpine plants, or _Mid-summer men_, as they were -called (_Telephium_), would never fail to tell whether a lover was true or -false. In an old poem, the 'Cottage Girl,' we find:-- - - Oft on the shrub she casts her eye, - That spoke her true love's secret sigh; - Or else, alas, too plainly told - Her true love's faithless heart was cold. - -In 1801 a small gold ring was exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries -(found in a ploughed field near Cawood, in Yorkshire) which had for a -device two orpine plants joined by a true-love knot, with a motto above: -'_ma fiance velt_,' my sweetheart wills, or is desirous. The stalks of the -plants were bent to each other, in token that the parties represented by -them were to come together in marriage. The motto under the ring was: -'_Joye l'amour feu_.' From the form of the letters it appeared to have -been a ring of the fifteenth century. - -The ring conferring divination powers on the wedding-cake is thus alluded -to in the 'St. James's Chronicle' (1799):-- - - Enlivening source of Hymeneal mirth, - All hail the blest receipt that gave thee birth! - Though Flora culls the fairest of her bowers, - And strews the path of Hymen with her flowers, - Nor half the raptures give her scatter'd sweets, - The _Cake_ far kinder gratulation meets. - The bridesmaid's eyes with sparkling glances beam, - She views the cake, and greets the promised dream; - For, when endowed with necromantic spell, - She knows what wondrous things the cake will tell. - When from the altar comes the pensive bride, - With downcast looks, her partner at her side, - Soon from the ground these thoughtful looks arise - To meet the cake that gayer thoughts supplies. - With her own hands she charms each destined slice, - _And through the ring repeats the trebled thrice_. - The hallow'd ring, infusing magic power, - Bids Hymen's visions wait the midnight hour; - The mystic treasure placed beneath her head - Will tell the fair if haply she will wed. - These mysteries portentous lie conceal'd - Till Morpheus calls and bids them stand reveal'd; - The future husband that night's dream will bring, - Whether a parson, soldier, beggar, king, - As partner of her life the fair must take, - Irrevocable doom of Bridal-cake. - -Rowe, in his 'Happy Village' (1796), says 'the wedding-cake now through -the ring was led.' - -The connection between the bride-cake and wedding-ring is strongly marked -in the following custom, still retained in Yorkshire, where the former is -cut into little square pieces, thrown over the bridegroom and bride's -head, and then put through the ring. - -In the North slices of the bride-cake are put through the wedding-ring, -and they are afterwards laid under the pillows at night to cause young -persons to dream of their lovers. Douce's manuscript notes say: 'This is -not peculiar to the north of England, but seems to prevail generally; the -pieces of cake must be drawn nine times through the wedding-ring.' - -In Brand's 'Popular Antiquities' we read: 'Many married women are so -rigid, not to say superstitious, in their notions concerning their -wedding-rings, that neither when they wash their hands, nor at any other -time, will they take the ring off the finger; extending, it should seem, -the expression of "till death do us part" even to this golden circlet, the -token and pledge of matrimony.' There is an old proverb on the subject of -wedding-rings, which has, no doubt, been many a time quoted for the -purpose of encouraging and hastening the consent of a diffident or -timorous mistress:-- - - As your wedding-ring wears, - Your cares will wear away. - -A charm-divination on October 6, St. Faith's day, is still in use in the -north of England. A cake of flour, spring water, salt, and sugar, is made -by three girls, each having an equal hand in the composition. It is then -baked in a Dutch oven, silence being strictly preserved, and turned thrice -by each person. When it is well baked it must be divided into three equal -parts, and each girl must cut her share into nine pieces, drawing every -piece through a wedding-ring which has been borrowed from a woman who has -been married seven years. Each girl must eat her pieces of cake while she -is undressing, and repeat the following verses:-- - - O good St. Faith, be kind to-night, - And bring to me my heart's delight; - Let me my future husband view, - And be my visions chaste and true. - -All three must then get into one bed, with the ring suspended by a string -to the head of the couch. They will then dream of their future husbands. - -A very singular divination practised at the period of the harvest-moon is -thus described in an old chap-book: 'When you go to bed place under your -pillow a Prayer-book open at the part of the Matrimonial Service, "With -this ring I thee wed;" place on it a key, a _ring_, a flower, and a sprig -of willow, a small heart-cake, a crust of bread, and the following cards: -the ten of clubs, nine of hearts, ace of spades, and the ace of diamonds. -Wrap all these in a thin handkerchief of gauze or muslin, and on getting -into bed cross your hands and say:-- - - Luna, every woman's friend, - To me thy goodness condescend; - Let me this night in visions see - Emblems of my destiny. - -If you dream of storms, trouble will betide you; if the storm ends in a -fine calm, so will your fate; if of a _ring_, or the ace of diamonds, -marriage; bread, an industrious life; cake, a prosperous life; flowers, -joy; willow, treachery in love; spades, death; diamonds, money; clubs, a -foreign land; hearts, base children; keys, that you will rise to great -trust and power, and never know want; birds, that you will have many -children; and geese, that you will marry more than once.' - -There is an old superstition on the colours of stones in 'keepsake' -rings:-- - - Oh, green is forsaken - And yellow's forsworn, - But blue is the prettiest colour that's worn. - -A correspondent of 'Notes and Queries' observes that in the district about -Burnley it is common to put the wedding-ring into the posset, and, after -serving it out, the unmarried person whose cup contains the ring will be -the first of the company to be married. - -In Ireland it is a popular belief that finding the ring in a piece of -Michaelmas pie would ensure the maiden possessor an early marriage. - -The following notice of an advertisement is extracted from an Oxford paper -of 1860, and republished in 'Notes and Queries' (3rd series, vol. x. p. -19): 'IMPORTANT NOTICE!--The largest cake ever made in Oxford, weighing -upward of 1,000 pounds, and containing 30 gold wedding and other rings, in -value from 7_s._ 6_d._ to Two Guineas each! To be seen for sale at No. 1 -Queen Street, Oxford, from Thursday, December 27th, until Saturday, -January 5th, 1861, when it will be cut out at the low price of 1_s._ 2_d._ -per pound (this quality frequently sold for wedding-cake). Persons at a -distance desirous of purchasing may rely upon prompt attention being given -to their favours. - -'N.B.--J. Boffin will feel obliged if persons obtaining the gold rings -will favour him with their names.' - -A wide-spread superstition or fancy prevails with regard to the use of a -gold ring at weddings. Mr. Wood, in his 'Wedding Day in all Ages and -Countries,' observes 'that the Irish peasantry have a general impression -that a marriage without the use of a gold ring is not legal. At a town in -the south-east of Ireland, a person kept a few gold wedding-rings for -hire, and when parties who were too poor to purchase a ring of the -necessary precious metal were about to be married, they obtained the loan -of one, and paid a small fee for the same, the ring being returned to the -owner immediately after the ceremony. In some places it is common for the -same ring to be used for many marriages, which ring remains in the custody -of the priest.' - -Mr. Jeaffreson says: 'I have known labourers of the eastern counties of -England express their faith in the mystic efficacy of the golden arrabo in -language that in the seventeenth century would have stirred Puritan -auditors to denounce the Satanic bauble and its worshippers with godly -fervour.' - -Pegge, in his 'Curialia,' alludes to the superstition that a wedding-ring -of gold rubbed on a stye upon the eyelid was a sovereign remedy, but it -required to be rubbed _nine_ times. - -Mr. W. R. S. Ralston, in his 'Songs of the Russians,' mentions some -curious superstitions in connexion with rings in that country. - -A custom exists in Russia of catching rain that falls during a -thunderstorm in a basin, at the bottom of which rain has been placed. In -the Riazan Government, water that has been dropped through a wedding-ring -is supposed to have certain merits as a lotion; and at a Little-Russian -marriage the bride is bound to give the bridegroom to drink from a cup of -wine in which a ring has been put. From the mention of a ring made in the -'Dodola Songs,' and in others referring to storm and rain, it is supposed -that a golden ring, in mythical language, is to be taken as a -representation of the lightning's heavenly gold. - -In the olden time the celestial divinities were supposed to be protectors -and favourers of marriage, and the first nuptial crown was attributed to -that heavenly framer of all manner of implements who forged the first -plough for man. And so, in some of the songs, a prayer is offered up to a -mysterious smith, beseeching him to construct a golden nuptial crown, and -out of the fragments of it to make a wedding-ring, and a pin with which to -fasten the bridal veil. - - There comes a Smith from the Forge, _Glory!_ - The Smith carries three hammers, _Glory!_ - Smith, Smith, forge me a crown, _Glory!_ - Forge me a crown both golden and new, _Glory!_ - Forge from the remnants a golden ring, _Glory!_ - And from the chips a pin, _Glory!_ - In that crown will I be wedded, _Glory!_ - With that ring will I be betrothed, _Glory!_ - With that pin will I fasten the nuptial kerchief, _Glory!_ - -When a lover leaves his mistress for a time, he gives her a golden ring -(_pérsten'_, a signet-ring, or one set with gems--from _perst_, a finger) -and receives from her a gold ring in exchange (_Kol' tsë_, a plain circlet -like our own wedding-ring, from _Kolo_, a circle). - - It is not a falcon flying across the sky, - It is not a falcon scattering blue feathers, - But a brave youth galloping along the road, - Forth from his bright eyes pouring bitter tears. - He has parted from his own, - The Lower River track, through which, - In all her beauty, Mother Volga flows. - He has parted from the maiden fair, - And with her as a token left - A costly diamond ring; - And from her has he taken in exchange - A plighting ring of gold. - And while exchanging gifts thus has he spoken: - 'Forget me not, my dear one, - Forget me not, my loved companion. - Often, often gaze upon my ring; - Often, often will I kiss thy circlet, - Pressing it to my beating heart, - Remembering thee, my own. - _If ever I think of another love, - The golden circlet will unclasp; - Shouldst thou to another suitor yield, - From the ring the diamond will fall._' - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -SECULAR INVESTITURE BY THE RING. - - -The investiture of our English sovereigns _per annulum_, or by the ring, -is an important part of our present coronation ceremonial. On this august -occasion the master of the Jewel-House delivers the ring (which is of -plain gold, with a large table ruby, on which the cross of St. George is -engraved), to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who places it on the fourth -finger of the sovereign's right hand, saying: 'Receive this ring, the -ensign of kingly dignity and of defence of the catholic faith, that as you -are this day consecrated head of the kingdom and people, so, rich in -faith, and abounding in good works, you may reign with Him who is King of -kings, to whom be glory and honour for ever and ever, Amen.' - -Of the intrinsic value ascribed to the coronation ring we have an instance -recorded in the life of James II. He was detained by the fishermen of -Sheerness in his first attempt to escape from England in 1688; the -particulars are related in his 'Memoirs:' 'The King kept the diamond -bodkin which he had of the queen's, and the _coronation ring_, which, for -more security, he put into his drawers. The captain, it appeared, was well -acquainted with the dispositions of his crew one of whom cried out "It is -Father Petre--I know him by his lantern jaws;" a second called him an old -"hatchet-faced Jesuit;" and a third, "a cunning old rogue, he would -warrant him!"; for, some time after he was gone, and, probably by his -order, several seamen entered the King's cabin, saying they must search -him and the gentlemen, believing that they had not given up all their -money. The King and his companions told them that they were at liberty to -do so, thinking that their readiness would induce them not to persist; but -they were mistaken; the sailors began their search with a roughness and -rudeness which proved they were accustomed to the employment. At last one -of them, feeling about the King's knee, got hold of the diamond bodkin, -and cried out, with the usual oath, he had found a prize; but the King -boldly declared he was mistaken. He had, indeed, scissors, a tooth-pick -case, and little keys in his pocket, and what was felt was undoubtedly one -of these articles. The man still seemed incredulous, and rudely thrust his -hand into the King's pocket; but in his haste he lost hold of the diamond -bodkin, and, finding the things the King mentioned, remained satisfied it -was so; by this means the bodkin and ring were preserved.' - -The ring is said to have been a favourite one of the unfortunate Mary, -Queen of Scots, and was sent by her, at her death, to James I., through -whom it came into the possession of Charles I., and on his execution was -transmitted by Bishop Juxon to his son. It afterwards came into the hands -of George IV., with other relics belonging to Cardinal York. - -This ring is mentioned in the 'Inventory of the Goods and Chattels -belonging to King James the Second,' taken July 22, 1703: 'one ruby ring, -having a cross engraved on it, with which the late king was crowned,' and -is valued at 1,500_l._ In Leland's 'Collectanea,' in describing the -ceremonies made use of at the coronation of the mother of Henry VIII., it -states that the archbishop 'next _blest_ her ring, and sprinkled on it -holy water.' - -In the coronation of the kings of France the ring was first blessed by the -officiating archbishop, who, seated with the mitre on his head, placed it -on the fourth finger of the right hand of the monarch, using a nearly -similar form of benediction to that practised at the coronations of our -own sovereigns.[44] - -In the curious account of the coronation of Louis XIII. of France, -preserved in a chronicle of his reign, it mentions: 'The royal ring being -blessed by the Cardinal de Joyeuse (who officiated for the Archbishop of -Rheims), a symbol of love, whereby the King was wedded to his realm, he -placed it on the fourth finger of His Majesty's right hand, for a mark of -the sovereign power.' - -Kirchmann states that at the coronation of Ferdinand III. at Ratisbon, in -1616, a few years before he wrote, the Archbishop and Elector of Maintz, -having received from the altar a very precious ring, placed it on the -finger of the Emperor, with these words: 'Accipe regiæ dignitatis annulum, -et per hoc Catholicæ fidei cognosce signaculum, et ud hodie ordinaris -caput et princeps regni et populi, ita perseverabilis auctor et stabilitor -Christianitatis et Christianæ fidei fias, ut feliciter in opere cum Rege -regum glorioris per eum, cui est honor et gloria, per infinita secula -seculorum.--Amen.' - -The typical meaning of the royal investiture by the ring is the union of -the sovereign with his people, whom he is supposed to espouse at this -solemnity, and in this sense some older writers have called it 'the -wedding ring of England.' - -The ring worn by the queen-consorts of Great Britain at their coronation -was of gold with a large table ruby set therein, and small rubies set -round about the ring, of which those next the setting were the largest, -the rest diminishing in proportion. Queen Mary Beatrice, consort of James -the II., wore a ring of this description to her dying day, and nothing -during her misfortune could ever induce her to part with it.[45] - -That the ring was considered an indication of sovereign will from the -earliest times, we have proofs, as I have mentioned, in the Holy -Scriptures. So Alexander the Great, on his death-bed, on being asked to -whom he would leave the kingdom, answered, to the most worthy, and gave -his ring, when speechless, to Perdiccas. The Emperor Tiberius, on the -point of death, took his ring from his finger, and held it a short time, -as though intending to give it to some one, as his successor; he however, -put it on again, and became insensible. Recovering at length, he found -that his ring had been taken from him, and demanded it, upon which his -attendants smothered him with the cushions. - -The Emperor Valerian gave a ring with two precious stones to his successor -Claudius. The knights of ancient Rome were permitted to wear, as the -insignia of their rank, golden rings and collars. They were presented at -the public expense with a horse and gold ring. Offa, king of the East -Angles, is recorded to have appointed Edmund, the son of a kinsman, his -successor, by sending him the ring which he received at his own -coronation. The 'pilgrim-ring' of Edward the Confessor, to which I have -alluded in the chapter on 'Ring Superstitions,' was in after times -preserved with great care at his shrine in Westminster Abbey, and was used -at the investiture of subsequent sovereigns. - -The investiture of Prince Edmund, second son of King Henry III., as King -of Sicily, which took place in 1255, was performed at London by the Bishop -of Bononia, in the presence of the King, and a numerous assembly, by the -symbol of a ring, which the Pope had sent for that purpose. Henry is said -to have wept for joy, and sent the Pontiff immediately afterwards fifty -thousand marks, but this event led to the association of the barons -against the King and other great changes. - -In 1469, Charles of France having renounced the possession of the duchy of -Normandy, for which he received in exchange Guyenne, his ducal ring was -sent by Louis XI. to the exchequer at Rouen, where it was broken in two -pieces at a solemn assembly held for that purpose in the castle of -Bouvreuil, in the presence of the Constable of France, Louis de -Luxembourg. - -A papal investiture, by a ring, of a sovereign of England is recorded by -John of Salisbury, contemporary with Pope Adrian VIII., and who states -that the Pontiff ceded and gave to Henry II. the island of Ireland, in -hereditary succession, claiming, as his right to do so, the grant of -Constantine by which all islands belonged to the See of Rome. The Pope -sent a large gold ring, set with a fine emerald, as a mark of investiture, -and which, together with the bull, were deposited in the archives at -Winchester. Richard II. resigned the crown to Henry IV. by transferring to -him his ring. - -In subsequent ages, and within a few centuries of our time, we find the -royal power displayed significantly in the ring, which, in the instance I -mention, was truly a messenger of grace. Two Scotch burgesses in the -stormy days of Queen Mary had been condemned to death, but were reprieved -at the foot of the gallows by her Majesty. The messenger was sent in great -haste by the Earl of Bothwell, 'and presented the Queen's ring to the -provost's inspection for the safety of their lives.' This was considered a -sufficient indication of the royal clemency, and 'the revival' (observes -Knox, in his 'History of the Reformation in Scotland') 'of an ancient -custom practised by Scottish monarchs before the date of the earliest -sign-manual on record, when everything in Church and State were -represented in types and symbols.' - -Another interesting incident in connection with Mary, Queen of Scots, is -the ring with which she invested Darnley with the Dukedom of Albany. An -engraving and description of this ring will be found in the chapter on -'Remarkable Rings.' The infant James, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, was, a -few days after his baptism, invested with the ring and other insignia, as -Prince of Scotland, Duke of Rothsay, Earl of Carrick and Cunningham, and -Baron of Renfrew. The royal child sat in his mother's lap while a gold -ring was placed on his tiny finger. - -Among the insignia connected with the investiture of the Princes of Wales -is a ring. The earliest charter of creation known by Selden is that of -Edward III. to his son and heir-apparent, Edward, Duke of Cornwall, some -years after he was made Duke. This charter contains the particulars of the -ceremony of investiture with the coronal, the ring of gold, and the rod of -silver. In the letters patent issued by George I. (Sept. 22, 1714), -declaring his son George Augustus, Duke of Brunswick Lunenburgh, 'Prince -of Wales and Earl of Chester,' the investiture is thus described: -'Likewise, we invest him, the said Prince, with the aforesaid principality -and county, which he may continue to govern and protect; and we confirm -him in the same by these ensigns of honour--the girding of a sword, the -delivering of a cap and placing it on his head, _with a ring on his -finger_, and a golden staff in his hand, _according to custom_, to be -possessed by him and his heirs, Kings of Great Britain.'[46] - -The practice now is that the Prince of Wales is invested with the Earldom -of Chester by special patent, while he enjoys by a sort of hereditary -prescription certain other titular distinctions. In the patent of creation -of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (dated Dec. 8th, 1841), the Queen, in -the patent, states: 'We do ennoble (our most dear son) and invest with the -said principality and earldom, by girting him with a sword, by putting a -coronet on his head, and a gold ring on his finger, and also by delivering -a gold rod into his hand,' &c. - -According to French writers it was formerly a custom in that country to -give a marquis, on his elevation to that dignity, a ring set with the -ruby; a count received a diamond ring. - -The royal signet-ring in Anglo-Saxon times served as an authority in -law-suits about land. In the Cottonian MSS. (Aug. 2, p. 15), one charter -states that 'Wynfleth, to prove a gift of land by Alfrith, led witnesses -to the King, who sent a writ to Leofwin, and desired that men should be -summoned to the shire-gemot to try the case, and as an authority sent his -signet-ring to this gemot by an abbot and greeted all the witan.' - -The charters given by our early kings received the royal confirmation by -the ring: thus Richard Coeur-de-Lion, in a charter relating to the -exchange of Andeli, in Normandy, belonging to the clergy of Rouen, for -other properties, much to the advantage of the ecclesiastics, passed his -ring, in sign of investiture, in the silk threads suspended to the -parchment. This ring was still attached to the charter in 1666, as appears -in the 'Histoires des Archévèsques de Rouen' (p. 424), but has since -disappeared. M. Achille Deville, in his 'Histoire du Château-Gaillard,' -observes: 'Il n'est pas de fois que j'aye touché la charte de ce monarque -célèbre (et je l'ai eue souvent entre les mains), que la perte de ce -précieux anneau ne m'ait causé de cuisants régrets'--a regret which all -lovers of historic relics will fully share. - -'The ninth, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries,' says Willemin, 'offer -rings attached to diplomas, but it is questionable whether they served to -hold the place of the seal, or were simply marks of investiture; we know -that anciently the purchaser and recipient of a gift were put into -possession by a ring.' Dugdale states that 'Osbert de Camera, some time in -the twelfth century, being visited with great sickness, granted unto the -canons of St. Paul in pure alms for the health of his soul certain lands -and houses lying near Haggelane, in the parish of St. Benedict, giving -possession of them _with his gold ring_, wherein was set a ruby, -appointing that the said gold ring, together with his seal, should for -ever be fixed to the charter whereby he so disposed them.' From the same -source we are told that 'William de Belmers gave certain lands to St. -Paul's Cathedral, and at the same time directed that his gold ring, set -with a ruby, should, together with the seal, be affixed to the charter for -ever.' - -At a meeting of the Archæological Institute, in March 1850, Mr. W. Foulkes -exhibited a gold signet-ring, preserved by the family of J. Jones, Esq., -of Llanerchrwgog Hall, impressions of which are appended to deeds -concerning that property from the middle of the thirteenth century. The -impress is a monogram, meaning I and M (Iesus and Maria?), placed under a -crown. It has been supposed to be the ring of Madoc, one of the last -princes of Powis, and to have descended as a heir-loom, with lands granted -by them to the ancestors of Mr. Jones. - -A ruby ring is described as the 'Charter of Poynings,' in the will of Sir -Michael de Poynings, in 1386. Poynings, in the neighbourhood of Brighton, -was the seat of this ancient family from a period soon after the Conquest -till the year 1446, when the barony, owing to the marriage of the heiress, -merged into the earldom of Northumberland, and became extinct in 1679. -Michael de Poynings, a banneret under Edward III. at the battle of Crecy, -amongst other grants, left to his heir the ruby ring 'which is the -charter of my heritage of Poynings.' This ruby ring of inheritance, the -charter of the 'Sires of Ponynges,' came into possession of his son -Thomas, and then to his second son Richard. According to tradition the -famous Isabella de Fortibus, Countess of Devon, in the reign of Henry -III., settled the boundaries of certain disputed parishes by flinging her -ring into a marsh, hence called 'Ring in the Mire.' - -So late as the sixteenth century the conveyance of property by means of a -ring may be remarked in the following passage or item in the will of Anne -Barrett, of Bury, dated 1504, 'My maryeng ryng wt. all thynggs thereon.' -It is worthy of note that among the numerous kinds of evidence allowed in -courts of law to establish a pedigree, engravings on rings are admitted -upon the presumption that a person would not wear a ring with an error -upon it.[47] - -John O'Molony, Bishop of Limerick in 1687, who, after the siege of that -city, followed James II. to Paris, where he assisted in the foundation of -a University for the education of Irish priests, left a gold ring at his -death, which was to be sent to, and to denote, the head branch of the -family. This conferred the privilege to have any of the name of Molony -brought up as priests at the University, free of expense. - -The custom of serjeants presenting rings on taking the coif, has formed -the subject of some interesting notices in that valuable work 'Notes and -Queries.' Mr. Serjeant Wynne in his observations touching the antiquity -and dignity of serjeants-at-law (1765) remarks: 'The first introduction of -rings themselves on this occasion of making serjeants is as doubtful as -that of mottoes. They are taken notice of by Fortescue in the time of -Henry VI., and in the several regulations for general calls, in Henry -VIII. and Queen Elizabeth's time. Whatever is the antiquity of these -rings, that of mottoes seems to fall short of them at least a century. -That in the 19th and 20th Elizabeth (1576-77) may perhaps be the first, -because till that time they are no more mentioned. When Dugdale speaks of -the posies that were usual, he must be understood to speak of the usages -of his own time.' The motto which Serjeant Wynne notices as of the -earliest occurrence in 19th and 20th Elizabeth was 'Lex regis -præsidium.'[48] - -In the 'Diary of a Resident in London' (Henry Machyn, Camden Society) we -find that on October 17, 1552, 'was made vii serjants of the coyffe, who -gayf to (the judges) and the old serjants, and men of the law, rynges of -gold, every serjant gayf lyke rynges.' - -In the inventory of the effects of Henry Howard, K.G., Earl of Northampton -(1614), (Archæologia, vol. ii., part ii., page 350) we find 'v serjeantis -ringes waighinge one ounce, three quarters, four graines.' These were -presentations to him in his official capacity of Lord Privy Seal. - -Serjeant Wynne brings his list of the serjeants called down to the year -1765, and gives, in most cases, the mottoes, which were not confined, it -seems, to individuals, but adopted by the whole call. He remarks that in -late years they have been strictly classical in their phrase, and often -elegant in their application--whether in expressing the just idea of regal -liberty--in a wish for the preservation of the family, or in a happy -allusion to some public event, and, at the same time, a kind of prophetic -declaration of its success. In the same work will be found an account of -the expense and weight of the rings--that these matters were important -appears from an extract in 1 Modern Reports, case 30: 'Seventeen serjeants -being made the 14th day of November (1669?), a daye or two after, Serjeant -Powis, the junior of them all, coming to the King's Bench Bar, Lord Chief -Justice Kelynge told him 'that he had something to say to him,' viz., that -the rings which he and the rest of the serjeants had given weighed but -eighteen shillings apiece; whereas Fortescue, in his book "De Laudibus -Legum Angliæ," says "the rings given to the Chief Justices and to the -Chief Baron ought to weigh twenty shillings apiece," and that he spoke not -this expecting a recompense, but that it might not be drawn into a -precedent, and that the young gentlemen there might take notice of it.' - -With regard to the cost of the serjeants' rings, and the parties to whom -they are presented, Mr. Mackenzie Walcott, M.A., writes in 'Notes and -Queries' that on June 8, 1705, fifteen serjeants-at-law took the customary -oaths at the Chancery Bar, and delivered to the Lord Keeper a ring for the -Queen, and another to H.R.H. Prince George of Denmark, each ring being -worth 6_l._ 13_s._ 4_d._ The Lord Keeper, and the Lord Treasurer, Lord -Steward, Lord Privy Seal, Lord High Chamberlain, Master of the Household, -Lord Chamberlain, and the two Chief Justices, each received a ring of the -value of 18_s._; the Lord Chief Baron, the Master of the Rolls, the -Justices of either Bench, and two Chief Secretaries, each, one worth -16_s._; the Chief Steward and Comptroller, each a ring valued at 1_l._; -the Marshal, Warden of the Fleet, every Serjeant-at-law, the -Attorney-General and Solicitor-General, each a ring worth 12_s._; the -three Barons of Exchequer, one each of 10_s._; the two Clerks of the -Crown, the three Prothonotaries, the Clerks of the Warrants, the -Prothonotary of Queen's Bench, and the Chirographer, each a ring worth -5_s._; each Filazer and Exigenter, the Clerk of the Council, and the -Custom Brevium, each a ring that cost 2_s._ 6_d._ The motto on the rings -was 'Moribus, armis, legibus.' - -On the admission of fourteen serjeants in 1737, 1,409 rings were given -away, at a cost of 773_l._, and besides this number, others were made for -each serjeant's own account, to be given to friends at the bar, which came -to more than all the rest of the expense. - -There are some quaint old customs still adhering to the making of a -serjeant. He is presented to the Lord Chancellor by some brother barrister -(styled his 'colt'), and he kneels while the Chancellor attaches to the -top of his wig the little, round, black patch that now does duty for the -'coif,' which is the special badge of the Serjeant. The new Serjeant -presents a massive gold ring to the Chancellor, another to his 'colt,' one -to the Sovereign, and each of the Masters of the Court of Common Pleas. -These rings used also to be given to all the Judges, but of late years the -Judges have refused to receive them, thus diminishing a somewhat heavy -tax. - -It would be curious to know whether this custom is derived from the -Romans. Juvenal alludes to the practice of lawyers exhibiting their rings -when pleading:-- - - Ideo conducta Paulus agebat - Sardonyche et que ideo plurisquam Cossus agebat - Quam Basilus. Rara in tenui facundia panno. - -The reader will find a list of mottoes, and much information on the -subject of serjeants' rings, in 'Notes and Queries' (1st Series, vol. v. -pp. 110, 139, 181, 563; 2nd Series, vol. i. p. 249). The most recent -instance (January 1872) of the presentation of a serjeant's ring is that -of Mr. J. R. Quain, who chose for his motto 'Dare, facere, præstare.' - -At the Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South -Kensington Museum, in 1872, a serjeant's gold ring, inscribed [Maltese -Cross] LEX X REGIS X PRÆSIDIUM, was shown--the property of Mr. John -Evans--as the earliest known, the date being 1576-77. The small size of -the ring would assume that it was merely complimentary. - -Some barristers that Lord Brougham did not think much of, wishing to be -made serjeants, he suggested that the most appropriate motto that could be -found for their rings would be the old legal word 'scilicet.' - -[Illustration: Serjeants' ring.] - -This illustration represents a serjeant's ring, supposed to be of the -seventeenth century--a plain band of gold, engraved with 'Imperio regit -unus æquo' (Horace, lib. iii., Ode iv.). - -In the collection of Mr. J. W. Singer is a very fine serjeant's ring, -which that gentleman attributes as of very early manufacture. It is a rare -type of rings of this description, which have not been much noticed. The -inscription reads: 'Legis executo regis pservatio.' - -In France, Italy, and Germany, a forensic order of knighthood was -frequently conferred on the successful practitioner at the bar. Bartoli, -the oracle of the law in the fourteenth century, asserted that at the end -of the tenth year of successful professional exertion, the _avocât_ -belonging to the denomination of _l'Ordre des Avocâts_ became _ipso facto_ -a knight. - -When the distinction was applied for, the King commissioned some ancient -Knight of the Forensic Order to admit the postulant into it. The _avocât_ -knelt before the Knight-commissary and said: 'I pray you, my lord and -protector, to dress me with the sword, belt, golden spurs, golden collar, -_golden ring_, and all the other ornaments of a true knight. I will not -use the advantages of knighthood for profane purposes; I will use them -only for the purposes of religion, for the Church, and the holy Christian -faith, in the _warfare of the science_ to which I am devoted.' The -postulant then rose; and being fully equipped, and girded with the sword, -he became, for all purposes, a member of the order of knighthood. - -In the Memoirs of the Maréchal de Vieilleville, who died in 1571, such -knights are mentioned as very common. - -In 1795 the Order of _Avocâts_ was suppressed, after 427 years of a -brilliant existence. - -Doctors, as indicative of their position, wore formerly a ring on the -third finger of the right hand. - -A ring formed part of the investiture of three poets-laureate by the -Chancellor of the University of Strasburg in 1621, who at their -installation pronounced these words: 'I create you, being placed in a -chair of state, crowned with laurel and ivy, and wearing _a ring of gold_, -and the same do pronounce and constitute poets-laureate in the name of -the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.' - -Gower, in his 'Confessio Amantis,' mentions a statue of Apollo, adorned -with a ring:-- - - Forth ryghte he straighte his finger oute, - Upon the which he had a ringe, - To seen it was a ryche thynge, - A fyne carbuncle for the nones, - Most precious of all stones. - -In the early Saxon times, we read that Gumlaughr, the scald, presented to -King Ethelred a heroic poem which he had composed on the royal virtues, -and received in return 'a purple tunic lined with the richest furs,' also -'a gold ring of the weight of seven ounces.' - -In ancient Wales the Judge of the King's palace had as ensign of his -office a gold ring from the Queen. It was his duty at his own cost to -reward the successful competitor in the musical contests of the bards with -a silver chair as 'Pen Cerdd' (chief of song), and who in return presented -him with a gold ring, a drinking-horn, and a cushion. The royal minstrel -received on his appointment a harp from the King, and a ring from the -queen. - -'Merchant Marks' (to which I have alluded in the first chapter of this -work) originated from the guild or mayor's rings, which were used as -personal signets, by such as were not entitled to bear arms. They were -worn on the thumb for constant use in sealing. A fine ring of this kind is -engraved in the 'Journal of the Archæological Institute.' It was found in -the bed of the Severn, near Upton, and is, probably, a work of the -fifteenth century; it is of silver and has been strongly gilt. The hoop is -spirally grooved, and upon the circular face is a large H surrounded by -branches. - -In the custody of the Mayor of Winchester is a signet-ring with the arms -of the city and initials E. W., probably Edward White, Mayor in 1613 and -1621. - -In late times we have the ring adopted as a club badge by the famous -Beef-Steak Club, of convivial notoriety. The members wore a blue coat, -with red cape and cuffs, buttons with the initials B. S., and behind the -President's chair was placed the Society's halbert, which, with the -gridiron, was found among the rubbish after the Covent Garden fire in -1808. - -[Illustration: Ring of Beef-Steak Club.] - -Ashmole, in his 'History of the Most Noble Order of the Garter,' mentions -that gold rings have been cast into the figures of garters, 'the ground on -the outside enamelled with a deep blue, through which the golden letters -of the motto appearing, set them off with an admirable beauty. And it -seems such rings were in vogue, since the preface to the black book of the -Order makes mention of wearing the garter on the leg and shoulder, and -sometimes subjoins the thumb, _interdum pollice gestare_, by which we may -naturally conclude that gold rings were formed into the fashion of -garters, and bestowed by some new-installed knights upon their relations -and friends to wear in memorial of so great an honour conferred upon -them.' - -In the collection of the Rev. W. B. Hawkins is a gold official ring of the -Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Malta), with bezel -oval, glazed, with skeleton, hour-glass, and scythe, in enamel on a black -ground; on the shoulders of the ring is a death's head with cross-bones. - -At the meeting of the Archæological Institute at Norwich in July 1847, a -ring formed like a strap or garter, buckled, was exhibited, bearing the -inscription 'Mater Dei memento mei,' found at Necton, date about 1450. -Rings of this fashion were in use from the close of the fourteenth -century, shortly after the institution of the Order of the Garter. Other -specimens are to be seen in the British Museum, and in the collection of -the Archæological Institute. - -A cap and a _ring_ are conferred with the degree of Doctor of Civil Laws -in Belgium. - -In the 'Biographia Britannica' (Article 'Crichton') we read of the -bestowal of a ring on a college disputant. This was in the case of the -'Admirable Crichton,' who, when he was only twenty years of age, entered -the academic lists with anyone who would compete with him in Hebrew, -Syriac, Arabic, Greek, Latin, Spanish, French, Italian, English, Dutch, -Flemish, and Sclavonian, besides every kind of courtly accomplishment. -This he maintained in the College of Navarre, and the president, after -many compliments on his vast acquirements, gave him a diamond ring and a -purse of money. - -At the ceremonies observed on the inauguration of a king-at-arms the crown -and ring were generally bestowed by the hand of the monarch himself, as in -the case of Sir David Lindsay, Lord Lion, King-at-arms: - - Whom royal James himself had crowned, - And on his temples placed the round - Of Scotland's ancient diadem; - And wet his brow with hallow'd wine, - And on his finger given to shine - The emblematic gem. - -Among the insignia of the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem is -a ring bearing the Cross. - -In the 'Dublin Penny Journal' we read of the signet-ring of the famous -Turlough Lynnoch, which was found at Charlemont, in the county of Armagh. -It bears the bloody hand of the O'Neils, and initials T. O. The signet -part of the ring is circular, and the whole of it is silver. James the -First made this bloody hand the distinguishing badge of a new order of -baronets, and they were created to aid, by service or money for forces, in -subduing the O'Neils. - -In 1780 a large gold ring, supposed to have belonged to one of the knights -hospitallers of Winckbourne, some of whom are believed to have been buried -at Southwell, was found by the sexton of Southwell church while digging a -grave. It is six-eighths of an inch in diameter, and three-eighths of an -inch in breadth. The following motto is deeply cut on the inside: '+ MIEV -+ MORI + QVE + CHANGE + MA + FOI +' (better to die than change my faith). - -I have already mentioned how, from the earliest times, the ring was -considered to denote peculiar distinction, and was the emblem of nobility; -and so, amidst many divergences, it still continued to a later period to -be considered as a badge of honourable birth. Thus Rabelais alludes to the -rings that Gargantua wore because his father desired him 'to renew that -ancient mark of nobility.' On the forefinger of his left hand he had a -gold ring set with a large carbuncle, and on the middle finger one of -mixed metal, then usually made by alchemists. On the middle finger of the -right hand he had 'a ring made spire-wise, wherein was set a perfect balew -ruby, a pointed diamond, and a Physon emerald of inestimable value.' - -The French expression _une bague au doigt_ means a sinecure--pay without -the work. - -In former times the victor in a wrestling match received a ram and a ring. -In the Coke's 'Tale of Gamelyn,' ascribed to Chaucer, we read:-- - - There happed to be there beside - Tryed a wrestling; - And therefore there was y setten, - A ram and als a ring. - -And in the 'Litil Geste of Robin Hood':-- - - By a bridge was a wrestling, - And there tayred was he; - And there was all the best yemen - Of all the west countrey. - A full fayre game there was set up, - A white bull up yspight, - A great courser with saddle and brydle, - With gold burnished full bryght; - A payre of gloves, a red golde ringe, - A pipe of wine, good fay; - What man bereth him best, I wis, - The prize shall bear away. - -So Sir Walter Scott, in the 'Lady of the Lake':-- - - Prize of the wrestling-match, the King - To Douglas gave a golden ring. - -In the 'Gulistan,' or rose-garden of Sadi, is a pretty story in connection -with a prize-ring for shooting. A certain King of Persia had a very -precious stone in a ring. One day he went out with some of his favourite -courtiers, to amuse himself, to the mosque near Shiraz, called Musalla; -and commanded that they should suspend the ring over the dome of Azad, -saying that the ring should be the property of him who could send an arrow -through it. It so befell that four hundred archers, who plied their bows -in his service, shot at the ring, and all missed. A stripling at play was -shooting arrows at random from a monastery, when the morning breeze -carried his shaft through the circle of the ring. The prize was bestowed -upon him, and he was loaded with gifts beyond calculation. The boy, after -this, burned his bow and arrows. They asked him why he did so; he -replied: 'That my first glory may remain unchanged.' - -At the tournaments held in the reign of Henry VII. (1494) a proclamation -was put forth 'that hoo soo ever justith best in the justys roiall schall -have a ryng of gold, with a ruby of the value of a m{l} scuttes or under; -and hoo soo ever torneyeth the best, and fairyst accumplishit his strokkis -schall have a ryng of gold, with a diamant of like value.' - -On November 9 (1494) John Peche received from the Ladie Margerete 'the -kyngis oldeste doughter, a ryng of gold with a ruby.' - -On the 11th, the Earl of Suffolk, Thomas Brandon, received as a reward for -his prowess in the lists 'a ryng of gold with a rubee.' - -On the third tournament (November 13) Sir Edward A. Borough, as victor, -received 'a ryng of gold with a dyamant.' - -The Earl of Essex, for his valour in this tournament, received 'a ryng of -gold with an emerauld.' - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -RINGS IN CONNECTION WITH ECCLESIASTICAL USAGES. - - -The ring has, for many ages, formed a part of ecclesiastical insignia. It -appears to have had a twofold purpose and signification, the one as a mark -of dignity and authority, the other symbolic of the mystical union between -the priesthood and the Church. - -To commence with the head of the Romish hierarchy: that distinguished -authority on antiquarian topics, Mr. Octavius Morgan, M.A., F.R.S., -F.S.A., &c., has contributed to the 'Archæologia' (vol. xl. p. 392) a very -interesting account of 'Episcopal and other Rings of Investiture;' and, -since the publication of that paper, has kindly informed me that Mr. -Waterton states, from his own knowledge, that the 'Fisherman's Ring' is -the Pope's ring of investiture, and is placed on his finger immediately -after his election, before it is engraved. But if, as it sometimes -happens, the Pope-elect is not a bishop, he is consecrated prior to his -coronation as Supreme Pontiff, and receives the ring with the usual -formula, except that the consecrating cardinal kisses his hand after -investing him with the ring. 'There is a ring which the Pontiff wears on -state occasions--the stone of which is an exquisitely fine cameo, cut in -bloodstone, of the head of Our Saviour--which is known to be more than -three hundred years old, and is, probably, a fine cinque-cento gem. This -descends from one Pope to another. - -'What is called the _Annulus Piscatoris_, or the "Fisherman's Ring," is -the Pope's lesser seal, or signet, used for documents of minor -consequence, and the impression is usually made on red wax or stamped on -the paper; the Bulla being what may be termed the great seal, employed for -giving validity to instruments of greater importance, and the impression -of it is always on lead. The origin of the Fisherman's Ring is obscure, -but it derives its name from a representation of St. Peter in a -fisherman's boat of ancient form, which is engraved on it, and not from -any tradition that it ever belonged to St. Peter, as, from its English -name, is not uncommonly supposed. The Germans call it _Der Fischer-ring_, -which is "the Fisherman Ring," whereas we, probably in our translation of -_Annulus Piscatoris_, have termed it the "Fisherman's Ring," seeming to -imply thereby that it had once belonged to "the Fisherman." The figure of -St. Peter forms the centre.' - -[Illustration: The Fisherman's Ring.] - -After the reign of Pope Calixtus the Third, the Ring of the Fisherman was -no longer used as the private seal of the Popes, but was always attached -to briefs. - -On the death of Innocent the Tenth the name was cut out of the ring or -erased. At the decease of Pius the Sixth the usual ceremonies were not -observed, and the ring was not broken, as was the practice at the -elevation of each pontiff. Aimon, in his 'Tableau de la Cour de Rome,' -says that after the Pope's death 'le Cardinal Camerlingue vient en habit -violet, accompagné des clercs de la chambre en habits noirs, reconnoître -le corps du Pape. Il l'appelle trois fois par son nom de baptême, et comme -il ne lui donne ni réponse, ni signe de vie, il fait dresser un acte sur -sa mort par les Protonotaires Apostoliques. Il prend du Maître de la -Chambre Apostolique, _l'anneau_ du Pêcheur, qui est le sceau du Pape, -_d'or_ massif, et du prix de cent écus. Il le fait mettre en pièces et -donne ces pièces aux Maîtres des Cérémonies à qui elles appartiennent. Le -Dataire et les Sécrétaires qui ont les autres sceaux du Pape défunt, sont -obligés de les porter au Cardinal Camerlingue, qui les fait rompre en -présence de l'Auditeur de la Chambre du Trésorier, et des Clercs -Apostoliques, et il n'est permis à aucun autre des Cardinaux d'assister à -cette fonction.' - -When it was decided by the French in 1798 that the Pope was to be removed -to France, on February 18 in that year the Republican Haller, son of the -celebrated Swiss physician of that name, chose the moment when the Pontiff -was at dinner in the Vatican to announce to him the resolution of the -French Republic. He entered the apartment rudely, and, advancing to the -Pope, announced the object of his visit, and demanded the instant -surrender of the Papal treasures. - -'We have already given up all we possessed,' replied the Pope calmly. - -'Not _all_,' returned Haller, 'you still wear two very rich rings; let me -have them.' - -The Pope drew one from his finger: 'I can give you,' he said, 'this one, -for it is indeed my own; take it: but the other is the Ring of the -Fisherman, and must descend to my successor.' - -'It will pass first to me, holy father,' exclaimed Haller, 'and if you do -not surrender it quietly it will be taken from you by force.' - -To escape further insult the Fisherman's Ring was given up, but as it was -found to be intrinsically of no value it was soon afterwards restored to -the Pontiff. - -The ring of Pius the Ninth is of plain gold, weighing one and a half -ounces, and it was made from the gold which composed the Ring of the -Fisherman of Pope Gregory the Sixteenth.[49] - -The Fisherman's Ring is always in the custody of the Grand Papal -Chamberlain. It is taken to the Conclave, or Council of the Cardinals, -with the space left blank for the name; and as soon as a successful -scrutiny of votes for a new Pope has taken place, the newly-elected -Pontiff is declared, and conducted to the throne of St. Peter, where, -before the cardinals have rendered homage to their chief, the Grand -Chamberlain approaches, and, placing the Papal ring on the finger of the -new Pope, asks him what name he will take. On the reply of the Pontiff, -the ring is given to the first Master of the Ceremonies to have the name -engraved on it that has been assumed. The announcement of the pontifical -election is then made to the people from the balcony of the Papal palace. - -Kissing the Pope's ring as an act of reverent homage is a custom which has -descended to our own times. One of the important ceremonies at the opening -of the great Oecumenical Council at Rome (December 8, 1869) was that -every single primate, patriarch, bishop, and mitred abbot, who were -present on this solemn occasion at St. Peter's, and who were to take part -in the Council, paused before Pius the Ninth, and, in an attitude of -profound reverence, kissed his ring. As high dignitaries they were -exempted from kissing the Pope's toe, a condescension reserved for the -laity and lower clergy. - -In Bishop Bale's 'Image of Both Churches' occurs a curious passage on the -subject of episcopal rings: 'Neyther regarde they to knele any more doune, -and to kisse their pontifical ryngs, which are of the same metall' (_i.e._ -fine gold). - -It would seem that the Popes were formerly buried in their pontifical -habits and ornaments. In the 'Journal' of Burcard, Master of the -Ceremonies in the Pope's chapel from Sixtus the Fourth to Julius the -Second, he mentions as having, by virtue of his office, thus clothed the -body of Sixtus the Fourth, and amongst other things a sapphire ring of the -value of three hundred ducats was placed on his finger, and so little -trust was placed in the honesty of those who came to see the body that -guards were placed to prevent the ring and other ornaments from being -stolen.[50] - -In 1482 Cardinal d'Estouteville, Archbishop of Rouen, was buried with -great magnificence at Rome, where he died. The body of the prelate was -arrayed in the richest robes of cloth of gold, and his fingers were -covered with rings of the greatest rarity and beauty. The brilliancy of -the jewels (observes Dom Pommeraye in his 'Lives of the Archbishops of -Rouen') excited the cupidity of the canons of St. Mary Major at Rome, -where he was interred, insomuch that they threw themselves on the body, -and struggled with each other to get at the rings. The monks of St. -Augustine, who also attended on this occasion, pretended to be highly -scandalized at this profanation--'peut-être,' however, 'pour avoir part au -butin'--and attempted on their part to seize the rings. In this unclerical -skirmish the body of the archbishop was entirely stripped of its gorgeous -trappings, and left naked, a piteous spectacle. - -Matthew Paris informs us that archbishops, bishops, and abbots, with other -principals of the clergy, were buried in their pontificalibus; thus 'they -prepared the body of Hubert, Archbishop of Canterbury, for the burial, -closing him in his robes, with his face uncovered, and a mitre put on his -head, with gloves upon his hands, _a ring on his finger_, and all the -other ornaments belonging to his office.' - -In describing the finger-ring found in the grave of the Venerable Bede, -the writer of a brief account of Durham Cathedral adds: 'No priest during -the reign of Catholicity was buried or enshrined without his ring.' The -practice may have prevailed generally, as many instances of rings -recovered from the graves of ecclesiastics show, but it was more -particularly the usage of prelates. Martene ('De Antiquis Ecclesiæ -Ritibus') remarks: 'Episcopus debet habere annulum, quia sponsus est. -Cæteri sacerdotes non, quia sponsi non sunt, sed amici sponsi, vel -vicarii.' - -The bones of St. Dunstan were discovered in the time of William, fortieth -abbot of Glastonbury: a ring was on the finger-bone of this saint. - -William, the twenty-second abbot of St. Alban's Abbey, who died in 1235, -was buried in pontifical habits 'with a ring on his finger.' - -Richard de Gerbery, forty-fifth Bishop of Amiens, in the thirteenth -century, died in 1210, and was buried in the cathedral, in pontificalibus, -with mitre, ring, and ivory cross. - -When the body of St. John of Beverley (died 721) was translated into a new -shrine, about the year 1037, a ring, among other articles, was found in -his coffin. We have a much earlier instance cited by Aringhi, that the -ring of St Caius (283-296) was found in his tomb: 'intra sepulchrum tria -Diocletiani Imperatoris numismata, sub quo coronatus fuerat, et -Sanctissimi Pontificis annulus adinventatus est.' - -A gold ring was found in the tomb of St. Birinus, Bishop of Dorchester, -who died in 640. - -Mr. E. Waterton mentions a remarkable ring, set with fine opal, preserved -at Mayence Cathedral, where it was found with an enamelled crosier in the -tomb, as was supposed, of Archbishop Sigfroi III. (1249). - -[Illustration: Ring of Thierry, Bishop of Verdun.] - -In the Londesborough Collection is the ring of Thierry, Bishop of Verdun -(who died in 1165), found in his tomb in 1829. It is of gold, with a -sapphire, an irregular oval with five capsular marks on the face; the -shank, two winged dragons, between the heads of which is the inscription -AVE MARIA GRATIA. This ring was procured in exchange from the collection -of M. Failly, Inspector of Customs, at Lyons in 1848. - -Mr. Octavius Morgan remarks: 'It is difficult to reconcile the practice of -returning the ring to the Emperor' (to which I have in this chapter -alluded) 'with that of interring the bishop with his ring on his finger; -but it is probable that, when in the twelfth century the Emperor ceded to -the Popes the right of investiture by the ring the sending back the ring -was dispensed with; and, being the property of the Church, and not of the -Emperor, the bishop was allowed to be interred with his ring as an emblem -of his dignity.' - -The Rev. C. W. King remarks that the custom of burying ecclesiastics with -all their official insignia appears to have lasted far down into the -Middle Ages; for, amongst the amusing adventures of Andreuccio da Perugia, -related by Boccaccio, he, when reduced to despair, joins some thieves in -plundering the tomb of the Archbishop of Naples, interred the previous day -in all his precious vestments, and with a ring on his finger valued at -five hundred scudi. Two parties of plunderers, headed by a priest of the -cathedral, visit the tomb in succession, and almost at the same time; to -which circumstance Andreuccio owes his escape from a horrible death, and -returns home in possession of the ring, which more than makes up for all -his losses. - -The Rev. C. W. King considers it probable that this common practice of -plundering the tombs, gave origin to the huge rings of gilt metal, which -bear the titles, or coats of arms, of some pope or bishop. - -On the subject of pontifical rings of an ordinary character, I may observe -that they are found in several collections, usually of brass or copper -gilt. - -Benvenuto Cellini, in his 'Memoirs,' mentions a magnificent diamond as -having been presented to Pope Paul the Third by the Emperor Charles the -Fifth on his entry into Rome (1536), for which he was desired to make a -ring, and succeeded in giving the diamond a tint which surpassed anything -yet done. - -[Illustration: Ring of Pope Pius II.] - -In the collection of Thomas Windus, Esq., F.S.A., is a ring bearing the -arms of Pope Pius II. of the family of Piccolomini, the Papal tiara, and -inscription, 'Papa Pio.' The ring is of brass, thickly gilt; the stone -topaz: on the sides are the four beasts of the 'Revelation.' - -In the Braybrooke Collection is the ring of Pope Boniface, from whose tomb -it was taken during the popular insurrection at Rome, 1849. It is large -and of gilt bronze, set with a large amethyst, cut into facets. It is of -the usual type of Papal rings, and massive; on one side of the broad shank -is engraved the triple crown, with bands for tying it, extending until -they are met by the cords attached to the keys, which appear on the other -side. The sides of the box-setting are square for an inch below the stone, -and on them are the emblems of the four Evangelists in high relief: all -these are winged. - -In the Waterton Collection at the South Kensington Museum are some -remarkably fine specimens of bronze-gilt Papal rings of the fifteenth -century, very massive and in excellent condition. Most of these have the -symbols of the four Evangelists, the triple crown, and crossed keys. - -At a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries in November, 1858, Octavius -Morgan, Esq., F.R.S., F.S.A., exhibited a Papal ring of great interest, -massive, and of copper-gilt, set with blue glass. At the angles were the -symbols of the four Evangelists in relief; on the hoop was inscribed -PAVLVS PP SECNDVS (Paulus Papa Secundus). At the sides were two shields; -one of them bearing three fleurs-de-lys, and ensigned with an open crown, -probably the arms of France; the other charged with a lion debruised by a -bend, being the arms of the family of Barbo of Venice, to which Paul II. -belonged. In the upper part of this shield was a small Papal tiara, which -might have been placed there for want of room above, or might have been -adopted by the Pope's relation, Marco Barbo, made by him a cardinal in -1464, and who died 1490. - -Mr. Morgan had received this interesting addition to his collection from -Venice. - -[Illustration: Papal Rings (Gorlæus).] - -In the Londesborough Collection is a fine specimen of a Papal ring. The -crossed keys surmount a coat of arms on one side of the ring; the keys -alone appear on the opposite side; foliated ornament fills the space -above the circlet on either side. This ring is set with a large crystal. - -[Illustration: Papal Ring.] - -At the suppression of the monasteries there were found in Worcester -Cathedral 'four pontifical rings of gold, with precious stones' At the -same period, amongst the plate and jewels in Winchester Cathedral was a -'pontyfycall ryng of silvare and gilt, with counterfeitt stones.' At St. -Augustine's Church at Canterbury were three pontifical rings with precious -stones, and one of silver gilt; at St. Swithin's Church at Winchester, -four pontifical rings with precious stones. - -The earliest document with a certain date in which mention is made of a -bishop's ring is that usually cited in the 28th canon of the Council of -Toledo, held in 633. The ring was of gold and jewelled, but at this -Council it was ordained that the ring of a prelate reinstated in his -diocese, after an unjust deposition, should be delivered to him, which was -merely confirming a ceremony already ancient in the confirmation of -bishops, which may be traced to the fourth century. - -In the consecration of bishops in the Anglo-Saxon Church, the hands and -head were anointed with oil, the crosier delivered into his hands, and the -ring placed on his finger; each ceremony being accompanied with a prayer. -'There is, however,' remarks Mr. Octavius Morgan ('Archæologia,' vol. -xxxvi. part ii. p. 373), 'another authority, at least contemporary with -the Toledo Council, if not of earlier date. St. Isidor, Bishop of Seville, -who died A.D. 636, in his work 'De Ecclesiasticis Officines' (lib. ii. -cap. 5), when writing on the episcopal dignity, informs us that the staff -and ring were given to the bishop on his consecration, and mentions the -twofold purpose and signification of the ring, but does not tell us from -what source these insignia were derived.'[51] - -That the episcopal ring, from the earliest times, was considered a symbol -of sacerdotal authority, we have many instances. In the 'Continuation of -the History of Simeon of Durham' we are told that Bishop Ralph (1099) -having been inveigled into a boat and his life in danger, he drew the ring -which he wore from off his finger, and his notary took his seal, and they -cast them into the river, being apprehensive that, as these were well -known everywhere throughout England, the enemy would prepare deceitful -writs by their means. - -The same bishop, a month before his decease in 1128, directed that he -should be carried into the church, opposite the altar, there to make -confession of his sins. Placing a ring upon the altar he thereby restored -to the church everything of which he had deprived it, and this restitution -he confirmed by charter and seal, which are still preserved in the -treasury of the Dean and Chapter of Durham. To the charter was also -attached the episcopal gold ring (which is no longer there). The charter -states that 'he has surrendered to the Lord St. Cuthbert and his monks -whatsoever he had taken from them after he came to the bishopric,' &c., -'restoring them by (placing) a ring upon the altar,' &c. - -Thomas à Becket, when at Rome in 1166, during his quarrel with Henry II., -solemnly resigned, in the presence of the Papal Court, his episcopal ring -into the hands of Pope Alexander, whom he exhorted to name a fitting -successor. - -In the History of the Archbishops of Canterbury, by Gervase, we read that -in 1179, Godfrey, Bishop-elect of St. Asaph's, resigned his bishopric by -surrendering his ring. - -An ancient custom in the Archbishopric of Rouen was that the body of the -deceased prelate, before being interred in the cathedral, was carried to -the church of St. Ouen (at Rouen), where it remained exposed a whole day. -The dean of the cathedral, in committing the body to the charge of the -Abbot of St. Ouen, said 'Ecce,' to which the latter replied 'Est hic.' -Then the dean gave the Archbishop's ring to the abbot, at the same time -placing his hand in the coffin of the defunct, and saying: 'You gave it to -him living; behold he is dead,' alluding to the custom of the Archbishops -of Rouen being consecrated in the church of St. Ouen. - -Mr. Waterton remarks 'that in 511, the Council of Orleans makes mention of -the rescript of Clodovicus, wherein he promises to leave certain captives -at the disposition of the Gallican bishops, "si vestras epistolas de -_annulo vestro_ signatas sic ad nos dirigatis."' The same eminent -antiquarian states that 'prior to the eleventh century, many, if not all, -of the episcopal rings were signets; for before that time large official -seals were not in general use. Each bishop seems to have chosen the -subject to be engraved on his ring, at pleasure. St. Augustine, in one of -his letters, mentions that he sealed it with his ring, "qui exprimit -faciem hominis attendentis in latus." In writing to Apollinaris, Bishop of -Valence, Clodovicus begs him to send the seal, or signet (_signatorum_), -which he had promised, made in such a way "ut annulo ferreo et admodum -tenui, velut concurrentibus in se delphinulis concludendo, sigili duplicis -forma geminis cardinalis inseratur." And, referring to the subject to be -engraved on the bezel, he adds, "si quæras quid insculpendum sigillo, -signo monogrammatis mei per gyram scripti nominis legatur indicio."' - -In the early days of Christianity bishops sealed with their rings the -profession of faith which the neophytes made in writing. They also sealed -their pastoral letters. Ebregislaus, Bishop of Meaux, in 660, wore on his -ring an intaglio, representing St. Paul, the first hermit, on his knees -before the crucifix, and above his head, a crow, by which he was -miraculously fed. - -In conformity with a decree of St. Sergius I. (687-701), the bishops of -France and Spain used to seal up the baptismal fonts with their rings from -the beginning of Lent to Holy Saturday. - -From ancient documents it would appear that bishops sometimes called their -rings 'annuli ecclesiæ.' David, Bishop of Benevento, in the time of -Charlemagne, issued a mandate, ending as follows: 'annulo sanctæ nostræ -ecclesiæ firmavivus roborandum.' In 862, Rathbodus, Bishop of Treves, -writes thus: 'Hanc epistolam Græcis litteris, hinc, inde, munire -decrevimus, et annulo ecclesiæ nostræ bullare censuimus.' In 985 Pope John -XVI. sealed with his ring the confirmation of the decree made by the -Council of Mayence, in favour of the monks of Corvey, in Saxony. - -These quotations are sufficient to prove that until the 11th century the -bishops used their rings as signets; but we must not infer that every -episcopal ring was a signet. It is probable that each bishop had a large -jewelled ring to use when pontificating. - -Of the importance attached to the possession of the episcopal ring we are -told that Gundulf, the good Bishop of Rochester, in his last days -distributed all his goods to the poor, even to his shoes, and bequeathed -his rich vestments to the cathedral. There was only one ornament with -which he could not part, that was the episcopal ring, and he confided this -to the care of his attendants, intending, probably, that it should be -delivered to his successor. Ralph, who had lately been elected Abbot of -Battle, had formerly been Prior of Rochester, and had been deservedly -popular. The monks were anxious that he should be the successor of -Gundulf, and were prepared to elect him, if they could obtain the consent -of the archbishop. If to the Abbot of Battle Gundulf bequeathed or -resigned the episcopal ring, it might be produced as an indication of -Gundulf's wish that Ralph, of Battle Abbey, should succeed him. A -suggestion to this effect was made to the old bishop, who said curtly: 'He -is a monk, what has he to do with an episcopal ring?' He was, probably, -offended at the ambition of the ex-prior of Rochester, who ought to have -been contented with his newly-acquired dignity at Battle Abbey. Soon -after this, another Ralph made his appearance at the priory, Ralph of -Seez, who afterwards became Archbishop of Canterbury. Having been ejected -from his monastery by violence, he came to England, and was received -everywhere with hearty regard, on account of his virtues and -accomplishments. Hearing of Gundulf's illness, he hastened to Rochester, -to console his old friend on the bed of sickness. Ralph was obliged to -leave Rochester after a short visit, but on quitting his friend he was -recalled, and Gundulf, demanding of his attendant the episcopal ring, -placed it as a parting gift in the hand of Ralph of Seez, who suggested it -might be better disposed of to one of Gundulf's episcopal friends, since -it did not pertain to an abbot to wear a ring. He reminded the bishop -that, though not living a monk, still a monk he was. 'Take it, -nevertheless,' said the bishop, 'you may want it some day.' - -The possession of this ring reconciled the monks to the appointment of -Ralph of Seez as successor of Gundulf to the bishopric of Rochester, as -they regarded the donation in the light of a prophecy. - -'Before,' says Mr. Waterton, 'receiving the pastoral staff and mitre, the -bishop-elect is invested by the consecrating bishop with the pontifical -ring. The formula seems to have varied at different times, the most -ancient one, contained in the Sacramental of St. Gregory, 590, is this: -"Accipe annulum discretionis et honoris, fidei signum, et quæ signanda -sunt signes, et quæ aperienda sunt prodas, quæ liganda sunt liges, quæ -solvenda sunt solvas, atque credentibus per fidem baptismatis, lapsis -autem sed poenitentibus per mysterium reconciliationis januas regni -coelestis aperias; cunctis vero de thesauro dominico ad æternam salutem -hominibus, consolatus gratiâ Domini nostri Jesu Christi." - -'Another form, of a later date, has the above, with the following -addition:--"Memor sponsionis et desponsationis ecclesiasticæ et -dilectionis Domini Dei tui, in die quâ assecutus es hunc honorem, cave ne -obliviscaris illius." - -'The ancient Ordo Romanus contains a formula couched in more elegant -words: "Accipe annulum pontificalis honoris, ut sis fidei integritate ante -omnia munitus, misericordiæ operibus insistens, infirmis compatiens, -benevolentibus congaudens, aliena damna propria deputans, de alienis -gaudiis tanquam de propriis exultans." - -'The formula,' continues Mr. E. Waterton, 'seems to have varied at -different times; that contained in the pontifical of Ecgberht, Archbishop -of York, is as follows: "Accipe annulum pontificalis honoris ut sis fidei -integritate munitus." The Anglo-Saxon pontifical at Rouen, and that of St. -Dunstan at Paris, both give the following: "Accipe ergo annulum -discretionis et honoris, fidei signum, et quæ signanda sunt signes, et quæ -aperienda sunt prodas."' - -In the eleventh and twelfth centuries the ring, as a part of -ecclesiastical investiture, was a fruitful subject of discord between the -Emperors and the Popes, until 1123, the Emperor Henry the Fifth, alarmed -by the threats of the Pontiff, ceded the right to Calixtus II., from which -time the rings were sent to the bishops-elect from the Pope--a practice -continued in the Roman Catholic hierarchy to the present time. In -preceding ages, however, monarchs were not so yielding. In the romance of -'King Athelstan,' the sovereign says to an offending archbishop:-- - - Lay down thy cross and thy staff, - The myter and the ryng that I to thee gaff, - Out of my land thou flee. - -Cardinals on their creation receive a ring in which is usually a -sapphire. Wolsey was raised to this dignity in 1515, the Pope having -forwarded with the hat (an unusual thing to be sent out of Rome) a ring of -more than ordinary value. - -Cardinals wear their rings at all times, but on Good Friday they lay them -aside, as a sign of the mourning in which the Church is placed for her -Spouse. At the recent installation of cardinals (September 1875) the -venerable Pontiff presented each dignitary with a gold ring set with a -sapphire. - -In 1191 the fashion of the episcopal ring was definitively settled by -Innocent III., who ordained that it should be of gold, solid, and set with -a precious stone, on which nothing was to be cut; previous to this, -bishops' rings were not restricted to any special material or design. 'In -the thirteenth century,' remarks Mr. E. Waterton, 'many of the episcopal -rings were of very rude fashion, frequently in almost literal conformity -with the rescript of Innocent III., without regard to shape or elegance. -The stone was set just as it was found, merely having the surface -polished, and the shape of the bezel was adapted to the gem. There are -proofs that cameos were worn in episcopal rings. In the list of rings and -precious stones collected by Henry III. for the shrine of St. Edward, in -Westminster Abbey, there is enumerated: "j _chamah_ in uno annulo -pontificali." We know that during the Middle Ages the glyptic art had -declined very much, and that from their fancied assimilation antique gems -were occasionally used for devout subjects. Thus the monks of Durham -converted an antique intaglio of Jupiter Tonans into the 'caput Sancti -Oswaldi.' - -During the latter part of the thirteenth century the large episcopal rings -were enriched by the addition of previous stones, which were set around -the principal one. Thus, in the 'Wardrobe Book' there is the following -entry: 'Annulus auri cum quatuor rubettis magnis qui fuit Fratris J. de -Peccham, nuper Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi. He died in 1292.' - -Episcopal rings were usually set with sapphires, probably from a popular -belief that this precious stone had the power of cooling love; owing, -perhaps, to the coldness of its touch, due to its density. The Rev. C. W. -King, however, gives as a reason for the choice of the sapphire that, -besides its supposed sympathy with the heavens, mentioned by Solinus, and -its connexion with the god of day, Apollo, the violet colour agrees with -the vestments appropriated to the priestly office. - -An episcopal ring, with gold and a sapphire, said to have belonged to St. -Loup, is in the treasury of the Cathedral of Sens, and is, probably, of -the Carlovingian period. - -[Illustration: Episcopal ring.] - -'Mention occurs,' remarks Mr. E. Waterton, 'of episcopal rings being set -with the balass-ruby, the emerald, the topaz, the turquoise, the -chalcedony, and, as accessories, pearls and garnets. Sometimes these gems -were of great value.' The Rev. C. W. King thinks it probable that when -mediæval rings occur, set with a ruby instead of a sapphire, they belong -to bishops who were at the same time cardinals. At the disgraceful seizure -of Archbishop Cranmer's effects, in 1553, we find mentioned, among the -articles of considerable value taken from his house at Battersea: 'six or -seven rings of fine gold, with stones in them, whereof were three fine -blue sapphires of the best; an emerald, very fine; a good turquoise and a -diamond.' - -At the degradation of a bishop in former times, the reasons were given in -a solemn assembly, and judgment pronounced, the mitre was removed from his -head, and the pontifical ring drawn off his finger, as having outraged the -Church. - -With regard to the finger on which the episcopal ring is worn, a -correspondent of 'Notes and Queries' (vol. v., first series, p. 114), -remarks that 'all who wear rings, _ex officio_, wear them on the third -finger of the right hand. Cardinals, bishops, abbots, doctors, &c., do -this for the reason that it is the first vacant finger. The thumb and the -first two fingers have always been reserved as symbols of the Three -Persons of the Holy Trinity. When a bishop gives his blessing he blesses -with the thumb and two first fingers. Our brasses, with sepulchral slabs, -bear witness to this fact.' - -A French writer observes that formerly the episcopal ring was worn on the -fore-finger, but as, for the celebration of the holy mysteries, bishops -were obliged to place it on the _fourth_ finger, the custom prevailed of -carrying it thus. - -Mr. E. Waterton gives his explanation thus, and there could be no better -authority: 'It appears that bishops formerly wore their rings on the index -of their right hand, being the middle one of the three fingers which they -extend when they are giving their blessing, but when celebrating mass they -passed the ring on to the annular. They wore it on the index as the -fore-finger was indicative of silence, that they ought to communicate the -divine mysteries only to the worthy. Gregory IV., in 827, ordered that the -episcopal ring should not be worn on the left, but on the right hand, as -it was more distinguished (_nobile_) and was the hand with which the -blessing was imparted.'[52] - -[Illustration: Episcopal Thumb-ring.] - -The episcopal ring is now always worn on the annular finger of the right -hand, and bishops never wear more than one. In the pictures of the early -Italian masters, however, and on sepulchral effigies, bishops are -represented with many rings, some of which are not unfrequently on the -second joint of the fingers. A thumb-ring is often seen; one is -represented (p. 219) belonging to a late Dean of St. Patrick's, the sketch -of which was made by the late Mr. Fairholt, when it was in the possession -of Mr. Huxtable, F.S.A., in 1847. It is of bronze, thickly gilt, and set -with a crystal. In Raffaelle's portrait of Julius II. the Pope is -represented as wearing six rings. Certain it is, as late as the year 1516, -the Popes occasionally wore two or more rings. - -As the large pontifical ring was of a size sufficient to enable the bishop -to pass it over the silk glove which he wears when pontificating, a -smaller, or guard ring, was used to keep it on the finger. - -In the Waterton Collection is a very pale gold episcopal ring, with oblong -hexagonal bezel, set with a pale cabochon sapphire, and the hoop divided -into square compartments chased with rosettes, and finished on the -shoulders with monsters' heads. French, of the early part of the fifteenth -century. - -In the Anglo-Saxon annals, an archbishop bequeaths a ring in his will, and -a king sends a golden ring, enriched with a precious stone, as a present -to a bishop. So great was the extravagance among the clergy for these -ornaments that Elfric, in his 'canons,' found it necessary to exhort the -ecclesiastics 'not to be proud with their rings.' In the mediæval romances -we are told that at the marriage of Sir Degrevant, there came - - Erchebyschopbz with ryng - Mo than fiftene. - -In the effigy of Bishop Oldham (died 1519), in Exeter Cathedral, the -uplifted hands of the recumbent figure, which are pressed together, are -adorned with no less than seven large rings on the fingers, three being on -the right, and four on the left hand. In addition to these, a single -signet-ring of extraordinary size is represented as worn over both the -thumbs. - -But the number of these rings is exceeded by far in the case of the arm of -St. Blaize, exhibited in the Cathedral of Brunswick, on the fingers of -which are no less than _fourteen_ rings. This relic was brought from -Palestine by Henry the Lion in the eleventh century, and is encased in -silver. - -In a miniature in the 'Heures d'Anne de Bretagne' (1500), representing St. -Nicholas and the miracle of the three children, the bishop is represented -with one hand extended in the act of blessing, with a large ring over two -fingers. A ring is on one of the fingers of the other hand. In paintings -of the early bishops of the Church they are figured with gloves having the -ruby on the back of the hand, and the official ring on the fore-finger of -the right hand sometimes, but not always, introduced. - -Dart, in his 'History of Canterbury,' gives an inventory of the _Ornamenta -Ecclesiastica_ taken in 1315. One of the _annuli pontificales_ was of -elaborate character, and is thus described: 'Annulus quadratus magnus cum -smaragdine oblongo, et quatuor pramis, et quatuor garnettis.' The others -had sapphires surrounded by smaller gems. One of these rings was set 'cum -sapphiro nigro in quatuor cramponibus ex omne parte discoperto.' - -In the 'Archæological Journal' (vol. ii., 1854) is an interesting account -by the late Mr. Albert Way, of the ecclesiastical mortuary or -corse-present: 'Whether this was originally a composition for offerings -omitted, or in the nature of a payment for sepulture, frequently -consisted, amongst other things of a ring. Thus in the archdeaconry of -Chester, on the death of every priest, his best signet, or ring, with -various other objects belonging to the bishop as being the archdeacon.' - -The King, in like manner, on the death of every archbishop and bishop, was -entitled to a gold ring with other things. On the death of some abbots the -King claimed the like. These rights existed in the reign of Edward I. and -probably earlier. In the province of Canterbury the second-best ring of -the bishop accompanied the seals, which, there is reason to think, were -given up to their metropolitans. In 1310, on the death of Robert Orford, -Bishop of Ely, his pontifical ring not having been delivered up in due -course, a mandate was issued by Archbishop Winchelsey, directed to Richard -de Oteringham, then administering the spiritualities of the vacant see, to -obtain possession of the ring, which appeared to have been kept back by -two of the monks of Ely. The mandate recites all the circumstances which -had occurred, describing the ring as 'annulum qui pontificalis vulgariter -appellatur, qui de jure et consuetudine nostre ecclesie Cantuariensis ad -nos dignoscitur pertinere.' It was alleged by the monks of Ely that the -deceased prelate had made a gift of this ring in his lifetime to the Prior -and Convent, but that, having no other pontifical ring, he had retained it -for his own use until his death. The Prior and Convent then had possession -of the ring, which they forthwith caused to be affixed to the shrine of -St. Ealburga. The two monks incurred the penalty of excommunication; the -Archbishop forthwith cited the Prior and Convent to appear before him, and -there can be little doubt that the ring was ultimately delivered up. The -details of this curious transaction are related in Archbishop -Winchelsey's Register, and may be seen in Wilkins's 'Concilia,' vol. ii. -p. 403. - -In regard to two of the sees in Wales, St. Asaph and Bangor, the claim -extended to the palfry with bridle and saddle, the _capa pluvialis_, or -riding-cloak, and the hat used by the deceased prelate. The seals and best -ring were likewise demanded, as in the case of the other bishops of the -Principality, and of the province of Canterbury in general. On the decease -of Anian, Bishop of Bangor, in 1327, the metropolitan see being at that -time vacant, the Prior of Christ Church claimed the ring, seals, and other -effects, which had not been rendered up to him in due course. The -following entry appears on this occasion: 'De annulo et sigilis Episcopi -Bangorensis restituendis.--Magister Kenewricus Canonicus Assavensis, -officialis noster sede Bangorensi vacante, habet literam de annulo secundo -meliori et omnibus sigillis bone memorie domini Aniani Episcopi -Bangorensis, ac etiam de aliis bonis nobis et ecclesie nostre Cantuarien -de jure et consuetudine antiqua et approbata debitis post mortem -cujuslibet Episcopi Bangorensis, que de Magistro Madoco Archidiacono -Angles' executore testimenti dicti domini Aniani recepit, nobis absque -more majoris dispendio apud Cantuariam transmittendis necnon de omnibus -aliis bonis que ad manus suas sede Bangorensi vacante vel plena -devenerunt; et ad certificandum nos infra xx dies post recepcionem -presentium quod super premissis duxerit faciendis. Dated at Canterbury, -July 15, 1328.' - -These instructions from the Prior to his official seem to have produced no -effect. A letter is found subsequently in the same register (K. 12, f. -158, v{o}), addressed from Mayfield by Simon Mepham, Archbishop of -Canterbury, to Henry Gower, Bishop of St. David's, stating the demand of -the Prior had not been satisfied, and requiring him to obtain restitution -of the seals and ring which had belonged to the deceased prelate. The -matter appears accordingly to have been adjusted without delay, since a -formal acquittance is found in the same volume, dated at Canterbury, -February 3, 1328. - -A similar occurrence is recorded in the register on the decease of David -Martyn, Bishop of St. David's, March 9, 1328. His executors had delivered -the seals and ring to Master Edmund de Mepham, who had departed this life; -and a letter is found from Henry de Eastry, Prior of Christ Church, to -Robert Leveye, Edmund's executor, requesting him to render up these -objects to which the Prior was entitled. - -The Wardrobe Books and other records would doubtless show that the rights -of the Crown were constantly enforced on the decease of archbishops and -bishops with no less jealous vigilance than those of the Church of -Canterbury. In the Wardrobe Book of 28th Edward I., for instance, amongst -various articles mention is made of the gold ring of William de Hothum, -Archbishop of Dublin, who died in 1298, set with a sapphire, as also of -many silver _ciphi_ and gold rings set with various gems, delivered to the -King on the decease of several other prelates at that period. In the same -record are to be found the gold rings of the abbots of Glastonbury, St. -Alban's, and Abingdon, lately deceased, in custody of the King's wardrobe. - -It is deserving of remark that at an earlier period no claim, as regarded -the pontifical ring, appears to have been acknowledged by the Bishops of -Rochester. - -Mr. Edmund Waterton, in the 'Archæological Journal' (vol. xx. pp. 235 _et -seq._), gives a list of a few of the authentic episcopal rings now in -existence in England. - -The ring of Seffrid, Bishop of Winchester, who died in 1151. This is most -curious, for it is set with a gnostic gem, representing the figure with -the head of a cock. It is a strange subject for the ring of a bishop. - -A massive gold ring set with a sapphire, found in a tomb on the thumb of -the skeleton of a bishop, supposed to be Hilary, Bishop of Chichester, who -died in 1169, together with a silver chalice, and paten, and a pastoral -staff. - -A gold ring with an octagonal sapphire, set _à griffes_, and with four -small emeralds in the corners. This was found in a stone coffin on which -was inscribed EPISCOPUS, and which also contained some remains of -vestments, and a pastoral staff. - -These three rings belong to the Dean and Chapter of Chichester. - -Gold ring set with a ruby, and found in York Minster in the tomb of -Archbishop Sewall, who died 1258. - -A gold ring, also set with a ruby, found in the tomb of Archbishop -Greenfield, who died 1315. - -[Illustration: Ring of Archbishop Sewall.] - -[Illustration: Ring of Archbishop Greenfield.] - -A gold ring, the stone of which has fallen out and which bears on the -inside the _chançon_ '×honnor×et×joye×,' found in the tomb of Archbishop -Bowett, who died in 1423. - -The three last rings are preserved in York Minster. - -A large gold ring set with an irregular oval sapphire secured by four -grips in the form of fleurs-de-lys. The stone is pierced longitudinally. -This was found in Winchester Cathedral, and may be assigned to the -thirteenth century. - -[Illustration: Episcopal ring (thirteenth century).] - -The ring of William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, died 1404. A massive -plain gold ring, set with a sapphire. By his will he bequeathed to his -successor in the Bishopric of Winchester, his best book, _De Officio -Pontificali_, his best missal, and his larger gold pontifical ring, set -with a sapphire, and surrounded with four balass-rubies. - -A gold ring found in the tomb of Bishop Gardiner, in Winchester Cathedral -(died 1555). It is set with an oval _plasma_ intaglio of the head of -Minerva; on the shoulders of the hoop are two square facetted ornaments, -each set with five small rubies _en cabochon_. - -These rings belong to the Dean and Chapter of Winchester Cathedral. - -[Illustration: Ring of Bishop Stanbery.] - -A massive gold ring set with a sapphire. The shoulders are ornamented with -flowers, and inside is the _chançon_ 'en : bon : an.' Found in the tomb -of John Stanbery, Bishop of Hereford, 1452. - -A gold ring set with an uncut ruby, and which has on either shoulder a Tau -cross, filled in with green enamel, and a bell appended. Within is the -inscription enamelled 'Ave Maria.' Found in the tomb of Richard Mayhew, or -Mayo, Bishop of Hereford, 1504. - -These rings were found in Hereford Cathedral. They are figured in the -'Archæologia' (vol. xxxi. p. 249). - -A massive gold ring set with a sapphire, _en cabochon_. This was found on -one of the fingers of St. Cuthbert, when his coffin was opened by the -visitors in 1537. It came into the possession of Thomas Watson, the -Catholic Dean appointed on the dismissal of Robert Horne, the Protestant -Dean, in 1553. Dean Watson gave the ring to Sir Thomas Hare, who gave it -to Antony Brown, created Viscount Montague, by Queen Mary, in 1554. He -gave it to Dr. Richard Smith, Bishop of Calcedon, _in partibus_, and Vicar -Apostolic of the Northern District, whom he had for a long time sheltered -from the persecution. Bishop Smith gave the ring to the monastery of the -English Canonesses of St. Augustine at Paris; and it is now preserved at -St. Cuthbert's College, Ushaw, near Durham. The ring is evidently not one -worn by the sainted bishop during his lifetime. It does not appear to have -been of an earlier date than the fourteenth century; and a gold ring, set -with a sapphire, and almost its counterpart, which was found at Flodden, -is now in the British Museum. Probably the ring had belonged to one of the -bishops of Durham, and had been offered to the shrine of St. Cuthbert, and -placed on a finger of the corpse on some occasion when the shrine was -opened. The authentication of the ring simply states the fact that it was -found on the hand of St. Cuthbert in 1537. - -The ring of Arnulphus, consecrated Bishop of Metz in 614, is stated to be -preserved in the treasury of the cathedral of that city. It is believed to -be of an earlier date than the fourth century, and it is set with an -opaque milk-white cornelian, engraved with the sacred symbol of the fish. - -In addition to these examples are two other French episcopal rings. One is -that of Gerard, Bishop of Limoges, who died in 1022. Didron thus describes -it: 'Cet anneau est en or massif; il pese 14 gram. 193 m.; aucune -pierrerie ne le decore. La tête de l'anneau, ou chaton, est formée de -quatre fleurs trilobées opposées par la base sur lesquelles courent de -légers filets d'email bleu.' - -In August 1763 the remains of Thomas de Bitton, Bishop of Exeter from 1293 -to 1307 were discovered in the cathedral of that city. The skeleton was -nearly entire, and among the dust in the coffin a gold ring was found and -a large sapphire set in it. This ring and a chalice recovered at the same -time are preserved within a case in the chapter-house of the cathedral. - -The following extracts from the Wardrobe Book of 28th Edward I. (A.D. -1299-1360), relating to episcopal rings, are of interest:-- - -'Jocalia remanencia in fine anni 27. - -'Annulus auri cum sapphiro qui fuit fratris Willelmi quondam Dublin' -archiepiscopi defuncti. - -'Jocalia remanencia in fine anni 27 de jocalibus Regi datis, et post -decessum prælatorum Regis restitutis anno 25. - -'Annulus auri cum sapphiro crescenti qui fuit N. quondam Sarum episcopi -defuncti. - -'Annulus, auri cum rubetto perforato qui fuit Roberti Coventr' et -Lichfield' episcopi defuncti. - -'Jocalia remanencia in fine anni 27 de jocalibus Regi datis et post -decessum prælatorum Regis restitutis. Annulus auri cum sapphiro qui fuit -J. Ebor' archiepiscopi defuncti anno 24. - -'Jocalia remanencia in fine anni, 27 de jocalibus receptis de venerabili -Patre Will' Bathon' et Wellen' episcopo. - -'Tres annuli auri cum rubettis. - -'Unus annulus auri cum ameraudâ. - -'Unus annulus auri cum topacio (chrysolite). - -'Unus annulus auri cum pereditis (topaz).' - -The _Jocalia Sancti Thomæ_, which is given by Dart in his history of -Canterbury Cathedral, are as follows:-- - -'Annulus pontificalis magnus cum rubino rotundo in medio: - -'_Item._ Annulus magnus cum sapphiro nigro qui vocatur lup. - -'_Item._ Annulus cum parvo sapphiro nigro qui vocatur lup. - -'_Item._ Annulus cum sapphiro quadrato aquoso. - -'_Item._ Annulus cum lapide oblongo qui vocatur turkoyse. - -'_Item._ Annulus unus cum viridi cornelino sculpto rotundo. - -'_Item._ Annulus parvus cum smaragdine triangulato. - -'_Item._ Annulus unus cum chalcedonio oblongo.' - -The term _lup_ may signify _en cabochon_, uncut. - -In 1867 Mr. Binns exhibited a gold episcopal ring, at a meeting of the -Society of Antiquaries, which he obtained at the shop of a jeweller at -Worcester, and supposed to be the ring of Walter de Cantilupe, who -presided over the see of Worcester from 1236 to 1266. In the -'Archæologia' (vol. xx. p. 556) is figured an amethyst ring, which was -discovered at Evesham Abbey, on the finger of the skeleton of Henry of -Worcester, abbot of that house, 1256-1263. - -In the possession of the Dean and Chapter of Wells is a fine massive -episcopal ring of gold, the date supposed to be the commencement of the -twelfth century. It has a solid projecting bezel, set with an -irregularly-shaped ruby, polished on the surface and pierced -longitudinally--an oriental stone which has been used as a pendant. - -At the Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South -Kensington Museum, in 1872, Mr. R. H. Soden Smith contributed, amongst his -fine collection of 140 finger-rings, a series of seven gold episcopal -rings of the pointed or stirrup-shaped type; these are mostly set with -sapphires, rudely shaped and polished. Date from the 13th and 14th -centuries. - -This engraving represents a gold episcopal ring, in the Londesborough -Collection, with sapphire. French work of the thirteenth century. - -[Illustration: French Episcopal ring.] - -In the Royal Irish Academy is a large episcopal ring, but, of -comparatively modern date. It is the largest ring in the collection, and -had originally held a very fine amethyst, which was removed by Dean -Dawson, when the ring was in his possession, and a piece of glass inserted -in its stead. - -[Illustration: Episcopal ring.] - -In the Waterton Collection is one of the finest of mediæval gold episcopal -rings, obtained at Milan. It has been reset with an amethyst, the -original stone, stated to have been a valuable sapphire, having been -removed. No date is assigned to it. - -[Illustration: Episcopal ring.] - -Abbots were invested with the ring. Lawrence, seventeenth Abbot of -Westminster, is said to have been the first of that dignity who obtained -from the Pope (Alexander III.) the privilege of using the mitre, ring, and -gloves. He died in 1167, and was represented on his monument with a mitre, -ring, and staff. In 1048, Wulgate, twelfth Abbot of Croyland, received the -crosier and _ring_ from the _king_. The consecration of an abbot was -similar, in most respects, to the episcopal ceremony. The abbot received -from the bishop, or whoever was appointed to officiate, the insignia of -his ecclesiastical dignity. - -The privilege of the mitre, pontifical ring, &c., was conceded to the -abbots of St. Denis, in France, about the year 1177 by Alexander III. - -Jocelyn of Brakelond, in his 'Chronicles of St. Edmundsbury' (twelfth -century), informs us that Sampson was inaugurated abbot of that monastery -in 1182, by the Bishop of Winchester, who placed the mitre on his head, -and the ring on his finger, saying: 'This is the dignity of the abbots of -St. Edmund; my experience early taught me this.' - - * * * * * - -In the reception of novices into the Roman Catholic sisterhood, one of the -ceremonies performed was the presentation of a ring blessed by the bishop, -usually of gold with a sapphire. After the benediction of the veil, the -ring, and the crown, the novices receive the first as a mark of renouncing -the world; the ring, by which they are married to the Son of God, and the -crown, as a type of that prepared for them in heaven. The origin of this -custom of espousals to Christ dates from a very remote period. 'We meet,' -remarks Lingard, in his 'History and Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon -Church,' 'for more than a thousand years after the first preaching of -Christianity, with females who, to speak the language of our ancestors, -had wedded themselves to God.' - -On one of four rings of St. Eloy (6th century), preserved before the -Revolution of 1793 in the treasury of the church at Noyon, in France, was -inscribed:-- - - Annulus Eligii fuit aureus iste beati, - Quo Christo sanctam desponsavit Godebertam. - -(This gold ring of the ever-blessed St. Eloy was that with which he -married St. Godiberte to Christ.) - -John Alcock, Bishop of Ely (1486), gives 'an exhortacyon made to relygyous -systers in the tyme of theyr consecracyon by him: "I aske the banes betwyx -the hyghe and moost myghty Prynce, Kyng of all kynges, Sone of Almyghty -God, and the Virgyn Mary, in humanyte Cryste Jesu of Nazareth, of the one -partye, and A. B. of the thother partye, that yf ony or woman can shewe -any lawfull impedymente other by any precontracte made on corrupcyon of -body or soule of the sayd A. B. that she ought not to be maryed this daye -unto the sayd mighty Prynce Jesu, that they wolde accordynge unto the lawe -shewe it."' - -There is no doubt that these 'espousals to Christ' were in connection with -the spiritual marriage of the bishop with the Church implied by the -sanctity of the episcopal ring. 'The mystical signification,' observes Mr. -E. Waterton, 'attached to this ring has been set forth by various -ecclesiastical writers. "Datur et annulus episcopo," observes St. Isidore, -of Seville, in the 16th century, "propter signum pontificalis honoris, vel -signaculum secretorum." In 1191 Innocent III. wrote that "annulus episcopi -perfectionem donorum Spiritus Sancti in Christo significat." Durandus, who -lived in the 13th century, enlarges upon the subject in his "Rationale." -"The ring," he says, "is the badge of fidelity with which Christ betrothed -the Church, his holy Bride, so that she can say: 'My Lord betrothed me -with his ring.' Her guardians are the bishops, who wear the ring for a -mark and a testimony of it; of whom the Bride speaks in the Canticles: -'The watchmen who kept the city found me.' The father gave a ring to the -prodigal son, according to the text, 'put a ring on his finger.' A -bishop's ring, therefore, signifies _integritatum fidei_; that is to say, -he should love as himself the Church of God committed to him as his -Bride, and that he should keep it sober and chaste for the heavenly -Bridegroom, according to the words, 'I have espoused you to one Husband, -that I my present you as a chaste virgin to Christ,' and that he should -remember he is not the lord, but the shepherd."' - -It was the custom in former ages for the high dignitaries of the Church, -at the time of their elevation to episcopal rank, to celebrate such event -with pompous ceremonies. We find recorded, among others, the marriage of -prelates, especially in Italy. In 1519, Antonio Pucci was elected Bishop -of Pistoja, and made his solemn entrée with a brilliant cortége. On -reaching a nunnery called San Pier Maggiore, 'he descended from his -horse,' says Michel-Ange Salvi, 'and entered the church, which was richly -decorated. After praying, he went towards the wall which separated the -church from the convent, where an opening had been made, and, in an -apartment there, wedded the abbess, placing on her finger a sumptuous -ring. After this he went to the cathedral, and with various ceremonies was -inducted into his bishopric.' - -At Florence, when an archbishop was elected, he proceeded to a convent -dedicated to St. Peter, and was married to the abbess. A platform was -erected, surmounted by a rich baldequin, near the high altar; a golden -ring was brought to the prelate, which he placed on the finger of the -abbess, whose hand was sustained by the oldest priest of the parish. The -archbishop slept one night at the convent, and the next day was enthroned, -with great ceremony, in the cathedral. - -The same usages were practised at the installation of the archbishops of -Milan, the Bishops of Bergamo, Modena, &c. - -Aimon, in his 'Tableau de la Cour de Rome,' describing the ceremonies -attending the consecration of cardinals, says: 'Le Pape leur fait alors -une exhortation, et leur assigne des titres; leur met au doigt annulaire -de la main droite, un anneau d'or, dans lequel est enchassé un saphir, qui -coûte à chaque Eminence cinq cents ducats. Cet anneau est donné au nouveau -Cardinal pour lui apprendre _qu'il a l'Èglise pour épouse_, et qu'il ne le -doit jamais abandonner.' - -During the ceremony of consecrating the Bishop of Limoges at Nôtre Dame in -Paris (1628), in presence of the Queen and the Duke of Orleans, the former -sent the Bishop a rich diamond ring, which she took from her finger, in -token of the spiritual marriage which he was contracting with the Church. - -M. Thiers, in his 'Traité des Superstitions,' gives a curious instance of -these espousals to Christ: a Carmelite, in his assumed quality of -'Secretary of Jesus,' had persuaded some of his devotees to sign contracts -of marriage with the Saviour. A translation of one of these I now give: -'I, Jesus, son of the living God, the husband of my faithful, take my -daughter, Madelaine Gasselin, for my wife; and promise her fidelity, and -not to abandon her, and to give her, for advantage and possession, my -grace in this life, promising her my glory in the other, and a portion of -the inheritance of my Father. In faith of which I have signed the -irrevocable contract by the hand of my secretary. Done in the presence of -the Father Eternal, of my love, of my very worthy mother Mary, of my -father St. Joseph, and of all my celestial court, in the year of grace -1650, day of my father St. Joseph. - - 'JESUS, the husband of faithful souls. - -'Mary, mother of God. Joseph, husband of Mary. The guardian angel -Madelaine, the dear lover of Jesus. - -'This contract has been ratified by the Holy Trinity, the day of the -glorious St. Joseph, in the same year. - -'Brother Arnoux, of St. John the Baptist, Carmelite. Déchaussé, unworthy -secretary of Jesus.' - -'I, Madelaine Gasselin, unworthy servant of Jesus, take my amiable Jesus -for my husband, and promise him fidelity, and that I never have any other -but Him, and I give Him, as a proof of my truth, my heart, and all that I -shall ever be, through life unto death doing all that is required of me, -and to serve Him with all my heart throughout eternity. In faith of which -I have signed with my own hand the irrevocable contract, in the presence -of the ever-adorable Trinity, of the holy Virgin, Mary, mother of God, my -glorious father St. Joseph, my guardian angel, and all the celestial -court, the year of grace 1650, day of my glorious father St. Joseph. - - 'JESUS, lover of hearts. - -'Mary, mother of God. Joseph, husband of Mary. The guardian angel -Madelaine, the dearly-beloved of Jesus. - -'This contract has been ratified by the ever-adorable Trinity the same day -of the glorious St. Joseph, in the same year. - - 'Brother Arnoux, of St. John the Baptist.' - -A curious legend of a ring of espousals received from our Saviour by a -pious maiden, is recorded by Nider, in his treatise 'In Formicario,' and -is referred to by Kirchmann ('De Annulis'). He writes in praise of -celibacy, and describes a certain maiden who, rejecting all earthly loves, -is filled with sincere affection for Christ only. After praying for some -token of Divine acceptance: 'orti locello quo nunc oculis corporeis visum -dirigo. Et ecce in eodem momento et locello vidit tres or duos circiter -violarum amenos flosculos.... Violas manu collegit propria et conservavit -solliciter, ut exinde amor et spes artius ad suum sponsum grate -succrescerent.' - -After enforcing the miraculous character of the event by reminding his -readers that it was not the season of flowers, but somewhere about the -feast of St. Martin, he continues:--'In sequenti anno iterum in orto suo -laboraret quodam die, et ibidem in locum certum intuitum dirigeret, -optando ex imo cordis desiderio quatenus ibi reperiret in signum -Christifere desponsationis annulum aliquem, si divinæ voluntatis id esset: -et en altera vice non sprevit Deus preces humilis virginis sed reperit -materialem quemdam annulum quem vidi postmodum. Erat autem coloris albi, -de minera qua nescio, argento mundo videbatur similior. Et in clausura ubi -jungebatur in circulum due manus artificiose insculpte extiterunt.... Hunc -annulum virgo gratissime servavit in posterum, et altissimo suo sponso -deinceps ut antea in labore manuum suarum vivere studuit.' _Vide_ J. -Nider, _In Formicario_, Cologne, 1473 (?) ['Notes and Queries']. - -This mystical union by the ring was exemplified in a singular manner in -the instance of Edmund Rich, who was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury -in 1234. When a young man he made a vow of celibacy, and, that he might be -able to keep it, he wedded himself to the mother of our Lord. He had two -rings made with 'Ave Maria' engraved on each. One he placed on the finger -of an image of the Virgin, which stood in a church at Oxford, and the -other he wore on his own finger, considering himself espoused in this -manner to the Virgin. He cherished the remembrance of this transaction to -his death, and at his funeral the ring was observed on his finger.[53] - -In the legends of the saints there are frequent allusions to the espousals -with Christ, in which the ring is prominently mentioned; thus of St. -Catherine of Alexandria, it is said that, as she slept upon her bed, 'the -blessed Virgin appeared to her again, accompanied by her divine Son, and -with them a noble company of saints and angels. And Mary again presented -Catherine to the Lord of Glory, saying, "Lo, she hath been baptized, and I -myself have been her godmother!" Then the Lord smiled upon her, and held -out his hand, and plighted his troth to her, putting a ring upon her -finger. When Catherine awoke, remembering her dream, she looked, _and saw -the ring upon her finger_; and, henceforth regarding herself as the -betrothed of Christ, she despised the world, and all the pomp of earthly -sovereignty, thinking only of the day which should reunite her with her -celestial and espoused Lord.' - -In a painting by Ghirlandago, St. Catherine is represented with a ring -conspicuous on her finger, in allusion to her mystical espousals. - -Mrs. Jameson, in her 'Sacred and Legendary Art,' mentions an engraving of -the marriage of St. Catherine by one of the earliest artists of the -genuine German school, the anonymous engraver known only as 'Le Graveur de -1466,' 'the scene is Paradise; and the Virgin-Mother, seated on a flowery -throne, is in the act of twining a wreath, for which St. Dorothea presents -the roses; in front of the Virgin kneels St. Catherine, and beside her -stands the Infant Christ (here a child about five or six years old), and -presents the ring,' &c. - -In Titian's 'Marriage of St. Catherine,' 'the Infant Christ is seated on a -kind of pedestal, and sustained by the arms of the Virgin. St. Catherine -kneels before him, and St. Anna, the mother of the Virgin, gives St. -Catherine away, presenting her hand to receive the ring; St. Joseph is -standing on the other side; two angels behind the saint, look on with an -expression of celestial sympathy.' - -St. Agnes, in the old legend, when tempted to marry the son of Sempronius, -the prefect of Rome, by rich presents, rejects them with scorn, 'being -already betrothed to a lover who is greater and fairer than any earthly -suitor.' - -In Hone's 'Everyday Book' (vol. i. p. 141) there is a curious story -connected with St. Agnes, 'who,' says Butler, 'has always been looked upon -as a special patroness of purity, with the immaculate mother of God.' It -seems that a priest who officiated in a church dedicated to that saint was -very desirous of being married. He prayed the Pope's licence, who gave it -him, together with an emerald ring, and commanded him to pay his addresses -to the image of St. Agnes in his own church. The priest did so, and the -image put forth her finger and he put the ring thereon; whereupon the -image drew her finger again, and kept the ring fast, and the priest was -contented to remain a bachelor, 'and yet, as it is sayd, the rynge is on -the fynger of the ymage.' - -Mrs. Jameson remarks, on a painting representing in one compartment of the -picture the Espousal of St. Francis of Assisi with the Lady Poverty, that -she is attended by Hope and Charity as bridesmaids, being thus substituted -for Faith. St. Francis places the ring upon her finger, while our Saviour, -standing between them, at once gives away the bride and bestows the -nuptial benediction. - -St. Herman of Cologne, in the thirteenth century, is said to have had an -ecstatic dream, in which the Virgin descended from heaven, and, putting a -ring on his finger, declared him her espoused. Hence he received from the -brotherhood with which he was connected the name of Joseph. He died in -1236. - -In Hone's 'Everyday Book' it is remarked that the meeting of St. Anne and -St. Joachim at the Golden Gate was a popular theme. The nuns of St. Anne, -at Rome, showed a rude silver ring as the wedding one of the two saints. - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a thick, gold, nun's ring, with a conical -surface to the band of the hoop, and an inscription of the fourteenth -century, in Longobardic characters, '× O (for _avec_) cest (for _cet_) -_anel seu_ (for _je suis_) _espose de Jheusu Crist_.' In the Waterton -Collection at the South Kensington Museum is also a nun's ring of the same -date, inscribed 'God with Maria.' - -In former times complaints were made in the 'Constitutions' of nuns -wearing several rings. In the 'Ancren Riwle, or Regulæ Inclusarum' (Camden -Society) nuns are forbidden to have brooch or _ring_, or studded girdle:-- - - Ring ne broche nabbe ye; ne gurdel i-membred. - -'Espousals to God' were not confined to the religious portion of the -community. - -Eleanora, third daughter of John, King of England, on the death of her -husband, the Earl of Pembroke, in 1231, in the first transports of her -grief, made in public a solemn vow, in presence of Edmund, Archbishop of -Canterbury, that she would never again become a wife, but remain a true -spouse of Christ, and received the ring in confirmation, which vows she, -however, subsequently broke, to the indignation of a strong party of the -laity and clergy of England, by her marriage with Simon de Montfort, Earl -of Leicester. At the head of the clergy was one William de Avendon, a -Dominican friar, who quoted a tractate on vows, by one 'Master Peter,' -from which it appears that a sacred plight-ring was considered almost as -impassable a barrier as the veil itself, against the marriage of the -wearer. - -Mary, sixth daughter of Edward I., took the veil at Amesbury, thirteen -young ladies being selected as her companions. The spousal rings placed on -their fingers were of gold, adorned with a sapphire, and were provided at -the expense of the King. - -In a very interesting paper by Mr. Harrod, F.S.A., in the 'Archæologia' -(vol. xl. part 2) we have particulars of the custom, which prevailed in -the Middle Ages, of widows taking a vow of chastity, and receiving a -particular robe and ring. Sir Harris Nicolas printed in the 'Testamenta -Vetusta' an abstract of the will of Lady Alice West, of Hinton Marcel, -widow of Sir Thomas West, dated in 1395, and proved in the Prerogative -Court of Canterbury. There is a bequest to her son Thomas, amongst other -things of 'a ring with which I was yspoused to God.' - -Sir Harris rightly says that this could not have been her marriage-ring, -and it was certain she had not entered a convent. This is still more -clearly made out by a reference to the transcript of the will in the -registers of the Prerogative Court. - -Gough, in his 'Sepulchral Monuments,' quotes a story, from Matthew Paris, -of one Cecily Sandford, a lady of condition, who, on her deathbed, having -passed through the usual forms with her confessor, and he ordering her -attendants to take off a gold ring he observed on her finger, although -just expiring, recovered herself enough to tell them she would never part -with it, as she intended carrying it to heaven with her into the presence -of her celestial spouse, in testimony of her constant observance of her -vow, and to receive the promised reward. She had, it appears, made a vow -of perpetual widowhood, and with her _wedding_-ring assumed the russet -habit, the usual sign of such a resolution. - -'In the "Colchester Chronicle," portions of which are printed in -Cromwell's "History of Colchester," one entry appears to confirm the -conjecture that the whole was composed in the fourteenth or fifteenth -century, "Anno Dni ccciij. Helena mortuo Constancio perpetuam vovit -viduitatem." - -'By the testament of Katharine Rippelingham, dated February 8, 1473, who -calls herself "advowes," she desires to be buried in the church of -Baynardes Castell of London, where she was a parishioner; and by her will, -in which she gives herself the title of "widow advowes," she shows herself -in the full exercise of her rights of property, devising estates, carrying -out awards, and adjusting family differences, and in an undated codicil -she bequeaths to her daughter's daughter, Alice Saint John, "_her gold -ring_ with a diamante sette therein, _wherewith she was 'sacred.'_"' - -'Sir Gilbert Denys, Knight of Syston, 1422: "If Margaret my wife will -after my death vow a vow of chastity, I give her all my moveable goods, -she paying my debts and providing for my children; and, if she will not -vow a vow of chastity, I desire that my goods may be distributed, or -divided into three equal parts, &c." - -'John Brakenbury, in 1487, leaves his mother certain real estate, "with -that condicion that she never mary, _the which she promised afore the -parson and the parish of Thymmylbe_, and if she kepe not that promise, I -will she be content with that which was my fader's will, which she had -every peny." - -'William Herbert, knight, Lord Pembroke, in his will dated July 27, 1469, -thus appeals to his wife: "And, wife, that you remember your promise to -take the order of widowhood, so ye may be the better maistres of your -owen, to perform my will, and to help my children, as I love and trust -you." - -'William Edlington, esquire, of Castle Carlton, on June 11, 1466, states -in his will: "I make Christian, my wife, my executor on this condicion, -that she take the _mantle and the ring_ soon after my decease; and, if -case be that she will not take the mantle and the ring, I will that -William, my son (and other persons therein named) be my executors, and she -to have a third part of all my goods moveable." - -'Lady Joan Danvers in 1453, gives the ring of her profession of widowhood -to the image of the crucifix, near the north door of St. Paul's. - -'Lady Margaret Davy, widow, in 1489, leaves her profession-ring to "Our -Lady of Walsingham."' - -Gough prints the Act of Court from the Ely Registers, on the taking the -vow by Isabella, Countess of Suffolk, in 1382. This took place at the -priory of Campsey, in the presence of the Earl of Warwick, the Lords -Willoughby, Scales, and others. The vow was as follows: 'Jeo Isabella, -jadys la femme William de Ufford, Count de Suffolk, vowe à Dieu, &c., en -presence de tres reverentz piers en Dieu evesques de Ely et de Norwiz, qe -jeo doi estre chaste d'ors en avant ma vie durante.' And the Bishop of -Ely, with authority of the Bishop of Norwich (in whose diocese Campsey -was) received and admitted the same, 'et mantellum sive clamidem ac -annulum dicte voventis solempniter benedixit et imposuit super eam.' - -Catherine, sixth daughter of Henry the Fourth, married to William -Courtenay, Earl of Devon, on the death of her husband, took the vow of -perpetual widowhood in 1511. - -Dugdale, in his 'History of Warwickshire' and in his 'Baronage,' prints a -licence from John, Bishop of Lichfield, to one N. N. to administer the vow -of chastity to Margery, wife of Richard Middlemore, who died 15th of Henry -the Seventh, which contains this passage: 'In signum hujusmodi continentiæ -et castitatis promisso perpetuo servando eandem Margeriam velandam seu -peplandam habitumque viduitatis hujusmodi viduis, ut præfertur, ad -castitatis professionem dari et uti consuetum cum unico annulo -assignandum.' - - * * * * * - -Legacies and gifts of rings for religious purposes were frequent in former -times; thus, amongst other rich gifts to the Cathedral of Canterbury, -Archbishop Hubert, in 1205, presented four gold rings adorned with -precious stones. Henry the Third, while on a visit to St. Alban's Abbey, -made some costly presents, including bracelets and rings, and five years -afterwards gave similar gifts at another visit to the same abbey. - -The same monarch, among other gifts to Salisbury Cathedral, 'offered one -gold ring with a precious stone called a ruby.' After hearing mass he told -the dean that he would have the stone and the gold applied to adorn a -sumptuous gold 'text' (a Bible for the use of the altar) enriched with -precious stones given by Hubert de Burgh. - -Dugdale mentions in a list of jewels formerly in the treasury of York -Cathedral 'a small mitre, set with stones, for the bishop of the boys, or, -as he was anciently called, the barne bishop; also a pastoral staff and -_ring_ for the same.' - -The Bishop of Ardfert, in Ireland, gave to St. Alban's 'three noble rings; -one set with an oriental sapphire, the second with a sapphire that -possessed some _medicinal_ quality, and was formed like a shield, and the -other with a sapphire of less size.' - -Henry de Blois presented to the same abbey a large ring set with jewels; -the middle one was a sapphire of a faint colour, and in the circuit four -pearls and four garnets. - -John of St. Alban's, a knight, left as a legacy to the monks of the abbey -'a number of rings containing many precious stones.' - -At the death of Walter, Abbot of Peterborough, among his effects, -containing many rich articles, were no less than thirty gold rings, the -offerings of the faithful. - -Thomas Chillenden, fortieth Abbot of Canterbury, gave several pontifical -rings to the abbey. - -Thomas de la Chesnaye (died 1517) left, for the shrine of the Virgin at -Rouen Cathedral, a ring garnished with a costly precious stone. Eustace -Grossier, canon of the same cathedral, bequeathed, in 1534, his -signet-ring to the shrine of St. Romain. Two years afterwards Jean de -Lieur, another canon, left four rings to the shrine of the Virgin, 'où il -y a en une, une petite esmaraude; en laultre une petite turquoise, en -laultre ung petit saphir, et en laultre ung petit rubi.' In 1544 Etienne -Burnel leaves to Our Lady a gold ring with a ruby enchased, and a pendant -pearl; and to the shrine of St. Romain a gold ring with a diamond. - -Charles the Third (? Naples) took from his finger a ring of great value to -adorn the golden canopy, enriched with precious stones, for the Host, in -the church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. - -Lady Morgan, in her 'Italy,' mentions the miraculous statue of the Virgin -and Child at Loretto: 'The Bambino holds up his hand as if to sport a -superb diamond ring on his finger, presented to him by Cardinal Antonelli: -it is a single diamond and weighs thirty grains.' - -In the 'Annals of Ireland' we read that in 1421 Richard O'Hedian, -Archbishop of Cashel, was accused, among other crimes, of taking a ring -away from the image of St. Patrick (which the Earl of Desmond had offered) -and giving it to his mistress. - -Louis VII., of France, laid the first stone of the porch and two towers of -the abbey church of St. Denis, in 1140. When the officiating minister -pronounced the words 'lapides pretiosi omnes muri tui et turres, -Jerusalem, gemmis ædificabunter,' the King took a costly ring from his -finger, and threw it into the foundations. Several of the other persons -present followed the example. - -Saint Honoré, eighth Bishop of Amiens, in the sixteenth century, left his -pastoral ring to the treasury of the cathedral, but it was sold by one of -his successors, Bishop Gervain. It was afterwards repurchased and replaced -in the treasury by Bishop Godefroy. - -We read in the account of the spoliation of the shrine of St. Thomas à -Becket, at Canterbury (temp. Henry VIII.), of a stone 'with an Angell of -gold poynting thereunto, offered there by a King of France' (which King -Henry put) 'into a ring, and wore it on his thumb.' The shrine blazed with -gold and jewels; the wooden sides were plated with gold, and damasked with -gold wire: cramped together on this gold ground were innumerable jewels, -pearls, sapphires, balasses, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, and also 'in -the midst of the gold, rings, or cameos of sculptured agates, cornelians, -and onyx stones.' - -The stone that the rapacious Henry took was said to be as large as a hen's -egg, or a thumb-nail, and was commonly called the 'Regale of France' -offered to the shrine by Louis VII. of France, when on a pilgrimage -there.[54] - -At the meeting of the Archæological Institute at Norwich in 1847 Sir -Thomas Beevor exhibited a silver ring, with a zigzag tooling and the word -'[Maltese cross]Dancas[Maltese cross]' signifying a token of thanks, or -acknowledgment of services received, or, possibly, an _ex voto_, in -accordance with the common usage of suspending such ornaments near the -shrines of saints, as appears in the inventories of St. Cuthbert's shrine, -&c. - -Adam Sodbury, fifty-third Abbot of Glastonbury, gave to the abbey, among -other precious gifts, 'a gold ring with a stone called Peritot, which was -on the finger of St. Thomas the Martyr, when he fell by the swords of -wicked men.' - - * * * * * - -Among what may be called 'religious' rings, I would notice those which are -termed 'decade,' 'reliquary,' 'pilgrims,' &c., some of which are highly -interesting, and serve to show how, in past ages, the zeal of our -forefathers was animated by these rings, or, as some would call them, -these _aids_ to superstition. In olden wills they are frequently mentioned -as heir-looms of great value. - -What are termed DECADE-rings, having ten projections at intervals all -round the hoop, were common in former times, and were used as beads for -repeating _Aves_. In the Braybrooke Collection a ring is mentioned with -eleven knobs, the last being larger than the others, indicating ten _Aves_ -and one _Paternoster_. Each of the knobs is separated by three small -beaded dots across the hoop from its neighbour, probably symbolic of the -Trinity. At a meeting of the Archæological Institute at Norwich, in 1847, -a curious ring was exhibited dating from the reign of Henry VI., found at -St. Faith's, near Norwich. It is engrailed, presenting ten cusps, and may -be placed in the class of decade-rings. On the facet is engraved the -figure of St. Mary Magdalen (or St. Barbara?), and on the outer circle 'de -bon cver' ('de bon coeur'). - -Another ring of the same date is of a more delicate workmanship, and bears -on the facet, St. Christopher, the hoop engrailed like the last, and has -the legend 'en. bo. n. ane' ('en bon an'). - -At the same exhibition of antiquities among the rings of latten or -base-metal was shown one engraved with the figure of a female saint, -probably St. Catherine; the hoop formed with eleven bosses, date about -1450. A similar brass ring bearing the same figure, found near British and -Roman weapons in the bed of the Thames, at Kingston, engraved in Jesse's -'Gleanings in Natural History,' is here represented. This ring has eleven -bosses, and, although found in the immediate vicinity of vestiges of an -earlier date, may be regarded as of mediæval date, having been -accidentally thrown together in the alluvial deposit. - -[Illustration: Latten ring, with figure of St. Catherine (?).] - -[Illustration: Thumb-ring.] - -Two decade-rings of the fifteenth century were also exhibited at the -Norwich meeting, bearing the monogram I.H.S. one found in Norwich Castle, -and the other at Heigham. - -A gold ring with ten knobs, was found in 1846, at Denbigh, in pulling down -an old house. Its weight is a quarter of an ounce. A similar ring of base -metal, discovered in a tomb in York Minster, is preserved in the treasury -of that church; and another example, in silver, of precisely similar form, -was found in Whitby Abbey, Yorkshire. - -Mr. Edward Hoare, of Cork, writing to the editor of the 'Archæological -Journal,' observes that, as far as he has been able to obtain information -about decade-rings, they were worn by some classes of religious during the -hours of repose, so that on awaking during the night they might repeat a -certain number of prayers, marking them by the beads or knobs of the -rings. If worn on any finger except the thumb, at other periods of time -than those of repose, it must have been as a sort of penance, and perhaps -these rings were sometimes so used. The addition of a twelfth boss marked -the repetition of a creed. - -[Illustration: Silver Decade-ring. (In the possession of E. Hoare, Esq.)] - -The following illustration is from the 'Gentleman's Magazine' (1792), of a -ring found near Croydon, concerning which a correspondent of that work -wrote that he remembered a similar ring in the possession of a man -advanced in years, who had passed his youth at sea. 'The ring,' he said, -'was a _dicket_ (a corruption of "Decade"), to be placed, successively, on -each of the fingers, and turned with the thumb; the cross and larger boss -for the _Paternoster_; the ten smaller ones for _Ave Maria_, and that he -used to say his prayers with it on board ship without being noticed by the -sailors, in the hurry and confusion of a man of war.' - -[Illustration: Decade-ring, found near Croydon.] - -In the rich collection of E. Hoare, Esq., is a curious decade signet-ring, -of which the following is a representation from the 'Archæological -Journal' (vol. ii. p. 198). It was discovered near Cork in 1844, and is -thus described: 'The hoop is composed of nine knobs or bosses, which may -have served instead of beads in numbering prayers, whilst the central -portion which forms the signet supplied the place of the _gaùde_.' Some -persons (as Mr. Hoare remarked) have considered this ring as very ancient; -Mr. Lindsay supposed it to have been of earlier date than the ninth -century, regarding the device as representing an arm, issuing from the -clouds, holding a cross with a crown, or an ecclesiastical cap, beneath -it. Sir William Betham expressed the following opinion respecting this -relic: 'There can be little doubt but your ring is a decade ring, as there -are ten knobs or balls about it. The globe surmounted by a cross is a -Christian emblem of sovereignty; the ring and cross, of a bishop; the cap -looks like a crown, and, only that the ring is too old, it might be -considered the ciulid or barred crown of a sovereign prince. It certainly -is of considerable antiquity, and Mr. Lindsay is not far out in his -estimation.' - -[Illustration: Decade signet-ring.] - -[Illustration: Decade-ring.] - -In the Londesborough Collection is a 'religious' ring, apparently a work -of the fourteenth century. It has a heart in the centre, from which -springs a double flower. On the upper edge of the ring are five -protuberances in each side: they were used to mark a certain number of -prayers said by the wearer, who turned his ring as he said them, and so -completed the series in the darkness of the night. - -[Illustration: Decade rings.] - -It has been stated by French antiquaries that metal rings formed with ten -bosses, and one of as early date as the reign of St. Louis, have been -found in France. It was at that period that the use of the _chapelet_ in -honour of the Blessed Virgin is supposed to have been devised by Peter the -Hermit. - -A decade silver ring found at Exton, in Rutlandshire, in the possession of -Mrs. Baker, of Stamford, has also a central projection engraved with a -cross. - -In Mr. Hoare's collection is a silver decade-ring found in 1848 in Surrey. -The hoop has ten projections resembling the cogs of a wheel, and on the -circular facet is the monogram I.H.S. surmounted by a cross, with a heart -pierced by three nails. - -In the Londesborough Collection is a ring of Delhi workmanship which has -been referred to as a decade. The face is convex, circular, and of -turquoise, engraved and inlaid with Oriental characters in gold, -surrounded by ten cup-shaped bosses of rubies. The sides of the bosses are -enamelled green, and the backs red and white like leaflets. The back of -the face is richly enamelled with flowers having red blossoms and green -leaves, among which, upon the shank, are intermingled some pale-blue -blossoms, and within the centre, where the shank is attached to the back -of the face, are small golden stars upon an enamelled ground, and on each -side leaves of green enamel. The inscription reads 'Jan (John) Kaptani.' - -[Illustration: Ring of Delhi work.] - -Mr. Edmund Waterton, at a meeting of the Archæological Institute -(December, 1862), gave the following notice of some rings of a peculiar -class, of which he sent several specimens for inspection: 'On a former -occasion I exhibited, at one of the meetings, some of the so-called--and -wrongly--rosary-rings, one of which had seven, the other eleven, and the -third, thirteen knobs or bosses. I stated my opinion that we ought to -consider these examples as belonging to a form of ring prevalent about the -fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and described in wills and inventories -as rings with "knoppes or bulionys." I had never met with a proper rosary, -or, more properly, decade, ring of a date anterior to the sixteenth -century. But a remarkable specimen has lately been added to my collection -which I send for exhibition. It is of ivory; there are ten knobs or bosses -for the _Aves_, and an eleventh of larger size and different form, for the -_Pater_. There are holes around the hoop, probably merely for ornament. I -am inclined to ascribe it to the fourteenth century, and think it not -unlikely it is of Irish origin. I am induced to form this opinion from the -peculiar fashion of the eleventh boss, which presents a type found in -rings discovered only in Ireland. This ring was found many years ago in an -old tomb in Merston churchyard, in Holderness. I also send another -decade-ring, of silver, and of a later date and type. This ring was -formerly in the possession of the Reverend Mother Anne More, Lady Abbess -of the English Augustinian Nuns at Bruges, and sister of Father More, of -the Society of Jesus, the last male descendant of Sir Thomas More. He gave -the More relics to Stonyhurst College.' - -[Illustration: Trinity ring.] - -Among other examples of 'religious' rings, I may mention a beautiful one -of gold, of fifteenth-century work, found at Orford Castle in Suffolk, and -the property of the Rev. S. Blois Turner. On the facet is engraved a -representation of the Trinity, the Supreme Being supporting a crucifix; on -the flanges are St. Anne instructing the Virgin Mary, and the _Mater -Dolorosa_. These designs were probably enamelled. - -A representation is here given of a gold triple ring, brought from Rome, -and, possibly, emblematic of the Trinity. It is an Early Christian ring, -dating, probably, from the end of the third or beginning of the fourth -century. - -[Illustration: Religious rings.] - -At the meeting of the Archæological Institute in March 1850 an exquisite -gold 'religious' ring of the fifteenth century was exhibited, found -within the precincts of Lewes Priory. It is delicately chased with the -following subjects: on the facet, the Virgin and child; on one side, the -Emperor Domitian; on the other, St. Pancras; on the flanges are -represented the Holy Trinity, and St. John with the Holy Lamb. The work -was originally enriched with transparent enamel. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -In the Londesborough Collection is a gold 'religious' ring, enamelled with -a diamond in the centre, and six rubies, arranged like a sacred cross, -around it. The scrolls are enriched with white, blue, and green enamel. - -At Barnard Castle, in 1811, a gold ring was found of eight globules, in -weight equal to three guineas and a half. On the second is S; on the -fourth, US; on the sixth, JH; on the eighth, S, the abbreviation of -Sanctus Jesus; on the first, is the Saviour on the cross in the arms of -God; on the third, the Saviour triumphing over death; on the fifth, the -Saviour scourged; on the seventh, Judas, the traitor. - -The accompanying illustration represents a 'religious' ring, found in the -eighteenth century near Loughborough, and described in the 'Gentleman's -Magazine' for 1802. The figures are those of the Virgin Mary, Child, and -St. Michael. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -A ring of a curious form is described in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for -1811, as having been found in the parish of Stonham-Aspal, Suffolk. The -gold seemed pure, but the workmanship was rude, and the gem which it -enclosed was supposed to be a virgin sapphire. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -The following represents a large and curious ring found about 1750 at the -hermitage on the River Itchen, at Southampton, which is noticed in Sir -Henry Englefield's 'Walk Round Southampton,' and is mentioned in the -'Gentleman's Magazine' for 1802. The bezel is little broader than the -hoop. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -In the collection of Mr. Octavius Morgan, F.R.S., F.S.A., is a Jewish ring -enamelled with figures in relief, representing the Creation, the -Temptation, and the Fall of Adam and Eve; date, sixteenth century. - -[Illustration: 'Paradise' rings.] - -In the cathedral library at Chichester is an ancient gem having the -Gnostic equivalent of the blessed name Jehovah. This was used by Seffrid, -Bishop of Chichester (died 1159), as his episcopal signet. - -[Illustration: Reliquary ring.] - -In the Gérente Collection is a reliquary ring of silver-gilt elaborately -ornamented. - -The Bessborough Collection has a ring with a frog or toad cut in a -magnificent almandine, of Roman work--a favourite device in the later -Imperial times, the animal typifying a new birth by its total changes of -form and habits, and hence adopted into the list of Christian symbols. - -The Rev. C. W. King notices in his 'Antique Gems,' among some 'highly -curious and undoubted Christian subjects engraved on gems, one of the most -interesting--a red jasper set in an elegant antique gold ring, the shank -formed of a corded pattern, in wire, of a novel and beautiful design. The -stone bears, in neatly-formed letters: [Greek: IÊSOUS-THEOU-UIOS-TÊRE], -"Jesus, Son of God, keep us." Another, of equal interest and of the -earliest period of our religion, a fish cut on a fine emerald (quarter of -an inch square), is set in an exquisitely-moulded six-sided ring, with -fluted and knotted shank, imitating a bent reed, very similar to a bronze -one figured in Caylus.' - -The first of the annexed illustrations represents an early Christian ring -with the symbol of an anchor. - -[Illustration: Early Christian rings.] - -The other engraving is from Gorlæus, of an early Christian ring with the -sacred emblems, found in the Catacombs at Rome. - -The following illustration represents a key-ring, with sacred monogram. - -[Illustration: Early Christian.] - -In the Waterton 'Dactyliotheca' is an early Christian ring having 'the -Holy Church represented by a pillar, on which are figured twelve dots, -which denote the twelve apostles. Three steps, thrice repeated, lead to -the pillar, symbolising the _lavacrum regenerationis_, which was formerly -received by three immersions, and three interrogations, and three replies -given by those who were being baptised.' - -In the treasuries of various continental churches are 'religious' rings, -to which a high value is attached. In the church of St. Ursula, at -Cologne, is one called the ring of that saint, and is, certainly, of very -early date. - -Mr. J. W. Singer informs me that he has seen in the treasury of the -cathedral of Liége, a large shrine, far above the size of life, in -silver-gilt, the bust of St. Lambert, the patron of the cathedral. One -hand has a crosier, and the other holds a book. On the right hand are six -rings, and on the left are three, of the seventeenth and eighteenth -century style; the shrine being late fifteenth or early sixteenth century. -The rings are on very different parts of the fingers, some being on the -first joint. - -These rings may have been votive offerings; one is a ruby ring having a -stone weighing ten carats. - -In a catalogue (kindly lent to me by Mr. Singer), 'Des Bijoux de la Très -Sainte Vierge del Pilar de Saragosse' of offerings by the pious to the -sacred treasury for many centuries, and which were sold in 1870 to defray -the expenses of repairs and embellishments to the Holy Chapel, numerous -costly rings are included among other precious objects. - -With a few instances of 'religious' rings, including pilgrims' rings, &c., -now in the possession of several eminent collectors, and exhibited at -various meetings of the Archæological Society, I must conclude the present -chapter. - -In the curious catalogue of Dr. Bargrave's Museum (Camden Society) is -mentioned 'a small gold Salerno ring, written on the outside--not like a -posey, in the inside, but on the out--_Bene scripsisti de Me, Thoma_. The -story of it is, that Thomas Aquinas, being at Salerno, and in earnest in a -church before a certain image there of the Blessed Virgin Mary, his -devotion carried him so far as to ask her whether she liked all that he -had writ of her, as being free from original sin, the Queen of Heaven, -&c., and entreated her to give him some token of her acceptance of his -endeavours in the writing of so much in her behalf; upon which the image -opened its lipps and said, _Bene scripsisti de Me, Thoma_. - -[Illustration: Religious seal-ring.] - -'Salerno layeth a little beyond Naples on the Mediterranean Sea; and the -goldsmiths of that place, for their profit, make thousands of these rings, -and then have them touch that image which spake. And no merchant or -stranger that cometh thither but buyeth of these rings for presents and -tokens.' - -A seal-ring, considered to belong to the fifteenth century, was discovered -at Cuddesden in 1814, by some workmen, in front of the gate of the -episcopal palace. It is of brass; the impress is an oblong octagon; the -device is the word _pax_, with a crown above, and a heart and -palm-branches below. - -In the collection of the Hon. Richard Neville is a ring of silver-gilt -(time, Henry VII.), with bevelled facets, engraved with figures of saints, -found at the Borough Field, Chesterford; also a latten ring found in the -Thames (1846), the impress being the Virgin and Child; and the ring of -latten--=ihc=--discovered in repairing Weston Church, Suffolk; within is -inscribed, =in deo salus=. - -A gold ring in the possession of Mrs. Baker, of Stamford, stated to have -been found in the tomb of an ecclesiastic, in a stone coffin, near -Winchester, bears a representation of St. Christopher. - -A ring found at Loughborough, in 1802, represents the Virgin and St. -Michael, with motto. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -A silver ring found at Carlisle, in 1788, bears an inscription below, -which has been suggested for 'Mary, Jesus.' The bezel of this ring is a -rude representation of joined hands, surmounted by a crown, and a portion -of the hoop is decorated with lozenge-shaped spaces, filled with a row of -quatrefoils. A correspondent to the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for 1788, in -allusion to this ring, mentions that the hands joined together exactly -resemble one found at Shaf Abbey, with the motto 'iheu.' Or, he suggests, -'it may be a wedding-ring, and to be read, _Marith_ (marrieth) _us_.' - -A similar ring, with the hands joined, and inscribed _Jesus Nazarenus_, is -represented in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' (vol. liv. p. 734, and vol. lv. -p. 333). - -[Illustration: Inscription on a supposed religious ring, found at -Carlisle.] - -The annexed engraving represents a ring found, about 1790, in Stretly -Park, near Nottingham. The figure is that of St. Edith, and the ring -probably belonged to the abbess of some religious house in the -neighbourhood. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -The following illustration represents a ring discovered, in 1812, while -harrowing near Froxfield, Hants; weight 4 dwt. 7 grs. It is supposed to -have been worn by a warrior in the Crusades. The bezel part exhibits on -the dexter side a knight with a shield, charged with a cross, thrusting a -lance down the throat of a dragon--probably meant for St. George. The -figure on the corresponding side varies in having a cross on the right -side of his mantle, and appears to be in a boat, or wading through water; -and it may be conjectured to be intended for St. Christopher. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -Representation of a ring with a crowned I over a pillar, supposed to be -the initial of our Saviour's name as King of the Jews: - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -Mr. Davis, of Hempton, Oxfordshire, possesses a brass ring found there, in -the form of a strap and buckle, or of a garter, so contrived as to admit -of being contracted or enlarged, to suit the wearer's finger; the end of -the strap being formed with little knobs, upon which the buckle catches, -and keeps the ring adjusted to the proper size. The hoop is inscribed in -relief, MATER DEI MEMENTO. - -In the Waterton Collection is an ecclesiastical ring, silver-gilt, with -circular bezel set with a cabochon crystal, the shoulders ornamented with -cherubs' heads in full relief, supported by brackets; on the reverse of -the bezel is engraved the figure of Christ on the Cross; sixteenth -century; diameter two and a half inches. - -[Illustration: Ecclesiastical ring.] - -A singular silver ring, of which a representation is given in the -'Archæological Journal' (vol. iii. p. 78) was exhibited at a meeting of -the Institute in 1846 by Mr. Talbot. The interlaced plated work resembles -some ornaments of the Saxon period, but is remarkable for having the -impress of two feet, which may, probably, be regarded as one of the -emblems of the Passion, or as a memorial of the pilgrimage to the Mount of -Olives, where the print of the feet of the Saviour which miraculously -marked the scene of His Ascension, was visited by the pilgrims with the -greatest veneration. - -[Illustration: Pilgrim ring.] - -In the collection of Mr. Octavius Morgan, F.R.S., F.S.A., is a gold ring, -probably one of those obtained at Jerusalem, as tokens of pilgrimage to -the Holy City. On the head, which is circular, is engraved the Jerusalem -Cross, and around the hoop the first words of Numbers vi. 24: 'The Lord -bless thee and keep thee,' in Hebrew characters. - -At a meeting of the Archæological Institute (Feb. 1855), Mr. Gough Nichols -exhibited impressions from two signet-rings, also bearing as a device the -'Jerusalem Cross,' or cross potent between four crosslets, the insignia of -the Kingdom of Jerusalem, worn likewise on the mantles of the Knights of -the Holy Sepulchre. This device is regarded as emblematic of the five -wounds of our Lord. On one of these rings, of gold, purchased at Brighton, -the cross appears between two olive-branches, with the word 'Jerusalem' in -Hebrew characters beneath; on the other the branches alone are introduced. -The ring last mentioned, which is of silver, is in the possession of Mr. -Thompson, of Leicester. These are supposed to be memorial rings brought as -tokens of pilgrimage to the Holy City. - -A gold ring of most beautiful workmanship was exhibited at the Lincoln -meeting of the Archæological Institute, by the Rev. S. Blois Turner, -bearing the device of the bear and _bâton ragulé_, with the motto -inscribed above, 'Soulement une' (only one). Around the hoop are the -words, 'be goddis fayre foot'. This very singular legend has been supposed -to have reference to the miraculous impress of the Saviour's feet on the -Mount of Olives, which was regarded by pilgrims with extreme reverence, -and, like the five wounds, was probably used as a symbol of talismanic -virtue. This ring, formerly in the possession of George IV., now belongs -to General Johnson. Weight 230 grains. - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a brass ring strongly gilt, with a long, -oval, flat signet, engraved with Hebrew characters, 'Pray for the peace -of Jerusalem,' from Psalm cxxii., supposed to be one of the rings given to -tourists to the holy city, as a certificate of their visit, and called in -the East 'hadji' or pilgrims' rings. - -In the same collection is a slight silver ring, with narrow and flat band -to hoop, surmounted by a circular signet; on the hoop is this inscription, -in relief, between lines raised along each edge, headed and ended by small -flowers, 'M S D MONSERRATA.' On the signet, also in relief, appears a -double-handled stone-mason's saw (_serra_), the Latin for which furnished -the key to this monkish riddle; it reads thus, 'Mater Sancta de -Monserrata,' or Holy Mother of Monserrat, in Spain, where there was a -chapel dedicated to the Virgin, and this is, probably, the ring of a -pilgrim to that shrine. - -At the meeting of the Archæological Institute at Norwich in 1847 some -curious examples of religious rings (of silver) were exhibited, connected, -most probably, with charms and superstitions. A ring dating about the -period of Henry VI. is engraved with the figure of a female saint, and the -symbols of the five wounds. Another, of the same age, found at Fransham, -has the hoop swaged or twisted; on the angular facets had been engraved -figures of saints. The engraving on another ring was '+Maria+Anna+Ih'us.' - -Amongst the rich collection of rings lent by Mr. R. H. Soden Smith to the -Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South Kensington -Museum in 1872, were six rings, gold and silver, of the iconographic type, -having for the most part figures of saints engraved on the bezel, one -inscribed within, in Gothic letters, 'yspartir+canc+dec+' (_partir sans -désir_). - -In the 'Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall' (Sept. 1875) is a -note on an ancient signet-ring found at Penryn by Mr. W. H. Tregelles: -'This ring was found a few years since in a field near Budock church, by a -watchmaker of the neighbourhood, of whom I bought it for Mr. Octavius -Morgan, F.S.A., late M.P. for Monmouthshire. It has been the subject of -much interesting discussion, the result of which, with a description of -the ring, and three impressions in hard wax, I have deposited in the -Museum of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, at Truro. - -'It is an oriental ring of silver, set with an oblong sard, engraved; it -appears at one time to have been gilt, and the loop and back of the bezel -were ornamented with a small pattern in niello, now almost obliterated by -long wear. - -'In the middle of the device is a cartouche, or escutcheon, terminating at -the top in a Greek cross potent. In the lower part of the escutcheon is -engraved a paschal lamb, and in the upper part are some oriental -characters, which have not been deciphered with certainty. On either side -of the escutcheon is some ornamental scroll-work, having in the middle the -Jerusalem cross potent. - -'It was submitted to Mr. Albert Way and Mr. C. W. King; and the latter -gentleman, who took much pains to make out the inscription, considered -that the characters were Servian, and that they represent the name of some -ecclesiastic of the Greek Church to whom it once belonged. - -'It was evidently an ecclesiastical ring, and M. Castellane stated that he -has seen several Armenian priests at Rome wearing similar rings. It may, -perhaps, date from the early part of the last century. - -'The most probable conjecture as to the reason of such an object being -found in Cornwall is that it may have been brought over by some traveller, -and, having been lost by him or the person to whom he gave it, was -mislaid among rubbish, and carted out with manure.' - - * * * * * - -In the first chapter of this work I have alluded to rings of the early -Christians, a subject of great interest, to which I again refer in these -notices of 'religious' rings, with additional illustrations from the -'Archæological Journal.' - -The following cut represents a portion of a ring of dark-green jasper, -from Rome, dating, probably, from the second or third century. On the oval -bezel a symbol is engraved in intaglio, viz. a boat, on which is a cock, -carrying a branch of palm. - -[Illustration] - -A bronze ring, probably Christian, of the third or fourth century, of an -oval octagonal form, set with red jasper, engraved in intaglio with the -subject of a shepherd. From Rome. - -[Illustration] - -The ring here represented is of bronze, engraved with a ship, the emblem -of the Church, between the letters _chi_ and _rho_. This ring was obtained -at Rome. - -[Illustration] - -The accompanying illustrations are of small gold rings, in workmanship -and form dating from the third or fourth century. - -[Illustration] - -Annexed (probable date about 440) is a signet-ring, the subject incised -upon the gold apparently a matrimonial or love-ring. - -[Illustration] - -To the same period may be ascribed a bronze ring, of coarse workmanship, -taken from the Roman catacombs. A circular hoop is surmounted by a flat -circular bezel, on which is engraved an ear of corn between two fishes, -emblem of the bread of life, and those who live in faith of it. - -[Illustration] - -Another bronze ring is engraved with the sacred symbol, the united _chi_ -and _rho_ between the _alpha_ and _omega_ above, and two sheep below. -Probable date, the middle of the fourth century. Found at Rome. - -[Illustration] - -To the same class of rings belongs the last of the above engravings. It is -of bronze, having a simple convex hoop; the device, a draped male figure -with nimbus, and standing before a cross appearing to spring from a bunch -of grapes. It was brought from Athens, and is probably Byzantine, of the -sixth or seventh century. - -The following engraving represents a ring of duplex form, of solid gold, -weighing 5-1/2 dwts. It has engraved - - D - FILINAN - A - -and - - Vivas - in Deo*. - -The ring probably dates from the latter part of the third, or beginning of -the fourth, century. It was discovered in the neighbourhood of Masignano, -a small township of Fermo. - -[Illustration] - -Early Christian rings of silver are unusual; that now represented is of -duplex form. On one oval is engraved the name FAVSTVS, and on the other is -a palm-branch. The date is, probably, of the latter half of the fourth -century. - -[Illustration] - -A bronze ring, intended for a signet. On the bezel is a monogram deeply -cut in reverse, which has been rendered by Rossi, _Deus dona vivas in -Deo_. From Rome, and of the fourth century. - -[Illustration] - -A bronze ring with circular hoop, the bezel engraved with the sacred -monogram. This ring is said to have been found in the neighbourhood of the -house of Pudens. - -[Illustration] - -A bronze ring of coarse workmanship and angular form. The device, two -doves and a fish. - -[Illustration] - -The shoulders of the following bronze ring are engraved as palm branches. -The bezel is raised by four steps or tables, and engraved with a monogram. -From Rome. - -[Illustration] - -A bronze ring with high, projecting bezel. On the square face the subject -of Abraham's sacrifice is deeply engraved. The execution may be -attributed, perhaps, to the latter end of the third century, but, more -probably, to the fourth. Brought from Viterbo. - -[Illustration] - -Bronze ring, formed as a circle of half-round metal, engraved with a -double-fluked anchor, crossed by one of a single fluke, and surrounded by -a pearl border. From the catacombs at Rome. - -[Illustration] - -Bronze ring, with plain rounded hoop. Device, a draped female standing -between two birds. On either side is the Christian monogram. Found, it is -believed, in the catacombs of St. Calixtus; date, fourth century of our -era. - -[Illustration] - -An iron ring of octagonal form, the bezel engraved with two human figures -and the sacred monogram. A human figure is represented on each face of the -octagon. This is a remarkable ring of its class. - -[Illustration] - -Bronze ring, with bezel shaped as the sole of a shoe, and incised with the -legend IN DEO, in the collection of C. D. E. Fortnum, Esq., F.S.A.: - -[Illustration] - -In Montfaucon's 'L'Antiquité Expliquée' are several illustrations of Roman -rings with the bezels representing a human foot. One seems to have been a -Christian seal, the inscription on which, DEDONAO, is there, perhaps, put -for DEI DONA. Montfaucon mentions one in his own cabinet, inscribed, -between two crosses, DEI DONA. - -A bronze stamp, formed as the sole of a shoe, is preserved in the -Christian Museum of the Vatican. Inscription reversed, SPES IN DEO. - -[Illustration] - -A child's ring of gold. A simple hoop, flattened out on the bezel, which -is engraved with the palm-branch. This ring was found in a child's tomb in -the neighbourhood of Rome. - -[Illustration] - -Bronze ring, the bezel engraved with the sacred monogram, round which is -placed the inscription, COSME VIVAS. This was discovered in one of the -catacombs on the Via Appia. - -[Illustration] - -A small iron ring, on which is engraved the lion of St. Mark, dating, -probably, from the sixth century. Found in a Coptic grave near the temple -of 'Medinet Aboo,' at Thebes. - -[Illustration] - -Mr. Hodder M. Westropp, in his 'Handbook of Archæology,' remarks that -Christian inscriptions 'are all funeral, and are, for the most part, found -in the Catacombs, or subterranean cemeteries of the early Christians in -Rome. They are characterised by symbols and formulæ, peculiar to the -Christian creed; the idea of another life--a life beyond the -grave--usually prevails in them. The symbols found in connection with the -funeral inscriptions are of three kinds; the larger proportion of these -refer to the profession of Christianity, its doctrines and its graces. A -second class, of a partly secular description, only indicate the trades of -the deceased, and the remainder represent proper names; thus a lion must -be named as a proper name, _Leo_; _Onager_, an ass; a dragon, -_Dracontius_. Of the first kind the most usually met with is the monogram -of Christ. The other symbols generally in use are the ship, the emblem of -the church; the fish, the emblem of Christ; the palm, the symbol of -martyrdom; the anchor, representing hope in immortality; the dove, peace; -the stag, reminding the faithful of the pious aspiration of the Psalmist; -the horse was the emblem of strength in the faith; the hunted hare, of -persecution; the peacock and the phoenix stood for signs of the -resurrection; Christ, as the good pastor, and the [Greek: A-Ô] of the -Apocalypse, was also introduced in the epitaphs. Even personages of the -pagan mythology were introduced, which the Christians employed in a -concealed sense, as Orpheus, enchanting the wild beasts with the music of -his lyre was the secret symbol of Christ, as the civilizer of men, leading -all nations to the faith. Ulysses, fastened to the mast of his ship, was -supposed to present some faint resemblance to the Crucifixion.' - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -BETROTHAL AND WEDDING RINGS. - - -It would be difficult to find a subject more interesting in all its -associations than a wedding-ring. From the most remote times it has had a -mystical signification, appealing to our most cherished feelings, hopes -and wishes. The circular form of the ring was accepted in days by-gone, as -a symbol of eternity, thus indicative of the stability of affection. We -find some of our noted divines echoing the sentiments of old enthusiasts -on the figurative virtues of a ring. Thus Dean Comber and Wheatley express -themselves: 'The matter of which this ring is made is gold, signifying how -noble and durable our affection is; the form is round, to imply that our -respect (or regards) shall never have an end; the place of it is on the -fourth finger of the left hand, where the ancients thought there was a -vein that came directly from the heart, and where it may be always in -view; and, being a finger least used, where it may be least subject to be -worn out; but the main end is to be a visible and lasting token of the -covenant which must never be forgotten.' - -Jeremy Taylor, in his sermon on a 'Wedding-ring for the Finger,' conveys, -in quaint and forcible language, the duties and responsibilities of -married life.[55] - -In an old Latin work, ascribing the invention of the ring to Tubal Cain, -we find: 'The form of the ring being circular, that is, round, and without -end, importeth thus much, that mutual love and hearty affection should -roundly flow from one to the other, as in a circle, and that continually -and for ever.' - -Herrick has versified this conceit:-- - - Julia, I bring - To thee this ring, - Made for thy finger fit; - To show by this - That our love is, - Or should be, like to it. - - Close though it be, - The joint is free; - So, when love's yoke is on, - It must not gall, - Nor fret at all - With hard oppression. - - But it must play - Still either way, - And be, too, such a yoke - As not, too wide, - To overslide, - Or be so straight to choke. - - So we who bear - This beam, must rear - Ourselves to such a height - As that the stay - Of either may - Create the burthen light. - - _And as this round - Is nowhere found - To flaw, or else to sever, - So let our love - As endless prove_, - And pure as gold for ever. - -The same idea is conveyed in some lines by Woodward (1730) 'to Phoebe, -presenting her with a ring:'-- - - Accept, fair maid, _this earnest of my love_, - _Be this the type_, let this my passion prove; - Thus may our joy in endless circles run, - Fresh as the light, and restless as the sun; - Thus may our lives _be one perpetual round_, - Nor care nor sorrow ever shall be found. - -In modern poetry we have many sweet and tender allusions to the -wedding-ring. Thus Byron writes:-- - - In that one act may every grace - And every blessing have their place, - And give to future hours of bliss - The charm of life derived from this: - And when e'en love no more supplies, - When weary nature sinks to rest, - May brighter, steadier light arise - And make the parting moment blest! - -In a collection of poems printed in Dublin (1801) we find some touching -lines to 'S. D., with a ring:'-- - - Emblem of happiness, not bought nor sold, - Accept this modest ring of virgin gold. - Love in the small but perfect circle trace, - And duty in its soft yet strict embrace. - Plain, precious, pure, as best becomes the wife; - Yet firm to bear the frequent rubs of life. - Connubial love disdains a fragile toy, - Which rust can tarnish, or a touch destroy, - Nor much admires what courts the gen'ral gaze, - The dazzling diamond's meretricious blaze, - That hides with glare the anguish of a heart, - By nature hard, tho' polish'd bright by art. - More to thy taste the ornament that shows - Domestic bliss, and, without glaring, glows; - Whose gentle pressure serves to keep the mind - To all correct, to one discreetly kind; - Of simple elegance th' unconscious charm, - The only amulet to keep from harm, - To guard at once and consecrate the shrine; - Take this dear pledge--it makes and keeps thee mine. - -The most painful ordeal for 'Patient' Grisild (in Chaucer's 'Clerk's -Tale') is the surrender of what she most valued to her imperious lord, the -Marquis, the wedding-ring with which she had espoused him. This, in her -sore affliction, she returns to him:-- - - Here again your clothing I restore, - And eke your wedding-ring for evermore. - -The celebrated Sanscrit drama, which Kalidasa wrote upon the beautiful -Sakuntala, turns upon Dushyanta's recognition of his wife by means of a -ring which he had given to her. - -The tender and affectionate faith derived from the wedding-ring is -illustrated in the legend of Guy, Earl of Warwick. The doughty knight, -when in a moment of temptation he is about to marry the beautiful Loret, -daughter of the Emperor Ernis, is recalled to his duty at the sight of the -wedding-ring, and remembers his fair Félice, who is far distant, pining at -his absence:-- - - The wedding-ring was forth brought; - Guy, then, on fair Félice thought, - He had her nigh forgotten clean. - 'Alas,' he said, 'Félice, the sheen!' - And thought in his heart anon-- - ''Gainst thee now have I misdone!' - Guy said, 'penance I crave, - None other maid my love shall have.' - -We see also the tenderness that a wedding-ring can inspire in the instance -of Louis IX. of France, who in his youth was married to Marguerite of -Provence, the victim of a cruel jealousy on the part of Blanche of -Castile, the King's mother. The young Prince, who loved his wife dearly, -constantly wore a ring ornamented with a garland of lilies and daisies, in -allusion to his spouse and himself. A magnificent sapphire bore the image -of a crucifix, and the inscription 'hors cet annel pourrions nous trouver -amour.' - -In the German ballad of 'The Noble Moringer,' translated by Sir Walter -Scott, the hero, after some years' absence on a pilgrimage, returns -disguised as a palmer to his castle, on the eve of his wife's nuptials -with another knight. The lady - - ------Bade her gallant cup-bearer a golden beaker take, - And bear it to the palmer poor to quaff it for her sake. - - It was the noble Moringer, that dropp'd amid the wine - A bridal-ring of burning gold, so costly and so fine. - Now listen, gentles, to my song, it tells you but the sooth, - 'Twas with that very ring of gold he pledged his bridal troth. - - Then to the cup-bearer he said, 'Do me one kindly deed, - And, should my better days return, full rich shall be thy meed. - Bear back the golden cup again to yonder bride so gay, - And crave her of her courtesy to pledge the palmer grey.' - - The cup-bearer was courtly bred, nor was the boon denied, - The golden cup he took again, and bore it to the bride. - 'Lady,' he said, 'your reverend guest sends this and bids me pray - That, in thy noble courtesy, thou pledge the palmer grey.' - - The ring hath caught the lady's eye, she views it close and near, - Then might you hear her shriek aloud, 'The Moringer is here!' - Then might you see her start from seat, while tears in torrents fell, - But whether 'twas for joy or woe, the ladies best can tell. - -The veneration for a wedding-ring is shown in the instance of the great -lexicographer, Dr. Samuel Johnson. He writes, under date March 28, 1753: -'I kept this day as the anniversary of my Letty's death, with prayers and -tears in the morning. In the evening I prayed for her conditionally, if -it was lawful.' Her wedding-ring was preserved by him, as long as he -lived, with an affectionate care, in a little round wooden box, and in the -inside of which was a slip of paper inscribed: 'Eheu! Eliz. Johnson, nupta -Jul. 9, 1736; mortua, eheu! Mart. 17, 1752.' - -According to the 'London Press,' Mr. John Lomax, bookseller, of Lichfield, -who died lately at the age of eighty-nine, possessed, among many other -Johnsonian relics, this wedding-ring of Mrs. Johnson. - -The poet Moore, in his 'Diary,' mentions the gift of his mother, of her -wedding-ring. He writes: 'Have been preparing my dear mother for my -leaving her, now that I see her so much better. She is quite reconciled to -my going, and said this morning: "Now, my dear Tom, don't let yourself be -again alarmed about me in this manner, nor hurried away from your house -and business." She then said she must, before I left her this morning, -give me her wedding-ring as her last gift; and accordingly, sending for -the little trinket-box in which she kept it, she herself put the ring on -my finger.' - -The value, even to death, attached to wedding-rings has been frequently -shown. In a testamentary document made at Edinburgh Castle by Mary, Queen -of Scots, before the birth of her son James, and when under the impression -that she would die in childbed, among numerous bequests, she enumerates -her rings, of which she had a large number. Among them was a diamond ring, -enamelled red, recorded by the Queen herself as that with which 'she was -espoused.' On the other side is written 'For the King who gave it me.' -This is presumed to be the ring with which Darnley wedded Mary in the -privacy of Rizzio's chamber at Stirling, for at the public solemnity of -their nuptials in the Chapel Royal of Holyrood three rings of surpassing -richness were used. - -The ring with which James, Duke of York (afterwards King James the -Second), married Mary of Modena, had a small ruby set in gold. The Queen -showed it to the nuns of Chaillot, with whom she resided chiefly in the -days of her sorrowful widowhood, exile, and poverty. Although obliged to -part with most of her jewels, she would never give up this ring, which she -valued above everything. Even William of Orange, remarkable for his stern -and taciturn disposition, felt sensibly the tender feelings which a -marriage-ring can nourish after the death of a beloved object. On his -decease a ribbon was found tied to his left arm, with a gold ring appended -to it, containing some hair of the Queen. The Londesborough Collection -contained a royal ring, which is supposed to have been the same given by -the Prince of Orange to the Princess Mary. It is of gold, the strap and -buckle set with diamonds, and is enamelled black. Engraved in letters in -relief is the motto of the Order of the Garter. The following words are -engraved within: 'I'll win and wear thee if I can.' 'This posy' (as the -late Crofton Croker observed) 'has a double construction; whether -addressed to the princess before marriage or after is doubtful, with -reference to William's design to contest the crown of England with her -father.' - -Baron Rosen was sent a captive to Siberia, in consequence of political -tumults which occurred on the accession of the Emperor Nicholas to the -throne of Russia. On his arrival he was searched, and some family trinkets -taken from him. He was then required to give up a gold ring which he wore -on his finger. He replied: 'It is my wedding-ring, and you can only have -it by taking the finger also.' Fortunately the ring was spared. - -However, like everything, humanly speaking, the wedding-ring has had its -vicissitudes, and, from being the emblem of all that is pure and holy in -life, has been desecrated to the vilest and most impious of usages. -Nothing can be more humiliating to good faith and rectitude than to read -the accounts of what took place not many years ago concerning the 'Fleet -Marriages.' In Burns' 'Registers' of these mock celebrations we read sad -cases of this abominable system, which prevailed in the last century, of -clandestine marriages. A case is there mentioned of a young lady who had -been inveigled into the trap of a marrying parson (?), and, finding -herself unable to escape without money or a pledge, told her persecutors, -who wanted to force a marriage upon her, that she liked the gentleman who -desired to marry her so well that she would meet him on the next night. -She gave them a ring as a pledge, which she said was her mother's ring, -who enjoined her that if she should marry it was to be her wedding-ring. -By this contrivance 'she got rid of the black doctor and his tawny crew.' - -Great was the disgust of the respectable portion of the community for -these disgraceful alliances. It is recorded in the 'Daily Post' for 1742, -of a gentleman possessed of a considerable fortune, that he bequeathed it -in the hands of trustees for his wife, with the proviso that if she -married an Irishman they were to pay her ten guineas for a 'Fleet' -marriage, a dinner, and ring; the remainder, about eight thousand pounds, -to devolve on his nephew. On a trial for bigamy in 1731, Samuel Pickering -deposed: 'The prisoner was married at my house in the "Fleet." I gave her -away, and saw the ring put upon her hand, and broke the biscuit over her -head.' - -On the suppression of the Fleet marriages in the middle of the last -century commenced the scandalous Gretna Green marriages--the name derived -from that of a farmstead in the vicinity of the village of Springfield, in -the parish of Graitney, Dumfriesshire. The official who performed these -irregular marriages was of different vocations--sometimes a blacksmith. In -the report of a late Court of Probate case at Westminster, an -agriculturist, Thomas Blythe, admitted that he did a small stroke of -business in the 'joining' line as well; and in reply to counsel's question -'how the marriage ceremony was performed' he replied: 'I first asked them -if they were single persons. They said they were. I then asked the man, -"Do you take this woman for your wife?" He said, "Yes." I then asked the -woman, "Do you take this man for your lawful husband?" She said, "Yes." I -then said, "Put on the ring," and added, "the thing is done, the marriage -is complete."' - -A ring sent as a love-pledge, or token, was in frequent use in former -times. Philip de Comines relates in his 'Memoirs' that, a marriage between -the Princess of Burgundy and the Duke of Austria (1477) being determined -upon, a letter was written by the young lady at her father's command -signifying her consent to the alliance, and a diamond ring of considerable -value was sent as a pledge or token of it. At the time arranged for the -ceremony the Princess was at Ghent, and, in the presence of ambassadors -sent on that occasion, she was asked whether she designed to make good her -promise. The Princess at once replied 'that she had written the letter and -sent the ring in obedience to her father's command, and freely owned the -contents of it.' - -The engagement by a ring is also historically exemplified in late times by -the notorious intimacy of George the Fourth, when Prince Regent, with Mrs. -Fitzherbert. In order to overcome her scruples to a private marriage (the -Royal Marriage Act having been a bar), the Prince caused himself one day -to be bled, and put on an appearance of having attempted his own life, and -sent some friends to bring her to him. She was then induced to allow him -to engage her with a ring in the presence of witnesses, but she afterwards -broke the engagement, went abroad, and for a long time resisted all the -efforts made to induce her to return. It is singular that one of the chief -instruments in bringing about the union of this ill-assorted pair was the -notorious Philippe Egalité, Duke of Orleans. - -In old times rings made of rushes were used for immoral purposes, not only -in England, but in France. Douce refers Shakspeare's 'Tib's rush for Tom's -forefinger' to this custom ('All's Well that Ends Well,' act ii. sc. 2). -In D'Avenant's 'Rivals' we find:-- - - I'll crown thee with a garland of straw, then, - And I'll marry thee with a rush ring. - -The 'crack'd' ring (alluded to in Beaumont and Fletcher's 'Captain') -applied metaphorically to female frailty:-- - - Come to be married to my lady's woman, - After she's crack'd in the ring. - -The abuse of the rush ring led to the practice being strictly prohibited -by the constitutions of Richard Poore, Bishop of Salisbury, in 1217; but -it had a long continuance. Quarles, in 'Shepheard's Oracles' (1646), -writes:-- - - And while they sport and dance, the love-sick swains - Compose rush rings and myrtleberry chains. - -In Greene's 'Menaphon' we find:--''Twas a good world when such simplicitie -was used, saye the olde women of our time, when a ring of a rush would tye -as much love together as a gimmon of gold.' - -The practice of the rush ring in France prevailed for a considerable -period. - -Another equivocal pretence for engagement was the ring of St. Martin,[56] -so named from the extensive franchises and immunities granted to the -inhabitants of the precincts of the Collegiate Church of St. -Martin's-le-Grand. In a rare tract, entitled 'The Compter's Commonwealth' -(1617), is an allusion to these rings, which shows their import: 'This -kindnesse is but like alchimie, or _Saint Martin's rings_, that are faire -to the eye and have a rich outside, but if a man should break them asunder -and looke into them, they are nothing but brasse and copper.' - -In 'Whimsies, or a New Cast of Character' (1631), mention is made of St. -Martin's rings and counterfeit bracelets as 'commodities of infinite -consequence. They will passe for current at a May-pole, and purchase a -favour from their May-Marian.' - -So also in 'Plaine Percevall, the Peace-maker of England': 'I doubt -whether all be gold that glistereth, sith St. Martin's rings be but copper -within, though they be gilt without, sayes the goldsmith.' - -The materials of which wedding-rings have been made are numerous; besides -the various metals, we have an instance of a leather ring made on the spur -of the moment out of a piece of kid cut from the bride's glove. As a -substitute for the usual ring, the church key has been put into -requisition. Horace Walpole, in a letter to Mr. (afterwards Sir Robert) -Mann, dated July 27, 1752, alludes to the use of a curtain-ring for this -purpose: 'The event which has made most noise since my last is the -extensive wedding of the youngest of the two Gunnings,' and he then -describes an assembly at Lord Chesterfield's, when the Duke of Hamilton -made love to Miss Gunning, and two nights after sent for a parson to -perform the marriage ceremony. The Doctor refused to act without a licence -and a ring. 'The Duke swore he would send for the Archbishop; at last they -were married with a ring of the bed-curtain, at half-an-hour past twelve -at night, at May Fair Chapel.' - -In 'Notes and Queries' (2nd series, vol. x.) we find an editorial note on -this subject. A parish clerk recollected an instance of a party that came -to the church, and requested to be married with the church key. It was -what is called a 'parish wedding,' and the parochial authorities, though -willing to pay the church fees, because 'they were glad to get rid of the -girl,' had not felt disposed to furnish the wedding-ring. The clerk -stated, however, that, feeling some hesitation as to the substitution of -the church key in his _own_ church, he stepped into the great house hard -by, and there borrowed an old _curtain-ring_, with which the marriage was -solemnised. - -Sir John Suckling, in his ballad on a 'Wedding,' has this conceit on a -ring:-- - - Her fingers were so small, the ring - Would not stay on which they did bring, - It was too wide a peck: - And to say truth, for out it must, - It look'd like the great collar, just - About our young colt's neck. - -Perhaps one of the smallest wedding-rings on record is that which is -mentioned in the _fiançailles_ of the Princess Mary, daughter of Henry -VIII., to the Dauphin of France, son of King Francis I. The _fiancé_ was -represented on that occasion by Admiral Bonnivet, the French Ambassador. -The dauphin was born February 28, 1518, and the event of his birth was -made a matter of State policy, for a more intimate alliance with France. -On October 5, in the same year, the bridal ceremonies took place at -Greenwich with great pomp. King Henry took his station in front of the -throne; on one side stood Marie of France, and Queen Katherine; in front -of her mother was the Princess Marie, just _two_ years old, dressed in -cloth of gold, with a cap of black velvet on her head, blazing with -jewels. On the other side stood the two legates, Wolsey and Campeggio. -After a speech by Dr. Tunstal, the Princess was taken in arms; the consent -of the King and Queen was demanded, and Wolsey approached with a -diminutive ring of gold, fitted to the young lady's finger, in which was a -valuable diamond. Admiral Bonnivet, as proxy for the baby bridegroom, -passed it over the second joint. The bride was blessed, and mass performed -by Wolsey, the King and the whole Court attending it. - -The blessing of the wedding-ring is of ancient origin. The form prescribed -for the 'halowing' is given in 'The Doctrine of the Masse Booke from -Wottonberge, by Nicholas Dorcaster,' 1554: 'Thou Maker and Conserver of -mankinde, Gever of Spiritual Grace, and Grauntor of Eternal Salvation, -Lord, _send thy + blessing upon this ring_, that she which shall weare it -maye be armed wyth the virtue of heavenly defence, and that it may profit -her to eternal salvation, thorowe Christ,' etc. A prayer followed this: '+ -halow Thou, Lord, this ring which we blesse in Thy holye Name, that what -woman soever shall weare it, may stand fast in Thy peace, and continue in -Thy wyll, and live, and grow, and wax old in Thy love, and be multiplied -into the length of daies, thorow our Lord,' etc. - -Rings were formerly placed on the missal book, with money at marriages; -thus in the 'Wardrobe Book,' roll 18, of Edward the First, there is an -entry of 'money given to place upon the missal book, along with the ring -with which she was married, 40_s._' - -A similar entry occurs on the marriage of Margaret, fourth daughter of the -same monarch, when the King gave sixty shillings to be placed on the -missal with the spousal ring. - -The 'heathenish origin,' as it was termed, of the wedding-ring, led during -the Commonwealth to the abolition of its use during weddings, and is thus -referred to in Butler's 'Hudibras:'-- - - Others were for abolishing - That tool of matrimony, a ring, - With which the unsanctified bridegroom - Is marry'd only to a thumb[57] - (As wise as ringing of a pig, - That's used to break up ground and dig), - The bride to nothing but her will - That nulls the after-marriage still. - -This 'heathenish' origin may have been derived from the supposition that -the ring was regarded as a kind of phylactery, or charm, and to have been -introduced in imitation of the ring worn by bishops. - -'Though the Puritans,' remarks Mr. Jeaffreson, in his 'Brides and -Bridals,' 'prohibited and preached against the ring, to the injury of -goldsmiths, and the wrath of ring-wearing matrons, they did not succeed in -abolishing the tool, or even in putting it so much out of fashion as some -people imagined. Even Stephen Marshall, the Presbyterian minister of -Finchingfield, Essex, when his party was most prosperous, married one of -his lightly-trained daughters with the Book of Common Prayer and a ring; -and gave this for a reason, that the statute establishing the Liturgy was -not repealed, and he was loth to have his daughter turned back upon him -for want of a legal marriage.' - -The Rev. George Bull, subsequently Bishop of St. David's, also in these -Presbyterian times, who married a Miss Gregory, in defiance of tyrannical -enactments used a wedding-ring with the motto: 'Bene parere, parêre, -parare det mihi Deus.' (See chapter on 'Posy, Motto, and Inscription -Rings.') - -The Puritan scruples against the wedding-ring were much criticised at the -time:-- - - Because the wedding-ring's a fashion old, - And signifies, by the purity of gold, - The purity required i' the married pair, - And by the rotundity the union fair, - Which ought to be between them endless, for - No other reason, we that use abhor. - _A Long-winded Lay-lecture_ (published 1674). - - They will not hear of wedding-rings - For to be us'd in their marriage; - But say they're superstitious things, - And do religion much disparage: - They are but vain, and things profane; - Wherefore, now, no wit bespeaks them, - So to be tyed unto the bride, - But do it as the spirit moves them. - _A Curtain-lecture_ ('Loyal Songs,' vol. i No. 15). - -The objections of the Dissenters to the ring in marriage were answered by -Dr. Comber, ('Office of Matrimony,' &c., folio edition, part 4,) by Dr. -Nicholls upon the Office of Matrimony, and Wheatley in his 'Rational -Illustration.' - -In the ancient ritual of marriage the ring was placed by the husband on -the top of the thumb of the left hand, with the words, 'In the name of the -Father;' he then removed it to the forefinger, saying, 'and of the Son,' -then to the middle finger, adding, 'and of the Holy Ghost;' finally he -left it on the fourth finger, with the closing word 'Amen.' - -The English 'Book of Common Prayer' orders that the ring should be placed -on the fourth finger of the woman's left hand. The spousal manuals of York -and Salisbury assign this practical reason for the selection of this -finger: 'quia in illo digito est quædam vena procedens usque ad cor.'[58] -Other reasons than its connection with the heart are assigned by -Macrobius. The author of the 'Vulgar Errors' had entirely overthrown the -anatomical fiction. - -On the subject of ring-fingers, a 'Polyglot Dictionary' by John Minshew -(1625) says: 'Vetus versiculus singulis digitis Annulum tribuens, Miles, -Mercator, Stultus, Maritus, Amator. Pollici adscribitur Militi, seu -Doctori; Mercatorum, a pollice secundum; Stultorum, tertium; Nuptorum vel -Studiosorum, quartinum; Amatorum, ultimum.' - -Amongst the Hebrews, the finger of God denoted his power, and it was the -forefingers of the gods of Greece and Italy which wore the ring, the -emblem of divine supremacy. - -Why the ring is worn on the left hand is said to signify the subjection of -the wife to the husband; the right hand signifies power, independence, -authority, the left dependence or subjection.[59] Columbiere remarks: -'Some of the ancients made the ring to denote servitude, alleging that -the bridegroom was to give it to his bride, to denote to her that she is -to be subject to him, which Pythagoras seemed to confirm when he suggested -wearing a straight ring, that is, not to submit to over-rigid servitude.' - -It is very observable that none of the Hereford, York, and Salisbury -missals mention the hand, whether right or left, on which the ring is to -be put. - -In the 'British Apollo' (vol. i. page 127, edit. MDCCXXVI.) a question is -asked: 'Why is it that the person to be married is enjoined to put a ring -upon the fourth finger of his spouse's left hand?' The answer is: 'There -is nothing more in this than that the custom was handed down to the -present age, from the practice of our ancestors, who found the left hand -more convenient for such ornaments than the right, in that 'tis ever less -employed; for the same reason they chose the fourth finger, which is not -only less used than either of the rest, but is more capable of preserving -a ring from bruises, having this one quality peculiar to itself, that it -cannot be extended but in company with some other finger, whereas the rest -may be singly stretched to their full length and straightened. Some of the -ancients' opinions in the matter, viz. that the ring was so worn because -to that finger, and to that only, comes an artery from the heart; but, the -politer knowledge of our modern anatomists having clearly demonstrated the -absurdity of that notion, we are rather inclined the continuance of the -custom owing to the reason above mentioned.' - -These explanations, given in the curious and entertaining miscellany, from -which I have quoted, are from the writings of Macrobius, to which I have -alluded. These appear to settle the contention as to the proper finger for -the wedding-ring. - -'Rings in modern times,' remarks Madame de Barrera, 'have been made in -some countries Love's telegraph. If a gentleman wants a wife, he wears a -ring on the first finger of the left hand; if he be engaged, he wears it -on the second finger; if married, on the third; and on the fourth if he -never intends to be married. When a lady is not engaged she wears a hoop -or diamond on her first finger; if engaged, on her second; if married, on -the third; and on the fourth, if she intends to die a maid. As no rules -are given for widows, it is presumed that the ornamenting of the right -hand, and the little finger of the left, is exclusively their -prerogative.' - -'This English fashion is, perhaps, too open a proclamation of intentions -to suit such as do not choose to own themselves as mortgaged property.' - -The Greek Church directs that the ring be put on the right hand, and such -may have been the practice in England, since Rastell, in his -counter-challenge to Bishop Jewell, notes it as a novelty of the -Reformation 'that the man should put the wedding-ring on the fourth finger -in the left hand of the woman, and not in the right hand as hath been many -hundreds of years continued.' - -With the bridal ring, formerly, were delivered the keys of the house. This -is of ancient origin, as I have noticed in mentioning the rings of the -Romans. We read in Photius that Theosebius says to his wife: 'I formerly -gave to thee the ring of union; now of temperance to aid thee in the -seemly custody of my house.' He advisedly speaks of that custody, for the -lady of the house in Plautus says:-- - - Obsignate cellas, referte annulum ad me, - Ego huc transes. - -Some Roman keys attached to rings, so as to be worn on the fingers, and -which are well known to antiquaries, were recently found at Water Newton, -in digging for gravel, close to the road from Stamford to Peterborough. -These were of brass and bronze, and of the size used by the Roman ladies, -who were accustomed to carry their casket-keys in this manner. - -[Illustration: Roman Key-rings.] - -Mr. Waterton suggests that the key-rings found on Roman sites may have -been worn by slaves or by the confidential _servi_ who had care of the -wardrobes, cabinets, &c., of their masters. - -Among the old Northmen, the keys of the store-room were occasionally -deputed to the wife on the wedding-day, and were carried at her side as a -sign of housewifely dignity. - -In the Saxon formula of matrimony, the father of the bride said: 'I give -thee my daughter to be thy honour and thy wife, to keep thy keys, and to -share with thee in thy bed and goods, in the name of the Father, Son, and -Holy Ghost.' - -Leybard, the famous saint of Tours, in the sixth century, being persuaded -in his youth to marry, gave his betrothed a ring, a kiss, and a pair of -shoes--the latter being a sign of his great subjection to her and to bind -his feet, the ring binding his hands. - -A MS. in the Harleian library, quoted by Strutt, states that 'by the civil -law, whatsoever is given _ex sponsalitia largitate_, betwixt them that are -promised in marriage, hath a condition (for the most part silent) that it -may be had again if marriage ensue not, but if the man should have had a -kiss for his money, he should lose one half of that which he gave. Yet -with the woman it is otherwise, for, kissing or not kissing, whatsoever -she gave, she may ask and have it again.' However, this extends only to -gloves, _rings_, bracelets, and such like small wares. - -Plain gold wedding-rings which are at present used as a visible pledge of -matrimony, seem to have descended to us in the mere course of traditionary -practice from the times of the Saxons, without any impulse from written -authority or rubric. At the marriage of Queen Mary with Philip of Spain in -1554 the wedding-ring was laid in the Bible to be hallowed. Some -discussion had previously taken place in the Council about this ring, -which the Queen decided by declaring that she would not have it adorned -with gems, 'for she chose to be wedded with a plain hoop of gold, like -other maidens.'[60] - -Plain gold rings appear to have been given away at weddings in great -numbers at this period; thus Anthony Wood writes that 'Killey (in 1589) at -Trebona was equally profuse beyond the limits of a sober philosopher, and -did give away in gold-wire rings (twisted), at the marriage of one of his -maid-servants to the value of four thousand pounds.' - -The Prince Regent, on the celebration of his unhappy marriage with -Caroline of Brunswick, presented a number of rings to the members of his -family and friends. These gifts, with other accounts, being in the list -for settlement by Parliament later, gave rise to the undignified Jeffreys -scandal. - -At the marriage of Queen Victoria, rings were distributed having the royal -likeness in profile in gold; the legend being 'Victoria Regina.' The whole -was less than a quarter of an inch in diameter, but with the aid of a -powerful magnifying-glass the features were disclosed, beautifully -delineated. The Queen was so pleased with this microscopic work of art -that she ordered six dozen impressions to be struck and set by the court -jewellers, Rundle and Bridges, in gold rings for distribution among -distinguished personages.[61] - -At the marriage of the Princess Royal of England, in 1858, to the heir of -the now German Empire, the wedding-rings used were of Silesian gold, -manufactured at Breslau. The maker of these, who has a large gold-refining -establishment in that town, had the two rings mounted on a skin of -parchment, on which was engrossed a short history of his gold-works at -Richenstein, from which we learn that in former days Silesia was a -California on a small scale, gold not only being obtained by mining, but -by washing the sands of certain rivers. In the form of a heading to an -historical document, the two gold wedding-rings were presented to the -Prince. - -To give an idea of the immense number of plain gold wedding-rings required -in the present day, it is stated that no less than thirty thousand have -passed through the Birmingham Assay Office in one year. - - * * * * * - -As pledges of betrothal, or wedding gifts, rings are of very ancient -origin. They were worn by the Jews prior to Christian times, and -constitute, even at present, an important feature in their marriage -ceremonials. Wheatley says: 'The reason why a ring was pitched upon for -the pledge, rather than anything else, was because anciently the ring was -a seal, by which all orders were signed, and things of value secured, and -therefore the delivery of it was a sign that the person to whom it was -given was admitted into the highest friendship and trust. For which reason -it was adopted as a ceremony in marriage to denote that the wife, in -consideration of being espoused to the man, was admitted as a sharer in -her husband's counsels, and a joint partner in his honour and estate, and -therefore we find that not only the _ring_, but the _keys_, were, in -former times delivered to her at the marriage.' - -A passage in Ruth (chap. iv. verse 7) gives some reason to suppose that -the ring was used by the Jews, as a covenant, in making agreements, -grants, &c., whence the wedding engagement by a ring may have been -derived. Leo Modena, in his 'History of the Rites, Customs, and Manner of -Life of the Present Jews throughout the World' (translated by Edm. -Chilmead, 8vo.; London, 1650), alluding to the Jewish manner of marrying, -states that 'before the bride's dowry is produced and read, the bridegroom -putteth a ring upon her finger, in the presence of two witnesses, which -commonly used to be the Rabbines, saying, withal, unto her: "Behold thou -art my espoused wife, according to the custom of Moses and of Israel."' - -Selden says that rings were first given in lieu of dowry-money,[62] and -that the wedding-ring came into general use by the Jews _after_ they saw -it was everywhere prevalent. These Jewish rings were, in past ages, -generally of large size and elaborate workmanship. Some curious examples -are mentioned in the Londesborough Collection Catalogue. One ring, -formerly belonging to the late Crofton Croker, is of German or Flemish -work of the seventeenth century. It is of brass, with three points, or -bosses, and belongs to a class of ring called Mazul-touv (pronounced -_Mussul-taub_), or, freely translated, 'Joy be with you,' or 'Good luck to -you.' In the same collection is a Jewish 'tower' betrothal ring, enamelled -blue, of the sixteenth century. Another betrothal ring belongs to the same -class and date, called 'temple,' or 'tower,' from the figure of the sacred -temple placed on their summit. In one of the Londesborough specimens it -takes the form of a sexagonal building with a domed roof of an Eastern -character; in another it is square, with a deeply-pitched roof, having -movable vanes at the angles, and is probably the work of some German -goldsmith. On the former of these rings the inscription is in enamelled -letters, 'Joy be with you;' and the same words are in more -richly-designed letters on the curve of the latter ring. - -[Illustration: Hebrew Marriage Rings.] - -A ring of gold, enamelled and decorated with five blue enamelled rosettes -and five filigree bosses. The roof only of the temple surmounts the ring; -it is decorated with light-green enamel, it opens on a hinge, and exhibits -beneath the letters [Hebrew]. From the Londesborough Collection. - -[Illustration: Hebrew Betrothal Ring.] - -A remarkably fine example of these rings is in the Braybrooke Collection. -It has five filigree bosses equidistant along the broad exterior, which is -also ornamented with filagree scroll-work, filled with blue and white -enamel; the summit of the hoop is surmounted by a pyramid-shaped tower -opening upon a hinge, but without any inscription, which is often covered -by it. In this case the word or words are engraved on the inside of the -ring, and are probably _Mazul-touv_ or _Mussul-taub_ ('Joy be with you'). -The tower is to represent the ark of the covenant; the bosses or points -are sometimes supposed to represent the number of witnesses at the -ceremony required by law of the Jews. The points or bosses consist of -rosettes with six leaves, each of blue, and six leaves of white, enamel. -The pyramidical ark has the sides filled with blue enamel only; on the two -narrow sides there is a small perforation to represent the window, in -allusion to the dove. - -A large silver-gilt Hebrew wedding-ring, in the same collection, is of a -remarkable form. The hoop is three-quarters of an inch wide, with raised -edges, and plain surface between the five elevations on its upper portion. -The centre one of these is a hexagonal tower, with pent-house roof sloping -on each side to the course of the hoop; the gables and sides of these are -pierced with fourteen holes for windows, and the roof is scored to imitate -tiles; on each side of this is a smaller bell-shaped tower, equidistant -from it, with four circular holes in them; and on each side of these last -is a still smaller tower of the same shape, and at an equal distance, but -without any windows. There is not the usual inscription on any part of -this ring. - -[Illustration: Jewish.] - -[Illustration: Jewish.] - -The annexed illustrations, from rings in the Bailewski Collection, -represent a gold Jewish ring of the thirteenth century, and one of the -fourteenth century. - -In the collection of the late Lady Fellows was a fine Jewish betrothal -ring of gold decorated with filigree and enamel. Instead of any setting, -the head is formed with a steep ridge, like the roof a house, opening on -hinges; within is a cavity, closed by a lid, and probably intended to -contain a charm or pastille. On the inner side of the hoop are engraved -two Hebrew words signifying good fortune. - -In a communication from Mr. Singer (whose unique collection of -wedding-rings with inscriptions I have noticed in the chapter on 'Posy, -Inscription, and Motto Rings') he informs me that he has a fine Hebrew -ring of sixteenth-century work--'a _real_ old one, as most of those now -about are forgeries. This has the Hebrew word "mussul taub" in a short -Hebrew character, meaning "We wish you good luck," engraved on the -inside.' - -According to Jewish law in modern times, it is necessary that the ring -should be of a certain value. It is therefore examined and certified by -the officiating Rabbi and the chief officers of the synagogue, when it is -received by the bridegroom. When absolute property it must not be obtained -by credit or by gift. When this is properly certified the ring is returned -to him, and he places it on the bride's finger, calling attention to the -fact that she is by these means, consecrated to him. So completely binding -is this action that, should the marriage be no further consecrated, no -other could be contracted by either party, without a legal divorce. - -The Rev. C. W. King, in 'Antique Gems,' remarks that huge gold rings -adorned with filigree-work and surmounted by a small temple, with Hebrew -inscriptions on the interior of the shank, puzzle the beholders as to -their use, being much too large for the finger. They were made for the -use of the synagogue, and are placed on the finger of the couple at a -certain part of the marriage rites. - -Mr. Singer, in describing the Hebrew wedding-ring in his collection, adds: -'The Hebrews married on the first finger, as to the ring. This is done -now, but even the Jews change a little, and after the ceremony the Jewish -ladies take off their ring, and place it on the third finger, the same as -we do, for now they wear the ordinary ring.' - -The following illustrations represent the marriage-rings of the German -Jews, the workmanship of the sixteenth century, and very fine specimens of -art. Both are of gold; the larger one is richly ornamented in filigree -with enamels of light and dark green. It is crowned by a house; the roof, -which is covered with enamelled tiles, opens by means of a key, and the -space within serves for perfumes or some souvenir. Four small crowns of -gold are suspended from the ring. - -[Illustration: Jewish Wedding-rings (from the Fould Collection).] - -The other, smaller in size, is also richly decorated, but is crowned with -only the roof of a house, enamelled white and red. The enamels which -decorate the other parts of the ring are white. - -The wedding-rings of the Romans were generally of iron, called -'Pronubum,'[63] symbolical of the lasting character of the engagement, and -probably springing out of another Roman custom, the giving of a ring as -earnest, upon the conclusion of a bargain. - -It was the custom to betroth before marriage, as it is at this day. They -that acted between the two parties were called 'Proxenetæ,' 'Auspices,' -and 'Pronubi,' which last name was very much in use. When the -marriage-maker was a woman she was called 'Pronuba'; and it was a -condition that such a one was to have had but one husband. They arranged -about the portion, and other marriage articles, which conditions were -afterwards written on tablets, and sealed with the ring called _annulus -signatorius_. - -The ring was used in marriage among Christians as early as 860. Pronubal -or pledge rings passed between the contracting parties among the Romans. -When the marriage settlement had been properly sealed, rings, bearing the -names of the newly-married couple, were handed round to the guests. - -There were others, also, of pure gold and a plain circle (_linea -infinita_) to symbolise conjugal fidelity, and to act as a reminder that -the love of married people should be infinite. Kirchmann asserts that in -Rome the custom was to place in the hand of the newly-made bride a ring of -pure gold, at the same moment in which a ring of iron was sent to the -house of her parents, a remembrance of modesty and domestic frugality. - -In the possession of A. W. Franks, Esq., M.A., F.R.S., F.S.A., is a gold -ring, remarkable for the amount of the ornamentation with which it is -covered. This fine Byzantine _bicephalic_ ring was, doubtless, used as a -signet, and was, possibly, a matrimonial or betrothal gift. It has been -suggested that the heads resemble those of the Emperor Leo I. and Verina -(A.D. 457-74), but it is doubtful whether they are imperial portraits. It -is presumed that this ring was found in Egypt, where it had been preserved -in the Demetrio Collection ('Arch. Journal,' vol. xxix. page 305). - -[Illustration: Byzantine.] - -A loadstone sometimes was set instead of a jewel, indicative of love's -attractions. - -Later, however, Tertullian and Isidore, Bishop of Seville, mention the -'annulus nuptialis sponsalitius,' as being of gold. Sometimes there were -inscriptions on the rings, such as 'May you live long!' 'I bring you good -fortune!' Frequently a stone was inserted upon which was engraved an -intaglio, such as a hand pulling the lobe of an ear, and the words -'Remember me' above it. - -Among the old Northmen, the exchanging of rings between the betrothed did -not form, so far as can be ascertained from the ancient sagas and laws, -any essential part in the wedding ceremonial, neither in pagan, nor in -Christian times. Mention is, however, made of an exchange of rings, but -this was only done as a kind of memorial gift, and no importance was -attached to it. The custom of the betrothal ring was first introduced into -Norway at a much later period, in imitation of that in vogue in southern -countries. - -In the 'Sword,' Tyrfing, in the 'Hervarer-Saga,' the Princess Ingburgo, -who is betrothed to Hialmar, says to the latter, as he is leaving for -battle: 'I swear by Varra,' presenting to him her ring in pledge, 'that to -whomever Uller gives victory, I am the bride but of one.' - -Viga Glum's 'Saga' we read of the Scandinavian use of a ring. In the midst -of a wedding-party Glum calls upon Thorarin, his accuser, to hear his -oath, and, taking in his hand a silver ring which had been dipped in -sacrificial blood, he cites two witnesses to testify to his oath on the -ring. 'In Iceland' (remarks Mr. Wood, in his 'Wedding-days in all -Countries') 'a large ring was used for the ratification of all -engagements; it was variously formed of bone, jet, stone, gold, and -silver. Sometimes it was so large as to allow the palm of the hand to be -passed through it. So in the solemnisation of a betrothing contract the -bridegroom passed four fingers and his palm through one of these rings, -and in this manner he received the hand of his bride. Sometimes these -rings for confirming mutual contracts were placed upon the altar and there -used. We may, perhaps, trace this custom in the old form of marriage in -the Orkneys, where the contracting parties join their hands through a -perforation, or ring, in a stone pillar.' - -Among the Anglo-Saxons, at the betrothal of a young couple, after the -taking of hands, an exchange of presents was made. Amongst those given by -the bridegroom was a ring, which, after being blessed by the priest with a -prayer, was placed on the maiden's right hand, and was to be worn so until -the time of marriage. On this event, if espousals had previously taken -place (for they were not necessary), the ring was removed by the -bridegroom to the bride's left hand, and was placed on the first finger, -having been blessed by the priest with a prayer. - -Betrothal rings sometimes bore the name and title of the Saviour in full; -one in the Londesborough Collection represents two hands clasped in front, -so that it was, most probably, a gift, or betrothal ring. It is of silver, -somewhat rudely fashioned. The inscription is in uncial characters, and, -shorn of its somewhat awkward abbreviation, reads: 'Jesus Nazareneus Rex.' - -Mr. H. T. Wake, of Cockermouth, gives the following account of a curious -betrothal ring in 'Notes and Queries' (Series v. vol. ii. p. 528): 'In a -small shrubbery, adjoining a house at Mosser, near Cockermouth, has -recently been found a massive finger-ring, of fine gold. When discovered, -it was lying on the surface, but is supposed to have been removed, along -with some mould, from a garden at the back of the house, a short time -previously. It is plain inside, without any hall-mark, but the exterior is -polygonal in shape, having the following inscription engraved in large -capitals on thirteen facets, viz.:-- - - x | 10 | sv | 1 : s | ig | n | e : | de | am | is | t | e : | a - -'The posy seems to be: "Josui signe de amis te," and to mean "Joshua's -token of love to thee," the A following being the initial of the young -woman to whom it was presented. I take it to be a betrothal ring of the -eleventh or twelfth century; and from the admixture of the Roman and -Gothic E in the inscription, which peculiarly appears also in the great -seal of William the Conqueror, in the word "EVNDE," as well also from its -being in French, it is probably as old as the Norman period. I bought it -of the farmer's wife who found it.' - -A betrothal ring, in the collection of the Rev. James Beck, has two hearts -surmounted by a crown--denoting the sovereignty of love over the -heart--set with marcasites. - -A silver ring of a similar import, found at Carlisle, is here represented, -and from the clasped hands, crowned, was evidently a betrothal ring. - -[Illustration: Betrothal ring.] - -In the Middle Ages, solemn betrothal by means of the ring often preceded -matrimony. - -Henry, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, married Matilda, eldest daughter of -Henry the Second, King of England, in 1168. A picture of this event was -painted at the time, and afterwards hung up in the church of St. Blosius, -at Brunswick, which is engraved by Scheidius in his 'Origines Guelficæ,' -Matilda is represented as holding the plight-ring, a golden hoop, adorned -in the centre with a magnificent brilliant, but she seems much at a loss -to know what to do with it. - -In 1235 an embassy was sent to make a formal petition for the hand of -Isabella, second daughter of King John of England, from the Emperor -Frederick of Germany. She was presented with a plight-ring, and as the -chief of the embassy, Peter de Vineâ, placed it on her finger, he formally -declared her the empress of the whole Roman empire. Isabella, on her part, -sent a ring to the Emperor in token of her acceptance of his troth. - -In the 'Dutch Courtezan,' an old play, a pair of lovers are introduced -plighting their troth. Beatrice says to Fréeville: 'I give you faith, and -prethee, since, poore soule, I am so easie to believe thee, make it much -more pitty to deceive me. Weare this sleight favour in my remembrance.' -(Throweth down a ring to him.) - - _Fréeville._ 'Which when I part from, - Hope, the best of life, ever part from me! - Graceful mistresse, our nuptiall day holds.' - _Beatrice._ 'With happy constancye a wished day.' - -In the 'Merchant of Venice' Bassanio and Gratiano give the rings received -from Portia and Nerissa to the young doctor and his clerk, after the -discomfiture of Shylock, although Portia had said:-- - - This house, these servants, and this same myself, - Are yours, my lord; I give them with this ring: - Which, when you part from, lose, or give away, - Let it presage the ruin of your love, - And be my vantage to exclaim on you. - -Bassanio answers:-- - - When this ring - Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence; - O, then be bold to say, Bassanio's dead. - -Solemn betrothal was sometimes adopted by lovers, who were about to -separate for long periods. Thus Chaucer, in 'Troilus and Cressida,' -describes the heroine as giving her lover a ring, and receiving one from -him in return:-- - - Soon after this they spake of sundry things, - As fell to purpose of this aventure, - And, playing, interchangeden their rings, - Of which I cannot tellen no scripture. - -[Illustration: Half of broken betrothal ring.] - -Shakspeare has more than one allusion to this custom, which is absolutely -enacted in the 'Two Gentlemen of Verona,' when Julia gives Proteus a ring, -saying: 'Keep you this remembrance for thy Julia's sake,' and he replies: -'Why, then we'll make exchange:--here, take you this.' A ritual of -Bordeaux (1596) gives a form of betrothal by public ceremony, when rings -were interchanged. Kleist, in his 'Kate of Heilbron,' makes Frederick -say:-- - - To tally close, - As joints of rings dissever'd, - -alluding to the custom sometimes practised by lovers, among the common -people, plighting a faith, when a ring is broken in two, one half of which -was kept by each party, that if from time to time, or at the day of -marriage, the two pieces agree with each other, proof may be thus afforded -that they have not been transferred, and consequently that both bride and -bridegroom remain still of the same mind; otherwise, the engagement is -annulled. - - A ring of pure gold she from her finger took, - And just in the middle the same then she broke; - Quoth she: 'As a token of love you this take, - And this, as a pledge, I will keep for your sake.' - ('Exeter Garland.') - -De Laet, writing in 1647, states that he remembers when it was the custom -(and an ancient one) for the gentleman to present the lady on their -betrothal with two rings, the one set with a diamond, the other with a -ruby table-cut. This gift went by the French name 'Mariage.' - -Among the Germans at the present day the interchange of rings is practised -at the publication of the banns among the Lutherans; the minister joins -the hands of the couple, and rings are interchanged. - -'The Italians,' observes Mr. Wood, 'in the fifteenth and sixteenth -centuries used betrothing rings, which were generally made of silver, -inlaid with niello. The bezel was either oval or circular, and the -shoulders of the hoop were shaped so as to form sleeves, from each of -which issued a right hand. The hands were clasped together in the Fede. -Some of these rings were of a large size, and were worn by men. The -diamond was long esteemed by the mediæval Italians as the favourite stone -for setting in espousal rings, and it was called "pietra della -reconciliazione," from its supposed power to maintain concord between man -and wife.' - -It was also usual, at the periods mentioned, for the Italian ladies to -give their lovers rings which contained their portraits. Lovers wore these -rings on holidays, as was the practice in England, as we find in -'England's Helicon' (1600):-- - - My songs they be of Cinthia's prayse, - I weare her rings on holly-dayes. - -When a noble Venetian married in the seventeenth century, a day was -appointed for giving the bride a ring, and the ceremony was performed in -her house, in the presence of relations and friends. The ring-giving was -followed by the usual sacrament in church. - -In modern Greece, two rings, one of gold and the other of silver, are -interchanged at the betrothal, which takes place as follows:--The priest, -remaining in the sacrarium, delivers to the persons to be betrothed, and -who are standing without the sacred doors, lighted candles into the hands -of each, and then returns with them into the body of the church. Here, -after prayers have been said, two rings are brought out, of gold and -silver respectively, which had previously been placed upon the altar to be -dedicated and consecrated, and the priest gives the gold ring to the man, -and the silver ring to the woman, repeating three times this form of -words: 'The servant of God, M., espouses the handmaid of God, N., in the -name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, -and to endless ages, Amen.' - -After a threefold repetition of the same words to the woman, the rings are -put on the right-hand finger, and are taken off, and interchanged by the -bridegroom's man, both in order that the woman may not take too deeply to -heart her inferiority, which the less costly material of the ring seems to -hint at, as also to confirm the mutual right and possession of property, -either present or future. - -The ring ceremony in Russian marriages differs materially from that of -English usage. In the first place, there are two rings, and these are -changed three times. The man places the ring first on the woman's finger, -then the priest changes the man's ring, and places it on her finger, and -then again the priest and the man join and place the ring where it is to -remain for life. - -Have these _three_ changes anything in connection with a peculiarity in -Russian legends of the ever-predominating number 'three'? Thus fathers are -said usually to have three sons, the heroes and knights-errant ride -through three times nine empires; the bravest are always thirty-three -years old; they achieve their deeds only on the third attempt. Or, are the -three changes emblematic of the Trinity? - -At the Russian marriages of the Imperial family the rings are exchanged by -a third person. At the wedding of the Duke of Edinburgh and the Grand -Duchess Marie Alexandrovna, daughter of the Emperor of Russia (January 23, -1874), the master of the ceremonies carried the marriage rings on plates -of gold, and placed them on the altar. The confessor of the Emperor and -Empress then received the rings from the Archipretres of the court, and, -whilst a prayer was being said, placed them upon the fingers of the bride -and bridegroom, when the Metropolitan began the office. - -In Spain the gift of a ring is looked upon as a promise of marriage, and -is considered sufficient proof to enable a maiden to claim her husband. - -Among the Armenians (observes Madame de Barrera) children are betrothed -from their earliest youth, sometimes when only three years old, sometimes -as soon as born. When the mothers on both sides have agreed to marry their -son and daughter, they propose the union to their husbands, who always -sanction the choice of the wives. The mother of the boy then goes to the -friends of the girl, with two old women and a priest, and presents to the -infant maiden a ring from the future bridegroom. The boy is then brought, -and the priest reads a portion of the Scripture, and blesses the parties. -The parents of the girl make the priest a present, in accordance with -their means; refreshments are partaken of by the company, and this -constitutes the ceremonies of the betrothals. Should the betrothals take -place during the infancy of the contracting parties, and even should -twenty years elapse before the boy can claim his bride, he must every -year, from the day he gives the ring, send his mistress at Easter a new -dress, &c. - -The olden matrimonial Gemmel, or Gemmow, ring was a kind of double ring, -curiously made. There were links within each other, and though generally -double, they were, by a further refinement, made triple, or even more -complicated; thus Herrick writes:-- - - Thou sent'st to me a true love-knot, but I - Return a ring of jimmals, to imply - Thy love had one knot, mine a triple tye. - -Ray, among his north-country words, explains 'jimmers' as 'jointed -hinges,' and adds, 'in other parts called wing-hinges.' - -At a meeting of the Archæological Institute, in November 1851, the Rev. W. -C. Bingham exhibited a silver gemmel-ring of singular fashion, date -fourteenth century, found in Dorsetshire, the hoop formed in two portions, -so that a moiety of the letters composing the legend, [Maltese cross] AVE -MARI, appears on each, and it only becomes legible when they are brought -together side by side. Each demi-hoop is surmounted by a projecting neck -and a small globular knob, so that the ring appears to have a bifid head. -The two portions of this ring are not intertwined, and as no adjustment -now appears by which they might be kept together in proper juxtaposition, -it is possible that in this instance it was intended that each of the -affianced parties should retain a moiety of the gemmel. - -There is an allusion to the 'joint' ring in Dryden's play of 'Don -Sebastian':-- - - A curious artist wrought 'em, - With joynts so close as not to be perceived; - Yet are they both each other's counterpart. - (Her part had Juan inscribed, and his, had Zayda-- - You know those names were theirs:) and in the midst - A heart divided in two halves was placed. - Now if the rivets of those rings, inclos'd, - Fit not each other, I have forged this lye, - But if they join, you must for ever part. - -A ring in the Londesborough Collection illustrates this passage. It parts -into three hoops, secured on a pivot; the toothed edge of the central hoop -forming an ornamental centre to the hoop of the ring, and having two -hearts in the middle; a hand is affixed to the side of the upper and lower -hoop; the fingers slightly raised, so that when the hoops are brought -together they link in each other, and close over the hearts, securing all -firmly. - -[Illustration: Jointed betrothal ring.] - -The late Mr. Crofton Croker, in his privately-printed catalogue of Lady -Londesborough's Collection, gives the following account of the use to -which the ring has been put: 'There can be little doubt, from the -specimens that have come under observation, that it had been used as a -betrothing ring by an officer of the King's German Legion with some Irish -lady, and that the notched ring was retained by some confidential female -friend, who was present as a witness at the betrothal ceremony--usually -one of the most solemn and private character--and at which, over the Holy -Bible, placed before the witness, both the man and the woman broke away -the upper and lower rings from the centre one, which was held by the -intermediate person. It would appear that the parties were subsequently -married, when it was usual, as a proof that their pledge had been -fulfilled, to return to the witness or witnesses to the contract the two -rings which the betrothed had respectively worn until married; and thus -the three rings, which had been separated, became reunited, as in the -present instance.' - -A gemmel-ring, of which a representation is given (page 316), was dug up -in 1800, at Horselydown, Surrey, found among some Roman and English -remains and skeletons of human bodies, about nine feet below the surface. -The ring is constructed in twin or double hoops, one side being flat, the -other convex. On the lower hand is represented a heart. On the flat side -of the hoops are engraved in Roman capitals, 'Usé de Vertu.' This ring is -probably not later than Queen Elizabeth's reign. - -A plain gemmel wedding-ring, with an inscription inside each hoop, which -the Prince Regent, afterwards George IV., had given to Mrs. Fitzherbert, -was exhibited, with the lady's miniature, at the Loan Collection of -precious objects at the South Kensington Museum in 1872. - -[Illustration: Gemmel-ring, found at Horselydown.] - -This practice of dividing the betrothal rings has its origin from ancient -times, and reminds us of the practice among the Franks of breaking the -_sou d'or_ in two pieces, in sign of a sacred engagement. Thus we read of -Childeric, King of France, when in exile, wishing to know when he might -return to his country, dividing the _sou d'or_, keeping one part, and -giving the other to a trusty friend, who tells him: 'When I send to you -this half, and you find that it unites with the other, you will understand -that you can return.' The propitious moment having arrived, Childeric -received the token, and, returning, was re-established in his -dominions.[64] - -From other passages in 'Don Sebastian,' it appears that one of the two -rings was worn by Sebastian's father, the other by Almeyda's mother, as -pledges of love. Sebastian takes off his ring, which had been placed on -his finger by his dying father; Almeyda does the same with hers, which had -been given to her by her mother at parting, and Alvarez unscrews both the -rings and fits one half to the other. - -In Sir Henry Ellis's 'Original Letters Illustrative of English History' -(series ii. vol. ii. page 290) we have a curious anecdote in connection -with linked rings. Lady Catherine Grey (a sister of Lady Jane Grey) -married the Earl of Hertford, much to the displeasure of Queen Elizabeth, -who sent the bridegroom to the Tower, and subjected the countess to great -hardships. They were both exposed to an ordeal of examination to prove the -validity of the marriage, and amongst other evidence Lady Catherine -exhibited a ring which she declared had been used at the marriage -ceremony. - -It was of gold, and consisted of five links, on four of which were -engraved as many verses of the Earl's composition, expressing the -assurance of his lasting faith and love, and the ring could, apparently, -have been prepared for no other purpose than that of serving as their -marriage-ring. - -The judgment of the commissioners appointed to examine into the marriage -was to dissolve it, and it was so pronounced in the Bishop of London's -palace in 1562. Lady Hertford sank under this cruel conduct of the Queen, -and on her dying bed called to her attendants to bring her the box in -which her wedding-ring was. She first took from it a ring with a pointed -diamond in it, and said to Sir Owen Hopton (at whose house, Cockfield -Hall, Suffolk, she had been staying): 'Here, Sir Owen, deliver this unto -my lord; it is the ring that I received of him, and gave myself unto him, -and gave him my faith.' - -'What say you, madam,' answered Sir Owen, 'was this your wedding-ring?' - -'No, Sir Owen, this is the ring of my assurance unto my lord, and there is -my wedding-ring,' taking another ring of gold out of the box. This -consisted of five links, having engraved in it the verses of the Earl's -composition, which she had exhibited to the commissioners of inquiry. (See -chapter on 'Posy, Inscription, and Motto Rings.') - -'Deliver this,' she said, 'unto my lord, and pray him, as I have been a -faithful and true wife, that he would be a loving and natural father unto -my children, to whom I give the same blessing that God gave unto Abraham, -Isaac, and Jacob.' (See chapter on 'Remarkable Rings.') - -[Illustration: Ring with representation of Lucretia.] - -A gemmel-ring of the fifteenth century, in the Londesborough Collection, -bears an engraved head of Lucretia, the same kind as that mentioned by -Shakspeare ('Twelfth Night,' act ii. sc. v.) where Malvolio, breaking open -the letter, purporting to be in the handwriting of his mistress, says:-- - - By your leave, wax. Soft! and the impressure her Lucrece, with which - she uses to seal. - -Lucretia is seen grasping her dagger. The clasped hands, adopted on the -gemmel-rings, became a frequent emblem on the solid wedding-ring. - -[Illustration: Wedding-ring of Sir Thomas Gresham.] - -The betrothal or wedding ring of Sir Thomas Gresham (1544) engraved in -Burgon's life of that eminent merchant prince, opens horizontally, thus -forming a double ring of gold, linked together in the form of a gemmel; in -one half is set a white stone, in the other a red; in the interior of each -half is a cavity, in one of which is a small figure of a child in gold, -enamelled; 'QVOD DEVS CONIVNSIT' is engraved on one half, and 'HOMO NON -SEPARET' on the other. - -This interesting relic was formerly in the possession of the Thruston -family, at Weston Hall, Suffolk, and was exhibited at the Society of -Antiquaries (April 1862) by Granville Leveson Gower, Esq. - -A gemmel-ring of the sixteenth century, found in the Thames, is in the -Londesborough Collection. Originally gilt, it is of silver: two hands are -clasped; on the opposite side two quatrefoils spring from a heart -engraved: 'Help God!' or 'God help!' - -[Illustration: Gemmel-ring.] - -A remarkably fine gemmel-ring (Londesborough) is here engraved. It is set -with sapphire and amethyst, the elaborate and beautiful design enriched by -coloured enamels. The lower figure in the representation of this ring -shows it parted, displaying the inscription on the flat side of each -section, which is also enriched by engraving and _niello_. - -The clasped hands (originating from the ancient Romans), adopted on the -gemmel-rings, we are told in Chambers's 'Book of Days,' are still the -fashion, and in constant use in that curious local community of fishermen -inhabiting the Claddugh at Galway on the western coast. They number with -their families between five and six thousand, and are particularly -exclusive in their tastes and habits; rarely intermarrying with others -than their own people. The wedding-ring is an heirloom in the family; it -is regularly transferred from the mother to the daughter who is first -married, and so passes to her descendants. Many of these gemmel-rings, -still worn there, are very old. - -[Illustration: 'Claddugh' ring.] - -Mr. Mackenzie E. C. Walcot, F.S.A., etc., in 'Notes and Queries,' writes: -'A ring of gold, about the time of the thirteenth century, was found at -Burbage, near Marlborough, and, apparently, from the clasped hands on the -lower side, a gemmel or betrothal ring, has a sapphire uncut, held by four -bent cramps, and on the circle the following letters in two lines, divided -by punctuation in the form of ×. The letters, of course, are of the -period:-- - - AV NI MA IA - × × × - IE AU AL HN - -I have alluded to sacred inscriptions on some betrothal rings. The -following engraving refers to one in the Londesborough Collection, -described in page 306. - -[Illustration: Betrothal ring with sacred inscription.] - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a splendid gold gemmel ring, with -enamelled and jewelled twin or double hoops, which play one within -another, like the links of a chain. Each hoop has one of its sides convex, -the other flat, and each is set with a stone, one a fine ruby, the other -an aquamarine, or beryl, so that, upon bringing together the flat surfaces -of the hoops the latter immediately unite in one ring, and as they close, -the stones slide into contact, forming a head to the whole. The inside -flat surfaces are inscribed with the words 'Quod Deus conjunxit, homo non -separet,' part on one hoop, part on the other, so as to be legible when -these are opened, but entirely concealed when they are reunited in one -ring. This seems to be an exception to the general rule, with respect to -rings of the same denomination, since the hoops cannot be dissevered -according to the usual custom at betrothals. Nares, in his 'Glossary,' -observes that the name 'gimmal' was preserved to rings made triple, or -even more complimentary. This splendid specimen is of Italian workmanship, -dating about the end of the fifteenth or the beginning of the sixteenth -century. - -At a meeting of the Archæological Institute in March 1863 the Rev. John -Beck exhibited some curious specimens of linked or 'puzzle-rings.' One of -gold consists of seven slender rings linked together, which, when properly -adjusted, combine in a knot. Another, of silver, consists of four slight -rings, set with a blue stone, and ornamented with flowers of -forget-me-not. A third, also of silver, has nine rings, which, when -intertwined, unite so as to present a _fede_ as the head of the ring. - -The French term for the hooped rings is _foi_, _alliance_, which last word -in the 'Dictionnaire de Trevoux' is defined to be a ring 'que l'accordé -donne à son accordée, où il y a un fil d'or et un fil d'argent.' - -[Illustration: Devices on Wedding-rings.] - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -TOKEN RINGS. - - -Rings as 'tokens' date from very early times. We are told that Clovis, -King of the Franks, in the latter part of the fifth century, wishing to -marry Clotilde, niece of Gondebauld, King of Burgundy, deputed Aurelianus, -in whom he had perfect confidence, to ascertain whether the maiden had any -predilection for him. The messenger travelled in very humble guise, and -arrived at the castle in Burgundy where Clotilde resided. The princess, -however, knew beforehand his mission, and was prepared to receive him. She -concealed this knowledge, however, and treated him as an ordinary -mendicant, receiving him hospitably, and, according to the custom of those -times, even washing his feet. While this operation was being performed, -Aurelianus said: 'Princess, if you will permit me, I will tell you of -strange things.' - -'Speak,' replied Clotilde. - -'Clovis, King of the Franks, has sent me to announce his wish to marry -you. Is it your desire that I should ask permission from your father?' - -'What proof can you give me of the truth of your mission?' - -'The ring of my Sovereign, which he entrusted me with for this object.' - -'But,' said Clotilde, 'I am a Christian, and I cannot marry a pagan. If, -however, it is the will of God that I should become the wife of Clovis, I -am content.' - -Thus saying, she received the ring, and gave Aurelianus her own ring in -return, and after some difficulties with Gondebauld were overcome, -Aurelianus married Clotilde in the name of King Clovis, by the gift of -'one sou and one denier,' as the price of her liberty, according to the -custom of that period. - -If the old historians are to be credited, this is the earliest instance of -a marriage by proxy. - -Edward the First, in 1297, presented Margaret, his fourth daughter, with a -golden pyx, in which he deposited a ring, the token of his unfailing love. -He placed it in her hands with a solemn benediction, when she bade him -farewell, preparatory to rejoining her husband at Brussels. - -Hardyng, in his 'Chronicles,' relates a pretty story of Oswald, King of -Northumberland (seventh century), and Kineburg, his consort. A hermit, of -extraordinary sanctity, desirous of ascertaining whether any person -surpassed himself in purity of life, was, in answer to his meditation, -told by revelation 'that King Oswald was more holy, though he had wedded a -wife.' The pious hermit accordingly repaired to the king, with holy zeal, -to be informed concerning his course of life. On which Oswald, in the true -spirit of that love and confidence which reposed on the purity and virtue -of his beloved wife, referred the hermit to her, _bidding him carry to her -his ring_, with his command that she should entertain him (the hermit) as -though he were her own royal spouse. The Queen, who had the greatest -veneration for her husband, failed not to obey his instructions, but, -while she shared with the holy man the regal repast, showed him that it -consisted only of bread and water, no other food being permitted to him; -thus exhibiting an example of that self-denial by which purity of life is -alone attainable. When night came, the hermit was more surprised than ever -when the queen ordered him to be put into a cold-water bath, according to -the custom of the King whom he wished to imitate. Gladly, and yet right -early in the morning, did the venerable man take leave of the queen; and, -having restored to King Oswald his ring, frankly acknowledged that his -whole entire life was not so holy as one of the King's days and nights. I -must observe, however, that, with this rigid observance of sobriety and -virtue, King Oswald is the first prince of our Saxon rulers who is -recorded to have been served in silver dishes. We can easily understand a -hermit's repugnance to bathing of any kind. - -Some other instances of rings as tokens are related by mediæval -historians. We are told by Matthew Paris that Pope Innocent, desiring to -gain King John over to favour his plans, and knowing that he was covetous, -and a diligent seeker after costly jewels, sent him four gold rings -adorned with precious stones, in token that the rotundity of the rings -signified eternity; 'therefore your royal discretion may be led by the -form of them to pray for a passage from earthly to heavenly, from temporal -to eternal things. The number of four, which is a square number, denotes -the firmness of mind which is neither depressed in adversity nor elated in -prosperity; which will then be fulfilled, when it is based on the four -principal virtues, namely--justice, fortitude, prudence, and virtue.... -Moreover, the greenness of the emerald denotes faith; the clearness of the -sapphire, hope; the redness of the pomegranate denotes charity, and the -purity of the topaz, good works.... In the emerald, therefore, you have -what to believe; in the sapphire, what to hope for; in the pomegranate, -what to love; and in the topaz, what to practise; that you ascend from one -virtue to another, until you see the Lord in Zion.' - -Henry the Fourth, Emperor of Germany, was cruelly treated by his son, who -conspired against him, and forced him to abdicate the throne. The degraded -emperor is said to have been reduced by famine to such extremities that he -ate the leather of his boots for hunger. He sent his ring and sword as his -last token of forgiveness to his rebel son, with the simple and touching -message: 'If thou hadst left me more, I would have sent more to thee.' - -Thomas Chester, a writer for the minstrels in the reign of Henry the -Sixth, and who is stated to have translated the 'Erle of Tolouse,' a -metrical romance, relates that an Earl of this house, disguised in -pilgrim's weeds, asked alms of the empress, consort of Diocletian, Emperor -of Germany, to whom his secret is known, and who gives him forty florins -and a ring. He receives the latter present with the greatest satisfaction, -and, although obliged to return home, comforts himself with this -reflection:-- - - Well is me I have thy grace - Of the to hav thys thyng, - If ever I hav grace of the - That any love between us be - This may be a tokenyng. - -The empress, on the false accusation of two knights, is thrown into -prison. The Earl of Toulouse, disguised as a monk, obtains permission to -act as her confessor; the empress, not knowing him in his present -disguise, confesses that she once gave a ring to the 'Erle.' On this he -challenges the two knights, and, of course, overcomes them in combat. On -the death of the emperor he marries the empress. - -This story reminds us of the lines in 'Marmion,' by Sir Walter Scott:-- - - The fair Queen of France - Sent him a turquoise ring and glove, - And charged him as her knight and love - For her to break a lance: - -a fatal gift, as Flodden Field proved.[65] - -In the 'Lays' of Marie, the Princess Guilliadun, having fallen in love -with Sir Eliduc, sends him as tokens a ring and a rich girdle. - -In the 'Lyfe of Ipomydon,' the manuscript of which is in the Harleian -Collection at the British Museum, the queen gives her son a ring-token:-- - - It befell upon a day, - The queen to her son gan say, - In privitie and in counsail, - 'Thou hast a brother withouten fail, - Privily gotten me upon, - Ere I was wedded to any mon. - But hastily he was done fro me, - I ne wot if he alive be, - And he me sent, this ender (last) year, - A rich ring of gold full clear; - An ever he any brother had, - That I should give it him, he bade; - That where he come, among high or low, - By that ring he should him know. - Than take this ring, my son, of me: - In what country that he be, - Who that knoweth this ilke ring, - He is thy brother without lesing.' - -Ipomydon accepts the ring, and promises to spare no pains in searching for -its original proprietor, who, after various adventures, is found in the -person of Sir Campanys, with whom he has an encounter, during which the -latter discovers his mother's ring on the finger of Ipomydon. - -In the romance of 'Sir Isumbras,' when he and his wife and child are taken -prisoners by the 'Soudan,' the lady, before her separation from her -husband and child-- - - ------callyd hir lorde to hir agayne, - A rynge was thaire takynnynge. - -The mother of Sir Perceval of Galles gives him a ring-token:-- - - His moder gaffe hym a ryng, - And bad he solde agayne it bryng; - 'Sonne, this salle be oure takynnynge, - For here I salle the byde.' - -The knight sets forth on his travels, and soon changes the ring for -another:-- - - Thofe he were of no pryde - Forthirmore ganne he glyde - Tille a chambir ther besyde, - Moo sellys to see; - Riche clothes faude he sprede - A lady slepuned on a bedde - He said, 'forsothe a tokyne to wedde - Salle thou lefe with mee;' - Ther he kyste that swete thynge, - Of hir fynger he tuke a rynge, - His aweune moder takynnynge - He lefte with that fre. - -In the very pretty poem of 'Lay le Fraine,' by Marie, the lady of a -knight, 'a proud dame and malicious,' having twins, consigns the charge of -one of them to a confidential servant, to be taken away and left to the -mercy of anyone who might find it. At the same time, that the child might -be known to have been born of noble parents, she took a rich mantle lined -with fur-- - - And lapped the little maiden therein, - And took a ring of gold fine, - And on her right arm it knit - With a lace of silk in plit. - -The child is placed in a hollow ash-tree, near a nunnery, by the maid, and -on being discovered by the porter is taken to the abbess, by whom she is -reared and becomes an accomplished and beautiful maiden. A rich knight -falls in love with her and persuades her to live with him in his castle, -to which she repairs, and - - With her took she no thing - But her pel, and her ring. - -The lord, however, is induced to marry her sister, taking Le Fraine with -him to the wedding, who places on her bed in her room the magnificent -'pel,' or mantle, by which and the ring she is discovered by her mother. - -In the romance of the 'Seven Wise Masters' (Cotton MSS.) is a story, 'The -Two Dreams,' in which a ring displays a prominent feature. - -In the ballad of the 'Lass of Lochroyan' ('Minstrelsy of the Scottish -Border') Lord Gregory says:-- - - 'Gin thou be Annie of Lochroyan - (As I trow thou binna she), - Now tell me some of the love-token - That passed between thee and me. - - 'O dinna ye mind, Lord Gregory, - As we sat at the wine, - We changed the rings from our fingers, - And I can show thee thine? - - 'O yours was gude and gude enough, - But aye the best was mine; - For yours was of the gude red gowd, - But mine o' the diamond fine.' - -In the ballad of 'Cospatrick' (the designation of the Earl of Dunbar in -the days of Wallace and Bruce) we have:-- - - 'He gae to me a gay gowd ring, - And bade me keep it abune a' thing.' - - 'And what did you wi' the gay gowd ring - I bade you keep abune a' thing?' - - 'I gae them to a ladye gay - I met in greenwood on a day.' - -In the ballad of 'Prince Robert,' - - Prince Robert has wedded a gay ladye - He has wedded her with a ring, - Prince Robert has wedded a gay ladye, - But he darna bring her hame. - -The Prince is poisoned, and his lady-love arrives just after the funeral, -and is told:-- - - 'Ye'se get nane o' his gowd, ye'se get nane o' his gear, - Ye'se get nothing frae me. - Ye'se no get an inch o' his good braid land, - Though your heart suld burst in three.' - - 'I want nane o' his gowd, I want nane o' his gear, - I want nae land frae thee: - But I'll hae the rings that's on his finger, - For them he did promise to me.' - - 'Ye'se no get the rings that's on his finger, - Ye'se no get them frae me; - Ye'se no get the rings that's on his finger, - An your heart suld burst in three.' - -In the ballad of 'Broomfield Hill' a witch-woman says to 'a lady bright:' - - Take ye the rings off your fingers, - Put them on his right hand, - To let him know when he doth wake, - His love was at his command. - -The Child of Elle receives from the page of his lady-love, the 'fayre -Emmeline,' some tokens of her affection to him in her 'woe-begone' -state:-- - - And here she sends thee a ring of golde, - The last boone thou mayst have, - And biddes thee weare it for her sake, - When she is layde in grave. - -The famous Guy, Earl of Warwick, after marvellous adventures abroad, -returns to his own country, and becomes a hermit at Guy's Cliff, near -Warwick Castle. Falling sick, he sends a ring-token to the fair Félice. He -came to his rocky dwelling, - - Like pilgrim poore, and was not knowne; - And there I lived a hermit's life, - A mile and more out of the towne, - And dayle came to beg my bread - Of Pheliss, att my castle-gate, - Not known unto my loved wiffe, - Who dayle mourned for her mate: - Till, at the last, I fell sore sicke, - Yea, sicke soe sore that I must dye; - I sent to her a ringe of golde, - By which she knew me presentlye. - -In the romance of 'Floire and Blanceflor,' the young hero, on his way to -Babylon, arrives at a bridge, the keeper of which has a brother in the -city, to whose hospitality he wishes to recommend Floire, and for that -purpose he gives him his ring. 'Take this ring to him,' he says, 'and tell -him from me to receive you in his best manner.' The message was attended -with complete success. - -King John is said to have made use of a ring to aid his criminal designs -upon the beautiful wife of the brave Eustace de Vesci, one of the -twenty-five barons appointed to enforce the observance of Magna Charta. -The tyrant, hearing that Eustace de Vesci had a very beautiful wife, but -far distant from court, and studying how to accomplish his licentious -designs towards her, sitting at table with her husband and seeing a ring -on his finger, he laid hold of it and told him that he had such another -stone, which he resolved to set in gold in that very form. And having thus -got the ring, he presently sent it to her in her husband's name; by that -token conjuring her, if ever she expected to see him alive, to come -speedily to him. She, therefore, upon sight of the ring, gave credit to -the messenger and came with all expedition. But it so happened that her -husband, casually riding out, met her on the road, and, marvelling much to -see her there, asked what the matter was; and when he understood how they -were both deluded he resolved to find a wanton, and put her in apparel to -personate his lady. - -The King afterwards boasting to the injured husband himself, Eustace had -the pleasure to undeceive him. - -When Richard III. brings his rapid wooing to a conclusion he gives the -Lady Anne a ring, saying:-- - - Look, how this ring encompasseth thy finger, - Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart; - Wear both of them, for both of them are thine. - -Passionate words, but too noble for a man both faithless and cruel. - -Margaret, eldest daughter of Henry VII., married to James IV. of Scotland, -when requiring money, sent to her royal husband, not only letters, but a -token, as is seen in the Treasurer's accounts: 'June 30 (1504): Given to -the Queen to give away, when she sent Master Livesay, Englishman, with a -ring in token--18_s._' So we have later: 'Luke of the wardrobe carried -letters, with a ring, to Stirling to the Queen's grace.' - -In 1515, while under the tyranny of the Duke of Albany at Edinburgh, -Margaret endeavoured to escape to Blackater, a fortress within a few miles -of Berwick. She sent a faithful clerk, Robin Carr, to Lord Dacre, who had -proposed her flight, and a ring was to be Carr's credential to King Henry -the Eighth, whom he was to see afterwards. The King, however, did not -recognise the token, though it was one that his sister had worn in her -girlish days. - -In 'Cymbeline' (act i. sc. ii.) Imogen gives Posthumus a ring when they -part, and he gives her a bracelet in exchange:-- - - '------Look here, love; - This diamond was my mother's; take it, heart; - But keep it till you woo another wife, - When Imogen is dead.' - _Posthumus._--'How! how! another? - You gentle gods give me but this I have, - And sear up my embracements from a next - With bonds of death! Remain thou here, - (_Putting on the ring_) - While sense can keep it on.' - -Yet he afterwards gives it up to Iachimo--upon a false representation, -however--to test his wife's honour:-- - - ------Here, take this too; - It is a basilisk unto my eye, - Kills me to look on't. - -A diamond ring was sent by Henry the Eighth in 1542 to Sir Arthur -Plantagenet (Lord Lisle, natural son of Edward the Fourth) in token of -forgiveness, and accompanying an order for his release from the Tower, but -the unfortunate prisoner, in his excess of joy, died. - -In Shakspeare's 'Henry the Eighth' (Act v. sc. i.) a ring is delivered by -the King to Cranmer, in token of royal confidence and esteem:-- - - Be of good cheer, - They shall no more prevail than we give way to. - Keep comfort to you; and this morning see - You do appear before them; if they shall chance, - In charging you with matters, to commit you, - The best persuasions to the contrary - Fail not to use, and with what vehemency - The occasion shall instruct you: if entreaties - Will render you no remedy, _this ring_ - _Deliver them_, and your appeal to us - There make before them. - -The sequel of this incident is related in Foxe's 'Acts and Monuments of -the Christian Martyrs,' printed in 1563:--'Anon the Archbishop was called -into the council-chamber, to whom was alleged as before is rehearsed. The -Archbishop answered in like sort as the King had advised him; and in the -end, when he perceived that no manner of persuasion or entreaty could -serve, he delivered them the King's ring, revoking his cause into the -King's hands. The whole council being thereat somewhat amazed, the Earl of -Bedford, with a loud voice, confirming his words with a solemn oath, said: -"When you first began the matter, my Lords, I told you what would become -of it. Do you think the King would suffer this man's finger to ache? Much -more, I warrant you, will he defend his life against brabling varlets. You -do but cumber yourselves to hear tales and fables against him." And, -incontinently, upon the receipt of the _King's token_, they all rose, and -carried to the King his ring, surrendering that matter, as the order and -use was, into his own hands.' - -By the same capricious monarch a turquoise ring was sent to Cardinal -Wolsey, in his last troubles at Esher, by Sir John Russel, as a 'token' -from His Majesty, with the assurance that 'he loved him as well as ever he -did, and was sorry for his trouble.' On hearing subsequently from Dr. -Buttes of the serious illness of his discarded favourite, he sent a -valuable ring to him, and Mistress Anne Boleyn, then at the King's side, -at her royal lover's request, took a gold tablet from her girdle, and gave -it with a speech expressing sympathy and commendation--false gifts and -hollow words! - -In after years, when a deputation was sent by the council of King Edward -the Sixth to reduce the recusant Princess Mary to conformity with the -Protestant religion, she, on her knees, delivered _a ring as a token_ to -the King, saying 'she would die his true subject and sister, and obey him -in all things, except in matters of religion.' - -When, as Queen, Mary lay on her deathbed, King Philip, her husband, who -did not revisit England after his return to Spain, sent a message and a -_ring-token_ to his consort, a ruby set in gold, which she bequeathed to -him among other jewels. - -One of the most interesting episodes of ring-tokens is that which Queen -Elizabeth is said to have given to the Earl of Essex 'in token of esteem,' -with the intimation that if ever he forfeited her favour, and it should be -sent back to her, the sight of it would ensure his forgiveness. The chief -authorities for the story appear to be the 'Relation of M. Aubrey de -Maurier,' printed in 1688, and the account given at the same period by -Lady Elizabeth Spelman. The particulars of this occurrence are related in -the memoirs of Robert Carey. When Essex lay under sentence of death, he -determined to try the virtue of the Queen's ring by sending it to her and -claiming the benefit of her promise. Knowing, however, that he was -surrounded by the creatures of those who were bent on taking his life, he -was fearful of trusting to any of his attendants. At length, looking out -of his window, he saw, early one morning, a boy whose countenance pleased -him, and he induced him by a bribe to carry the ring, which he threw down -from above, to the Lady Scroop, his cousin, who had taken so friendly an -interest in his fate. The boy, by mistake, took the ring to the Countess -of Nottingham, the cruel sister of the fair and gentle Scroop, and, as -both these ladies belonged to the royal bed-chamber, the mistake might -easily occur. The Countess carried the ring to the Lord Admiral, who was a -deadly foe of Essex, and told him the message, but he bade her suppress -both. The Queen, unconscious of the incident, waited in the painful -suspense of an angry lover for the expected token to arrive, but, not -receiving it, she concluded that he was too proud to make the last appeal -to her tenderness, and, after having once revoked the warrant, she ordered -the execution to take place. - -The romantic story of the Queen visiting the Countess of Nottingham, who -had kept back the ring; of her shaking her on her death-bed, and crying -out bitterly 'that God might forgive, but she could not,' is somewhat -credited as documents come to light. In Birch's 'Memoirs of the Peers of -England during the Reign of James the First,' this story is given, as -having been repeatedly told by Lady Elizabeth Spelman, great-granddaughter -of Sir Robert Carey. The Queen is said to have been so hurt by this -revelation of Lady Nottingham that she never went to bed, nor took any -sustenance from that period. 'In confirmation of the time of the -Countess's death,' says Birch, 'it appears from the parish register of -Chelsea that she died at Arundel House, London, February 25, and was -buried the 28th, 1603. Her funeral was kept at Chelsea, March 21st -following, and Queen Elizabeth died three days afterwards.' - -The celebrated ring on which the life of the Earl of Essex is thus said to -have depended has been claimed by various persons. In 'Old England' (vol. -ii. p. 74) a story is told that when, in 1564, Mary, Queen of Scots, -married Darnley, she sent to her fair cousin of England a diamond-ring in -the form of a heart, in token of the event and her own affection. The ring -was accompanied by some Latin verses by Buchanan, thus translated:-- - - This gem behold, the emblem of my heart, - From which my cousin's image ne'er shall part; - Clear in its lustre, spotless does it shine, - 'Tis clear and spotless as this heart of mine. - What though the stone a greater hardness wears, - Superior firmness still the figure bears. - -'According' (observes the editor of 'Old England') 'to information which -has been communicated to us, with an implicit faith on the part of our -informants, that was the ring presented by Elizabeth to Essex, as being -the most precious it was in her power to give him.' - -Another account says that Mr. Thomas Penning, of the Exchequer, had, in -1781, a purse and ring by bequest from Mr. Sotheby, whose sister he -married, and who was related to the late Mrs. Cooke, by long succession -and inheritance from Sir Anthony Cooke, of Giddy Hall, Essex, preceptor of -Edward the Sixth, and to whose family, according to tradition, these -precious objects were given by Queen Elizabeth. The ring was of gold, with -the Queen's bust in bas-relief on a garnet, dressed as in her sixpenny and -threepenny pieces of 1574, with the same features round it in the garter -with the motto, and fastened with a buckle composed of two diamonds, and -the strap turned by another. Over the bust was the crown, composed of -twelve diamonds, and on each side the collet three diamonds. On the inner -surface, immediately under the bust, was the union rose. - -[Illustration: The 'Devereux' Ring.] - -Perhaps the strongest claim to the possession of the real ring of Essex is -that which was exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries, March 1858, by the -Rev. Lord John Thynne. It is of gold, slightly made, and ornamented on the -inside with blue enamel. On the face is set a cameo cut in sardonyx, -representing Queen Elizabeth in a high ruff. The workmanship is good, and -shows considerable skill in the adaptation of the layers of the stone to -the details of the dress. It seems to have been originally made for a very -small finger, and to have been subsequently enlarged. The ring is said to -have been the property of Lady Frances Devereux, daughter of the Earl of -Essex, and afterwards Duchess of Somerset, and to have passed from mother -to daughter until it came to Louisa, daughter of John, Earl of Granville, -who married Thomas Thynne, second Viscount Weymouth, great-grandfather of -the present owner. It has been stated by Captain Devereux that no mention -of the ring in question is made in the elaborate will of the Duchess of -Somerset. She may, however, have given it to her daughter in her lifetime. -The ring appears to have been made for a female finger, and as it is not -very likely that the Queen would have worn her own portrait in a ring, it -is more probable that this ring was intended for one of the ladies of her -court, and it may have been enlarged for some subsequent owner. It is -undoubtedly a remarkable work of art of the period of Elizabeth. - -It may be noticed that the Hon. Captain Devereux, in his 'Lives and -Letters of the Devereux, Earls of Essex,' seems to believe in the story of -the ring, but the evidence he adduces is not sufficient to justify his -faith. - -Another ring, which is in the possession of C. W. Warner, Esq. (and is, -together with that noticed, engraved in the 'Lives and Letters of the -Devereux, Earls of Essex'), sets forth a rival claim to be the identical -ring given to Essex, of which, however, it shows no internal evidence, -being a slight ring, without any device, and has an enamelled hoop, set -with a pear-shaped diamond. - -In 'Manningham's Diary,' 1602-1603 (Camden Society), is the following -entry: 'Dr. Parry told me the Countess Kildare assured him that the -Queene caused the ring wherewith shee was wedded to the crowne to be cutt -from hir finger, some six weekes before her death, but wore a ring which -the Earl of Essex gave her unto the day of hir death.'[66] - -The interchange of rings as royal tokens between Queen Elizabeth and Mary, -Queen of Scots, was frequent; whether genuine in the feelings that -prompted their transmission (at least, as regards the former) may be -questioned. On the baptism of the son of the Scottish Queen (afterwards -James the Sixth) we are informed that the Duke of Bedford, besides a gold -font, the present of Queen Elizabeth, sent 'ane ring with ane stane to be -delivered to the said woman who should occupy the place of the Queen's -Grace of England at the said baptism.' Mary is mentioned by the English -ambassador to the Scottish court as wearing, on the celebration of Twelfth -Day in 1562, no jewels or gold, but a ring sent to her by Elizabeth. It -may have been that which, a prisoner at Lochleven Castle, she wished to -obtain from the royal jewels which had been kept back from her by the Earl -of Moray.[67] It had been sent to her as a token of friendship, and the -promise that if it were returned to the donor in any period of misfortune -she would do her best to assist her. - -Miss Strickland informs us that Mary, in a letter to Elizabeth, though -unable, as she mentions, to send back the ring, reminds Elizabeth of her -promise. This interesting letter is still preserved at Hatfield House. 'It -will please you to remember,' she writes, 'you have told me several times -that on receiving the ring you gave me you would assist me in my time of -trouble. You know that Moray has seized all that I have, and those who had -the keeping of some of these things have been ordered not to deliver any -of them to me. Robert Melville, at any rate, to whom I have secretly sent -for this ring, as my most precious jewel, says "he dare not let me have -it." Therefore I implore you, on receiving this letter, to have compassion -on your good sister and cousin, and believe that you have not a more -affectionate relative in the world,' etc. etc., 'dated from my prison this -1st of May' (1568). - -On the escape of Mary from her 'prison,' Sir Robert Melville, anticipating -a counter-revolution from the general feeling in favour of the Queen, was -one of the first who came to her at Hamilton Castle to renew his homage, -bringing with him as a peace-offering the precious ring so often demanded -in vain. - -'On leaving Scotland,' says Miss Strickland, 'after her fatal resolution -of throwing herself on the protection of Queen Elizabeth, Mary sent the -ring as an _avant-courier_, with a letter. This romantic toy, which she -regarded in the same light as one of the fairy talismans in eastern love, -was actually the lure which tempted her in this desperate crisis of her -fortunes to enter England, under the fond idea that its donor could not -refuse to keep her promise. She concludes an affecting letter to Queen -Elizabeth (dated from Dundrennan) thus: "To remind you of the reasons I -have to depend on England, _I send back to the Queen the token of her -promised friendship and assistance_."' - -This memorable ring is described by Aubrey, to have been a delicate piece -of mechanism, consisting of several joints, which, when united, formed the -quaint device of two right hands supporting a heart between them. This -heart was composed of two separate diamonds, held together by a central -spring, which, when opened, would allow either of the hearts to be -detached. - -'Queen Elizabeth,' says Aubrey, 'kept one moietie, and sent the other as a -"token" of her constant friendship to Mary, Queen of Scots, but she cut -off her head for all that.' - -[Illustration: Essex ring (?).] - -The circumstance of the ring is further verified beyond dispute by Mary -herself, in a subsequent letter to Elizabeth, in which she bitterly -reproaches her with her perfidious conduct. 'After I escaped from -Lochleven,' she says, 'and was nearly taken in battle by my rebellious -subjects, I sent you by a trusty messenger the diamond you had given me as -a token of affection and demanded your assistance. I believed that the -jewel I received as a pledge of your friendship would remind you that when -you gave it me I was not only flattered with great promise of assistance -from you, but you bound yourself on your royal word to advance over the -border to my succour, and to come in person to meet me, and that if I -made the journey into your realm that I might confide in your honour.' -Elizabeth, as is well known, took no notice either of the pledge or -allusions to her former professions. - -The illustration on the preceding page represents the ring mentioned (p. -339) as the property of the Warner family. Sir Thomas Warner, to whom it -was presented by James the First, placed it on his shield of arms, with -the motto, 'I hold from the King.' - -During the Duke of Norfolk's imprisonment in the Tower he sent two diamond -rings, as _love-tokens_ to Mary, Queen of Scots, while she was at -Coventry. - -In the metrical chronicle of the 'Life of Sir Nicholas Throgmorton' we -find that when Elizabeth heard rumours of the death of her sister, Queen -Mary, to be really sure, she sent Sir Nicholas Throgmorton to the palace -to request one of the ladies of the bed-chamber, who was in her -confidence, 'if the queen were really dead, to send her as a _token_ the -black enamelled ring which Her Majesty wore night and day':-- - - She said (since nought exceedeth woman's fears, - Who still do dread some baits of subtlety): - 'Sir Nicholas, know a ring my sister wears - Enamell'd black--a pledge of loyalty-- - The which the King of Spain in spousals gave. - If aught fall out amiss, 'tis that I crave. - - 'But hark! ope not your lips to anyone - In hope us to obtain of courtesy, - Unless you know my sister first be gone, - For grudging minds will still coyne (coin) treachery. - So shall thyself be safe, and us be sure. - Who takes no hurt shall need no care of cure.' - -Elizabeth's meaning seems to have been that the ring should not be sought -for until Mary's death. - -A ring 'token' was also the announcement of Queen Elizabeth's death. Lady -Scroope, it seems, gave the first intelligence of the event by dropping -from the window of the palace a sapphire ring to her brother, Sir Robert -Carey, who was lurking beneath the chamber of death at Richmond. He -departed with this ring at his utmost speed to announce the tidings to the -Scottish monarch. - -The sapphire in this ring is in the possession of the Countess of Cork, -and was exhibited at the Loan Exhibition of Jewellery at South Kensington -in 1872. A statement in the catalogue records the incident related. The -ring is mentioned in Robertson's 'History of Scotland' and Banks' 'Peerage -Books.' It was afterwards given to John, Earl of Orrery, by the Duchess of -Buckingham, natural daughter of James the Second. - -I may here remark that Camden relates a romantic incident, that while -Queen Elizabeth was celebrating the anniversary of her coronation, Henry -of Anjou, one of her royal suitors, in a fit of gallantry, took from her -finger a ring in token of betrothal, and put it on his own in presence of -the Court; but as this story is entirely refuted by history I forbear the -details. - -An incident in connection with ring-tokens is related in the life of that -distinguished knight and courtier, Sir John Perrot, which has additional -interest from having formed the subject of a poem by the late Mrs. Maclean -('L. E. L.'). The ballad, which appeared some years ago in one of the -'annuals,' is so charming and characteristic that I have ventured to -reproduce it:-- - - The evening tide is on the turn; so calm the waters flow, - There seems to be one heav'n above, another heav'n below; - The blue skies broken by white clouds, the river by white foam, - The stars reflect themselves, and seem to have another home. - - A shade upon the elements; 'tis of a gallant bark, - Her stately sides fling on the waves an outline dim and dark; - The difference this by things of earth, and things of heav'n made, - The things of heav'n are trac'd in light, and those of earth in shade. - - Wrapt in his cloak a noble knight stept to and fro that deck, - Revolving all those gentler thoughts the busier day-hours check; - A thousand sad, sweet influences in truth and beauty lie - Within the quiet atmosphere of a lone starry sky. - - A shower of glittering sparkles fell from off the dashing oar, - As a little boat shot rapidly from an old oak on shore; - His eye and pulse grew quick, the knight's, his heart kept no true time - In his unsteady breathing, with the light oar's measur'd chime. - - 'Thou hast loiter'd--so, in sooth, should I--thy errand be thy plea, - And now, what of my lady bright, what guerdon sent she me? - Or sat she lonely in her bower, or lovely in the hall? - How look'd she when she took my gift? sir page, now tell me all.' - - 'I found her with a pallid cheek, and with a drooping head; - I left her, and the summer rose wears not a gladder red. - And she murmur'd something like the tones a lute has in its chords; - So very sweet the whisper was, I have forgot the words.' - - 'A health to thee, my lady love, a health in Spanish wine, - To-night I'll pledge no other health, I'll name no name but thine.' - The young page hid his laugh, then dropp'd in rev'rence on his knee: - 'In sooth, good master, that I think to-night may scarcely be. - - 'While kneeling at your lady's feet another dame passed by, - The lion in her haughty step, the eagle in her eye: - "And doth the good knight barter gems? God's truth, we'll do the same," - A pleasant meaning lit the smile that to her proud eyes came. - - 'She took the fairest of the gems upon her glittering hand, - With her own fingers fasten'd it upon a silken band, - And held it to the lamp, then said: "Like this stone's spotless flame - So tell your master that I hold his high and knightly fame."' - - Low on his bended knee the knight received that precious stone, - And bold and proud the spirit now that in his dark eyes shone: - 'Up from your sleep, my mariners, for ere the break of day, - And even now the stars are pale, I must be miles away.' - - The spray fell from the oars in showers, as in some fairy hall - They say in melting diamonds the charmèd fountains fall; - And though, as set the weary stars, the darker grew the night, - Yet far behind the vessel left a track of silver light. - - They saw again that self-same shore which they that morn had pass'd, - On which they look'd as those who know such look may be the last-- - Then out he spoke, the helmsman old: 'I marvel we should go, - Just like a lady's messenger, on the same path to and fro.' - - 'And 'tis to see a lady's face this homeward task we ply. - I wot the proudest of us all were proud to catch her eye. - A royal gift our queen hath sent, and it were sore disgrace - If that I first put on her gem, and not before her face!' - - On the terrace by the river-side there stood a gallant band, - The very flower of knight and dame were there of English land; - The morning wind toss'd ostrich plume, and stirr'd the silken train, - The morning light from gold and gem was mirror'd back again. - - There walk'd the Queen Elizabeth; you knew her from the rest - More by the royal step and eye than by the royal vest; - There flashed, though now the step was staid, the falcon eye was still, - The fiery blood of Lancaster, the haughty Tudor's will. - - A lady by the balustrade, a little way apart, - Lean'd languidly, indulging in the solitude of heart - Which is Love's empire tenanted by visions of his own-- - Such solitude is soon disturb'd, such visions soon are flown. - - Love's pleasant time is with her now, for she hath hope and faith, - Which think not what the lover doth, but what the lover saith. - Upon her hand there is a ring, within her heart a vow; - No voice is whispering at her side--what doth she blush for now? - - A noble galley valiantly comes on before the wind; - Her sails are dyed by the red sky she's leaving fast behind. - None other mark'd the ship that swept so eagerly along; - The lady knew the flag, and when hath lover's eye been wrong? - - The lonely lady watch'd; meantime went on the converse gay. - It was as if the spirits caught the freshness of the day. - 'Good omen such a morn as this,' her Grace of England said, - 'What progress down our noble Thames hath Sir John Perrot made?' - - Then spoke Sir Walter Raleigh, with a soft and silvery smile, - And an earnest gaze that seem'd to catch the Queen's least look the - while, - 'Methinks that ev'ry wind in heav'n will crowd his sails to fill, - For goeth he not forth to do his gracious Sovereign's will?' - - With that the bark came bounding up, then staid her in her flight; - And right beneath the terrace she moor'd her in their sight. - 'Now, by my troth,' exclaimed the Queen, 'it is our captain's bark. - What brings the loiterer back again?'--her eye and brow grew dark. - - 'Fair Queen,' replied a voice below, 'I pay a vow of mine, - And never yet was voyage delayed by worship at a shrine.' - He took the jewel in his hand, and bent him on his knee, - Then flung the scarf around his neck, where all the gem might see. - - His white plumes swept the very deck, yet once he glanc'd above; - The courtesy was for the Queen, the glance was for his love. - 'Now fare-thee-well,' then said the Queen, 'for thou art a true knight.' - But even as she spoke the ship was flitting from the sight. - - Woe to the Spaniards and their gold amid the Indian seas, - When rolled the thunder of that deck upon the southern breeze, - For bravely Sir John Perrot bore our flag across the main, - And England's bells for victory rang when he came home again. - -In the will of Thomas Sackville, Duke of Dorset (Lord High Treasurer in -the times of Elizabeth and James I.), given in Collins's 'Baronage,' is a -mention of a token ring. It is described as 'of gold and enamelled black, -and set round with diamonds to the number of twenty; whereof, five, being -placed in the upper part of the said ring, do represent the fashion of a -cross.' It is further mentioned as to be a heirloom. 'And to the intent -that they may knowe howe just and great cause bothe they and I have to -hould the sayed Rynge, with twentie Diamonds, in so highe esteeme, yt is -most requisite that I doe here set downe the whole course and -circumstance, howe and from whome the same rynge did come to my -possession, which was thus: In the Begynning of the monethe of June, one -thousand sixe hundred and seaven, this rynge thus set with twenty -Diamonds, as is aforesayed, was sent unto me from my most gracious -soveraigne, King James, by that honourable personage, the Lord Haye, one -of the gentlemen of His Highnes Bedchamber, the Courte then beying at -Whitehall in London, and I at that tyme remayning at Horsley House in -Surrey, twentie myles from London, where I laye in suche extremetye of -sickness as yt was a common and a constant reporte all over London that I -was dead, and the same confidentlie affirmed even unto the Kinge's Highnes -himselfe; upon which occasion it pleased his most excellent majestie, in -token of his gracious goodness and great favour towards me, to send the -saied Lord Hay with the saied Ringe, and this Royal message unto me, -namelie, that his Highness wished a speedie and a perfect recoverye of my -healthe, with all happie and good successe unto me, and that I might live -as long as the diamondes of that Rynge (which therewithall he delivered -unto me) did endure, and in token thereof, required me to weare yt and -keepe yt for his sake.' - -Among other token rings, under affecting circumstances, I may also mention -those given on the eve of his execution (1651) by James Stanley, Earl of -Derby, Governor of the Isle of Man--'a man,' observes Lodge, 'of great -honour and clear courage.' A minute narrative of the circumstances of his -final hours was penned with touching simplicity by a Mr. Bagaley, one of -his gentlemen, who was allowed to attend him to the last, and the -manuscript has been carefully preserved in the family. A transcript of the -most part of it may be found in Collins's 'Peerage.' He wrote letters to -his wife, daughter, and sons, and sent a servant to purchase all the rings -he could get. These were wrapped in separate papers, and Bagaley, under -the Earl's instructions, directed them to his children and servants, and -the unfortunate nobleman said: 'As to them I can say nothing; silence and -your own looks will best tell your message.' - -Rings, as 'tokens,' or pledges, for the repayment of loans were made for -Queen Henrietta Maria, the consort of Charles the First, while she was in -Holland, endeavouring to raise money and troops for her unfortunate -husband. To such as gave her pecuniary assistance she was accustomed to -show her gratitude by the gift of a ring, or some other trinket from her -own cabinet; but when the increasing exigencies of the King's affairs -compelled her to sell or pawn in Holland the whole of her plate and most -of her jewels for his use, she adopted an ingenious device by which she -was enabled, at a small expense, to continue her gifts to her friends, and -in a form that rendered them more precious to the recipient parties, -because they had immediate reference to herself. She had a great many -rings, lockets, and bracelet clasps made with her cipher, the letters 'H. -M. R.,' Henrietta Maria Regina, in very delicate filagree of gold, -entwined in a monogram, laid on a ground of crimson velvet, covered with -thick crystal, cut like a table-diamond and set in gold. These were called -the King's pledges, or 'tokens,' and presented by her to any person who -had lent her money, or had rendered her any particular service, with an -understanding that if presented to Her Majesty at any future time, when -fortune smiled on the royal cause, it would command, either repayment of -the money advanced, or some favour from the Queen as an equivalent. - -'Many of these interesting testimonials are still in existence' (observes -Miss Strickland), 'and, in families where the tradition has been -forgotten, have been regarded as amulets which were to secure good -fortune to the wearer.' One of these royal pledges, Miss Strickland -informs us, has been preserved as an heirloom in her family, and there is -a ring with the same device, in possession of Philip Darrell, Esq., of -Cales Hill, Kent, which was presented to his immediate ancestor by that -queen. - -It was in the reign of Charles the First that a fearful incident occurred -in Scotland (1630) at the Castle of Frendraught--a fire breaking out at -midnight in a sudden manner, 'yea, in ane clap,' says Spalding, involving -the whole of the inmates in destruction, excepting three persons. Viscount -Melgum, son of the Marquis of Huntly, only twenty-four years of age, who -was a guest of the Laird of Frendraught at the time, perished, leaving a -widow and child. A popular ballad of the day speaks of his being called on -to leap from the window:-- - - 'How can I leap, how can I win, - How can I leap to thee? - My head's fast in the wire-window, - My feet burning from me.' - He's ta'en the rings from aff his hands, - And thrown them o'er the wall; - Saying, 'Give them to my lady fair, - Where she sits in the hall.' - -A pledge or token ring of remarkable interest was exhibited by Mr. J. W. -Singer at the Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery, South -Kensington Museum, in 1872. This ring (of silver, set with a yellow topaz, -diamonds, and a small ruby of English manufacture) has been preserved in -the Penderell family, as that given by King Charles II. as a token of -gratitude for the fidelity which saved him in the oak-tree at Boscobel, -after the battle of Worcester. At the King's Restoration the five -brothers Penderell attended at Whitehall, 'when his Majesty was pleased -to own their faithful service, and graciously dismissed them with a -princely reward' ('Boscobel Tracts'). - -This ring now belongs to Mrs. Whiteby, of Beckington, Somerset, fifth in -descent from Penderell. A yearly pension of one hundred pounds for _ever_ -was conferred upon the family, a portion of which (forty pounds) is now -only received by a male relative. - -A ring-token, of sinister omen, is mentioned of the same monarch. This ill -bestowal of a ring from royalty is exemplified in the case of that hideous -judicial monster Jeffreys. With thorough want of judgment, Charles II., in -a fit of imprudency, habitual to him, gave the infamous judge a ring from -his own finger. This was popularly termed _Jeffreys's blood-stone_, as he -obtained it soon after the execution of Sir Thomas Armstrong. Roger North -says: 'The King was persuaded to present him with a ring, publicly taken -from his own finger, in token of his Majesty's acceptance of his most -eminent services; and this, by way of precursor, being blazoned in the -Gazette, his Lordship went down into the country as from the King, -_legatus à latere_.' And a mission of blood and brutality it was! - -A ring-token or present is mentioned in the 'True Remembrances' of Richard -Boyle, the great Earl of Cork, who says: 'When first I arrived in Ireland, -June 23, 1588, all my wealth then was twenty-seven pounds three shillings -in money, and two _tokens_ which my mother had given me, viz. a diamond -ring, which I have ever since and still do wear, and a bracelet of gold -worth about ten pounds.' - -Many other instances of ring-tokens might be mentioned, but the limits to -which this work is confined prevent me from enlarging on the subject. I -will merely allude as a memorable instance in modern times, to the -ring-token presented to George III. on his birthday in 1764 by his Queen. -It was a ring splendidly ornamented with brilliants, and contained an -enamel in which were the portraits, exquisitely represented, of their -children. - -I will conclude these notices of token rings with a very stirring ballad -by Mr. Planché, entitled 'The Three Rings':-- - - 'Good morrow, lovely lady! Is thy noble lord with thee?' - 'Sir knight, since to the wars he went, full moons have wasted three; - Three weary moons have wax'd and waned since he sail'd o'er the main, - And little wist I when these eyes shall see my lord again.' - - 'Forget him, lovely lady, as by him thou art forgot.' - 'Thou dost him wrong, sir knight; by him forgotten I am not: - I hold within my arms a pledge for his true love to me, - This new-born babe--his child and mine--which he hath yet to see.' - - 'Oh, let me be thy servant, lady--I will love thee dear--' - 'Sir knight, I am a wedded wife, such words I may not hear--' - 'None else can hear them, lady. What witnesses are nigh?' - 'This heart, which is Hernando's, and God who sits on high.' - - 'Sweet lady, yet a boon, upon my bended knee, I crave--' - 'Sir knight, if one which I can grant with honour, ask and have.' - 'Oh, give me these three golden rings that on thy fingers shine.' - 'Sir knight, with life alone I part with these three rings of mine!' - - 'Oh, lend them but a day--an hour--to wear them for thy sake--' - 'It may not be, such act my lord would proof of falsehood make.' - 'Enough, enough, unkind one! Then I may nought obtain?' - 'When thou would'st aught that I may grant, sir knight, demand again.' - - The knight hath mounted his steed and away--his love is changed to hate. - At the nearest town he lighted down before a goldsmith's gate: - He hath bought three rings of plain red gold, like those by Clara worn, - 'O bitterly thy slight of me, proud lady, shalt thou mourn!' - - He hath mounted again his coal-black barb before the break of day. - And who is he, the warrior bold, who meets him on the way? - It is the brave Hernando, who, the Soldan's city won, - Now pants to hold within his arms his wife and new-born son. - - 'What news? what news? thou noble knight; good friend, thy tidings tell-- - How fare my wife and infant child--say, are they safe and well?' - 'Thy wife is well, and eke the boy'--'Thy speech is brief and cold; - Clara is true?'--'For answer, look on these three rings of gold.' - - One instant, and his vizor's clos'd, his lance is in the rest-- - 'Defend thee now, thou felon knight! Foul shame be on thy crest!' - One charge--one shock. The traitor's corse is from the saddle cast, - Through plate, and chain, and gambeson, Hernando's spear hath pass'd. - - He buries in his courser's flank his bloody spears again; - Away! away! he scales the hill--he thunders o'er the plain! - 'Up, Clara, up!' her mother cries; 'Hernando comes! I see - The well-known blazon on his shield. 'Tis he, my child, 'tis he!' - - 'Oh, mother! rides he fast as one who to his true-love hies? - Canst see his face, dear mother? Looks joy from out his eyes?' - 'His helmet, child, is open, and he rideth fast enow, - But his cheek is pale, and bent, as if in anger, seems his brow.' - - The tramp of armed feet is heard upon the turret stair; - Forth springs to meet her lord's embrace that lady fond and fair. - By the silken locks, in which his hands have oft been fondly twined, - He hath seized and dragged her from her bower with jealous fury blind. - - He hath bound her at his horse's heels--nor shriek nor prayer he heeds; - O'er rugged rock, through bush and briar, the goaded courser speeds; - Her flesh is rent by every thorn, her blood stains every stone,-- - Now, Jesu sweet, have mercy! for her cruel lord hath none! - - And lo! the sharp edge of a flint hath shorn the cord in twain; - Down leaps the vengeful lord to make his victim fast again. - 'What have I done.? Before I die, my crime, Hernando, say?' - 'The golden rings I charged thee keep, thou false one, where are they?' - - 'Oh where, but on the hand which, with my heart, I gave to thee! - Draw off my glove--I cannot--for my strength is failing me!' - 'Oh curses on my frantic rage!--my wrong'd--my murder'd wife-- - Come forth, my sword! Then, Clara, shall life atone for life!' - - She staggered up, love gave her strength, the sword afar she hurl'd, - 'Thou know'st my innocence! Oh, live to prove it to the world! - Weep not for Clara--loved by thee, contented she expires! - Live for our child--the boy whose fame shall emulate his sire's!' - - 'Our child!--the child my fury hath made motherless to-day! - And when he for his mother asks--O God--what shall I say?' - 'Say that her name was Clara--that _thy_ love was her pride-- - That, blessing him and thee, she smiled, as in thy arms she died!' - -Mr. Planché has borrowed the subject of his admirable poem from a legend -still popular in Normandy. It is that of Marianson, the wife of a French -noble. An evil spirit instigates a false knight to borrow the three golden -token-rings of the lady during the absence of her lord. He takes them to a -jeweller, who is ordered to prepare three others exactly similar, and then -returns the lady her own rings. On his way he meets the husband, whose -wife he declares has been unfaithful, and in proof of his assertion he -shows the three surreptitious rings. The result of this is the fearful -death of Marianson, being tied to the tail of a wild horse, and torn to -pieces, and the after-discovery of the three rings in her drawer by the -jealous husband. - -A somewhat similar legend is related of the Lady of Toggenburg, who lived -in a castle near the Lake of Zurich. Her 'token' ring was stolen by a -crow, who dropped it in the park, where it was found by a young squire, -who placed it on his finger. The Count of Toggenburg, passing at the time, -saw the ring, and, inflamed by jealous fury, without asking any questions, -rushed into the castle, and hurled his wife from the battlements into the -lake. The young squire was torn to pieces by wild horses. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -MEMORIAL AND MORTUARY RINGS. - - -Bequests of rings are frequently mentioned in wills of the middle and -later ages. In the reign of Henry the Third, two rings were bequeathed to -that monarch by a bishop of Chichester, one adorned with an emerald, the -other with a ruby. These jewels were taken out and employed to decorate an -image of the Virgin at Westminster, and were placed on her forehead. - -In the will of Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford and Essex (1319), among -various bequests is 'un anel d'or avec un ruby qe ma femme me devisa, qe -ad tout pleni de coups, et est en un petit forcer en une graunte husche au -bout de la basse gardrobe' (the gold ring with a ruby which his wife -devised to him, and which is all covered with bruises, and is in a little -casket in a great box at the end of the lower wardrobe). This is probably -the same ring mentioned in an inventory of effects as an 'anel d'or ove j -Rubie.' - -Thomas de Hoton, rector of Kyrkebymisperton (1351), bequeathed to his -chaplain, amongst other objects, 'j annulum vertuosum.' Another is to -'Domine Thome de Bouthum.' These were supposed to possess some healing, or -talismanic properties, such rings being termed, in mediæval Latin, -_vertuosus_. - -In the 'Bury Wills and Inventories' (Camden Society) are various bequests -of rings. Some of these entries are very curious. John Baret (1463) leaves -to 'Elizabet Drury, my wyf, a ryng of gold with an ymage of the Trinitie.' -To Dame Margarete Spurdaunce 'a doubyl ryng departyed of gold, with a ruby -and a turkeys, with a scripture wrety with jnne, for a rememberaunce of -oold love vertuously set at all times to the pleseer of God.' To his -nephew, Thomas Drury, 'my best ryng of gold next my signet, therein is -wretyn _Grace me governe_, with letteris of I and B, accordyng to my name -innamelid.' To his niece Katerine, 'for a tookne of rememberaunce, a gold -ryng, wretyn with jnne the gold ryng, _In noi é Ih'u signo me signo tab_.' -To William Clopton, 'the jemews and the rynges of sylvir, therin wretyn -_Grace me governe_, for a tookne he vowchesaf in tyme comyng to shewe his -good maistershepe to my wil.' To 'Thomais Brews, esquiyer, my crampe ryng, -with blak innamel and a part sylvir and gilt.' - -Anne of Cleves, who survived Henry VIII., left by her will several -mourning-rings of various values for distribution among her friends and -dependents. - -In the 'Wills from Doctors' Commons, 1495 to 1695' (Camden Society), -Cecily, Duchess of York (1495), gives to John Metcalfe and Alice his wife -'all the ringes that I have, except such as hang by my bedes and Agnus, -and also except my signet.' - -Anne Barett (1504) bequeaths to Our Lady of Walsingham 'my maryeng ryng, -with all thyngys hangyng theron.' - -Agnes Hals (1554) leaves to her son 'a rynge with the Passion of gold,' -and to her niece 'my ringe with the wepinge eie;' to another son 'my rynge -with the dead manes head.' - -Jasper Despotin, M.D. (1648), wills and appoints 'ten rings of gold to be -made of the value of twenty shillings a peece sterling, with a death's -head vpon some of them, within one moneth after my depture, and to be -disposed of amongst my friends as my executrices shall thinke meet.' To -Mr. Gibbon, 'fortie shillings sterling to buy him a ring for a memoriall -of me.' - -Lady Anne Drury (1621) bequeaths 'tenne pounds a peece to all my brothers -to buy them ringes, and twentie pounds to be bestowed in ringes of tenne -shillinges amongest my freinds whom they shall thinke fitte.' - -Edmund Lee (1535) mentions in his will 'my ij wrethed rynge of gold, whych -I ware on my thombe;' also 'my gold ryng wt a turkes, and a crampe ryng of -gold wt all.' - -Dame Maude Parr (1529), amongst other bequests of rings, mentions one -'with a table diamontt sett with blacke aniell, meate for my little -finger.' - -Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester (1557), bequeaths, 'to my Lord -Legate's Grace (Cardinal Pole) a ring with a dyamounte, not so bigge as he -is wourthie to have, but such as his poore orator is able to geve.' - -Speaker Lenthall (1682) appoints his executor 'to give my friends Sir John -Lenthall, his lady and children, and other my cozens and nephews, 50 gold -rings with this motto, "Oritur non Moritur."' In a codicil he adds: 'I -also desire that my son will weare his mother's wedding-ring about his -arme in remembrance of her.' - -William Prynne (1699) bequeaths 'to my deare brother, Mr. Thomas Prynne, -my best gold ring with my father's armes.' To Katheryne Clerke, 'my best -serjeant's ring.' To her husband, 'one of my gold rings. Item. I give to -every one of their sonnes and daughters who shal be living at the tyme of -my decease one gold ring, and one hundred pounds a peece.' - -In the will of Sir Richard Gresham (died 1548), father of the founder of -the Exchange, he bequeathed a ring to the Protector, Duke of Somerset, and -another to the profligate Duchess of Somerset, each of the value of five -pounds, and he also left rings to all his friends. - -John Meres, an 'Esquire Beadle' of Corpus Christi College, left, in 1558, -to the Vice-Chancellor of the College a ring weighing a royal (valued at -ten shillings): to Dr. Hutcher, a ring worth fifteen shillings, and a gold -ring set with a cornelian to each of the 'supervisors.' Meres had a patent -for being gauger in 1550. - -Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, gave by will (1575) a gold ring -with a round sapphire to Edmund Grindal, Archbishop of York, who succeeded -him in the see of Canterbury. - -In Collins's 'Baronage' is the curious will of Thomas Sackville, Earl of -Dorset (Lord High Treasurer in the times of Elizabeth and James I.), in -which several rings are mentioned (see chapter on 'Token-Rings'). Amongst -others 'a ring of gold enamelled black, wherein is set a great table -diamonde, beying perfect and pure, and of much worth.' This ring, with -other jewels, was given to him by the King of Spain. During the minority -of his descendants, these were to be consigned, as heirlooms, 'in a strong -chest of iron, under two several keys,' to the custody of the Warden, and -a senior fellow of New College, Oxford. - -Sir Philip Sidney (1586) desires that 'three gold rings, set with large -diamonds, might be fashioned exactly alike, for his aunt, the Countess of -Sussex; another aunt's husband, the Earl of Huntingdon; and his -brother-in-law, the Earl of Pembroke.' - -Thomas Wentworth, one of the chiefs of that great house, who died in 1587, -bequeathed to his son and heir, William, besides other valuables, his gold -ring, 'whereon is engraved his crest, badge, and cognizance.' - -Among the Rokeby family papers, in the will of Sir Ralph Rokeby (1600), is -the bequest of several rings, 'gratuities to kynsfolkes.' - -Thomas Sutton, founder of the Charter House, bequeaths (in 1611) ten -pounds to Mr. Thomas Brown, 'to make him a ring.' - -Our great national dramatist, Shakspeare, in his will (dated 1616) -mentions certain moneys for the purchase of rings by several of his -friends. Five are mentioned: two are his townsmen, Hamlet (_Hamnet_) -Sadler, and William Reynolds, who have each twenty-six shillings and -eightpence left them 'to buy them ringes,' the other three being the -actors ('my fellows,' as he affectionately terms them), John Hemynge, -Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell, each of whom has a similar sum. - -In the testament of Richard Burgess, vicar of Witney (1632), he gives to -his eldest son, John, the ring which he usually wore on his left hand, and -also 'twenty shillings to each of the two overseers of his last will, to -purchase rings.' - -Sir Henry Wotton, in 1637, leaves to each of the Fellows at Eton College -'a plain gold ring, enamelled black, all save the verge, with this motto -within, "Amor unit omnia."' - -In a will, dated 1648, occurs this clause: 'I do will and appoint ten -rings of gold to be made, of the value of twenty shillings a piece, -sterling, with a death's-head upon some of them.' - -The stock of rings described in the Duke of Newcastle's play, 'The -Varietie' (1649), as the treasure of an old country lady, is suggestive of -past legacies or memorials as well as the tastes of the yeomanry at that -period: 'A toadstone, two Turkies (turquoises), six thumb-rings, three -alderman's seals, five gemmals, and foure death's-head,' The enumeration -concludes with the uncomplimentary observation, 'these are alehouse -ornaments' (Fairholt). - -There are numerous varieties of mourning rings left by bequest in former -times. The accompanying illustration represents one that would appeal to -the feelings of the survivors in the simple and affecting inscription -which it bears: 'When this you see, remember me.' The ring is of silver, -jet, and gold. - -[Illustration: Old Mourning ring.] - -Miss Agnes Strickland, in her 'Lives of the Four Princesses of the Royal -House of Stuart,' mentions a circumstance in the life of the Princess -Henrietta Anne (1670), that, 'as Bossuet was kneeling by her bedside, she -suddenly turned to one of her ladies and spoke to her in English, which -the Bishop did not understand, to tell her that when she should have -entered into her rest, she was to give Bossuet the emerald ring which had -been ordered to be made for him as a memorial of her.' - -Izaak Walton added a codicil to his will (1683) for the distribution of -memorial rings to several of his relations and friends, with the motto, 'A -friend's farewell. I. W., obiit;' the value of the rings to be thirteen -shillings and fourpence each. In the will itself he gives to his -son-in-law, Dr. Hawkins, 'whom I love as my own son;' to his daughter, his -wife, and his son Izaak, a ring to each of them, with the motto, 'Love my -memory. I. W., obiit.' To the Lord Bishop of Winchester a ring, with the -motto, 'A mite for a million. I. W., obiit.' - -In a codicil of the last testament of Nell Gwyn (1687) she requests that -Lady Fairborne may have fifty pounds given to her to buy a ring. - -Dr. John Spencer, Master of Corpus Christi College, in his will (1693) -left twenty shillings to each of the Fellows of his college for a funeral -ring. - -Queen Elizabeth, eldest daughter to James the First, wore to the day of -her death a mourning ring, in which was a lock of her brother's hair, -brought over to Bohemia by a faithful servant, with the device of a crown -over a skull and cross-bones, and the letters 'C. R.' After her death, in -1662, it was much prized by her descendants, and was long a heirloom among -them. - -On the eve of the death of Henrietta Anne, the daughter of Charles the -First, she sent most tender messages to her brothers King Charles the -Second, and James, Duke of York; and, drawing from her finger a ring, she -expressed a wish that it might be sent to the former, as a memorial of her -dying love. - -A remarkable interest is attached to the bequest of a ring by Sir Charles -Cotterell, master of the ceremonies, who died in 1700. The particulars are -given in the 'Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries' (January 30, -1862). 'I bequeath to my constantly obliging Friend, S{r} Stephen Fox, a -ring w{th} a figure cut in an onyx, which was given by King Charles y{e} -first, from his Finger to S{r} Philip Warwick, at y{e} Treaty in the Isle -of Wight, to seal letters he there writt for him, and wh{ch} S{r} Philip -left to me for a Legacy, and w{ch} I cannot leave to anybody that has been -a greater Honourer of that Excellent Prince's Memory, nor a Worthier -Friend to us both, and who for these reasons I know will value it.' To -this has been added, by Sir Stephen Fox, 'which I leave to my son Stephen -and his Heirs, enjoining him to keep it in remembrance of the excellent -King that gave it off his Finger to S{r} Philip Warwick, who died in -August 1684, and his son Philip at New Market a month after, and excellent -S{r} Charles Cotterell died in the year 1700, and after this was left to -my good son Charles, who died in September 1713. Ste(phen) Fox.' - -At the commencement of the first of these memoranda, and (observes Mr. -Franks, by whom these particulars were given to the Society) at the -conclusion of the last are much-mutilated impressions from a very small -antique gem, which, there can be no doubt, is the onyx set in the ring in -question. The figure is of fine workmanship, and represents a -partially-draped young man standing in profile to the right. It is, -possibly, a representation of Mercury, and resembles somewhat in attitude -the bronze statue found at Huis, in the south of France, and known as the -Payne Knight Mercury. - -Mr. Franks corrects an error of Sir Stephen Fox as to the date of the -death of Sir Philip Warwick, which took place January 15, 1682-3. - -The subsequent history of this remarkable ring is contained in a short -note written on the envelope enclosing the above memoranda, by the Earl of -Ilchester, son of Sir Stephen Fox. 'Memorandum: I am much concerned for -the loss of the ring which was given by King Charles I. to Sir Philip -Warwick, as mentioned in the enclosed paper. This ring was stolen when my -house in Burlington Street was broken open by rogues in January 1722.' - -'With these papers' (remarks Mr. Franks) 'is preserved a long letter -giving an account of the burglary, which took place during the absence of -the family, and was of a very cool and daring character. It is sadly to be -feared that the gold setting of the ring has found its way to the -melting-pot; the onyx, however, may have been preserved, and may, -probably, be hereafter identified by the mutilated impressions in the Earl -of Ilchester's possession.' - -In the Appendix to Pepys's 'Diary' is a list of all the persons to whom -rings and mourning were presented upon the occasion of his death (May 26, -1703) and funeral, by which it appears that forty-six rings of the value -of twenty shillings, sixty-two at fifteen shillings, and twenty at ten -shillings were distributed among friends on that occasion. - -In a codicil to the will of Bishop Burnet (died 1715) a long list of -legacies occurs to his children; some of these were afterwards erased, and -amongst them the bequest of 'my pointed diamond' to Gilbert, his second -son. The ring was given to the late Sir John Sewell of Doctors' Commons, -by a descendant from Bishop Burnet. This ring is in the possession of Mr. -C. Desborough, Bedford. In the collection of the Duke of Richmond is a -memorial ring, gold, set with diamond, hoop enamelled in white, and -inscribed 'E. S. Dux Buckingensis,' divided by a ducal coronet on a black -ground. English work of the middle of the seventeenth century. Made in -memory of Edmund Sheffield, second Duke of Buckingham, who died a minor in -1735. - -That great man, George Washington, in his will, thus bequeaths 'to my -sisters-in-law Hannah Washington and Mildred Washington, to my friends -Eleanor Stuart, Hannah Washington, of Fairfield, and Elizabeth Washington, -of Hayfield, I give each a mourning-ring of the value of one hundred -dollars. These bequests are not made for the intrinsic value of them, but -as mementos of my esteem and regard.' - -In a few loving words addressed by a Lady Palmerston, when dying, to her -husband, after mentioning the wealth at her disposal, which she gave to -him, she mentions two chocolate-cups formed of mourning-rings, which were -used daily by Lady Palmerston in memory of departed friends; these she -wished her husband to look upon as a remembrance of death, and also of the -fondest and most faithful friend he ever had. - -A very long list might be added of bequests of rings by distinguished -persons, but I must be content to notice how the practice has been -continued at intervals to the present time. A notable item occurs in the -will of Charlotte Augusta Matilda, eldest daughter of George III., and -Queen of Wurtemberg, in which she bequeaths to the Princess Augusta, among -other costly objects, a ring containing a watch, set with brilliants. - -Rings were formerly given to attendants at funerals; an extract from the -books of the Ironmongers' Company, dated 1719, states: 'The master -acquainted the court that one John Turney, an undertaker for funerals, had -lately buried one Mrs. Mason for the Hall, but had refused the master, -wardens, and clerk each a ring, &c., according to his agreement, the -persons invited being served with gloves, hat-bands, and rings. Ordered: -the said undertaker be compelled to perform his agreement as the master -and wardens shall direct.' The practice of offering rings at funerals is -introduced as an incident in 'Sir Amadace.' - -In former days widows wore their ring on the thumb as an emblem of -widowhood, and the following 'trick' in connection with it is mentioned -in the 'Spectator:'--'It is common enough for a stale virgin to set up a -shop in a place where the large thumb-ring, supposed to be given her by -her husband, quickly recommends her to some wealthy neighbour, who takes a -liking to the jolly widow that would have overlooked the veritable -spinster.' - -Among the most touching episodes in connection with memorial rings is that -exhibited in the closing hours of the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots, at -Fotheringay Castle, just previous to her execution. She distributed the -jewels that remained to her among her faithful attendants as tokens of her -affection and regard. Among other sad memorials, she desired that a -sapphire ring, which she took from her finger, might be conveyed as a mark -of grateful acknowledgment to her brave kinsman Lord Claude Hamilton. -Concerning this ring, Bishop Burnet says, 'it is carefully preserved as -one of the most precious heirlooms of that illustrious family.' Miss -Strickland informs us that it is now in the possession of Lord Claude's -accomplished representative, the present Duke of Hamilton, 'by whom it was -courteously shown to me at Hamilton Palace in 1857. It is a large square -sapphire of peculiar beauty, rose-cut in several diamond-points, and set -in gold enamelled blue in the curious cinque-cento work of that period.' - -In the 'Times' (January 2, 1857) is an account of another memorial ring of -the last sad hours of Queen Mary at Fotheringay. The letter is signed 'A -Constant Reader.' 'There is a lady residing at Broadstairs who is in -possession of the identical ring which was worn by Mary, previous to her -execution, and given by her to one of her maids of honour as a token of -remembrance, and who was afterwards so reduced as to be compelled to sell -it for the value of the gold. The engraving is on amber, the usual -material for such purposes at that period, and, as you may see from the -enclosed impression, is much worn by time. It is supposed that the seal in -the late Earl of Buchan's collection was copied from it. This valuable -antique was purchased many years ago by a member of the present -possessor's family, at the sale of the celebrated antiquary John M'Gowan, -of Edinburgh, who considered it a most valuable gem.' - -A ring memorial was sent by the Countess of Hertford (the great -granddaughter of Henry VII., and one of the victims of Queen Elizabeth's -jealousy) on her dying bed by the hands of Sir Owen Hopton, of Cockfield -Hall, Suffolk: 'This shall be the last token unto my lord that ever I -shall send him. It is the picture of myself.' The ring bore a death's head -with an inscription around it: 'while I live--yours.' - -[Illustration: Memorial rings, Charles I.] - -The Londesborough Collection contains two memorial rings of King Charles -I., one of gold, with a table-faced diamond, and two smaller diamonds on -each side. On the shank is engraved an elongated skeleton, with -cross-bones above the skull, and a spade and pickaxe at the feet upon -black enamel. Within is engraved 'C. R., January 30, 1649, Martyr.' - -The other ring is also of gold, with a square table-faced diamond on an -oval face, which opens and reveals beneath a portrait of Charles in -enamel. The face of the ring, the back and side portions of the shank are -engraved with scroll-work, filled in with black enamel. - -[Illustration: Memorial ring, Charles I.] - -In the fifteenth day's sale (May 11, 1842) at Strawberry Hill (lot 59), 'a -truly interesting relic,' as the ring was termed, is recorded to have been -bought by Mr. Harvey, of Regent Street, for fifteen guineas. In Horace -Walpole's catalogue it is described as one of the _only seven_ -mourning-rings given at the burial of Charles I. It has the King's head in -miniature behind a death's-head between the letters 'C. R.' The motto is -'Prepared be to follow me.' A present to Horace Walpole from Lady Murray -Elliott. - -'A long and minute account of a ring,' remarks the late Crofton Croker, -'with a miniature of Charles I., appeared in the "Gentleman's Magazine" -for July 1823. It was then in the possession of the late Captain I. Toup -Nicholas, R.N., and he inherited it from the Giffard family. This ring had -four diamonds on the top, on lifting up which, a head of King Charles, -enamelled on a turquoise, presented itself. The size of the painting does -not exceed the fourth part of an inch; the execution is particularly fine, -and the likeness excessively faithful. The small part of his Majesty's -dress which is visible, appears similar to that in which he is usually -represented; and a piece of the ribbon to which the "George" is suspended -is discernible; on closing the lid the portrait becomes perfectly hid. -Although miniatures of Charles I. are not uncommon, this is particularly -valuable from the portrait being concealed, and also from its being -supposed to be the smallest of him.' - -At page 152 of Hulbert's 'History of Salop' is an account of a ring in the -possession of the Misses Pigott, of Upton Magna, said to be one of the -four presented by Charles I., prior to his execution. It bears a small but -beautiful miniature of the royal martyr. Inside the ring and reverse of -the portrait is inscribed over a death's-head 'January 30, 1649,' inside -of the ring is engraved 'Martyr Populi.' - -A similar ring to this is in the possession of Mrs. Henderson (formerly -Miss Adolphus), of London; and is said to have come to her in the female -line, through her mother's family. Charles presented it to Sir Lionel -Walden on the morning in which he lost his life. It bears a miniature -likeness of the King, set in small brilliants. Inside the ring are the -words 'Sic transit gloria mundi.' A ring bearing the same inscription and -a miniature of King Charles is in the collection of John Evans, Esq., -F.R.S., Vice-President of the Antiquarian Society. - -In the family of Rogers, of Lota, a ring is still preserved as a heirloom -which was presented to an ancestor by King Charles I. during his -misfortunes. In the will of Robert Rogers, which was registered in the -Record-office, Dublin, occurs the following paragraph: 'And I also -bequeath to Noblett Rogers the miniature portrait-ring of the martyr -Charles I., given by that monarch to my ancestor, previous to his -execution, and I particularly desire that it may be preserved in the name -and family.' The miniature, which is beautifully painted in enamel, and -said to be by Vandyck, has been re-set in a very tasteful and appropriate -style: the original settings and inscriptions exactly correspond with -those on the ring in the possession of the Misses Pigott, as previously -mentioned. The correspondent of 'Notes and Queries,' from whom I have -derived this information, adds: 'I have lately seen a ring with a portrait -of Charles on ivory in a coarse and very inferior style, and in a plain -gold setting. It is in the possession of a gentleman, in whose family it -has remained for several generations.' - -Another memorial ring of Charles I. is described in the 'Gentleman's -Magazine' (September 1823) as having belonged to a lady named Heanaud, who -died at Chelsea in 1809. 'The ring itself was of pure gold, and without -jewellery or ornament of any kind. On the top of it was an oval of white -enamel, not more than half an inch in longitudinal diameter, and -apparently about an eighth of an inch in thickness. The surface was -slightly convexed, and divided into four compartments, in each of which -was painted one of the four cardinal virtues, which, although so minute as -to be scarcely perceptible to the clearest sight, by the application of a -glass appeared perfectly distinct, each figure being well proportioned, -and having its appropriate attitude. By touching a secret spring the case -opened and exposed to view a very beautifully-painted miniature of the -unfortunate Charles, with the pointed beard, mustachios, etc., as he is -usually portrayed, and, from its resemblance to the portraits generally -seen of the monarch, having every appearance of being a strong likeness. -Within the lid of this little box (for box, in fact, it was) were -enamelled, on a dark ground, a skull and cross-bones.' - -Mr. Howe, master-gunner at the castle of Carisbrooke, had a little son, -who was a great favourite of the unfortunate Charles. One day, seeing him -with a sword at his side, the King asked him what he intended doing with -it. 'To defend your Majesty from your Majesty's enemies,' was the reply, -which so pleased the King that he gave the child the signet-ring he was -wearing. It has descended to Mr. Wallace, of Southsea, a kinsman of Mr. -Cooke, of Newport, who belonged to the Howe family. - -[Illustration: Royalist memorial ring.] - -In Lockhart's 'Life of Scott' it is stated that Sir Henry Halford gave Sir -Walter Scott a lock of the hair of Charles I., when the royal martyr's -remains were discovered at Windsor, April 1813. Sir John Malcolm gave him -some Indian coins to supply virgin gold for the setting of this relic, -and, for some years, Sir Walter constantly wore this ring, which had the -word 'Remember' embossed upon it. - -[Illustration: Memorial ring of Charles I.] - -Miss Gerard is in possession of a memorial gold ring which is stated to -have been given to Bishop Juxon by Charles I., on the scaffold, since -which period it has been preserved as an heirloom in the family of the -present owner. The ring appears to resemble those of the period of Henry -VIII. It is described and engraved in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for -October 1797. The bezel is hexagonal, with death's-head in white enamel on -black ground, surrounded by the legend 'BEHOLD . THE . ENDE;' round the -edge is the motto 'RATHER . DEATH . THEN . FALS . FAITH.' At the back the -initials 'M' and 'L' tied with a mourning ribbon. - -This interesting 'memorial' was exhibited at the Loan Exhibition of -Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South Kensington Museum in 1872. - -In the Braybrooke Collection is one of the Royalist mourning-rings, of -gold, with slight hoop beautifully inlaid with black enamel, the top -surmounted by an oval box three quarters of an inch long, the sides of -which are ornamented with perpendicular ovals of black and white enamel -alternately. The inside or under part of the box is inlaid with fifteen -longer ovals in a similar manner, round a black centre, in imitation of a -sun-flower. The box contains a large and beautifully-painted portrait of -Charles I. on blue enamel ground, over a surface as large as half an -acorn. The base of this is bound by a narrow band of plain gold. Lord -Braybrooke described this ring as one of the most beautiful he had seen, -and, besides the superiority of the workmanship, the likeness is well -preserved. - -In the same collection is a Royalist gold mourning-ring with black enamel -inlaid upon the shoulders of the hoop and also upon the circular box on -the top, which contains a sort of love-knot, or possibly intended for the -royal cipher, below a cut crystal setting. - -After the execution of Dr. John Hewett, chaplain to Charles I., and the -object of Cromwell's vindictive cruelty, a mourning-ring inscribed -'Herodes necuit Johannem,' was worn by the Royalists. - -The mourning-ring for King Charles II. bore the inscription 'Chs. Rex. -Remem.--obiit--ber.: 6th Feb. 1685.' - -In the Waterton Collection at the South Kensington Museum is a memorial -gold ring, with oval bezel set with crystal, beneath which is a crown with -the initials 'C. R. K. B.' in gold, over hair (Charles II. and Catharine -of Braganza). English. Date about 1685. Diameter, nine-tenths of an inch. - -Devices illustrative of death have frequently formed the subjects of -mourning-rings. Among some antiquities found in Sussex, and exhibited at -the Society of Antiquaries in March 1866, was the fragment of a -mourning-ring set with a coffin-shaped crystal, on which was delicately -engraved a skeleton. - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a gold ring of about the end of the -sixteenth or beginning of the seventeenth century, with a hexagonal -tablet, which is inlaid with a white stone engraved with a death's-head; -round it on the gold are engraved the words 'Dye to Live.'[68] - -In the same collection is a 'memento mori' ring, of bronze, with a tablet -on the hoop, half an inch square, and edges serrated; a death's-head is -engraved upon it with the above inscription. Rings with the same device -and words are alluded to by Beaumont and Fletcher in the 'Chances:' - - I'll keep it as they keep death's-heads in rings, - To cry 'memento' to me. - -Rings engraved with skulls and skeletons were not, however, necessarily -mourning-rings, but were worn also by persons who affected gravity. Luther -wore a gold ring with a small death's-head in enamel, which is now -preserved in Dresden (see 'Remarkable Rings'). Biron, in 'Love's Labour's -Lost,' refers to 'a death's face in a ring.' - -Mr. Fairholt describes a ring on which two figures of skeletons surround -the finger and support a small sarcophagus. The ring is of gold, -enamelled, the skeletons being made still more hideous by a covering of -white enamel. The lid of the sarcophagus is also enamelled, with a Maltese -cross in red on a black ground studded with gilt hearts. This lid is made -to slide off and display a very minute skeleton lying within -(Londesborough Collection). - -In the 'Recueil des Ouvrages d'Orfévrerie,' by Gilles l'Egaré, published -in the early part of the reign of Louis XIV., is an unusually good design -for a mourning-ring with skull decorations. - -In the Londesborough Collection is a fine specimen of a mourning-ring of -the early part of the last century. - -[Illustration: Memorial and mortuary rings.] - -In digging a grave in or near Ripon some years ago a sexton discovered an -ancient signet-ring, on which was engraved a dormouse coiled up in sleep, -with an inscription around it, in black-letter characters, 'Wake me no -man.' A similar ring is said to have been turned up in a churchyard near -Scarborough. - -At a meeting of the Royal Archæological Institute in April 1875, Mr. -Fortnum, F.S.A., exhibited a mourning-ring of Queen Anne, the bezel of -which is formed as a coffin, containing a mat of the Queen's hair, over -which are the crowned initials A. R., and a death's-head and cross-bones -beneath a piece of crystal. The hoop is enamelled black, with the -inscription 'ANNA . REGINA . PIA . FELIX,' in letters of gold; inside is -engraved, 'Nat. 5 Feb. 1664. Inaug. 8 March 1702. Obt. 1 August 1714.' - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a small and delicate lady's gold -mourning-ring, in memory of Queen Mary, wife of William III. The hoop, -which is very slight, is inlaid upon the shoulders with black enamel and -surmounted by a square box for setting, ornamented with perpendicular -lines of the same down the sides. The box contains a tress of the deceased -Queen's hair, plaited, with 'M. R.' and a crown in small gold ciphers laid -over it. A crystal, cut into facets, encloses them. The under side of the -box has a death's-head and cross-bones inlaid in black enamel. - -In the same collection is a gold mourning-ring, inscribed, in letters of -gold on black enamel, 'Gulielmus III. Rex., 1702.' After the 'Rex.' is a -death's-head of gold. It is a slight gold hoop with a silver frame on the -summit, set round with six small pearls, and made to imitate a buckle with -a gold tongue across it, so that the band of it, visible below, resembles -the garter. - -In the collection of the late Lady Fellows was an ivory patch-box, with -figure-subject carved in relief, formerly belonging to the unfortunate -Queen Marie Antoinette, and containing a small gold ring, given by her to -one of her attendants. - -Pope bequeathed sums of five pounds to friends, who were to lay them out -in rings; and Gray, the poet, in his will, gives an amount of stock to -Richard Stonehewer, adding: 'And I beg his acceptance of one of my -diamond rings.' The same bequest is given to Dr. Thomas Warton of a -diamond ring and five hundred pounds. To his cousins he leaves his -watches, rings, etc. - -A touching instance of 'memorial' rings occurs in late times. The Princess -Amelia, before her death, in 1810, had the sad satisfaction of placing on -the finger of her royal father, George III., a ring made by her own -directions for the express purpose, containing a small lock of her hair -enclosed under a crystal tablet, set round with a few sparks of diamonds. -This memorial of affection, given almost on her death-bed, hastened the -attack of the mental disorder from which the King had suffered so much -about twenty years before. The circumstances attending this gift were very -affecting; she held the ring in her hand at the time of her father's -accustomed visit, and, while placing it on his finger, said, 'Take this in -remembrance of me.' - -This affecting incident was commemorated by Dr. Wolcot in some elegant -lines, very different to his usual compositions:-- - - With all the virtues blest, and every grace - To charm the world and dignify the race, - Life's taper losing fast its feeble fire, - The fair Amelia thus bespoke her sire: - 'Faint on the bed of sickness lying, - My spirit from its mansion flying. - Not long the light these languid eyes will see, - My friend, my father, and my king, - Receive the token and remember me!' - -Lord Eldon wore a mourning-ring in memory of his wife, and desired in his -will that it might be buried with him. - -A very interesting memorial ring in connection with the death of Nelson is -mentioned in a communication to 'Notes and Queries' (vol. vii. 1st -series, p. 305). Mr. Nicholls, of Pelsall, Staffordshire, writes: 'I am in -possession of a ring which in place of a stone has a metal basso-relievo -representation of Nelson (half-bust). The inscription inside the ring is -as follows: "A gift to T. Moon from G. L. Stoppleberg, 1815." The late Mr. -Thomas Moon was an eminent merchant of Leeds, and the writer has always -understood that the ring referred to, is one of three or half a dozen -which were made subsequently to Nelson's death. The metal (blackish in -appearance) forming the basso-relievo, set in them, being in reality -portions of the ball which gave the late lamented and immortal admiral his -fatal wound at Trafalgar.' - -Another memorial ring of the greatest of our naval commanders is described -in 'Notes and Queries' (4th series, vol. x. p. 292) as belonging to a lady -whose husband's father's aunt married Earl Nelson (a clergyman), and whose -husband inherited the ring. 'It is of gold; on the bezel, a broad oblong -with rounded corners, is a black enamelled field, surrounded by a white -border. In coloured enamel on the field appear two coronets, one that of a -viscount, with the velvet cap, but showing, however, only seven pearls, -the letter "N," in Old English character, appearing underneath. The second -coronet is a British ducal one, without the cap, and has under it the -letter "B" in old English. Beneath the above runs in Roman capitals the -word "Trafalgar." Round the broad hoop of the ring is incised, in Roman -capitals, "Palmam qui meruit ferat," the hero's motto, and inside the -bezel, in English cursive characters, "Lost to his country 21 Oct 1805. -Aged 47."' - -Of course, the coronets and letters 'N' and 'B' refer to the titles Nelson -and Bronté, but the heraldic insignia were evidently not executed by an -adept. The case in which this ring is lodged appears to be the original -one, and has on a printed oval label 'Sa' (the rest wanting, probably -'ms'), 'Jew' (rest, of course, 'eller'), 'Silversmith, and Cutleer, 35, -Strand.' - -On the subject of Nelson memorial rings, the Rev. Dr. Gatty, in 'Notes and -Queries' (4th series, vol. x. p. 356), says: 'I do not think these rings -can be very uncommon, and I have no doubt that Sir Thomas Hardy and other -officers serving under Lord Nelson received one. My wife, who is a -daughter of the Rev. A. J. Scott, D.D., Nelson's chaplain and foreign -secretary on the "Victory," has one in her possession, which was sent to -her father, and to whom Lord Nelson left a legacy of 200_l._ Our friend -Mrs. Mirehouse, a daughter of the late Bishop Fisher of Salisbury, has -also a similar ring. We have always thought they were given, after the old -fashion of "mourning" rings. The pattern is certainly handsome and -tasteful.' - -Mr. H. S. Williams, F.R.H.S., writing to the editor of 'Notes and Queries' -(4th series, vol. x. p. 441), remarks that rings (with the Viscount's -coronet with 'N' beneath it for the title Viscount Nelson, the ducal -coronet, that of Sicily, for the Bronté estate and dukedom) of this -description were made in 1806 by Lord Nelson's private friend Salter, -jeweller in the Strand, and by the order of Dr. William Nelson, who was -then Earl Nelson. There were fully a hundred of these rings originally -made, as every admiral and post captain, then living, who was present at -the Battle of Trafalgar had one, as well as every member of the Nelson, -Bolton, and Matcham families. - -The custom of decorating the dead with their jewellery (including rings) -has been traced in a remarkable manner to the earliest periods of the -world's history. In Genesis xli. 56, 57, we read: 'The famine was over all -the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold -unto all the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. -And _all countries_ came into Egypt for to buy corn, because that the -famine was so sore in all lands.' - -But Joseph could not empty the storehouses of Egypt to satisfy the -cravings of all lands, nor sell away the bread of Egypt at any price when -money became less precious than bread. - -Such was the state of things when an Arabian princess in Yemen wrote, or -when in her name were written, to be inscribed on her sepulchre, some -impressive lines. Ebn Hesham relates that a flood of rain had laid bare a -sepulchre in Yemen, in which lay a woman having on her neck seven collars -of pearls, and on her hands and feet bracelets and armlets, and -ankle-rings, seven on each, _and on every finger a ring in which was set a -jewel of great price_, and at her head a coffer filled with treasure, and -a tablet with an inscription thus translated by Mr. Forster:-- - - In thy name, O God, the God of Himyar, - I, Tajah, the daughter of Dzu Shefar, sent my servant to Joseph, - And he delaying to return to me, I sent my handmaid, - With a measure of silver, to bring me back a measure of flour: - And not being able to procure it, I sent her with a measure of gold: - And not being able to procure it, I commanded them to the ground: - And finding no profit in them, I am shut up here. - Whosoever may hear of it, let him commiserate me; - And should any woman adorn herself with an ornament - From my ornaments, may she die with no other than my death. - -Inexorable with the Arabian princess, severe with his own brethren, proof -against the blandishments of Potiphar's wife, yet susceptible of every -pure and generous affection, this saviour of Egypt was ever consistent -with himself.[69] - -This Biblical monument confirms in a remarkable manner the truth of the -Old Testament history. - -In opening ancient sepulchral barrows plain or jewelled rings have in many -instances been found, which, perhaps, a widowed wife or widower took from -their fingers, and flung, in the intensity of their grief, into the graves -of those they mourned. A modern instance of this is given in the 'Times' -of October 28, 1865, when, at the funeral of Lord Palmerston in -Westminster Abbey, the chief mourner, the Rev. Mr. Sullivan, as 'a -precious offering to the dead,' threw into the grave several diamond and -gold rings. Small rings are frequently met with on the breasts of mummies. -At the excavations at Veii and Præneste, by Padre Raffaele Garucchi, a -great quantity of tiny rings of yellow and blue enamel were found, of a -similar character to those mentioned. - -It was customary among the Anglo-Saxons to place rings and other ornaments -in the grave: an early Anglo-Saxon poem, recounting the adventures of the -chieftain Beowulf and his burial, states 'they put into the mound rings -and bright gems.' - -The custom of burying corpses with a ring on the finger continued for -ages, as I have remarked in several chapters of this work. Annexed is an -illustration, from the 'Archæologia' (vol. ii. p. 32, 1773), of a ring -with seventy-five table-diamonds, set in gold, found in 1748 in a grave at -Carne, seven miles west of Mullinghar, in the county of Westmeath, -Ireland. - -[Illustration: Squared-work diamond ring found in Ireland.] - -In the antiquarian researches in the Ionian Isles in 1812 ('Archæologia,' -vol. xxxiii.) some rings were discovered in tombs at Samo and Ithaca. One -of these appears to have been a silver finger-ring, or signet, bearing on -the upper part an elliptic piece of glass or crystal, in a state of -decomposition, turning on the wire that passes through it. - -The other is a gold ring of solid fabric, having for device the figure of -a female with a bare head; one arm is enveloped in the folds of her dress, -while the other hand is pouring incense on a slender altar. A zigzag -garland surrounds the verge of the field. The locality would suggest that -it may represent Penelope sacrificing to some tutelar deity, and invoking -it to conduct Ulysses home in safety--a conceit which might hold good, -even were the work decided to be Roman. - -There are some remarkably fine specimens of rings in the Royal Danish -Museum, which have been discovered in Scandinavian graves, and some of -which are represented in the chapter on 'Rings from the Earliest Period' -(p. 68). - -On the opening of some barrows on the wolds of Yorkshire in 1815, 1816, -and 1817, among other disinterments was the skeleton of a female, and some -of her ornaments; amongst others, a ring of red amber, in exterior -diameter 1-5/8 in., in interior diameter half an inch. Also a small ring -scarcely one inch in diameter, and a ring of very nearly standard gold, -weighing 3 dwts. 21 grs. In front this ring is clasped in a kind of rose, -or quatrefoil, and it is an ornament by no means of despicable -workmanship. The era of this interment is supposed to be prior to a -general extension of Christianity in Britain. - -Stukeley (Abury, p. 45) records the finding of a flat gold ring in a -barrow at Yatesbury. Douglas, in his discoveries of a later date ('Nenia -Brit.' p. 117), says 'rings to the finger seldom occur of any ponderous -metal, like the Roman ones of gold, silver, and bronze.' - -In the museum at Mayence (the Roman Maguntiacum, or Mogontiacum), so -exceedingly rich in antiquarian remains, there are some fine specimens of -finger-rings found in Franconian graves. The following illustration -represents a gold ring, set with a coin, which is probably the copy of a -Roman one:-- - -[Illustration: Mortuary ring at Mayence.] - -In the second cut the inscription of the reverse, excepting a few letters, -is erased in the process of fastening the ring to it, by the melting of -the metal. - -[Illustration: Mortuary ring at Mayence.] - -A metal ring with inscription translated 'In Dei nomine, Amen.' - -A gold finger-ring with a figure in the centre of the shield; the -ornaments of dragons on the outer panels are inlaid with dark blue -enamel:-- - -[Illustration: Mortuary ring at Mayence.] - -In ancient times rings were burnt with the corpse. When Cynthia's shade -appears to Propertius, he remarks: 'Et solitam digito adederat ignis;' 'a -fact (remarks the Rev. C. W. King) which fully accounts for the number of -fine intagli partly or wholly calcined which every collector meets with -not unfrequently, and often with the greatest regret at the destruction of -some matchless specimen of the skill of the engraver.' - -At the burial of Cæsar we are told that, among the tokens of grief -exhibited by the Romans, the matrons burned on his funeral pyre their -personal ornaments, the robes and even the rings of their sons. - -'The Greeks and Romans,' observes Mr. Fairholt, 'literally revelled in -rings of all styles and sizes. Nothing can be more beautiful in design and -exquisite in finish than Greek jewellery; and the custom of decorating -their dead with the most valued of these ornaments has furnished modern -museums with an abundance of fine specimens.' - -The two rings next represented are copied from originals found in the more -modern Etruscan sepulchres, and are probably contemporary with the -earliest days of the Roman Empire. - -In one of these rings the hoop is not perfected, each extremity ending in -a broad, leaf-shaped ornament, most delicately banded with threads of -beaded and twisted wire, acting as a brace upon the finger. - -[Illustration: Gold rings from Etruscan sepulchres.] - -Lord Braybrooke purchased in 1849 a Roman gold finger-ring, set with an -intaglio in ribbon onyx, which was found in a Roman stone coffin at York: -subject, a Fortuna Redux. In the same collection is a very curious and -massive gold mourning-ring formed of two knotted withes twisted together; -the knots are hollowed to receive enamel. The inscription inside the hoop -is, in old English characters: 'When ye loke on thys, thyncke on hym who -gave ye thys.' This ring was found in the Thames at Westminster. - -[Illustration: Ring found at Amiens.] - -In the Londesborough Collection is the representation of a ring found upon -the hand of a lady's skeleton, who was buried with her child in a -sarcophagus discovered in 1846 in a field near Amiens, called 'Le Camp de -César;' on two of her fingers were rings, one of which was set with ten -round pearls, the other, represented in the collection mentioned, is of -gold, in which is set a red cornelian, engraved with a rude representation -of Jupiter riding on the goat Amalthea. The child also wore a ring, with -an engraved stone. The whole of the decorations for the person found in -this tomb proclaim themselves late Roman work, probably of the time of -Diocletian. - -It is customary in Russia on the death of a sovereign to distribute -mourning-rings to those connected with the imperial court. A writer in -'Notes and Queries' (4th series, vol. iii. p. 322) remarks: 'When I was at -St. Petersburg, I saw one of the rings given on the death of the late -Emperor Nicholas. They were in the form of a serpent, enamelled black. -Attached to the head and within the body of the ring was a narrow band of -metal inscribed with the name of Nicholas, and the date of his death. This -band was held within by a spring, in the same way as a spring -measuring-tape. The serpent's head was mounted with two diamonds for eyes. -The ring I saw was presented to the gentleman in whose possession it then -was by reason of his official appointment of dentist to the imperial -family.' - -In early times it was usual to bury sovereigns with their rings. During -some repairs at Winchester Cathedral in 1768 a monument was discovered -containing the body of King Canute. On his forefinger was a ring -containing a very fine stone. - -In the 'Archæologia' (vol. xlii. part ii. p. 309) is an account, by the -Rev. J. G. Joyce, B.A., F.S.A., of the opening and removal of a tomb in -Winchester Cathedral in 1868, reported to be that of King William Rufus. -Gale, in his 'History of Winchester,' states that the tomb was broken open -during the civil wars, and amongst other articles found was a large gold -ring. The body of Rufus, however, had been removed out of the tomb in -which it had originally lain (whether this or another) many years before -the civil wars broke out. Stow gives this testimony, and an inscription -upon a mortuary chest into which the bones of Rufus were translated -(1525), and which inscription was repeated a second time (1661). There is -reason for doubting whether this ring really belonged to King Rufus, and -that the tomb supposed to be that of the King is that of an ecclesiastical -dignitary. The Rev. J. G. Joyce adds: 'I have not dwelt upon the ring, -because, while Milner, after Gale, alleges such a ring to have been taken -out of the tomb by the rebels, it is open to uncertainty whether this be -actually the one, and if so it was assuredly in company with the chalice -(found with the ring), and so makes against Rufus, and in favour of a more -saintly occupant.' - -The ring known as that found in this tomb is not of gold, but of bronze -gilt. It is apparently intended for the thumb, very coarsely executed, and -has a plain square imitation jewel, which is a very poor copy of a -sapphire. A representation of this and another ring from tombs in -Winchester Cathedral are here given, from Woodward and Wilks' 'History of -Hampshire' (London, 1858-69). - -[Illustration: Ring found in the tomb of William Rufus, Winchester -Cathedral.] - -[Illustration: Ring discovered at Winchester Cathedral.] - -According to Matthew Paris, Henry II. was arrayed after death in his royal -vestments, having a golden crown on his head and a great ring on the -finger. The will of Richard II. directs that he should be buried with a -ring, _according to royal custom_. The same monarch, as Grafton states, -caused the dead body of Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland, to be arrayed in -princely garments, garnished with a chain of gold, and rich rings put on -his fingers, with his face uncovered. - -As an instance of royal interments with a ring at a late period, I may -mention that of William Frederic, Duke of Gloucester, who married his -cousin the Princess Mary, daughter of George III. He was buried in his -uniform, and wore on his finger a ring which had been an early love-gift -to him from the Princess whom he married. - -[Illustration: Ring of Childeric.] - -In 1562 the Calvinists rifled the tomb of Queen Matilda, consort of -William the Conqueror, in the church of the Holy Trinity at Caen. One of -the party observed a gold ring with a sapphire on one of the Queen's -fingers, and, taking it off, presented it to the Abbess of Montmorenci. - -The same custom of monarchs being buried with their rings prevailed in -France during the early and middle ages. The gold ring of Childeric I., -formerly in the Bibliothèque Nationale at Paris, was found in the King's -tomb at Tournay. It bore the inscription 'Childirici regis.'[70] - -'The ring was not set with a gem, but had an oval bezel in the gold, -engraved with his bust in front face, holding a spear as in the type of -the contemporary Byzantine aurei. He wore the long hair of the Merovingian -line. Traces remained of the legend 'Childirici Regis.' The intaglio was -very neatly cut, infinitely superior to the execution of the Merovingian -coin-dies, and, in fact, so much in the style of Leo's aurei, that it -might reasonably be supposed a present sent, with other offerings, from -Constantinople' (the Rev. C. W. King, 'Handbook of Engraved Gems'). The -engraving is taken from J. J. Chiflet's 'Anastasis.' - -In 1793, at the exhumation of the bodies buried at the Abbey of St. Denis, -rings were found in several of the royal tombs. That of Jeanne de Bourbon, -consort of Charles V., was of gold, with the remains of bracelets and -chains. The ring of Philippe le Bel was also of gold; that of Jeanne de -Bourgoyne, first wife of Philippe de Valois, was of silver, as also the -ring of Charles le Bel. - -To the ancient custom of interring prelates with their rings I have -alluded in the chapter on 'Rings in Connection with Ecclesiastical -Usages.' - -In 1780 the tomb of the great German Emperor Frederic, who died in 1250, -was opened, and the body discovered arrayed in embroidered robes, booted, -spurred, and crowned. A costly emerald ring was on one of the fingers, -and the ball and sceptre in the hands. - -Some interesting 'memorial' rings were shown at the Loan Exhibition of -Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South Kensington Museum in 1872, the -principal of which I have already mentioned. One of gold, oval bezel, set -round with amethysts, had, beneath glass, a representation of a fallen -tree, and a funeral urn with initials; the motto, 'Fallen to rise;' date, -1779; the property of Mr. G. F. Duncombe. Dr. Ashford exhibited a memorial -gold ring, hasp enamelled on the outside in black, with figure of a -skeleton and funereal emblems. Date, 1715. Five rings belonging to Mrs. M. -E. Vere Booth Powell; one of gold, oval bezel set round with rubies, in -the centre an urn jewelled with diamonds beneath a weeping willow; dated -at back 1779. A ring with a long, pointed, oval bezel, with miniature of a -female figure seated beside an inscribed pedestal, on which is an urn; -date, 1788. Another of a similar form, with miniature of an old man -holding a skull, seated near a Gothic building; inscribed, 'Omnia -vanitas;' 1782. A duplicate of this ring, undated. A ring with long -eight-sided bezel, gold, with dark-blue translucent enamel; in the centre -an urn set with diamonds; dated 1790. A gold ring, bezel set with portrait -of Charles I.; the property of the Rev. W. B. Hawkins. A massive gold -ring, enamelled and set with sapphire, engraved inside, 'Napoleon -Buonaparte à Joachim Murat,' 1809; exhibited by Mr. George Bonnor. A gold -ring, richly chased and enamelled in black, the bezel square, with rounded -top, which opens, showing within a representation of a corpse; Italian, -sixteenth century; the property of Dr. Ashford. A gold ring, in the centre -of which is a death's-head in enamel, with the legend 'Memento mori' in -enamelled black letters; sixteenth century. Also, a gold ring with bezel -hollow; has had upon it a death's-head in enamel, inscribed 'Remember -Death;' round the edge of the bezel is 'Yeman + + joyce;' early sixteenth -century. A gold ring, hexagonal bezel with motto 'Death * sy * myn * -eritag +'; sixteenth century. The last three rings were exhibited by R. H. -Soden Smith, Esq., F.S.A. Memorial ring with portrait of Augustus III., -son of Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Saxony; early eighteenth -century. Another with enamelled skull, set with diamonds, probably German -of the seventeenth century; also, one of the same date, enamelled, with -skull and female face. The property of C. Drury Fortnum, Esq., F.S.A. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -POSY, INSCRIPTION, AND MOTTO RINGS. - - -Within the hoop of the betrothal ring it was customary from the middle of -the sixteenth to the close of the eighteenth century to inscribe a motto -or 'posy' (poesie), consisting chiefly of a very simple sentiment. - -[Illustration: Motto and device rings.] - -Shakspeare, in the 'Merchant of Venice' (act v. scene 1), makes Gratiano, -when asked by Portia the reason of his quarrel with Nerissa, answer: - - About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring, - That she did give me, whose posy was - For all the world like cutler's poetry - Upon a knife, _Love me and leave me not_. - -Hamlet (act iii. scene 2) says-- - - Is this a prologue, or the posy of a ring? - -In 'As You Like It' (act iii. scene 2) Jaques remarks: 'You are full of -pretty answers; have you not been acquainted with goldsmiths' wives, and -conned them out of rings?' - -In Ben Jonson's comedy, 'The Magnetic Lady,' the parson, compelled to form -a hasty wedding, asks: - - Have you a wedding ring? - -To which he receives an answer-- - - Ay, and a posie: - _Annulus hic nobis, quod sic uterque, dabit_. - -He exclaims: - - --------Good! - _This ring will give you what you both desire_; - I'll make the whole house chant it, and the parish. - -The following illustration represents a posy-ring of the simplest form, -such as would be in use in the early part of the seventeenth century. - -[Illustration: Posy-ring.] - -Herrick, in his 'Hesperides,' says: - - What posies for our wedding-rings, - What gloves we'll give and ribbonings! - -And in his 'Church Miserie': - - Indeed, at first, man was a treasure; - A box of jewels, shop of rarities, - A ring whose posie was 'my pleasure.' - -And in the same work, 'The Posie:' - - Lesse than the least - Of all Thy mercies is my posie still: - This on my ring, - This, by my picture, in my book I write. - -Some of these posies and inscriptions are very appropriate and tender; -others are quaint and whimsical. Not the least curious among the latter is -that, well known, of Dr. John Thomas, Bishop of Lincoln, in 1753, who had -been married three times. On his fourth espousals he had the following -motto inscribed on his wedding-ring: - - If I survive - I'll make thee five. - -Burke, in his 'Anecdotes of the Aristocracy,' states that Lady Cathcart, -on marrying her fourth husband, Hugh Macguire, had inscribed on her -wedding-ring: - - If I survive - I will have five. - -In far better taste than these was the motto on the ring presented by -Bishop Cokes to his wife on the day of their marriage. It bore the -representations of a hand, a heart, a mitre, and a death's-head, with the -words: - - These three I give to thee, - Till the fourth set me free. - -'On the wedding-ring that Dr. George Bull, Bishop of St. David's (1703), -gave to his wife, was the inscription: "Bene parêre, parare det mihi -Deus"--a prayer she might be a prolific mother, an obedient wife, and a -good housekeeper. The prayer was heard; she had five sons and six -daughters, lived in wedlock happily fifty years, and was esteemed a model -housekeeper' (Singer). - -Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, died 1439, had three daughters, who -all married noblemen. Margaret's husband was John Talbot, Earl of -Shrewsbury, and the motto of her wedding ring was, 'Till deithe depart.' -Alianour married Edmund, Duke of Somerset, and her motto was, 'Never -newe.' Elizabeth married Lord Latimer, and hers was, 'Til my live's end.' - -The custom of having posies on rings is thus alluded to in the 'Art of -English Poesie,' published in 1589: 'There be also another like epigrams -that were sent usually for New Year's gifts, or to be printed or put upon -banketting dishes of sugar-plate or of March paines, etc.; they were -called Nenia or Apophoreta, and never contained above one verse, or two at -the most, but the shorter the better. We call them poesies, and do paint -them now-a-dayes upon the back sides of our fruit-trenchers of wood, or -_use them as devises in ringes_ and armes.' - -Henry VIII. gave Anne of Cleves a ring with the posy 'God send me well to -kepe'--a most unpropitious alliance, for the King expressed his dislike to -her soon after the marriage. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries -posies were generally placed outside the ring. - -In 1624 a collection of posies was printed, with the title, 'Love's -Garland, or Posies for Rings, Handkerchiefs, and Gloves, and such pretty -Tokens as Lovers send their Loves.' - -At a meeting of the Archæological Institute, in March 1863, some curious -posy rings were exhibited by the Rev. James Beck; one, of particular -interest, dating from the early part of the fifteenth century, had been -dug up at Godstow Priory, Oxfordshire. It is a broad massive hoop of gold, -of small diameter, suited for a lady's finger. The decoration on the hoop -consists of three lozenge-shaped panels, in which are represented the -Trinity, the Blessed Virgin with the infant Saviour, and a Saint, nimbed, -clad in a monastic habit, with the cowl falling upon the shoulders. The -intervening spaces are chased with foliage and flowers of the -forget-me-not; the whole surface was enriched with enamel, of which no -remains are now visible. Within the hoop is delicately engraved in small -black-letter character: - - Most in mynd and yn myn herrt - Lothest from you ferto deparrt. - -Also a plain gold hoop of the sixteenth century, found in 1862 at -Glastonbury Abbey, within which is engraved 'Devx. corps. vng. cver,' with -the initials 'C. M.' united by a true-love knot. Several plain gold rings -of the seventeenth century were also shown, inscribed with the following -posies, in each case within the hoop:-- - - I haue obtain'd whom God ordain'd. - God unite our hearts aright. - Knitt in one by Christ alone, - Wee joyne our loue in god aboue. - Joyn'd in one by god a lone, - God above send peace and love. - -At the Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South -Kensington Museum in 1872, J. W. Singer, Esq.,[71] contributed a -collection of posy rings, the mottos, for the most part, inscribed within -the hoop. - - Gold, English of the fifteenth century, inscribed in Gothic letters - 'Gevoudroy.' - - Another of the same date, gold; on the outside are engraved four - Maltese crosses; within, three Gothic letters, apparently E. - - Gold, English, early sixteenth century, inscribed in large semi-Gothic - characters, [Maltese cross]I x x AM x x YOURS x x K : S. - - Gold, chased, has been enamelled [Maltese cross]ESPOIR. EN. DIEU. - (English, late sixteenth century.) - - Gold, massive, 'MY HART AND I UNTILL I DY.' (English, late sixteenth - century.) - - Gold, massive, 'I LOVE AND LIKE MY CHOYSE.' (English, early - seventeenth century.) - - Silver gilt: within, 'I CHUSE NOT TO CHANGE.' (English, seventeenth - century.) - - Gold, chased, traces of enamel, [Maltese cross]Let. Reson. Rule. - (English, seventeenth century.) - - Gold, chased, 'Let reason rule affection.' (English, seventeenth - century.) - - Gold, chased, traces of black enamel, 'A token of good-will.' - (English, seventeenth century.) - - Brass, 'Live in Loue.' (English, seventeenth century.) - -Rings with double-line posies: - - Gold, 'In God aboue and Christ his Sonne, We too are joyned both in - one.' (English, seventeenth century.) - - Gold, 'Who feares the Lord are blest, wee see; Such thou and I God - grant may bee.' (English, seventeenth century.) - - Gold, 'As I in thee have made my choyce, So in the Lord let vs - rejoice.' 1637, W. D. A. (English, seventeenth century.) - - Gold, 'As I expect so let me find, A faithfull [Heart] and constant - mind.' (English, seventeenth century.) - - Gold, 'I like my choyce, so will. . . .' the remainder obliterated. - (English, seventeenth century.) - - Gold, chasing worn away, 'Tho' little, accept it,' letters black - enamelled. (English, early eighteenth century.) - - Gold, chased with representation of skeleton, cross-bones, and - hour-glass encircling the hoop; has been enamelled black, 'You and I - will lovers dye.' (English, about 1720.) - - Gold, 'Fear the Lord and rest content, So shall we live and not - repent. B. W. 1730.' (English, eighteenth century.) - - Gold, chased, inscribed within 'T. Rowe, C. obt. 13 May, 1715, æt. - 28.' Worn by Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe, the poetess. - - Gold, overlaid with open-work pattern of flowers in coloured enamel, - 'Rite to requite.' (English, eighteenth century.) - - Silver, two hands holding a heart, 'Love and feare God.' (English, - eighteenth century.) - - Gold, massive, 'Virtus est pretiosa gemma. Auribus frequentius quam - linguâ utere.' Outside, in Gothic letters, 'Voluptate capiuntur - homines non minus quam hamo pisces.' (Modern English.) - -A double-line gold wedding-ring in the collection of Mr. J. W. Singer -bears the words: - - Them which God copleth - Let no man put them asonder. - -This ring is a very early sixteenth-century one, and shows that -wedding-rings were not, formerly, the plain ones of the present day, but -were ornamented with fine work. Mr. Singer has several rings of this -description, ornamented in the same way. - - Je sui ici en liu dami (Je suis ici en lieu d'ami). - - No treasure like a treu friend. (Eighteenth century.) - - Not to but on, till life be gon. - - Correct our ways; Love all our dayes. - - Hearts united live contented. - - No cut to unkindness. - - Conceave consent, confirme content. - - No recompenc but remembrance. - - Vertue only bringeth felicitie. - -[The above nine rings from the Braybrooke Collection.] - - -From the Waterton Collection in the South Kensington Museum: - - [Symbol]Amour[Symbol]Merci. (French, fourteenth century.) - - Pensez deli Parkisvici (pensez de lui par que je suis ici). (English, - early fifteenth century.) - - Je. le. de. sir. (English, late fifteenth century.) - - Por tous jours. (English, fifteenth century.) - - Nul sans peyn; _inside_, Sans mal desyr. (English, early sixteenth - century.) - - + My worldely joye alle my trust + hert, thought, lyfe, and lust. - (English, early sixteenth century.) - - A plain gold hoop ring, inscribed within with a heart pierced with an - arrow, and the word 'Eygen,' a star, and the word 'Uwer.' (Dutch or - German, sixteenth century.) - - Devx. corps, vng. ever. (English, sixteenth century.) - - C'est mon plaisir. (English, sixteenth century.) - - + Quant. dieu. plera. melior. sera. (English, sixteenth century.) - - Pour bien. (English, sixteenth century.) - - My wille were. (English, sixteenth century.) - - Time. deum. me. ama. qd RIE. (English, sixteenth century.) - - + Observe Wedloke; _inside_, Memento mori. (English, sixteenth - century.) - - Loyalte na peur. (French, seventeenth century.) - - Let liking last. (English, seventeenth century.) - - This sparke will grow (set with a diamond). (English, seventeenth - century.) - - Accept this gift of honest love, which never could nor can remove. 1. - Hath tide. 2. Mee sure. 3. Whilst life. 4. Doth last. (English, - seventeenth century.) - - + MB. Remember + the (a heart) + that + is + in + payne. (English, - seventeenth century.) - - Time lesseneth not my love. (English, seventeenth century.) - - In constancie I live and dye. (English, seventeenth century.) - - Love the truth. (English, seventeenth century.) - - My promise past shall always last. (English, eighteenth century.) - - You have me hart. (Lady's betrothal ring. English, eighteenth - century.) - - Love ever. (English, seventeenth century.) - - Love true, 'tis joy. (English, early seventeenth century.) - - Love me. (English, eighteenth century.) - - Keepe. fayth. till. deth. - - I fancy noe butt thee alone. - - + Not this but mee; - * yf. this. then me. - - Wheare grace is found - Love doth abound. - - My soul will keep thine company to heaven. - -Mr. Singer informs me that his early pre-Reformation wedding-rings have -the motto prefaced with a cross, and, as this died out, the remains of a -cross, in a kind of rude _star_, sometimes carried on between each word. - -Mr. Singer has one bronze wedding-ring with a motto, found in Wiltshire, -but numerous silver ones. - - Ma vie et mon amour - Finiront en un jour. - - Dieu nous unisse - Pour son service. - - Seconde moi pour te rendre heureuse. - - Nos deux coeurs sont unis. - - En ma fidélité je finirai ma vie. - - Domine dirige nos. - - Let us agree. - - Continue constant. - - My love is true - To none but you. - - The gift is small, - But love is all. - - In God and thee - My joy shall be. - - Let not absence banish love. - - Love in thee is my desire. - - Whear this i giue - I wish to liue. - - Let vs loue - Like turtle doue. - - God saw thee - Most fit for me - -(on the wedding-ring of the wife of John Dunton, the bookseller). - - God did decree this unitie. - - Where hearts agree, there God will be. - - I have obtained whom God ordained. - - Virtue passeth riches. - - No force can move affixed Love. - - Vnited hartes Death only partes. - - Liue, loue, and be happie. - - The love is true that I O U. - - My love is fixt, I will not range. - I like my choice too well to change. - - This is the thing I wish to win. - - Well projected if accepted. - - God thought fitt this knott to knitt. - - A loving wife prolongeth life. - - Let virtue be a guide to thee. - - Thy Desart hath won my hearte. - - Death only partes two loving heartes. - - * B * TRVE * IN * HARTE *. - - True loue is lye to man and wye. - (True love is life to man and wife.) - - Lett Death leade loue to rest. - - To Bodys on harte. - - Good will is aboue Gould. - - True love is the bond of peace. - - A virtuous wife preserveth life. - - Let our contest bee who loves best. - - No chance prevents the Lord's intents. - - I joy in thee, joy thou in me. - - And this also will pass away. - - Fear God, honour the Prince, - Lye still Joan, and don't wince. - - If thee dosn't work, thee shasn't eat. - (From Monmouthshire.) - -From the 'Card of Courtship; or, The Language of Love, fitted to the -Humours of all Degrees, Sexes, and Conditions,' 1653: - - Thou art my star, be not irregular. - - Without thy love I backward move. - - Thine eyes so bright are my chief delight. - - This intimates the lover's states. - - My life is done when thou art gone. - - This hath no end, my sweetest friend. - - Our loves be so, no ending know. - - Love and joye can never cloye. - - The pledge I prove of mutuall love. - - I love the rod and thee and God. 1646. - - All I refuse, but thee I chuse. - - Gift and giver, your servants ever. - - Non moechaberis. - - Tuut mon coer. - - Mulier viro subjecta esto. - - Sans departir à nul autre. - - Tout mon cuer avez. - - Lel ami avet. - - Par ce present ami aumer rent. - (By this gift to love me given.) - - Let Reason rule. - - J'aime mon choix. - - À vous à jamais. - - Je suis content. - - L'amour nous unit. - - Je suis content, j'ai mon désir. - - Je vous aime d'un amour extrême. - - Ce que Dieu conjoint, l'homme ne le sépare point. - - Desire hath no rest. - - This and my heart. - - Acceptance is my comfort. - - God us ayde - -(on a curious old ring, chased with the Nortons' motto), - - =i h c= Naserus rex Judiorum me serere +. - - My giving this begins thy bliss. - - Remember Him who died for thee, - And after that remember me. - - Let me wish thee full happy be. - - Tibi soli - -(on Beau Fielding's ring; _temp._ Queen Anne). - -From a Commonplace Book of the seventeenth century in Sion College -Library: - - There is no other, and I am he, - That loves no other, and thou art she. - - Eye doth find, heart doth choose, - Faith doth bind, death doth lose. - - Let us be one { To live in love - Till we are none { I love to live. - - Love well, and { Virtus non vultus - Live well. { Patior ut potiar. - Sequor ut consequar. - - I seek to be - Not thine, but thee. - - Nowe ys thus - -(inscription upon a gold ring found about 1786 on the site of the battle -of Towton, Yorkshire. The weight was more than an ounce; it had no stone, -but a lion passant was cut upon the gold. The inscription was in old black -characters. The crest is that of the Percy family, and it is supposed the -ring was worn by the Earl of Northumberland on the day of the battle -(March 29, 1461). The motto seems to allude to the times: 'The age is -fierce as a lion'). - - Je change qu'en mourant. Unalterable to my Perdita through life - -(inscribed on a ring presented to Mrs. Robinson, by the Prince Regent, -afterwards George IV.). - - If love I finde, I will bee kinde. - - In thee my choyse how I reioyce. - - In thee my choice I do rejoice - -(this posy is on a massive gold ring, which is thus described by a writer -in 'Notes and Queries':--In the centre of the ornamentation outside is a -shield, with three lions passant on it. On the right of the shield H, and -on the left of it I, each letter having an old-fashioned crown over it. At -the extreme ends of the ornamentation, outside the letters H and I are -three fleurs-de-lys). - - Take _hand_ and _heart_, ile nere depart. - - Live and dye in constancy. - - A vertuous wife y{t} serveth life. - - As long as life your loving wife. - - I will be yours while breath indures. - - Love is sure where faith is pure. - - A vertuous wife doth banish strife. - - As God hath made my choyse in thee, - So move thy _heart_ to comfort mee. - - God y{t} hath kept thy _heart_ for mee, - Grant that our love may faithfull bee. - - God our love continue ever, - That we in heaven may live together. - - The _eye_ did find, y{e} _heart_ did chuse, - The _hand_ doth bind, till death doth loose. - - First feare y{e} Lord, then rest content, - So shall we live and not repent. - - Breake not thy vow to please the eye, - But keepe thy love, so live and dye. - - I am sent to salute you from a faithfull friend. - - This and my heart. - - Acceptance is my comfort. - - Too light to requite. - - Patience is a noble virtue. - - Lost all content, if not consent. - - A friend to one as like to none. - - Your sight, my delight. - - Virtue meeting, happy greeting. - - As trust, bee just. - - For a kiss, take this. - - No better smart shall change my heart. - - Hurt not y{r} _heart_ whose joy thou art - - My heart and I until I dye. - - Sweetheart I pray doe not say nay. - - My heart you have and yours I crave. - - As you now find so judge me kind. - - Let this present my good intent (1758). - - One word for all, I love and shall. - - My constant love shall never move. - - Like and take, mislike forsake. - - The want of thee is griefe to mee. - - Be true to me y{t} gives it thee. - - Privata di te moriro. - Deprived of thee I die. - - Till y{t} I have better - I remayne your detter. - - Mon esprit est partout. - Mon coeur est avec vous. - - Lite to requite. - - Faithfull ever, deceitefull never. - - I present, you absent. - - Despise not mee, y{t} ioyes in thee. - - I live, I love, and live contented, - And make my choice not to be repented. - - Desire hath set my heart on fire. - - I hope to see you yielde to mee. - - Both, or neither, chuse you whether. - - _Heart_, this, and mee, if you agree. - - This accepted, my wish obtained. - - This accepted, my wish affected. - - Thy friend am I, and so will dye. - - O y{t} I might have my delight. - - Parting is payne when love doth remayne. - - My corne is growne, love reape thy owne. - - This thy desert shall crown my heart. - - I fancy none but thee alone. - - God sent her me my wife to be. - - God's appointment is my contentment. - - This is your will to save or kill. - - If you but consent, you shall not repent. - - If you deny, then sure I dye. - - W{th} teares I mourne, as one forlorne. - - A friend to one, as like to none. - - Your sight, my delight. - - Grieve not his heart whose joy thou art. - - First love Christ that died for thee. - Next to Hym love none but me. - - Joye day and night bee our delight. - - Divinely knitt by Grace are wee, - Late two, now one; the pledge here see. - B. & A. (1657). - - Loue and liue happy (1689). - - Avoid all strife 'twixt man and wife. - - Joyfull loue this ring do proue. - - In thee, deare wife, I finde new life. - - Of rapturous joye I am the toye. - - In thee I prove the joy of love. - - In loving wife spend all thy life (1697). - - True love will ne'er remove. - - In unitie let's live and dy. - - Happy in thee hath God made me. - - I loue myself in louing thee. - - Silence ends strife with man and wife. - - More weare--more were (1652). - - I kiss the rod from thee and God. - - This ring doth binde body and minde. - - Endless as this shall be our bliss - (Thos. Bliss, 1719). - - Death neuer parts such loving hearts. - - Loue and respect I doe expect. - - No gift can show the love I ow. - - Loue thy chast wife beyond thy life (1681). - - Loue and pray night and daye. - - Great joye in thee continually. - - My fond delight by day and night. - - Pray to love, love to pray (1647). - - Honour et Foye - -(inscription on a gold ring belonging to Earl Fitzwilliam): - -[Illustration: Motto ring.] - - Body and minde in thee I finde. - - Deare wife, thy rod doth leade to God. - - God alone made us two one. - - Eternally my loue shal be. - - Worship is due to God and you. - - God aboue continew our loue. - - I wish to thee all joie may bee. - - With my body I worship thee. - - Beyond this life, loue me, deare wife. - - Rien ne m'est plus, - Plus ne me rien (fifteenth century). - - Une seule me suffit. - Elle m'a bien conduite. - - De cuer entier. - - In adversis etiam fida. - Even in adversity faithful. - -Device--a mouse gnawing away the net in which a lion is caught. - - Non immemor beneficii. - Mindful of kindness. - - All that I desire of the Lord is to fear God and love me. - - En bon foy. - - I cannot show the love I O. - - I love and like my choice. - - Ryches be unstable - And beuty wyll dekay, - But faithful love will ever last - Till death dryve it away. - -On a mediæval armillary ring, consisting of eight rings, one within the -other, each having a portion of the motto: - - W. [HEART] A. [HAND POINTING TO RIGHT] D. G. CS, - T. L. A. L. A. R. CT. - - (Where heart and hand do give consent, - There live and love and rest content.) - -Device--a golden apple. - - Vous le meritez. - You deserve it. - - I change only in Death. - - Love I like thee; sweets requite mee. - - Faithfull ever, deceitful never. - - I like, I love, as turtle dove. - - As gold is pure, so love is shure. - -From 'The Mysteries of Love and Eloquence; or, the Arts of Wooing and -Complementing, as they are manag'd in the Spring Garden, Hide Park, the -New Exchange, and other eminent places' (London, 1658, pp. 154, 157): - - Thou wert not handsom, wise, but rich; - 'Twas that which did my eyes bewitch. - - Divinely knit by God are we, - Late one, now two, the pledge you see. - - We strangely met, and so do many, - But now as true as ever any. - - As we begun so let's continue. - - My beloved is mine and I am hers. - - True blue will never stain. - - Against thou goest I will provide another. - - Let him never take a wife - That will not love her as his life. - - I do not repent that I gave my consent. - - What the eye saw the heart hath chosen. - - More faithful than fortunate. - - Love me little but love me long. - - Love him who gave thee this ring of gold, - 'Tis he must kiss thee when thou 'rt old. - - This circle, though but small about, - The devil, jealousy, shall keep out. - - If I think my wife is fair - What need other people care. - - This ring is a token I give to thee - That thou no tokens do change for me. - - My dearest Betty is good and pretty. - - I did then commit no folly - When I married my sweet Molly. - - 'Tis fit men should not be alone, - Which made Tom to marry Jone. - - Su is bonny, blythe, and brown; - This ring hath made her now my own. - - Like Philis there is none; - She truely loves her Choridon. - - Nosce teipsum. - - Think on mee. - - Desire and deserve. - - Keepe faith till death. - - As God hath appointed - Soe I am contented. - -(These are given from wills of the seventeenth century in the glossary -appended to 'Fabric Rolls of York Minster,' published by the Surtees -Society.) - - Ever last - -(on the rings given at the funeral of John Smith, Alderman of London, who -'made a great game by musk catts which he kept'). - - Redime tempus - -(on the rings given at the funeral of Samuel Crumbleholme, Master of St. -Paul's). - - This and the giver - Are thine for ever. - - My Joyh consisteth in Hope. - - Quies servis nulla. - - I desire to disarne (disarm). - - I will you trewllie serve. - - Success to the British flag. - - Valued - may greater B. - Love - - (Love undervalued may greater be.) - - Great Dundee for God and me - -(engraved on the inside of a ring with a skull, Viscount Dundee. This -relic of the famous Claverhouse, given to him by King James, was in the -possession of Miss Graham of Dundrune. It is stated to have been missing -since 1828). - - Christ and thee my comfort be - -('Gentleman's Magazine,' vol. ii. p. 629). - - OV EST NVL SI LOIAVLS - QVI SE POET GARDER DES MAVXDISANS - -(on a gold ring found on Flodden Field, in the possession of George Allen, -Esq., of Darlington, 1785). - - [Maltese cross] I love you my sweet dear heart - [Maltese cross] Go [Maltese cross] I pray you pleas my love - -(on a silver ring found at Somerton Castle, Lincoln, in 1805). - - CANDU PLERA MELEOR CERA - -(inscribed on a brass thumb-ring formerly in the possession of the Marquis -of Donegal, 1813). - - [Maltese cross] IN GOD IS ALL - -(on a silver ring found among the ruins of the Priory of St. Radigund, -near Dover, in 1831). - - Tout pour bein feyre - -(inscribed on a ring found at St. Andrew's Chapel, near Ipswich). - - Mon cur avez - Honour et joye - -(on a gold ring found near St. Anne's Well, Nottingham). - - [Maltese cross] Amor. vincit. om. - -(on a silver ring found near Old Sarum). - -[Illustration: Inscription ring.] - -An enamelled ring is mentioned in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' (vol. -lxxix.) as having been found in 1808 in the ruins of an old manor-house, -occupied in the sixteenth century by a family of distinction, which then -becoming extinct, the manor-house fell to decay. - -[Illustration: French Inscription ring.] - -(Inscription ring of gold, found in Sarthe, France, bearing the names -'Dromachius' and 'Betta,' supposed to be a marriage ring, of, probably, -the fifth century.) - - Joye sans cesse. B. L. - - Loue alway, by night and day. - - Filz ou fille (Anthony Bacon, 1596). - - To enjoy is to obey. - - Loue for loue. - - Post spinas palma. - - All for all. - - Mutual forbearance (1742). - - In loues delight spend day and night. - - Love's sweetest proofe. - - En bon foye. - - Truth trieth troth. - - Beare and forbeare. - - Lett nuptiall joye our time employe. - - Not this bvt me. - - None can prevent the Lord's intent. - - Christ for me hath chosen thee. - - By God alone we two are one. - - God's blessing be on thee and me. - - Love me and be happy. - - The love is true I owe you. - - God did foresee we should agree. - - In God and thee my joy shall be. - - Absence tries love. - - Virtue surpasseth riches. - - Let virtue rest within thy breast. - - I lyke my choyce. - - As circles five by art compact shews but one ring in sight, - So trust uniteth faithful mindes with knott of secret might; - Whose force to breake no right but greedie death possesseth power, - As time and sequels well shall prove. My ringe can say no more. - -(The Earl of Hertford's wedding-ring consisted of five links, the four -inner ones containing the above posies of the Earl's making. See page 318, -'Betrothal and Wedding Rings.') - - Joye sans fyn. (Fourteenth century.) - -In 'Manningham's Diary,' 1602-1603 (Camden Society), we have the following -'Posies for a jet ring lined with sylver': - -'"One two," so written as you may begin with either word. "This one ring -is two," or both sylver and jet make but one ring; the body and soule one -man; twoe friends one mynde. "Candida mens est," the sylver resembling the -soule, being the inner part. "Bell' ame bell' amy," a fayre soule is a -fayre frend, etc. "Yet faire within." "The firmer the better," the sylver -the stronger and the better. "Mille modis læti miseros mors una fatigat."' - - Live as I or else I dye. - - Within thy brest my harte doth rest. - -(On two gold posy-rings found in Sussex, 1866.) - -In 1780 the sexton of Southwell, in digging a grave, found a gold ring -weighing nine dwts. six grs. On the inside is the following inscription, -in characters very distinct, deep, and not inelegantly cut: - - + MIEV + MOVRI + QUE + CHANGE + MA FOY +. - -The cross at the beginning is of the same size as the letters, that -between the words very small. - - You dear! - -(The meaning is thus conjectured of, possibly, a rebus, or canting device, -on a silver signet-ring, found in the bed of the river Nene, at Wisbeach -St. Peter's; the letter U and a deer trippant implying, perhaps, the -writer's tender regard towards his correspondent. Date about the time of -Henry V. or Henry VI.) - -[Illustration: Inscription ring.] - -The annexed engraving (from the 'Archæological Journal,' March, 1848) -represents a curious ring, the property of Mr. Fitch, and belonging to his -interesting cabinet of Norfolk antiquities. It is a plain hoop of silver, -of the size here seen, and bears the inscription 'ETHRALDRIC ON LYND.' Its -date has been assigned to as early a period as Saxon times, but we are -inclined to attribute it to a subsequent age, the twelfth, or, perhaps, so -late a date even as the thirteenth century. It may deserve notice that the -mintage of London, of coins of Canute, Harold, Edward the Confessor, the -Conqueror, and subsequent kings, is designated by the legend 'ON LYNDE.' -This ring was found during the construction of the railway at -Attleborough, in Norfolk. - -True-love knots were common formerly. In the inventory of the effects of -Henry Howard, K.G., Earl of Northampton, 1614, is mentioned 'a golde ringe -sett with fifteene diamondes in a true lover's knotte, with the wordes -_nec astu, nec ense_.' - -In the Waterton Collection in the South Kensington Museum are some -interesting specimens of this peculiar kind of ring of English and Italian -workmanship. - -At the commencement of the present century 'Harlequin' rings were -fashionable in England. They were so called because they were set round -with variously-coloured stones, in some way resembling the motley costume -of the hero of pantomime. - -'Regard rings,' of French origin, were common even to a late period, and -were thus named from the initials with which they were set forming the -acrostic of these words:[72] - - R uby - E merald - G arnet - A methyst - R uby - D iamond - - L apis lazuli - O pal - V erd antique - E merald. - -The French have precious stones for all the alphabet, excepting f, k, q, -y, and z, and they obtain the words _souvenir_ and _amitié_ thus: - - S aphir or sardoine - O nyx or opale - U raine - V ermeille - E meraude - N atralithe - I ris - R ubis, or rose diamant. - - A méthiste, or aigue-marine - M alachite - I ris - T urquoise or topaze - I ris - E meraude. - -Thus lapis lazuli, opal, verd antique, emerald represented _love_, and for -_me_ malachite and emerald. - -Names are represented on rings by the same means. The Prince of Wales, on -his marriage to the Princess Alexandra, gave her as a keeper one with the -stones set with his familiar name, Bertie--beryl, emerald, ruby, -turquoise, jacinth, emerald. - -These name-rings are common in France; thus, _Adèle_ is spelt with an -amethyst, a diamond, an emerald, a lapis lazuli, and another emerald. - -Among the motto or 'reason' rings, as they were termed, is an example, -described in the 'Archæologia' (vol. xxxi), a weighty ring of fine gold, -found in 1823 at Thetford, in Suffolk. The device which appears upon this -ring is an eagle displayed; on the inner side is engraved a bird, with the -wings closed, apparently a falcon, with a crown upon its head. - -The following posy or motto, commencing on the outer side, is continued on -the interior of the ring: 'Deus me ouroye de vous seuir a gree--com moun -couer desire' (God work for me to make suit acceptably to you, as my heart -desires). The devices appear to be heraldic, and the motto that of a -lover, or a suitor to one in power. The eagle is the bearing of several -ancient Suffolk families; it was also a badge of the House of Lancaster, -and Thetford was one portion of the Duchy of Lancaster. - -These mottos were occasionally engraved in relief. In the Londesborough -Collection is one of gold, found in the Thames. The inscription upon it is -'Sans vilinie' (without baseness). - -'A very early ring,' remarks Mr. Fairholt, 'with an unusually pretty posy, -is in the collection of J. Evans, Esq., F.S.A. It is gold, set with a -small sapphire, and is inscribed "IE, SVI, ICI, EN LI'V D'AMI" (I am here -in place of a friend). It was probably made at the beginning of the -fourteenth century. Beside it is placed two other specimens of inscribed -rings. The first is chased with the Nortons' motto, 'God us ayde;' the -second is inscribed withinside with the sentence, 'Mulier, viro subjecta -esto.' Both are works of the fifteenth century. - -[Illustration: Posy ring.] - -[Illustration: Inscription rings.] - -Mr. Fairholt describes two gold wedding-rings of the sixteenth century, -which were then generally inscribed with a posy of one or two lines of -rhyme. One is formed like a badge of the Order of the Garter, with the -buckle in front and the motto of the Order outside the hoop; withinside -are the words, 'I'll win and wear you.' The other is the ordinary form of -wedding-ring, inscribed, 'Let likinge laste.' They were generally -inscribed _withinside_ the hoop. Thus Lyly, in his 'Euphues' (1597), -addressing the ladies, hopes they will favour his work--'writing their -judgments as you do the posies in your rings, which are always next to the -finger, not to be seen of him that holdeth you by the hand, and yet known -by you that wear them on your hands.' - -[Illustration: Posy rings.] - -The Rev. C. W. King remarks that 'antique intagli set in mediæval seals -have, in general, a Latin motto added around the setting. For this the -Lombard letter is almost invariably employed, seldom the black letter, -whence it may be inferred, which, indeed, was likely on other grounds, -that such seals, for the most part, came from Italy, where the Lombard -alphabet was the sole one in use until superseded by the revived Roman -capitals about the year 1450. Of such mottos a few examples will serve to -give an idea, premising that the stock was not very extensive, judging -from the frequent repetitions of the same legends, on seals of widely -different devices. Thus a very spirited intaglio of a lion passant, found -in Kent, proclaims--"SUM LEO QUOVIS EO NON NISI VERA VEHO;" another gives -the admonition to secresy--"TECTA LEGE, LECTA TEGE;" a third in the same -strain--"CLAUSA SECRETA TEGO;" another lion warns us with "IRA REGIA," the -wrath of a king is as the roaring of a lion--an apt device for a courtier. -Less frequently seen are legends in old French, and these are more quaint -in their style; for instance, around a female bust--"PRIVÉ SUY E PEU -CONNU:" whilst a gryllus of a head, covered with a fantastic helmet made -up of masks, gives the advice, in allusion to the enigmatical type--"CREEZ -CE KE VUUS LIRREZ," for "Croyez ce que vous lirez."' - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -CUSTOMS AND INCIDENTS IN CONNECTION WITH RINGS. - - -One of the most singular usages in former times in which a ring was -employed was the annual celebration at Venice of the wedding of the Doge -with the Adriatic. This custom is said to date from the era of Pope -Alexander III., and the Doge of Venice, Zidni, in the twelfth century. -This prince having on behalf of the pontiff attacked the hostile fleet of -Frederic Barbarossa, and obtained a complete victory, with the capture of -the emperor's son, Otho, the Pope in grateful acknowledgment gave him a -ring, ordaining that henceforth and for ever, annually, the governing Doge -should, with a ring, espouse the sea. The pontiff promised that the bride -should be obedient and subject to his sway, for ever, as a wife is -subjected to her husband. - -It is recorded that in this year (1177) this pompous ceremony was -performed for the first time. The Doge died in the following year. On -Ascension Day the Venetians, headed by their Doge, celebrated the -triumphant event. Galleys, sailing-vessels, and gondolas accompanied the -chief of the State, who occupied a prominent position on the 'Bucentoro,' -which held, as its name implies, two hundred persons. This vessel was -decorated with columns, statues, etc., and the top was covered with -crimson velvet. There were twenty-one oars on each side. Musical -performers attended in another barge. The vessel left the Piazza of St. -Mark under a salute of guns, and proceeded slowly to the Isle of Lido. -Here the Doge, taking the ring from his finger, gave it to his betrothed -wife, the Adriatic, by dropping it into her bosom, repeating these words: -'We espouse thee, oh sea! in token of our just and perpetual -dominion.'[73] - -The reader will remember the well-known lines of Byron, written at Venice: - - The spouseless Adriatic mourns her lord; - And, annual marriage now no more renew'd, - The Bucentaur lies rotting, unrestored, - Neglected garment of her widowhood. - -It is probable that Shakspeare alluded to this custom when he says in -'Othello:'-- - - I would not my unhoused free condition - Put into circumscription, and confine - For the sea's worth. - -Byron, in the 'Two Foscari,' again alludes to the 'marriage' ring of the -Doge. When the Council of Ten demanded of the Doge Foscari-- - - The resignation of the ducal ring, - Which he had worn so long and venerably, - -he laid aside the ducal bonnet and robes, surrendered his ring of office, -and exclaimed: - - There's the ducal ring, - And there's the ducal diadem. And so - The Adriatic's free to wed another. - -So, Rogers: - - He was deposed, - He who had reigned so long and gloriously; - His ducal bonnet taken from his brow, - His robes stript off, his seal and signet-ring - Broken before him. - -Rings, in common with jewels of various descriptions, were given by our -monarchs on state occasions, and as New Year's gifts, as marks of special -favour. In Rymer's 'Foedera' there is a curious inventory of rings and -ouches, with other jewels, which King Henry VI. bestowed in 1445, as New -Year's gifts, on his uncle and nobles. In the inventories of Queen -Elizabeth's jewels there are numerous instances of such gifts. - -[Illustration: New Year's gift ring.] - -At the marriage of Henry VI. with Margaret of Anjou, Cardinal Beaufort -presented a gold ring to the bride, given to him by Henry V., and which -the latter wore when crowned at Paris. - -The crest of the Cromwells is a demi-lion rampant arg., in his dexter gamb -a gem-ring or. The origin of this is stated thus:--At a tournament held by -Henry VIII., in 1540, the King was particularly delighted with the -gallantry of Sir Richard Cromwell (whom he had knighted on the second day -of the tournament), and exclaiming 'Formerly thou wast my _Dick_, but -hereafter thou shalt be my _Diamond_,' presented him with a diamond ring, -bidding him for the future wear such a one in the fore-gamb of the -demi-lion in the crest, instead of a javelin as heretofore. The arms of -Sir Richard with this alteration were ever afterwards borne by the elder -branch of the family, and by Oliver Cromwell himself, on his assuming the -Protectorate, though previously he had borne the javelin. - -A gold ring found St. Mary's Field, near Leicester, in 1796, had been a -New Year's gift, and is inscribed 'en bon an.' - -[Illustration: New Year's gift ring.] - -In former times when St. Valentine's Day was kept as a joyous festival, -the drawing of a kind of lottery took place, followed by ceremonies not -much unlike what is now generally called the game of 'forfeits.' Married -and single persons were alike liable to be chosen as a valentine, and a -present was invariably given to the choosing party. Rings were frequently -bestowed. Pepys, in 1668, notes: 'This evening my wife did with great -pleasure show me her stock of jewels, increased by the ring she hath -lately made as my valentine's gift this year, a turkey (turquoise) stone -set with diamonds.' Noticing also the jewels of the celebrated Miss -Stuart, he says: 'The Duke of York, being once her valentine, did give her -a jewel of about eight hundred pounds, and my Lord Mandeville, her -valentine this year, a ring of about three hundred pounds.' - - * * * * * - -Rings have been employed frequently in facilitating diplomatic missions, -and in negotiations of a very delicate and critical nature. Plutarch -relates an anecdote of Luculus to prove his disinterestedness. Being sent -on an embassy to King Ptolemy Physcon, he not merely refused all the -splendid presents offered to him, amounting in value to eighty talents -(15,444_l._), but even received of his table allowance no more than was -absolutely necessary for his maintenance, and when the King attended him -down to his ship, as he was about to return to Rome, and pressed upon his -acceptance an emerald 'of the precious kind,' set in gold (for a ring), -he declined this also, until Ptolemy made him observe it was engraved with -his own portrait, whereupon, fearing his refusal should be considered a -mark of personal ill-will, he at last accepted the ring as a keepsake. At -a dark epoch in the fortunes of the unhappy Mary, Queen of Scots, when, in -1567, scarcely a shadow of regal power was left to her, an attempt was -made to induce her to resign the crown. Sir Robert Melville was employed -on this mission, giving her, as an authority for his errand, a turquoise -ring confided to him for that purpose by the confederate lords. - -A ring in the possession of Miss H. P. Lonsdale is stated to have been -given by Queen Anne, from her finger, to a Mr. Nugent for some diplomatic -services. It is of gold, set with a heart-shaped ruby crowned with three -small diamonds. At the back is a royal crown, and the letters 'A. R.' - -Clement VII., to propitiate King Henry VIII., sent him a consecrated rose; -while, to gain the good services of Cardinal Wolsey, the Pope drew from -his finger a ring of value, which he entrusted to the care of Secretary -Pace at Rome, expressing regret that he could not himself present it in -person. - -When the Duchess of Savoy was held a prisoner by Charles the Bold, Duke of -Burgundy, she found means to send her secretary to solicit the aid of -Louis XI. As she was prevented from writing, the only credentials she -could give her emissary was the ring the King had given her on the -occasion of her marriage. This passport would have sufficed, but that, -unfortunately, the bearer, when he presented himself to the King, wore the -cross of St. André. Louis ordered the man to be arrested, suspecting him -to be a spy of the Duke of Burgundy, and that he had stolen his sister's -ring. The messenger would have been hung, but for the timely arrival of -the Lord of Rivarola, who was sent by the Duchess, urging the King to -assist her. - -Plutarch mentions that Clearchus, Cyrus the Younger's general, in return -for favours received from Ctesias, the physician of Tisaphernes, presented -him with his ring as an introduction to his family in Sparta. - -At the declaration of peace between England and Spain in 1604 King James -gave the Spanish Ambassador, the Duke de Frias, Constable of Castile, who -negotiated the treaty, a large diamond ring, in commemoration of the -_marriage_, as he called the peace. - -Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, had a large diamond cut by Berghem -into a triangle, which he had set in a ring representing two clasped -hands, the symbol of good faith, and sent to Louis XI., 'an allusion' -(remarks the Rev. C. W. King), 'though in an acceptable form, to his -deficiency in that virtue.' - -An anecdote connected with the celebrated 'Pitt' diamond is related by Mr. -Eastwick, and shows how important results may sometimes be secured, when -reason and logic may not prevail. This jewel passed through some curious -adventures, and, after having ornamented the sword of Napoleon at -Waterloo, was sent as a present in a ring by George IV. to the Sovereign -of Persia, Fath-Ali-Shah. The bearer of this costly ring, Sir Harford -Jones, was stopped in his journey by a messenger from the court, and -desired not to enter the capital, where French interests were then -paramount. After Sir Harford had exhausted every argument to show that he -ought to be received, without making any impression on the Persian Khan, -he said, 'Well, if it must be so, I shall return, but this must go with -me,' and he took from his pocket the beautiful diamond ring which had been -sent for the Shah. The sparkle of the gem produced a magical effect; the -Khan no sooner beheld it than he lost his balance, and fell back from his -seat quite out of breath; then, recovering himself, he shouted, 'Stop, -stop, Elchi! May your condescending kindness go on increasing! This alters -the matter. I will send an express to the heavenly-resembling threshold of -the asylum of the world! I swear by your head that you will be received -with all honour. Mashallah! it is not everyone that has diamonds like the -Inglis.' He was as good as his word; the express courier was despatched, -and Sir Harford Jones entered the city of Teheran by one gate, while -General Gardanne, the French envoy, was packed off by the other. - -[This stone must have been a fraction or portion of the cutting of this -famous diamond, as the 'Regent' is still in the French _Garde-meuble_, or -national treasury.] - -In 1514 Venice deputed two ambassadors to France and England; amongst -other _bribes_, two rings were ordered to be given privily to the French -Secretary, Robertet, 'as a mark of love in the Signory's name.' One had a -ruby and a diamond. - -A correspondent of 'Notes and Queries' (3rd series, vol. i. p. 486) gives -an interesting extract from an old newspaper (the 'Mercurius Publicus,' -for November 29, 1660), in which allusion is made to the King's Gift -Rings. On the disbanding of Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper's regiment at -Salisbury, 'the men joyfully welcomed His Majestie's Commissioners by -shouts and acclamations, and understanding of His Majestie's goodness in -bestowing freely a full week's pay, over and above their just arrears, -they broke out into another great shout, and then unanimously resolved -with that week's pay to buy, each man, a ring, whose posie should be "The -King's gift," as an earnest and memorandum, to be ready on all occasions -when His Majesty's service (and none but his), should call them.' - -I may mention the gift of rings to the native chiefs of India by the -Prince of Wales, during his recent progress in that country. At Aden the -Prince expressed his acknowledgments, on behalf of the Queen, for the -services rendered by the Sultan of Lahej to the garrison of Aden, and put -a massive gold ring with the initials 'A. E.' on the Sultan's finger with -his own hand. - -The Maharajah of Benares was presented with a ring having an oval -miniature portrait of the Prince, in enamel, set in brilliants. - - * * * * * - -Identification by means of a ring is alluded to in the Greek romance, by -Heliodorus, of 'Theagines and Chariclea.' The latter, through a ring and -fillet which had been attached to her at her birth, is, after many -adventures, discovered to be the daughter of Hydaspes, and becomes heiress -of the Ethiopian sovereignty. The modern Italian poets have availed -themselves of this incident. - -Roger of Wendover relates how Richard Coeur de Lion, when returning from -the Crusades, secretly, and in disguise, through Germany to his own -country, was identified in a town of Slavonia, called Gazara, by means of -a ring. The King had sent a messenger to the nearest castle to ask for -peace and safe-conduct from the lord of that province. He had on his -return purchased of a Pisan merchant for nine hundred bezants, three -jewels called carbuncles, or more commonly 'rubies.' One of these he had, -whilst on board ship, enclosed in a gold ring, and this he sent by the -said messenger to the governor of the castle. When the messenger was asked -by the governor who they were that requested safe conduct, he answered -that they were pilgrims returning from Jerusalem. The governor then asked -what their names were, to which the messenger replied, 'one of them is -called Baldwin de Bethune, the other Hugh, a merchant who has also sent -you a ring.' The lord of the castle, looking more attentively at the ring, -said, 'He is not called Hugh, but King Richard,' and then added, 'although -I have sworn to seize all pilgrims coming from those parts, and not to -accept of any gift from them, nevertheless, for the worthiness of the -gift, and also of the sender, to him who has so honoured me, a stranger to -him, I both return his present and grant him free permission to depart.' - - * * * * * - -A ring, in all probability, saved the Emperor Charles V. from the most -critical position in which he had ever been placed. Having requested -permission of Francis I. to pass through France, in order to reach sooner -his Flemish dominions, where his presence was urgently required, the -rival, so lately his prisoner, not only granted the request, but gave him -a most brilliant reception. Some of the French King's counsellors thought -this generous conduct to a crafty foe was quixotic in the extreme, and -that Charles should be detained until he had cancelled some of the hard -conditions, to which he had compelled Francis to subscribe to purchase his -release. Among those who strongly advocated the policy of detaining the -imperial guest was the King's fair friend, the Duchesse d'Estampes. -Charles, who was informed of the dangerous weight thrown in the scale -against him, resolved to win over the influential counsellor. One day, as -he was washing his hands before dinner, he dropped a diamond ring of great -value, which the Duchess picked up and presented to him. 'Nay, madam,' -said the Emperor gallantly to her, 'it is in too fair a hand for me to -take back.' The gift had its full value, and Charles pursued his way -without molestation. - - * * * * * - -Instances are recorded in which the wearing of a ring has been the means -of saving life. Such happened to the Count de St. Pol at the battle of -Pavia. He had fallen covered with wounds; avarice recalled him to life. A -soldier, seeking for pillage, arrived at the place where the unfortunate -Count lay extended, senseless, among the dead. He perceived a very -beautiful diamond glitter on the finger of the apparently lifeless man. -Not being successful in drawing the ring off, he began to cut the finger. -The pain extorted a piercing cry from the Count, who had only swooned. He -mentioned his name, and had the presence of mind to recommend silence to -the soldier, telling him that if he boasted of having in his power a -prince of the house of France, the Emperor's generals would take him into -their own hands in order to get his ransom; and he promised to make the -soldier's fortune if he would take care of his wounds, and follow him to -France. This reasoning had its effect; the soldier secretly conveyed the -Prince to Pavia, had his wounds dressed, and was nobly rewarded for it. - -Taylor, in his 'Danger of Premature Interments' (1816) relates the -following incident. The heroine of this event was named Retchmuth Adolet. -She was the wife of a merchant at Cologne, and is said to have died of the -plague, which destroyed a great part of the inhabitants of that city in -1571. She was speedily interred, and a ring of great value was suffered to -remain on her finger, which tempted the cupidity of the grave-digger. The -night was the time he had planned for obtaining possession of it. On going -to the grave, opening it, and attempting to take the ring from off the -finger of the lady, she came to herself, and so terrified the sacrilegious -thief, that he ran away and left his lantern behind him. The lady took -advantage of his fright, and with the assistance of his lantern, found her -way home, and lived to be the mother of three children. After her real -decease, she was buried near the door of the same church, and a tomb was -erected over her grave, upon which the incident related was engraved. - -Mrs. Bray, in a notice of 'Cotele,' and 'the Edgcumbes of the Olden Time' -('Gentleman's Magazine,' November 1853), relates a singular circumstance -of this character, which 'is so well authenticated, that not even a doubt -rests upon its truth.' It refers to the mother of that Sir Richard -Edgcumbe, Knight, who, in 1748, was created Baron of Mount Edgcumbe. - -'The family were residing at Cotele (I do not know the date of the year), -when Lady Edgcumbe became much indisposed, and to all appearance died. How -long after is not stated, but her body was deposited in the family vault -of the parish church. The interment had not long taken place, before the -sexton (who must have heard from the nurse or servants that she was buried -with something of value upon her) went down into the vault at midnight, -and contrived to force open the coffin. A gold ring was on her ladyship's -finger, which in a hurried way he attempted to draw off, but, not readily -succeeding, he pressed with great violence the finger. Upon this the body -moved in the coffin, and such was the terror of the man, that he ran away -as fast as he could, leaving his lantern behind him. Lady Edgcumbe arose, -astonished at finding herself dressed in grave-clothes, and numbered with -the tenants of the vault. She took up the lantern, and proceeded at once -to the mansion of Cotele. The terror, followed by the rejoicing of her -family and household, which such a resurrection from the tomb occasioned, -may well be conceived. Exactly five years after this circumstance, she -became the mother of that Sir Richard Edgcumbe, who was created Baron. -Polwhele, in his "History of Cornwall," says: "Of the authenticity of this -event there can be no reasonable doubt. A few years ago a gentleman of my -acquaintance heard all the particulars of the transaction from the late -Lord Graves, of Thancks, which is in the neighbourhood of Cotele. But I -need not appeal to Lord Graves's authority, as I recollect the narrative -as coming from the lips of my grandmother Polwhele, who used to render the -story extremely interesting from a variety of minute circumstances, and -who, from her connexion and intimacy of her own with the Edgcumbe family, -was unquestionably well-informed on the subject." - -'It may seem strange that when Lady Edgcumbe was thus committed to the -grave she was not buried in lead; but at the period of her supposed death -it was very unusual to bury persons, even of high rank and station, in a -leaden coffin, if they died and were buried in the country. The nearest -town to Cotele of any note was Plymouth, a seaport to which there was then -no regular road from the far-distant old mansion, and I question if at -that period Plymouth could have furnished such an unusual thing as a lead -coffin. Lady Edgcumbe was probably buried in oak secured by nails or -screws, which without much difficulty could be forced open by the sexton -in his meditated robbery of the body.' - -While rings have favoured the living, they have also been the means of -recognising the dead. An instance of this is related in the history of the -great Duke of Burgundy, renowned for the splendour of his court and his -love of jewels. He died in the battle of Nanci, and his body was not found -until three days afterwards, when it was recognised by one of the Duke's -household by a ring and other precious jewels upon it; otherwise the -corpse was so disfigured that it could not have been identified. - -The body of the great naval commander Sir Cloudesley Shovel, who was -shipwrecked on the rocks of Scilly in 1707, was washed on shore, when some -fishermen, it is said, having stolen a valuable emerald ring, buried the -corpse. The ring, being shown about, made a great noise over the island, -and was the cause of the discovery and ultimate removal of the body to -Westminster Abbey. - -Another account is that which was published under the authority of the -Earl of Romney, grandson of Sir Cloudesley Shovel. Some years after the -fatal shipwreck, an aged woman confessed to the parish minister of St. -Mary's on her deathbed that, exhausted with fatigue, one man who had -survived the disaster reached her hut, and that she had murdered him to -secure the valuable property on his person. This worst of wreckers then -produced a ring taken from the finger of her victim, and it was afterwards -identified as one presented to Sir Cloudesley Shovel by Lord Berkeley. - -William Trotter, of an ancient family on the Scottish border, is recorded -to have fallen at the battle of Flodden; and, in corroboration of the -fact, a gold ring was found about the middle of the last century, upon -the site of the field of battle, bearing an inscription in Norman-French, -having between each word a boar's head, the armorial bearings of the -Trotters. - -Martius, in 'Titus Andronicus,' when he falls into a dark pit, discovers -the body of Bassianus, by the light of the jewel on the dead man's hand:-- - - Upon his bloody finger he doth wear - A precious ring, that lightens all the hole, - Which, like a taper in some monument, - Doth shine upon the dead man's earthy cheeks, - And shows the rugged entrails of this pit: - So pale did shine the moon on Pyramus, - When he by night lay bath'd in human blood. - -I may mention the employment of rings for criminal purposes, such as their -use for concealing poison, of which we have instances in past ages, and in -late times. Hannibal, we are told, from a fear of being delivered up to -the Romans by Prusius, King of Bithynia, swallowed poison, which, to be -prepared for the worst, he carried with him in the hollow of a ring. To -this Juvenal alludes in his Tenth Satire:-- - - Nor swords, nor spears, nor stones from engines hurl'd, - Shall quell the man whose frown alarm'd the world; - The vengeance due to Cannæ's fatal field, - And floods of human gore--a ring shall yield. - -Demosthenes is also said to have died in a similar manner. The keeper of -the Roman treasures, after the robbery by Crassus of the gold deposited -there by Camillus, broke the stone of his ring in his mouth, in which -poison was concealed, and immediately expired. - -'The ancients,' remarks the Rev. C. W. King ('Antique Gems'), 'were -acquainted with vegetable poisons, as speedy in their effects as the -modern strychnine, as appears in the death of Britannicus from a potion -prepared by Locusta, and in innumerable other instances. These hollow -rings were put together with a degree of skill far beyond that of our -modern jewellers; for the soldering of the numerous joinings of the gold -plates of which they are formed is absolutely imperceptible even when -breathed upon--a test under which the best modern solder always assumes a -lighter tint.' - -Motley, in his 'Rise of the Dutch Republic,' relates that in the -conspiracies against the life of the Prince of Orange (about 1582), under -the influence of the court of Spain, the young Lamoral Egmont, in return -for the kindness shown to him by the Prince, attempted to destroy him at -his own table by means of poison which he kept concealed in a ring. Sainte -Philip de Marnix, Lord of Aldegonde, was to have been taken off in the -same way; and a hollow ring filled with poison was said to have been found -in Egmont's lodgings. The young noble was imprisoned, and his guilt was -undoubted, but he owed his escape from death to the Prince of Orange. - -[Illustration: Poison ring.] - -A poison ring of curious construction is described by Mr. Fairholt as -richly engraved, and set with two rubies and a pyramidal diamond; the -collet securing the latter stone opens with a spring, and exhibits a -somewhat large receptacle for such virulent poisons as were concocted by -Italian chemists in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. - -[Illustration: Venetian poison ring.] - -The other ring has a representation of St. Mark seated holding his gospel, -and giving a benediction. The spaces between this figure and the oval -border are perforated, so that the interior of the box is visible, and the -relic enshrined might be seen. - -It is recorded of the infamous Pope Alexander VI. (Borgia) that he caused -a key, similar to the key-ring, to be used in opening a cabinet, but the -Pope's key was poisoned in the handle, and provided with a small sharp -pin, which gave a slight puncture, sufficient to allow the poison to pass -below the skin. When he wished to rid himself of an objectionable friend -he would request him to unlock the cabinet; as the lock turned rather -stiffly, a little pressure was necessary on the key handle, sufficient to -produce the effect desired. - -The signet-ring of Cæsar Borgia was exhibited a few years ago at a meeting -of the British Archæological Association by the Rev. C. H. Hartshorne. It -is of gold, slightly enamelled, with the date 1503, and round the inside -is the motto, 'Fays ceque doys avien que pourra.' A box dropped into the -front, having on it 'Borgia,' in letters reversed, round which are the -words 'Cor unum una via.' At the back is a slide, within which, it is -related, he carried the poison he was in the habit of dropping into the -wine of his unsuspecting guests. - -Another ring-device of Cæsar Borgia was: 'Aut Cæsar aut nihil.' The -following distich was made upon him:-- - - Borgia Cæsar erat factis et nomine Cæsar; - 'Aut nihil aut Cæsar' dixit, utrumque fuit. - -In late times the death of Condorcet was occasioned by a subtle poison, -made by Cabanis, and enclosed in a ring. The particulars of this tragedy -are related by Arago. Proscribed by the Revolution of 1792, Condorcet, -formerly secretary to the Academy of Sciences, took refuge in the house of -a Madame Vernet, at Paris, a lady who generously risked her own life in -endeavouring to save that of the eminent philosopher. Fearing to -compromise his protectress by a longer stay, Condorcet left Paris with the -intention of taking refuge in the country house of an old friend, who was, -however, absent, and he wandered about, taking shelter at night in some -stone-quarries, but was at length arrested, and conducted to -Bourg-la-Reine, where he was placed in a damp cell. The next morning -(March 28, 1794) he was found dead in his prison, having taken poison, -which he carried about with him in a ring. - -A singular story of a poisoned ring appeared in the French newspapers a -few years ago, to the effect that a gentleman who had purchased some -objects of art at a shop in the Rue St. Honoré, was examining an ancient -ring, when he gave himself a slight scratch in the hand with a sharp part -of it. He continued talking to the dealer a short time, when he suddenly -felt an indescribable sensation over his whole body, which appeared to -paralyse his faculties, and he became so seriously ill that it was found -necessary to send for a medical man. The doctor immediately discovered -every symptom of poisoning by some mineral substance. He applied strong -antidotes, and in a short time the gentleman was in a measure recovered. -The ring in question having been examined by the medical man, who had long -resided in Venice, was found to be what was formerly called a 'death' -ring, in use by Italians when acts of poisoning were frequent about the -middle of the seventeenth century. Attached to it inside were two claws -of a lion made of the sharpest steel, and having clefts in them filled -with a violent poison. In a crowded assembly, or in a ball, the wearer of -this fatal ring, wishing to exercise revenge on any person, would take -their hand, and when pressing in the sharp claw, would be sure to inflict -a slight scratch on the skin. This was enough, for on the following -morning the victim would be sure to be found dead. Notwithstanding the -many years since which the poison in this ring had been placed there, it -retained its strength sufficiently to cause great inconvenience to the -gentleman as stated. - - * * * * * - -A singular interest is attached to the recovery of lost rings, of which -there are many instances. One is recorded in connection with the -wonder-working hand of St. Stephen of Hungary, which is now in the castle -of Buda. In 1621, Pope Gregory canonised this monarch, after a lapse of -two hundred years that his remains had been lying in the cathedral of -Stuhlweissenberg, and on their removal it was discovered that the skeleton -had no right hand. This created much stir, as it was known that a very -valuable ring had been on one of the fingers, but no tidings of the -missing member were heard until some years after, when a certain abbot -Mercurius, who had formerly been treasurer to the cathedral, had an -interview with the reigning monarch Ladislaus. The story he told was a -rich one, the hand with the ring on it had been committed to his safe -keeping by a beautiful youth, 'dressed all in white.' The historian -Feesler, himself an ecclesiastic, says that 'Ladislaus saw through -Mercurius, but left God to deal with him.' In the chapter on 'Ring -Superstitions' I have mentioned the discovery of Lady Dundee's ring, and -the omen attached to it. - -The late Professor De Morgan, in 'Notes and Queries' (December 21, 1861), -related an instance of a recovered ring, which (although not vouching for -its truth) he states as having been commented upon nearly fifty years ago -in the country town close to which the scene is placed, with all degrees -of belief and unbelief. A servant-boy was sent into the town with a -valuable ring. He took it out of the box to admire it, and in passing over -a plank bridge he let it fall on a muddy bank. Not being able to find it -he ran away, took to the sea, and finally settled in a colony, made a -large fortune, came back after many years, and bought the estate on which -he had been a servant. One day, while walking over his land with a friend, -he came to the plank bridge, and there told his friend the story. 'I could -swear,' he said, pushing his stick into the mud, 'to the very spot where -the ring was dropped:' when the stick came back the ring was on the end of -it. - -A large silver signet-ring was lost by a Mr. Murray, in Caithness, as he -was walking one day on a shingly beach bounding his estate. Fully a -century afterwards it was found in the shingle in fair condition, and -restored to Mr. Murray's remote heir, Sir Peter Murray Thrieplund, of -Fingask. - -The truth of a similarly recovered ring I am able to attest from my -acquaintance with the late Mrs. Drake, of Pilton, near Barnstaple, to -whose family the incident refers. The husband of this lady, while with her -in a boat off Ilfracombe about fifteen years ago, lost a valuable ring. Of -course no hopes were ever entertained of its recovery. In 1869, however, -the ring was picked up on the beach at Lee, near Ilfracombe, by a little -child who was living in the valley. The ring was readily identified, as it -bore the inscription: 'John, Lord Rollo, born Oct. 16, 1751, died April -3, 1842.' - -In the bed of the river in the parish of Fornham St. Martin, in Suffolk, -was found, some years since, a gold ring with a ruby, late in the -possession of Charles Blomfield, Esq., which is conjectured by some to be -the ring that the Countess of Leicester is related (by Matthew Paris) to -have thrown away in her flight after the battle of Fornham St. Genevieve, -October 16, 1173. The Earl and Countess of Leicester were taken prisoners -at this battle. - -A matron of East Lulworth lost her ring one day: two years afterwards she -was peeling some potatoes brought from a field half-a-mile distant from -the cottage, and upon dividing one discovered her ring inside. - -A Mrs. Mountjoy, of Brechin, when feeding a calf, let it suck her fingers, -and on withdrawing her hand found that her ring had disappeared. Believing -the calf was the innocent thief, she refused to part with it, and after -keeping the animal for three years, had it slaughtered, and the ring was -found in the intestines. - -A wealthy German farmer, living near Nordanhamn, was making flour-balls in -1871 for his cattle. At the end of his work he missed his ring, bearing -his wife's name. Soon afterwards the farmer sold seven bullocks, which the -purchaser shipped to England, on board the 'Adler' cattle-steamer on -October 26. Two days afterwards an English smack, the 'Mary Ann' of -Colchester, picked up at sea the still warm carcass of a bullock, which -was opened by the crew to obtain some fat for greasing the rigging. Inside -the animal they found a gold ring inscribed with the woman's name and the -date 1860. Captain Tye reported the circumstance as soon as he arrived in -port, and handed the ring over to an official, who sent it up to London. -The authorities set to work to trace its ownership, and found that the -only ship reporting the loss of a beast that could have passed the 'Mary -Ann' was the steamer 'Adler,' from which a bullock supposed to be dead, -had been thrown overboard on October 28. Meanwhile, the 'Shipping Gazette' -recording the finding of the ring had reached Nordanhamn, and one of its -readers there had recognised the name inscribed upon it; communications -were opened with the farmer, and in due time he repossessed his ring. - -In the chapter on 'Ring Superstitions' allusion is made to the marvellous -stories of rings found in the bodies of fishes. An instance, however, of -this character was mentioned in the newspapers lately, as having occurred -at St. John's, Newfoundland. It is said that a signet-ring bearing the -monogram 'P.B.' was discovered by a fisherman in the entrails of a -cod-fish caught in Trinity Bay. The fisherman, John Potter, kept the prize -in his possession for some time, but, the incident getting known, he was -requested by the colonial secretary to send or bring the ring to St. -John's, as he had received letters from a family named Burnam, of Poole, -England, stating that they had reason to feel certain that the ring once -belonged to Pauline Burnam, who was one of the several hundred passengers -of the Allan steamship 'Anglo-Saxon,' which was wrecked off Chance Bay -(N.F.) in 1861, the said Pauline Burnam being a relative of theirs. The -fisherman, in whose possession the ring was, brought it to St. John's, and -presented it at the colonial secretary's office. After a brief delay he -was introduced to a Mr. Burnam, who at once identified the object as the -wedding-ring of his mother, and which she had always worn since her -marriage at Huddersfield, in the year 1846. The ring was accordingly -given up to Mr. Burnam, who rewarded the fortunate finder with fifty -pounds. - -On October 7, 1868, some fishermen, throwing their nets in the Volga, -captured a sturgeon, which was found to be the same as that which his -Imperial Highness the heir-presumptive of the Russian crown had accepted -as an offering in 1866 from the municipality of Nijni. At the desire of -the Prince the fish was restored to the sea. Its identity was proved by a -silver ring attached to the right gill of the fish, on which was inscribed -the date, Aug. 27, 1866. Another similar ring, which had been attached to -the left gill, had disappeared. - -It is to be presumed that the sturgeon was returned to the water with some -mark to indicate the period at which it was re-captured. Some time after -this occurrence a similar case occurred in the Volga, when another -sturgeon, which had been offered as a present to the late Emperor -Nicholas, and had been recommitted to its native element, was taken alive, -and recognised by the rings attached to it. - -The French newspapers of May 1873 announced that at one of the principal -_restaurants_ in Paris, a valuable diamond ring was found in the stomach -of a salmon purchased at the central markets. - -In the 'Gentleman's Magazine' (January 1765), is the account of a Mrs. -Todd, of Deptford, who, in going in a boat to Whitstable, endeavoured to -prove that no person need be poor who was willing to be otherwise; and -being excited with her argument, took off her gold ring, and, throwing it -out into the sea, said 'it was as much impossible for any person to be -poor who had an inclination to be otherwise, as for her ever to see that -ring again.' The second day after this, and when she had landed, she -bought some mackerel, which the servant commenced to dress for dinner, -whereupon there was found a gold ring in one. The servant ran to show it -to her mistress, and the ring proved to be that which she had thrown away. - -Brand, in his 'History of Newcastle,' relates that a gentleman of that -city, in the middle of the seventeenth century, dropped a ring from his -hand over the bridge into the River Tyne. Years passed on, when one day -his wife bought a fish in the market, and the ring was discovered in its -stomach. - -A correspondent to 'Notes and Queries' (vol. i. series 3, p. 36), relates -the following curious anecdote: 'A gentleman, who was in the habit of -frequenting a favourite spot for the sake of a view that interested him, -used to lounge on a rail, and one day in a fit of absence of mind got -fumbling about the post in which one end of the rail was inserted. On his -way home he missed a valuable ring; he went back again and looked -diligently for it but without success. A considerable time afterwards in -visiting his old haunt, and indulging in his usual fit of absence, he was -very agreeably surprised to find the ring on his finger again, and which -appears to have been occasioned by (in both instances), his pressing his -finger in the aperture of the post, which just fitted sufficiently with a -pressure to hold the ring. I afterwards tried the experiment at the spot, -and found it perfectly easy to have been effected with an easily fitting -ring.' - -A curious antique ring, discovered in 1867 near the site of the Priory of -St. Mary, Pilton, near Barnstaple, was exhibited by Mr. Chanter, the -owner, at the Exeter Meeting of the Royal Archæological Institute (July -1873). The ring is of pure gold, weighing 131 grains, a large egg-shaped -sapphire being in the middle, in a solid oval setting. The stone had a -hole drilled through the lower edge, through which a gold stud was passed, -but it did not extend through the gold setting. The stone had been -evidently flawed by the operation. The ring was intended for the thumb, -and for ecclesiastical use, dating from about 1100 or 1200. A singularity -is attached to the discovery. Some men were engaged in hedging, when they -had to cut down some old trees. After cutting down one, they found the -'moot' of another underneath, and right in the centre of the latter was a -round ball eight or ten inches in diameter, which the men took at first to -be a cannon-ball. On opening the clay, however, the ring, bright and -perfect, was exposed in the centre. A theory to account for this -remarkable discovery is that the ring might have been stolen and buried by -the thief for concealment under the tree in a ball of clay. For some -reason or other the ring was left there, and in the course of time another -tree grew over the old one. - -Among the singular _discoveries_ of rings, I may mention the -following:--In 1697 a woman was drowned for theft, in the Loch of Spynie, -in Morayshire, and in 1811 the skeleton was brought to light, with a ring -on its finger. In 1862, during some discoveries made at Pompeii, a body -was too far decayed to be touched, but liquid plaster of Paris was poured -upon it, and a cast was taken, so accurately done that a ring was found on -the finger. In the excavation of an Anglo-Saxon burial-place at Harnham -Hill, near Salisbury, a silver twisted ring was found on the middle -finger-bone of a skeleton. In some sepulchral objects from Italy, Styria, -and Mecklenburg, obtained by the late J. M. Kemble, Esq., was a -finger-ring of bronze, in which the bone still lay. The Abbé Cochet, the -indefatigable Norman explorer, mentions this as of usual occurrence. 'Au -doigt de la main sont les bagues, ou des anneaux d'or, d'argent, de -cuivre, ou de bronze. Quelques unes de ces bagues sont unies; mais -d'autres ont des chatons en agate, en verroterie rouge ou vert, ou des -croix encaustées sur métal. Communement, elles sont encore passées au -doigt que les porta, dont la phalange est tout verdie par l'oxyde du -bronze' ('La Normandie Souterraine,' p. 29). - -In Moore's 'Life of Byron' we have an instance of a lost ring recovered -under peculiarly interesting circumstances: 'On the day of the arrival of -the lady's (Miss Millbanke) answer, he (Lord Byron) was sitting down to -dinner, when his gardener came in, and presented him with his mother's -wedding-ring, which she had lost many years before, and which the gardener -had just found in digging up the mould under her window. Almost at the -same moment, the letter from Miss Millbanke arrived, and Lord Byron -exclaimed, "If it contains a consent, I will be married with this very -ring." It _did_ contain a very flattering acceptance of his proposal (of -marriage), and a duplicate of the letter had been sent to London, in case -this should have missed him.' - - * * * * * - -Among the numerous applications of rings to various purposes, one of the -most curious is the custom, once prevalent in the Isle of Man, that if a -man grossly insulted a married woman he was to suffer death, but if the -woman was unmarried the Deemster, or judge, gave her a rope, a sword, and -a ring, and she had it put to her choice either to hang him with the rope, -or to cut off his head with the sword, or to marry him with the ring. - -In one of Robin Hood's ballads we find that a ring was part of a prize for -archery:-- - - A greate courser, with saddle and brydle, - With gold burnished full bright; - A paire of gloves, a red golde ring, - A pipe of wyne, good fay. - What man berest him best, I wist, - The prize shall bear away. - -Rings were proffered as bribes: in the old legend of King Estmere, the -porter of King Adlan's hall is bribed by that monarch and his brother, -disguised as harpers, to admit them:-- - - Then they pulled out a ryng of gold, - Layd itt on the porter's arme, - 'And ever we will thee, proud porter, - Thou wilt saye us no harme.' - Sore he looked on King Estmère, - And sore he handled the ryng, - Then opened to them the fayre hall gates, - He lett for no kind of thyng. - -The lady, King Adlan's daughter, for whose sake the ring is given, is thus -described:-- - - The talents of gold were on her head sette, - Hanged low down to her knee; - And everye ring on her small fingèr - Shone of the chrystall free. - -In the romance of 'Earl Richard,' we have another instance of a ring fee, -or bribe, to a porter:-- - - She took a ring from her finger - And gave't the porter for his fee, - Says, 'tak you that, my good porter, - And bid the queen speak to me.' - -In the capital ballad of the 'Baffled Knight,' or 'Lady's Policy,' the -latter in answer to the overtures of her drunken wooer says:-- - - Oh, yonder stands my steed so free, - Among the cocks of hay, sir; - And if the pinner should chance to see - He'll take my steed away, sir. - -The Knight rejoins:-- - - Upon my finger I have a ring, - It's made of finest gold-a, - And, lady, it thy steed shall bring - Out of the pinner's fold-a. - -Miller, in his 'History of the Anglo-Saxons,' relates a pretty story of a -'bribe' ring, an episode in the battles between Edmund Ironside and -Canute. It was on the eve of one of these conflicts that a Danish chief, -named Ulfr, being hotly pursued by the Saxons, rushed into a wood, in the -hurry of defeat, and lost his way. After wandering about some time, he met -a Saxon peasant, who was driving home his oxen. The Danish chief asked his -name. 'It is Godwin,' answered the peasant; 'and you are one of the Danes -who were compelled yesterday to fly for your life.' The sea-king -acknowledged it was true, and asked the herdsman if he could guide him -either to the Danish ships, or where the army was encamped. 'The Dane must -be mad,' answered Godwin, 'who trusts to a Saxon for safety.' Ulfr -entreated this rude Gurth of the forest to point him out the way, at the -same time urging his argument by presenting the herdsman with a massive -gold ring, to win his favour. Godwin looked at the ring, and after having -carefully examined it he again placed it in the hand of the sea-king, and -said: 'I will not take this, but will show you the way.' Ulfr spent the -day at the herdsman's cottage; night came, and found Godwin in readiness -to be his guide. The herdsman had an aged father, who, before he permitted -his son to depart, thus addressed the Danish chief: 'It is my only son -whom I allow to accompany you; to your good faith I entrust him, for -remember that, there will no longer be any safety for him amongst his -countrymen if it is once known that he has been your guide. Present him to -your King, and entreat him to take my son into his service.' Ulfr -promised, and he kept his word. The humble cowherd, who afterwards married -the sea-king's sister, became the powerful Earl Godwin, of historic -celebrity. - - * * * * * - -In former times rings denoted quality, if we may judge from the -expressions in an old play ('First Part of the Contention: York and -Lancaster;' Shakspeare Society):-- - - I am a gentleman, looke on my ring, - Ransome me at what thou wilt, it shall be paid. - -In the popular German ballad of 'Anneli,' or the 'Anneli Lied,' translated -by Mr. J. H. Dixon ('Notes and Queries,' 3rd series, vol. ix.), the -maiden, whose lover is drowned in the lake while swimming, is in a boat -with a fisherman who recovers the body, which she places on her lap:-- - - And she kiss'd his mouth, and he seem'd to smile, - 'Oh, no, I will not repine, - For God in heaven hath granted him - A happier home than mine.' - - And she chaf'd in hers his clammy hands-- - Ah! what does the maiden see? - There was a bridal-ring for one - Was never a bride to be. - - She drew from his finger that posied ring, - 'Fisherman--lo! thy fee!' - - And clasping him round and round she plunged, - And scream'd with a maniac glee-- - 'No other young man in Argovie - Shall drown for the love of me!' - -Mr. R. S. Ralston, M.A., in his 'Songs of the Russians,' mentions an -interesting custom in connection with rings: 'Among the games is that -called the "Burial of the Gold." A number of girls form a circle, and pass -from hand to hand a gold ring, which a girl who stands inside the circle -tries to detect. Meanwhile they sing in chorus the following verses:-- - - See here, gold I bury, I bury; - Silver pure I bury, bury; - In the rooms, the rooms of my father, - Rooms so high, so high, of my mother. - Guess, O maiden, find out, pretty one, - Whose hand is holding - The wings of the serpent. - -The girl in the middle replies:-- - - Gladly would I have guessed, - Had I but known, or had seen,-- - Crossing over the plain, - Plaiting the ruddy brown hair, - Weaving with silk in and out - Interlacing with gold. - O, my friends, dear companions, - Tell the truth, do not conceal it, - Give, oh give me back my gold! - My mother will beat me - For three days, for four; - With three rods of gold, - With a fourth rod of pearl. - -The chorus breaks in, singing:-- - - The ring has fallen, has fallen - Among the guelders and raspberries, - Among the black currants. - - * * * * - - Disappeared has our gold, - Hidden amid the mere dust, - Grown all over with moss.' - -In Warner's 'History of Ireland' (vol. i. book 10) is the following ring -anecdote: 'The people were inspired with such a spirit of honour, virtue, -and religion, by the great example of Brien, and by his excellent -administration, that, as a proof of it, we are informed that a young lady -of great beauty, adorned with jewels and a costly dress, undertook to -journey alone from one end of the kingdom to the other, with a wand only -in her hand, on the top of which was a ring of exceeding great value; and -such an impression had the laws and government of this monarch made on the -minds of all the people that no attempt was made on her honour, nor was -she robbed of her clothes or jewels.' - -This forms the subject of one of the sweetest melodies of Moore:-- - - Rich and rare were the gems she wore, - And a bright gold ring on her wand she bore; - But oh! her beauty was far beyond - Her sparkling gems and snow-white wand. - -Janus Nicius Crytræus relates that a certain pope had a tame raven, which -secreted the pope's ring, or _annulus Piscatoris_. The pope, thinking that -some one had committed the robbery, issued a bull of excommunication -against the robber. The raven grew very thin, and lost all his plumage. On -the ring being found, and the excommunication taken off, the raven -recovered his flesh and his plumage. - -Upon this story was founded the admirable Ingoldsby legend of the 'Jackdaw -of Rheims.' - - * * * * * - -During the great war of liberation in Germany, the ladies deposited in -the public treasury their jewels and ornaments to be sold for the national -cause, and they each received in turn an iron ring inscribed 'Ich gab Gold -am Eisen' (I gave gold for iron). Russell, who mentions this in his 'Tour -in Germany,' 1813, adds:--'A Prussian dame is as proud, and justly proud, -of this coarse decoration as her husband and her son is of his iron -cross.' - - * * * * * - -A singular mode of securing a ring on the finger is mentioned by a -correspondent to 'Notes and Queries' (4th Series, vol. vi. p. 323): 'In -the possession of a lady relative of mine is an old painting in oils, -representing Sir William Segar, Principal King-at-Arms to James I. (1604), -and his wife. They stand side by side, and are three-quarter portraits of -life size. On the fourth finger of Lady Segar's right hand is a jewelled -ring, to which are attached several black strings, curiously joined at the -back of the hand, and fastened round the wrist.' - - * * * * * - -A curious and tragical incident in connection with a ring is related in -the 'Lives of the Lindsays.' The young Colin, Earl of Balcarres, was -obtaining for his bride a young Dutch lady, Mauritia de Nassau, daughter -of a natural son of Maurice, Prince of Orange. The day arrived for the -wedding, the noble party were assembled in the church, and the bride was -at the altar; but, to the dismay of the company, no bridegroom appeared. -The volatile Colin had forgotten the day of his marriage, and was -discovered in his night-gown and slippers, quietly eating his breakfast. -He hurried to the church, but in his haste left the ring in his -writing-case; a friend in the company gave him one; the ceremony went on, -and, without looking at it, he placed it on the finger of the bride. It -was a _mourning_ ring, with the death's-head and cross-bones. On -perceiving it at the close of the ceremony she fainted away, and the evil -omen had made such an impression on her mind that, on recovering, she -declared she should die within the year, and her presentiment was too -truly fulfilled. - - * * * * * - -Louis de Berquem, of Bruges, to whom is ascribed the art of cutting and -polishing the diamond, made his first attempts in 1475, upon three rough -and large diamonds, confided to him for that purpose by Charles the Rash, -Duke of Burgundy. One of these was cut in a triangular shape, and mounted -on a ring, on which were figured two hands, as a symbol of alliance and -good faith, and was presented to Louis XI., King of France. - - * * * * * - -Mr. Howitt, in his additions to the 'History of Magic' of Ennemoser, -remarks: 'In the St. Vitus's dance patients often experience divinatory -visions of a fugitive nature, either referring to themselves or to others, -and occasionally in symbolic words. In the "Leaves from Prevorst," such -symbolic somnambulism is related, and I myself have observed a very -similar case: Miss V. Brand, during a violent paroxysm of St. Vitus's -dance, suddenly saw a black evil-boding crow fly into the room, from -which, she said, she was unable to protect herself, as it unceasingly flew -round her, as if it wished to make some communication. This appearance was -of daily occurrence with the paroxysm for eight days afterwards. On the -ninth, when the attacks had become less violent, the vision commenced with -the appearance of a white dove, which carried a letter containing a -betrothal ring in its beak; shortly afterwards the crow flew in with a -black-sealed letter. The next morning the post brought a letter with -betrothal cards from a cousin, and a few hours after the news was received -of the death of her aunt at Lohburg, of whose illness she was ignorant. Of -both these letters, which two different posts brought in on the same day, -Miss V. Brand could not possibly have known anything. The change of birds -and their colours during her recovery, and before the announcement of -agreeable or sorrowful news, the symbols of the ring and the black seal -exhibit in this vision a particularly pure expression of the soul, as well -as a correct view into the future.' - - * * * * * - -A French MS. of the thirteenth century gives the earliest version hitherto -discovered of the fable of the three rings, known by the story in -Boccaccio's 'Decamerone,' and by Lessing's 'Nathan.' From these, however, -it differs essentially. In the present version the true ring is found out -after the father's death, while Boccaccio and Lessing tell the contrary. -Of course the allegorical meaning of the true ring is the Christian faith, -and the two false are the Mohammedan and the Judaic faith. The Mohammedan -faith is considered the oldest because it represents the pagan faith in -general. - - * * * * * - -Among the singular uses to which rings have been applied, I may mention -what were called 'meridian.' These were various kinds of astronomical -rings formerly in use, but now superseded by more exact instruments. In -the French 'Encyclopédie' (Diderot and D'Alembert) will be found an -account of the 'solar' ring (_anneau solaire_), which showed the hour by -means of a small perforation, 'un trou, par lequel on fait passer un -rayon de soleil.' Zeller also describes a kind of sun-dial in the form of -a ring. This was called the astronomical ring, 'annulus astronomicus.'[74] - -[Illustration: Dial rings.] - -The Rev. Danson R. Currer has a _brass_ ring-dial, probably of the kind -formerly designated as 'journey rings.' - -Mr. Edward Jones, of Dolgellau, has a dial-ring consisting of two -concentric rings moving within the other, the larger one having a linear -groove, and the smaller one a slight hole working into it. - -[Illustration: Dial ring.] - - * * * * * - -The romantic attachment of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, to Mary, the -second sister of Henry VIII., is an interesting episode in ring history. -She had been married in 1514 to Louis XII. of France, a political union of -youth and beauty to debilitated old age. Brandon was sent with several -English nobles to grace the nuptials. There is reason to believe that Mary -had flattered his hopes of marrying her long before she quitted England. -King Louis died three months after his marriage, and a few days after the -Queen was secretly married to Suffolk. That during the brief interval -between the marriage and death of the French monarch some interchange of -affection occurred between the lovers is certain. A rumour had spread that -Suffolk had shown a diamond ring she gave him. 'The truth is,' she writes, -'that one night at Tournay, being at the banquet, after the banquet he put -himself upon his knees before me, and in speaking and in playing he drew -from my finger the ring, and put it upon his, and since showed it to me; -and I took to laugh, and to him said that he was a thief, and that I -thought not that the King had with him led thieves out of his country. The -word _larron_ he could not understand, wherefore I was constrained to ask -how one said in Flemish _larron_. And afterwards I said to him in Flemish -_dieffe_, and I prayed him many times to give it me again, for that it -was too much known. But he understood me not well, and kept it on unto the -next day that I spake to the King, him requiring to make him to give it to -me, because it was too much known--I promising him one of my bracelets the -which I wore, the which I gave him. And then he gave me the said ring; the -which one other time at Lylle, being set nigh to my lady of Hornes, and he -before upon his knees, it took again from my finger. I spake to the King -to have it again; but it was not possible, for he said unto me that he -would give me others better, and that I should leave him that. I said unto -him that it was not for the value, but for that it was too much known. He -would not understand it, but departed from me. The morrow after he brought -me one fair point of diamond, and one table of ruby, and showed me it was -for the other ring, wherefore I durst no more speak of it, if not to -beseech him it should not be shewed to any person; the which hath not all -to me been done.' 'Thus signed, M.' - - * * * * * - -In 'Household Words' (vol. ix. p. 277), there is an account of two rings -supposed to have been stolen from Charles II. on his death-bed. 'I should -have told you, in his fits his feet were as cold as ice, and were kept -rubbed with hot cloths, which were difficult to get. Some say the Queen -rubbed one and washed it in tears. Pillows were brought from the Duchess -of Portsmouth by Mrs. Roche. His Highness, the Duke of York, was the first -there, and then I think the Queen (he sent for her); the Duchess of -Portsmouth swooned in the chamber, and was carried out for air; Nelly -Gwynne roared to a disturbance, and was led out, and lay roaring behind -the door; the Duchess wept and returned; the Princess (afterwards Queen -Anne) was not admitted, he was so ghastly a sight (his eye-balls were -turned that none of the blacks were seen, and his mouth drawn up to one -eye), so they feared it might affect the child she goes with. None came in -at the common door, but by an odd side-door, to prevent a crowd, but -enough at convenient times to satisfy all. The grief of the Duchess of -Portsmouth did not prevent her packing and sending many strong boxes to -the French ambassador's; and the second day of the King's sickness, the -chamber being kept dark--one who comes from the light does not see very -soon, and much less one who is between them and the light there is--so she -went to the side of the bed, and sat down to, and, taking the King's hands -in hers, felt his two great diamond rings; thinking herself alone, and, -asking him what he did with them on, said she would take them off, and did -it at the same time, and looking up saw the Duke on the other side, -steadfastly looking on her, at which she blushed much, and held them -towards him, and said: "Here, sire, will you take them?" "No, madam," he -said, "they are as safe in your hands as mine, I will not touch them until -I see how things will go." But, since the King's death, she has forgot to -restore them, though he has not that she took them, for he told the -story.' - -This extract is taken from a letter written by a lady who was the wife of -a person about the court at Whitehall, and forms part of a curious -collection of papers lately discovered at Draycot House, near Chippenham. - - * * * * * - -In connection with incidents concerning rings, I may allude to the golden -spoil that Messrs. Garrard, goldsmiths, of the Haymarket, London, -purchased from the prize-agents of the British forces employed on the Gold -Coast. These precious objects appear to have been collected by the King -of Ashantee in great haste as a propitiatory offering, and were evidently -seized and sent at random to the British general. Among them are rings of -the most beautiful yet fantastic shapes, showing the extraordinary -imitative talents which the Ashantee goldsmiths possess. Perhaps the most -curious of these is a ring finely chased, the signet of which is made of -what seems to be an ancient Coptic coin. Two rings appear to have been -copied from early English betrothal rings, precisely such as those by -which lovers plighted their troth in this country many years ago. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -REMARKABLE RINGS. - - -A volume of some amplitude might be written on the very attractive subject -of the present chapter, for there are very few families in the kingdom -cherishing a regard for ancestry and for the antiquarian interests of -their country, who could not show examples of rings possessing unusual -interest, not only of family, but of general importance. The Loan -Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South Kensington Museum -in 1872 exhibited an unusual display of finger-rings contributed from -every part of the kingdom, many of them of extreme rarity and beauty; -while the famous Waterton Collection acquired by the Museum, described by -one of the most eminent authorities on this particular subject as 'in its -almost unlimited extent, comprising the rings of all ages and nations,' -afforded specimens, many of which were unique, and of singular interest. - -The limits of the present book enable me only to mention a few instances -of remarkable rings, in addition to those which have been already alluded -to in the previous chapters. Rings of the earliest ages naturally attract -our observation more than those of later times, and are invaluable studies -to the historian and the antiquarian, throwing light upon many subjects, -of which they are in some cases the only reflex, and enabling us to judge -of the progress of art in distant eras, to assist chronological -researches, and to explain by inscriptions and figures many dubious points -which would otherwise remain obscure. - -No doubt there are many instances in which we have to depend on tradition -alone for circumstances in connection with ring incidents, but even in -these cases romance and poetry lend their aid in rendering them full of -charm and interest, as an acquaintance with the mediæval writers more -especially will prove, and to which I have frequently alluded in the -preceding chapters. - -Among the most remarkable collections of cameos, intaglios, and -finger-rings, are those known as the 'Devonshire Gems,' formed in the last -century by William Cavendish, third Duke of Devonshire. Eighty-eight, -including some of the finest cameos, were withdrawn from it, and mounted -in enamelled gold as a parure, unsurpassed for beauty and rarity. - -These precious gems were exhibited at the South Kensington Museum in 1872. -Amongst the finger-rings were a scarabæus in grey and white onyx of three -strata, in its antique ring of massive gold, thickened and expanded at the -shoulders; a splendid specimen of a large gold ring of the best -Italo-Greek work, the hoop formed of delicately woven corded pattern, the -large deep bezel enriched with exquisite applied ornament in minute -threaded work, perhaps the finest ring of its type known; a ring with -intaglio of female head chased on the gold of the bezel is of antique -Greek type; an intaglio of beautiful antique work on banded onyx, set in a -massive gold ring; a most remarkable Roman ring, the bezel representing a -Cupid's head, chased in full relief on the solid; a small gold ring, the -square bezel engraved with a dolphin, and the hoop formed of triple -beaded pattern; eight antique Roman rings, for the most part of the second -and third centuries, one of which has the open-work hoop; a very -interesting mediæval ring of rude workmanship, formed of electron, or gold -much alloyed with silver; on the circular bezel is a head in intaglio, and -in rather rude lettering 'VIVAT,' the shoulders have pellets at the side -of the hoop--the date would appear to be of the seventh or eighth century; -a good example of the iconographic type of English ring engraved on the -bezel with figures of saints, fifteenth century; a massive gold ring, -shoulders and hoop chased, Gothic inscriptions within the hoop; a fine -English fifteenth century signet; a massive signet of the sixteenth -century; a signet with shield of arms engraved on the under side of a thin -piece of rock crystal and coloured, sixteenth or seventeenth century. - -Among the classical antiquities in the British Museum is a rich collection -of gems retaining their antique settings, a treasure not to be surpassed -by any in Europe. Among these is a magnificent intaglio of Hercules -slaying the Hydra, very deeply cut on a rich sard, and set in a massive -gold ring of the form fashionable during the Lower Empire. The wonderful -lion-ring from the Prince of Canino's collection I have already described -in the first chapter of this work. An account of the Museum gems will be -found in the works of the Rev. C. W. King, on 'Precious Stones' and -'Antique Gems.' - -In the same magnificent collection are some curious rings, amongst other -objects from Switzerland, of the people who built their habitations on -piles in the lakes. - -In the British Museum is also preserved the gold signet-ring of Mary, -Queen of Scots. On the face is engraved the royal arms and supporters of -the kingdom of Scotland, with the motto 'IN DEFENS' and her initials 'M. -R.' In the inner side of the seal a crowned monogram is engraved, 'which -might have been an unsolved enigma, but for the existence, in the State -Paper Office, of a letter written by Mary to Queen Elizabeth, in which she -has drawn the identical monogram after signing her name. Sir Henry Ellis, -who first traced out this curious history, says, "It is clearly formed of -the letters M. and A. (for Mary and Albany), and gives countenance to the -opinion that the written monogram was intended for Elizabeth and Burghley -to study, the subsequent creation of the title of Duke of Albany in Lord -Darnley ultimately opening their eyes to the enigma."' - -A similarly interesting ring is that of Henry, Lord Darnley, husband to -Mary, Queen of Scots, now in the Waterton Collection at the South -Kensington Museum. On the bezel it bears the two initials 'M. H.' united -by a lover's knot. In the hoop is the name engraved 'HENRI L. DARNLEY,' -and the year of the marriage, 1565. - -[Illustration: Signet-ring of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Darnley ring.] - -In the interesting 'Notices of Collections of Glyptic Art,' by the Rev. C. -W. King, M.A., published in the 'Archæological Journal' for October 1861, -is a description of some remarkable rings in the Queen's and other -collections. By the kindness of the editor of the Journal I am enabled to -give an abstract of the valuable papers contributed by the Rev. C. W. -King. In the Royal Collection is a ruby set in a massy gold ring, having -the name of 'Loys XII.,' and the date of his decease, 1515, engraved -inside. The ruby has a head in profile of King Louis, and is a stone of -considerable size (being half an inch in diameter) and of the finest -quality. The drawing is correct, though somewhat stiff, after the usual -manner of the Quattro Cento heads; the relief is somewhat flat, and all -the details most accurately finished; both for material and execution this -gem is an invaluable monument of the early times of the art. - -The signet-ring made for Charles II., when Prince of Wales, has the -ostrich plumes between the letters 'C. P.'--'Carolus Princeps'--neatly and -deeply cut upon a table _diamond_ (1/2 × 3/8 inch in size) formed into a -heater-shaped, seven-sided shield. The stone is slightly tinged with -yellow, but of fine lustre, and such that of its nature no doubt whatever -can be entertained. The ring, holding this in every respect interesting -relic, has the back enamelled with a bow and quiver _en saltire_. A -marvellous specimen of metal-work is the signet of his unfortunate father, -having the royal arms most minutely engraved upon a shield of steel, and -the lion and unicorn (modelled with matchless skill in the same metal in -full relief) reclining upon the shoulders of a gold ring, and that of a -size by no means inconvenient for wear upon the little finger. - -The Marlborough gems[75] constitute a famous collection, as it now -stands, formed by the union of the Arundel and the Bessborough, together -with certain additions made at the close of the last century by the -grandfather of the present Duke of Marlborough. This collection includes -many masterpieces of art set in rings of fine gold in a plain solid -imitation of the ancient ring worn by the later Romans, having a slight -round shank, gradually thickening towards the shoulders. - -The Bessborough Collection deservedly ranks as one of the first in Europe -for the interest and value of the works of art it contains (as viewed -exclusively in that light) and the gems themselves, are pre-eminently -distinguished by the unusual taste and elegance of the rings in which they -are for the most part set. In this point of view alone they will furnish a -rich treat to every amateur in that elegant branch of the jeweller's -craft. Some are choice examples of the Rénaissance goldsmiths' skill; the -majority, however, plainly show that they were made to the commission of -the noble possessor, exhibiting as they do the most varied designs in the -Louis XV. style, in which one is at a loss what most to admire, the -fertility of invention displayed in the great variety of the forms, or the -perfection of workmanship with which these designs have been carried out -in the finest gold. - -The Rev. C. W. King mentions a ring in this collection, with a -representation of a dancing fawn upon sard, as the most elegant design -ever invented by Italian taste. Appropriately to the subject, the shank -consists of two thyrsi, whilst around the head of the ring runs an ivy -garland, the leaves enamelled green. The execution of this charming idea -equals the design. - -Another exquisite old Italian ring is described as being adorned with two -masks of Pan upon the shoulders, the very masterpieces of chasings in -gold, so vigorous, so full of life, are these minute full-faced heads in -half relief. - -In the same collection is a sard engraved with a head of Lucilla, mediocre -in execution, but set in a ring worthy of Cellini, to whose age the -workmanship belongs. It is certainly the most artistic example of this -ornament that has ever come under the Rev. Mr. King's notice. Two nude -figures, one seen in front, the other from behind, carved out in flat -relief upon the shoulders of the shank, bear torches in either hand, which -wind round the setting; doves and flowers fill up the interval between -them. The perfection of these minute chasings is beyond all description, -each is a finished statuette; curious, too, is the elegance with which -they are employed, so as to fall naturally into the curvature required by -their position. - -These extracts from the paper in the 'Archæological Journal,' by the Rev. -C. W. King, will suffice to show the great value and beauty of these -precious objects. - -The famous ring of Chariclea is thus mentioned by the Rev. C. W. King in -his 'Handbook of Engraved Gems.' It is 'an extract from the flowery pages -of the tasteful Bishop of Tricca, Heliodorus, who, though writing amidst -the fast-gathering clouds of the fourth century, still retained a tinge of -early culture, and could not extinguish a sinful admiration for artistic -beauty. Like other educated men of his, and even lower, times, he was -still able to appreciate the productions of an art, even then, nearly -extinct, for with what enthusiasm does he enlarge upon the description of -the ring worn by his heroine Chariclea ('Æthiop.' v. 13), possibly a work -the beauty of which he had himself admired in reality, or, perhaps, -actually possessed! "Such is the appearance of all amethysts coming from -India and Ethiopia; but that which Calasiris now presented to Nausicles -was far above them in value, for it was enriched with an engraving, and -worked out into an imitation of nature. The subject was a boy tending his -flocks, himself standing upon a low rock for the sake of looking about -him, and guiding his sheep to their pasture by the music of his Pandean -pipe. The flock seemed obedient to the signal, and submitted themselves -readily to be conducted by the guidance of his notes. One would say they -were themselves laden with fleeces of gold, and those not of the artist's -giving, but due to the amethyst itself, which painted their backs with a -blush of its own. Pictured also were the tender skippings of the lambs; -whilst some running up against the rock in troops, others, turning in -frolicsome turnings around the shepherd, converted the rising ground into -an appearance of a pastoral theatre. Others, again, revelling in the blaze -of the amethyst, as if in the beams of the sun, were pawing and scraping -the rock with the points of their hoofs, as if they bounded up against it. -Such amongst them as were the first born, and the more audacious, seemed -as if they were wishing to leap over this round of the gem, but were kept -in by the artist, who had drawn a border like a golden fold around them -and the rock. Now this fold was in reality of stone, and not imitative, -for the engraver, having circumscribed a portion of the gem's edge for -this purpose, had depicted what he required in the actual substance, -deeming it a clever stroke to contrive a stone wall upon a _stone_."' 'A -remark,' adds the Rev. C. W. King, 'proving that our author is describing -a real intaglio, not drawing upon his fancy merely.' - -The Rev. Walter Sneyd possesses a ring of singular interest, supposed to -have belonged to Roger, King of Sicily (died 1152). A representation of -this relic is given in the 'Archæological Journal' (vol. iii. p. 269). 'It -is of mixed yellow metal, gilt; on either side of the hoop there is a -crown--of the form commonly seen on coins or money of the twelfth -century--and on the signet are the words "ROGERIVS REX," chased in high -_relief_. In the form of the character they correspond closely with -legends on coins of Roger, second Duke of Apulia of that name, crowned -King of Sicily 1129. This ring has every appearance of genuine character; -but it is difficult to tell for what purpose it was fabricated, the -inscription not being inverted, and the letters in relief ill-suited for -producing an impression. It seems very improbable that King Roger should -have worn a ring of base metal, and the conjecture may deserve -consideration that it was a signet not intended for the purpose for -sealing, but entrusted in lieu of credentials to some envoy.' - -[Illustration: Supposed ring of Roger, King of Sicily.] - -In the Waterton Collection is a ring assumed on good grounds to have been -that with which Cola di Rienzi, the famous tribune of Rome, was united to -Catarina di Riselli. 'The ring,' remarks Mr. Waterton, 'was purchased for -me in Rome, for a trifling sum, at one of the periodical clearing sales of -the Monte di Pietà, and I had it for several months before I discovered -certain facts--which many archæologists consider to be corroborative of my -supposition--that this ring was the nuptial ring of Cola di Rienzi. Its -style, when compared with other objects of the period, enables us to -ascribe its date to the first half of the fourteenth century. The bezel -is an irregular octagon, in the centre there is cut, signet-wise, a -device, two stars divided per pale. Around this are inscribed two -names--Catarina, Nicola--the interstices being filled up with niello. -These names are written from left to right, and not reversed. The ring is -an elegant specimen of Italian workmanship, and I consider it to have been -produced by a Florentine artist. The reasons for believing that this may -have been the _fiancial_ ring of Rienzi and his wife are the following: 1. -The two names, Nicola (di Rienzi) and Catarina (di Riselli). 2. The date -of the ring, which we may assign to 1320-1340, the time when Rienzi lived. -3. Neither Rienzi nor his wife had any armorial bearing; and, having great -faith in his destiny, he is stated to have selected a star for his device. -The two stars divided per pale were interpreted by an eminent Roman -archæologist to be significant of the star of Rienzi, and that of his -wife.' - -A curious seal-ring, formerly in the possession of Sir Richard Worsley, of -Appuldercombe, in the Isle of Wight, was exhibited at a meeting of the -Society of Antiquaries in 1775. An impression in wax was also shown at the -Plymouth Local Committee of the Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society, in -July 1850, by Mr. Cotton, of Ivybridge. The thumb-ring, set in gold, and -of exquisite workmanship, is said to have been in the possession of the -Worsley family since the time of Henry VIII. That King usually wore it on -his finger, and presented it to Sir James Worsley, his yeoman of the -wardrobe, and governor of the Isle of Wight. The device represents a -warrior completely armed from head to foot, and covered with a vest or -surcoat; his helmet is flat at the top, and brought round under the chin, -exactly in the same form as those worn in France about the middle of the -thirteenth century, during the reign of Saint Louis. The scabbard of his -sword hangs by his side, but the sword itself lies broken at his feet. His -uplifted arms grasp a ragged or knotted staff, with which he is in the act -of attacking a lion, who stands opposed to him. His shield bears the coat -armour of the Stuart family; viz., Or, a fesse checky Az. and Argt. Over -the lion's head appears an arm in mail, holding a shield, with the above -coat of arms of the Stuarts; and in an escutcheon of pretence, a lion -rampant, the arms of Scotland and of Bruce. The sleeve of the drapery, -which falls loosely from the arm, is ornamented on the border with three -_fleurs de lis_; and the whole is enclosed within a double tressure fleury -and counter-fleury, which together form the arms of Scotland. - -[Illustration: The 'Worsley' seal-ring.] - -'The warrior here represented' (says Dr. Mills, Dean of Exeter, in his -account of this ring) 'seems to be Sir Walter Stuart, born anno 1393, so -called from being hereditary High Steward of Scotland. He married Margery, -daughter of Robert Bruce, and sister to David Bruce, Kings of Scotland. -David dying without male issue, Margery became an heiress; and therefore -her arms are placed here in an escutcheon of pretence on those of Walter -Stuart, her husband.' - -The device here represented seems to be in some measure ascertained by the -account given by Sir Simeon Stuart's family in the Baronetage of England, -which says that Sir Alexander Stuart had an honourable augmentation -granted by Charles VI., King of France, viz. argent the lion of Scotland, -debruised with a ragged staff bend-wise or. This honour was probably -granted to Sir Alexander on account of some martial achievement performed -either by him or his ancestors. But the seal seems to determine it to -Walter Stuart, the husband of Margery Bruce, as there is not more than -fifty years between his death and the accession to the throne of Charles -VI. As Sir James Worsley, ancestor to Sir Richard, married Mary, eldest -daughter of Sir Nicholas Stuart, of Hartley Mauditt, in Hampshire, it is -highly probable that this ring descended to the family of Worsley by this -alliance. - -The ring of St. Louis of France was formerly kept in the treasury of St. -Denis. In 'Le Trésor Sacré de Sainct Denys' (1646) this ring is thus -described: 'L'anneau du mesme glorieux Roy Sainct Louis qui est précieux: -il est d'or, semé de fleurs de lys, garny d'un grand saphir quarré sur -lequel est gravée l'image du mesme sainct avec les lettres S. L., qui -veulent dire _Sigillum Lodovici_. Sur le rond de l'anneau par le dedans -sont gravez ces mots, "_C'est le Signet du Roy S. Louis_," qui y ont esté -adjoustez après sa mort.' A representation of this remarkable ring is here -given. It is now in the Musée des Souverains at the Louvre. - -[Illustration: Ring of St. Louis.] - -'The wedding-ring,' remarks the Rev. C. W. King, 'of the same prince is -said to have been set with a sapphire engraved with the Crucifixion; the -shank covered with lilies and _marguerites_, allusive to his own name and -his wife's. This attribution is a mere _custode's_ story. Mr. Waterton, -who examined this gem, puts it down to a much later age: the King, a full -length, has the nimbus, showing the figure to be posterior to his -beatification. It probably belongs to Louis XII.'s time.' - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a cameo portrait of Madame de Maintenon, -on a very large and fine ruby, three eighths of an inch by half an inch -wide, in a most beautiful gold ring, contemporaneous setting; presented to -Louis XIV. when she retired into the convent of St. Cyr. In the same -collection is a cameo portrait of Queen Elizabeth, by Valerio Vicentini, -on a sardonyx of three strata, in a fine gold setting of the period; also -a cameo portrait of Charles I. on black jasper, a splendid work of art, -in a beautifully-enamelled gold ring of his time. - -The Rev. C. W. King describes the famous signet-ring of Michael Angelo, -preserved in the Paris Collection. 'It is a sard engraved with a group -representing a Bacchic festival, quite in the Renaissance style. In the -exergue is a boy fishing, the rebus upon the name of the artist _Gio Maria -da Pescia_. Many connoisseurs, however, hold the gem to be an undoubted -antique. Of this relic the following curious story is told:--In the last -century, as the Abbé Barthelemy was exhibiting the rarities of the -Bibliothèque to a distinguished antiquary of the day, he suddenly missed -this ring, whereupon without expressing his suspicions, he privately -despatched a servant for an emetic, which, when brought, he insisted upon -the _savant's_ swallowing, and the ring came to light again.'[76] - -The celebrated gem representing Apollo and Marsyas, which belonged to -Lorenzo de' Medici, and formed one of the magnificent collection of the -Grand-Duke of Tuscany, once, mounted on a ring, decorated the hand of the -parricide Nero, who used it to sign his sanguinary mandates. Numbers of -copies have been taken of this gem in ancient and modern times. It is thus -described by Tenhove: Apollo, in a noble attitude, is holding his lyre, -and regarding with disdain Marsyas, who, bound to a tree, and his hands -tied behind him, awaits the just punishment of his temerity. The young -Scythian who is to execute the sentence, kneels before Apollo, apparently -imploring his clemency. The quiver and arrows of the god are suspended -from one of the branches of the tree; on the foreground are the -instruments of which the satyr has made such unfortunate use. - -It is known that Nero had the folly to imagine himself the first musician -of his time, and in selecting this subject he doubtless intended to get -rid of all competition, by deterring those who might otherwise have felt -disposed to enter the lists with him. Perhaps he was looking at his left -hand, and assuming Apollo for his model, when he had the singer Menedemus, -of whom he was jealous, flayed, as it were, with whipping, in his -presence, whose yells of agony seemed to the emperor so melodious that he -warmly applauded. Lorenzo's feeling with regard to the gem was, doubtless, -of a very different character: he selected the stone on account of its -marvellous beauty of execution. - -Among the art treasures, in connection with rings and camei in the British -Museum, the Rev. C. W. King notices a cameo with a lion passant, in low -relief in the red layer of a sardonyx, exquisitely finished, which has its -value greatly enhanced by the 'LAVR. MED.' cut in the field, attesting -that it once belonged to the original cabinet of Lorenzo de' Medici. This -stone, set in a ring, has its face protected by a glass; a proof of the -estimation in which its former possessor held it. - -[Illustration: Ring Device of Cosmo de' Medici.] - -Cosmo de' Medici had for device three diamonds on rings, intertwined -emblems of excellency, superiority, and endurance. - -[Illustration: Ring Device of Lorenzo de' Medici.] - -Lorenzo de' Medici had a ring with a diamond; a plume of three colours, -green, white, and red, to signify that in loving God he displayed three -virtues: the white plume representing faith; the green, hope; the red, -charity. Pope Leo X. adopted this device. - -Pietro de' Medici had a falcon holding a diamond-ring in its claws, -signifying that everything should be done to please God. - -[Illustration: Ring Device of Pietro de' Medici.] - -In the Staunton collection of antiquities (Longbridge House, near Warwick) -is a remarkable ring, which is described (with illustrations) in the -'Archæological Journal' (vol. iv. p. 358). It is a beautiful gold -signet-ring, found, about the year 1825, in the ruins of Kenilworth -Castle, by a person named Faulkner, who was in the constant habit of -searching among the rubbish with the expectation of making some valuable -discovery. Its weight is 4 dwts. 10 grs. The impress is very singular; -under a crown appear the numerals 87, of the forms usually designated as -Arabic, of which no example has been noticed in this country, except in -MSS. prior to the fifteenth century. Above the crown are the letters =s= -and =h=; lower down on one side is seen the letter =a=, and on the other -=m=. Various interpretations of this remarkable device have been -suggested: it has been supposed that it might have reference to the -coronation of Elizabeth, Queen of Henry VII., solemnised at Westminster, -A.D. 1487, or have been connected with the enterprise of Lambert Simnel, -which occurred during that year at the instigation of Margaret, Duchess of -Burgundy. Mr. Hawkins considers its age to have been about the reign of -Edward IV., the crown with fleur-de-lys ornaments, and the form of the =m= -being of similar character to those on his coins; a similar type of crown -may, however, be found in earlier times, as shown by the great seals and -other authorities as early even as the reign of Richard II. The letters -have been supposed to be the initials of a sentence such as 'Sancta virgo -adjuva me' (the second letter being read as =h=) or, supposing the ring to -be referred to the times of Henry VII., 'Sigillum,' or 'secretum, Henrici, -anno (14) 87. M{h}.' The most probable explanation, however, appears to -have been proposed by Mr. John Gough Nichols: that the ring, which is of a -size suited to a lady's finger, might have been a betrothal or wedding -present; the initials =s.h.= and =a.m.= being those of the two parties, -the Arabic numerals indicating the date 1487, and the crown being merely -ornamental, frequently used during the fifteenth century on seals by -persons not entitled by rank to use them. - -[Illustration: Ring found at Kenilworth Castle.] - -The coronet, with an initial letter, adopted as a device on the seals or -signet-rings of commoners, appears on numerous rings of the fifteenth -century, as well as on seals appended to documents. It appears on another -ring of later date in Mr. Staunton's collection, of base metal gilt, found -in Coleshill Church, Warwickshire. The device appears to be a crown placed -upon a shaft or truncheon, resting on a heart, in base, with the initials -of the wearer, I. G., at the sides. - -At a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries (May 1875), Mr. Robert Day -(Local Secretary for Ireland) exhibited a silver ring of -fourteenth-century work, the hoop portion of which is formed of two hands, -which grasp an octagonal signet that bears the centre device of a letter R -crowned, with the motto 'Bacchal,' and a spray of roses in the border. 'To -illustrate this,' remarks Mr. Day, 'I send a small coin of base silver, -having a similar crowned R on the obverse. These crowned letters recall -the familiar lines of Chaucer, of - - ------a crowned A, - And after, Amor Vincit Omnia. - -The ring was dug up in a potato garden at Howth, near Dublin. The motto -"Bacchal" I am unable to throw any light upon, except it be a contraction -of Baccalaureus. On the rim is a star of six points, to show the position -for sealing.' - -A ring-relic of Fotheringay, belonging to Mrs. Simpson, of Edinburgh, is -of gold, set with a diamond cut in facets, with three smaller diamonds -over it, representing a crowned heart. It is considered to have belonged -to the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots. - -A gold signet-ring, curious and interesting in several respects, the -property of Mr. James Neish, of the Laws, Dundee, was exhibited at a -meeting of the Archæological Institute in May 1864, when the following -particulars were given:--It was found about 1790, in digging the -foundations of Heathfield House, on the Hawkhill, Dundee, formerly called -the Sparrow Muir. The device (of which a representation is given in the -'Archæological Journal,' No. 82, 1864, p. 186) is a head, apparently -regal, bearded, with the hair long at the sides; on the breast there is a -mullet or star of five points introduced in scrolled ornament; around the -edge is a corded bordure with knots at intervals like a _cordelière_, -instead of the pearled margin usually found on seals. This knotted -cincture is well known as worn by the Franciscans, thence designated as -_Cordeliers_; as accessory to heraldic or personal ornaments, its use -seems to have been first adopted by Anne of Brittany, after the death of -Charles VIII., in 1498, as we are informed by Palliot and other writers. -It has, however, sometimes been assigned to a rather earlier period. The -hoop of Mr. Neish's ring is plain and massive, the weight being 199 -grains. The device is engraved with skill. It is difficult to tell whether -the object worn on the head is intended for a crown or a helmet, with -lateral projections resembling horns. Examples of helmets with cornute -appendages, especially found in classical art, are not wanting in mediæval -times. It has been suggested that the mullet on the breast may indicate -some allusion to the heraldic bearing of the Douglas family, especially as -the ring was discovered in the district of Angus, of which the earldom was -conferred in 1377 on a branch of that noble race. Mr. Neish--to whom both -this remarkable ring and also Heathfield House where it was found, -belong--stated that he had been informed by two persons that they -remembered the discovery; one, moreover, said that Mr. Webster, of -Heathfield House, to whom it formerly belonged, told him that the late Mr. -Constable, of Wallace Craigie (the Monkbarns of the 'Antiquary),' had -taken interest in the discovery, and having carried the ring to Edinburgh, -he had found there in some depository a proclamation regarding the loss of -a gold ring on Sparrow Muir, by a certain Allan Dorward, who had been -employed by David, Earl of Huntingdon, brother of William the Lion, in -building a church founded by the Earl at Dundee, and completed in 1198. -The King, according to tradition, was so pleased with the builder's work -that he presented to him a ring, which Allan, being afterwards at a -boar-hunt on the Sparrow Muir, had there lost, and he had offered a reward -for its recovery, as made known in the proclamation before mentioned. This -tradition has been related by Mr. Andrew Jervise, in his 'Memorials of -Angus and the Mearns,' p. 178. According to another version the ring was -asserted to have been given by David II. (A.D. 1329-70) to his master -mason, and lost by him on the Sparrow Muir in the manner before related. - -So much for tradition. The beautiful ring in Mr. Neish's possession may -possibly be assigned to the later part of the fourteenth century; the -workmanship presents no feature of early character to justify the -supposition that it was a gift from William the Lion. There is also the -assurance of one of the most accurate and acute of Scottish antiquaries -that no such document or 'advertisement' as is alleged to have been put -forth by the loser of the ring is in existence; neither is there any -record of any architect employed by David II., or by his father Robert I. - -The supposition seems to be that the ring may have belonged to some -person of the family of Douglas by whom St. Francis was held in special -veneration, and that hence the _cordelière_ was introduced upon it. There -existed at Dundee a Franciscan convent, which appears to have received -support from the Douglas family. - -A relic of Flodden Field (1513), a ring, was found in 1783, on the site of -the battle. It bore the following inscription in Norman-French: 'On est -mal loiauls amans qui se poet garder des maux disans' (no lovers so -faithful as to be able to guard themselves against evil-speakers). Between -every two words, and at the beginning of each line, is a boar's head. This -being the crest of the Campbells, it is not improbable that the ring was -that of the Argylls, and might have belonged to Archibald Campbell, the -second Earl of Argyll, who was killed while commanding the van of the army -at the fatal battle of Flodden Field,-- - - Where shiver'd was fair Scotland's spear, - And broken was her shield. - -I have previously alluded to the signet-ring of Mary, Queen of Scots, in -the British Museum. A few additional particulars of this celebrated relic -will be interesting. It were now a fruitless task to seek to discover -through what means this ring passed into the collection of the Queen of -George III. It subsequently came into possession of the late Duke of York, -and at the sale of his plate and jewels at Christie's, in 1827, it was -purchased for fourteen guineas. - -This ring is massive, and weighs 212 grs.; the hoop has been chased with -foliage and flowers, and enamelled, and appears to have been much worn; a -few traces of the enamel remain. The impress is the royal achievement, -engraved on a piece of crystal or white sapphire, of oval form, measuring -about three-quarters of an inch by five-eighths. The royal cognizance or -the crest, on a helmet of mantlings, and ensigned with a crown, is a lion -sejant affronté gu. crowned, holding in his dexter paw a naked sword, and -in the sinister a sceptre, both erect and ppr. Above the crest appear the -motto and the initials previously alluded to. The shield is surrounded by -the collar of the Thistle, with the badge, and supported by unicorns -chained and ducally gorged. On the dexter side there is a banner charged -with the arms of Scotland; on the sinister another with three bars, over -all a saltire. It is remarkable that the heraldic tinctures are -represented on the back of the engraved stone, either by enamelling or -painting, and the field or back-ground is coloured dark blue. This mode of -ornamentation is found in some of the fine Italian works of the period. - -Sir Thomas Hepburn has a gold ring traditionally regarded as having been -worn by Queen Mary of Scotland. The hoop is enamelled black; the setting -consists of six opals surrounding one of much larger size, presenting the -appearance of a six-petalled flower. - -Apropos of Queen Mary's assumption of the arms of England in defiance of -Elizabeth, they are so engraved upon a signet-ring that belonged to the -late Earl of Buchan, as certified upon the little boxes containing -facsimiles of the seal, and sold to all sight-seers at Holyrood Palace. -The arms of England and France are placed in the first and fourth quarter -of the shield: those of Scotland in the second quarter, and those of -Ireland in the third quarter. - -A ring of very exquisite workmanship connected with the Seymour family, -and in the possession of the Earl of Home, was exhibited at the Society of -Antiquaries (April 1864), and is an interesting historical relic. The -body of the ring is made of mother-of-pearl, and on it is set an oval -medallion, with a cipher 'E. R.' in relief, the E. being made of diamonds, -the R. of blue enamel: on each side along the shank of the ring is a line -of rubies set in gold. The medallion with the cipher opens, and discloses -a recess in the mother-of-pearl with a bust in low relief, apparently a -portrait of Jane Seymour, three-quarter face. The bust is made of gold, -coloured with enamel or paint, and is set with a small diamond as a -brooch. The inner surface of the lid with the cipher encloses a bust in -profile of Queen Elizabeth in enamelled gold, with a ruby set as a brooch. -Within the ring, and therefore at the back of the portrait of Jane -Seymour, is a small oval plate of gold, ornamented with translucent -enamel, and representing an earl's coronet, over which is a phoenix in -flames. The phoenix was a well-known badge of Queen Elizabeth, but it was -also adopted as the crest of the Seymour family, to whom it must here be -referred. Edward Seymour, eldest son of the Protector by his second wife, -was created Earl of Hertford by Queen Elizabeth in 1559, and it is -probable that the ring was made shortly after, before he lost the favour -of the Queen through his marriage with Lady Catherine Grey. - -In 'Archæologia,' vol. xxxi., is a fine example of a weighty ring of fine -gold, found in 1823 at Thetford, in Suffolk. The device which appears upon -this ring is an eagle displayed; on the inner side is engraved a bird, -with the wings closed, apparently a falcon, with a crown upon its head. -The following posy, or motto, commencing on the outer side, is continued -on the interior of the ring:--=dens me ouroye de bous senir a gree--com -moun coner desiri=--'God work for me to make suit acceptably to you, as -my heart desires.' The devices appear to be heraldic, and the motto that -of a lover, or a suitor to one in power. The eagle is the bearing of -several ancient Suffolk families; it was also a badge of the House of -Lancaster, and Thetford was one portion of the Duchy of Lancaster. - -[Illustration: Heraldic ring.] - -In the 'Revue Britannique' for January 1869, the discovery was announced -of the two wedding-rings interchanged between Martin Luther and Catherine -von Bora, one of nine nuns, who, under the influence of his teaching, had -emancipated themselves from their religious vows. She afterwards married -Luther. The _Revue_ states that the ring of the great Reformer is at -Waldenburg, and the bride's ring is now in Paris; that they are similar in -composition, the latter being smaller. They are of silver gilt, with a -figure of Christ upon the cross, and bear inside the same inscription, 'D. -Martino Luthero Catherinan Boren, 13 Juni, 1589.' It is further stated -that the bride's ring belongs to a Protestant lady, Madame Michael Girod, -and was purchased by her at an old store-shop in Geneva. - -[Illustration: Supposed betrothal ring of Martin Luther.] - -Considerable doubts exist, however, as to the authenticity of these rings, -a writer in 'Notes and Queries' pointing out an evident mistake in the -date, and the inscription on the bride's ring 'D. Martin_o_ Luther_o_ -Catherinan Boren:' not meaning 'Dr. Martin Luther to Catherinan Boren' but -the reverse. Another correspondent of the same work mentions that 'Luther' -rings were made for a jubilee at Leipsic in 1825. - -[Illustration: Betrothment ring of Martin Luther.] - -Mr. H. Noel Humphreys, an eminent authority on these subjects, states -('Intellectual Observer,' February 1862): 'The betrothment-ring of Luther, -which belonged to a family at Leipsic as late as 1817, and is doubtless -still preserved with the greatest care as a national relic of great -interest, is composed of an intricate device of gold-work set with a ruby, -the emblem of exalted love. The gold devices represent all the symbols of -the "Passion." In the centre is the crucified Saviour: on one side the -spear, with which the side was pierced, and the rod of reeds of the -flagellation. On the other is a leaf of hyssop. Beneath are the dies with -which the soldiers cast lots for the garment without seam, and below are -the three nails. At the back may be distinguished the inside of the -ladder, and other symbols connected with the last act of the Atonement; -the whole so grouped as to make a large cross, surmounted by the ruby, the -most salient feature of the device. On the inside of the ring the -inscriptions are still perfect. They contain the names of the betrothed -pair, and the date of the wedding-day in German, "der 13 Junij 1525." This -was the ring presented to the wife at the betrothal, and worn by her after -the marriage. The _marriage-ring_ worn by Luther after his marriage was -still more intricate in its structure. It is an ingeniously contrived -_double_-ring, every intricacy of structure having its point and meaning. -In the first place, though the double-ring can be divided, so as to form -two complete rings, yet they cannot be separated from each other, as the -one passing through the other causes them to remain permanently -interlaced, as an emblem of the marriage vow, though still forming two -perfect rings; illustrating also the motto engraved within them, "_Was Got -zussamen füget soll Kein Mensch Scheiden_"--what God doth join no man -shall part. On the one hoop is a diamond, the emblem of power, duration, -and fidelity; and on the inside of its raised mounting, which, when joined -to the other hoop, will be concealed, are the initials of Martin Luther, -followed by a D., marking his academic title. On the corresponding surface -of the mounting of the gem of the other hoop are the initials of his wife, -Catherine von Bora, which, on the closing of the rings, necessarily lies -close to those of Luther. The gem in this side of the ring is a ruby, the -emblem of exalted love; so that the names of Catherine and Luther are -closely united, when the rings are closed, beneath the emblems of exalted -love, power, duration, and fidelity. - -[Illustration: Marriage ring of Martin Luther.] - -'There can be but little doubt that these curious and interesting rings -were designed by the celebrated painter and goldsmith, Lucas Cranach, and -possibly wrought with his own hand, the marriage of his friend Luther -being a special occasion which he doubtless wished to honour with every -attention. Lucas was, indeed, one of the three select friends whom Luther -took to witness his betrothal; the others being Dr. Bugenhagen, town -preacher of Wittenberg, and the lawyer Assel, who all accompanied him to -Reichenbach's house, where Catherine resided.' - -Among the numerous articles of Shakspearian interest presented to the -Shakspeare Library and Museum at Stratford, by Miss Anne Wheler, the -surviving sister of the historian of Stratford-on-Avon, the late Mr. -Robert Bell Wheler, is a gold signet-ring described as Shakspeare's, -having the initials 'W. S.' a true lover's knot entwined between them. - -[Illustration: Shakspeare's ring (?).] - -An account of the discovery of the ring appeared in the 'Guide to -Stratford-on-Avon,' by Mr. Wheler, published in 1814, from which it -appears that the ring was found four years previously by a labourer's wife -upon the surface of the mill close adjoining Stratford churchyard. 'I -purchased it on the same day,' observes Mr. Wheler, 'for thirty-six -shillings (the current value of the gold), yet the woman had sufficient -time to destroy the precious _ærugo_ by having it unnecessarily immersed -in aquafortis, to ascertain and prove the metal, at a silversmith's shop. -It is of tolerably large dimensions (weighing 12 dwts.), and evidently a -gentleman's ring of Elizabeth's age.' To prove the authenticity of the -ring, Mr. Wheler made many efforts to discover whether there existed -anywhere Shakspeare's seal attached to letter or other writings, but -ineffectually. 'From a close observation of the ring,' adds Mr. Wheler, 'I -should be inclined to suppose that it was made in the early part of the -poet's life. Mr. Malone, in a conversation I had with him in London, said -he had nothing to allege against the probability of my conjecture as to -its owner.' - -No positive proof, however, according to Mr. Wheler's own admission, can -be adduced as to the authenticity of the ring having belonged to -Shakspeare, but the very probability gives an interest to it, which most -persons who inspect it will feel. - -'Is it Shakspeare's?' remarks Mr. Fairholt. 'It is evidently a gentleman's -ring, and of the poet's era. It is just such a ring as a man in his -station would fittingly wear--gentlemanly, but not pretentious. There was -but one other person in the small town of Stratford at that time to whom -the same initials belonged. This was one William Smith, but his seal is -attached to several documents preserved among the records of the -corporation, and is totally different.' [He was a draper; and his seal has -a device upon it consisting of a skull with a bone in the mouth; the -letters 'W. S.' are under it, and very small. This ring was, most -probably, of silver. It is unlikely that a small trader like Smith should -wear a heavy gold ring, like this which claims to be Shakspeare's.] Mr. -Halliwell, in his 'Life of Shakspeare,' observes, that 'little doubt can -be entertained that this ring belonged to the poet, and, it is, probably, -the one he lost before his death, and was not to be found when his will -was executed, the word _hand_ being substituted for that of _seal_ in the -original copy of that document.' [The concluding words of the will are, -'in witness whereof I have hereunto put my seale,' the last word being -struck through with a pen, and _hand_ substituted.] - -In the 'Gentleman's Magazine' (May 1810) we find: 'For further -confirmation of circumstances we may observe over the porch leading into -the gate of Charlecote Hall, near Stratford-on-Avon, erected in the early -part of Elizabeth's reign by the very Sir Thomas Lucy who is said to have -prosecuted Shakspeare, the letters "T. L." connected in a manner precisely -similar to that on the ring.' - -[Illustration: Initials of Sir Thomas Lucy at Charlecote Hall.] - -The crossing of the centre lines of the W., with the oblique direction of -the lines of the S., exactly agree with the characters of that day. For -proof, we need wander no farther than Stratford Church, where the -Cloptons' and Totness' tombs will furnish representations of rings, and -Shakspeare's monument of letters, exactly corresponding in point of shape. -The connection or union of the letters, by the ornamental strings and -tassels, was then frequently used, of which we may meet with numerous -instances upon seals of that period. - -In the life of Haydon the painter we have the following letter from him to -Keats (March 1, 1818): 'My dear Keats, I shall go mad! In a field at -Stratford-upon-Avon, that belonged to Shakspeare, they have found a gold -ring and seal with the initials "W. S." and a true lover's knot between. -If this is not Shakspeare's whose is it?--a true lover's knot! I saw an -impression to-day and am to have one as soon as possible: as sure as you -breathe and that he was the first of beings the seal belonged to him. - - 'O Lord!' 'B. R. HAYDON.' - -The ring of Sir Walter Raleigh, which he wore at the time of his -execution, is, according to the statement in 'Notes and Queries' of a -descendant of that truly 'great' man, in the possession of a member of the -Blanckley family, being a heir-loom, the Blanckleys being directly -descended from Sir Walter, and having several interesting relics of their -distinguished ancestor. - -Octavius Morgan, Esq., F.R.S., F.S.A., exhibited at a meeting of the -Society of Antiquaries (February 1857) a rare and curious 'Trinity' ring, -turned out of one piece of ivory, and belonging to the latter part of the -seventeenth century. It is formed by a single band of ivory, making three -circuits, so intertwined with one another as not to touch, and thus -forming a threefold ring. 'Its curiosity is great,' remarked Mr. Morgan, -'because these rings were only made by one person; so much art and skill -were required in the making that they were the wonder of the time, and no -one at the present day knows by what contrivance they were turned, or how -they could now be made. The interest consists in having ascertained the -maker of the ring, which I by chance met with some years ago in this -city.... We find from Doppelmayer that Stephan Zick (born 1639), the -artist to whom I attribute this ring, was descended from a Nuremberg -family long famous for their skill in this art.... Doppelmayer, describing -some of the wonderful objects which he produced, says, the work which most -distinguished him was his Trinity rings. Of these he made only three; the -two first were in the Museums of Vienna and Dresden, and the third became -the property of an amateur collector of curiosities in Nuremberg as a -wonderful work of art and skill. This was written in 1730. On comparing -this ring with the engraving in Doppelmayer, it exactly corresponds. The -little box turned as a case for it shows how it was cared for, and is -indicative of the period when it was made. We also learn from Doppelmayer -that these Trinity rings seem to have been first made in gold by a -jeweller of Nuremberg, Johan Heel, about 1670, and he describes them as -consisting of a single piece of wire, forming a three-fold circuit, each -circuit skilfully intertwined with the other two so as not to touch each -other, the ends being so cleverly united that the point of juncture could -not be discovered. Thus there were three rings in one, and hence the name. -The inventor of these ingenious rings is not known, but it is considered -to be a Jesuit, named Scherern, about 1660. It certainly required great -skill to have turned such a ring out of one piece of ivory, a work which I -believe it is not possible to accomplish with any machinery now in use. -The inference I draw from the foregoing is, that if Stephan Zick alone -could make these rings of ivory--if he only made three, and that if one of -these is at Vienna, and another at Dresden, I must now be the fortunate -possessor of the third.' - -[Illustration: Ivory-turned rings.] - -(The greatest progress in ivory-carving was made in Flanders, Holland, and -Germany, about the middle of the sixteenth century. There are in the -museums of Munich, Vienna, and Berlin, a quantity of ivory vases, etc., -covered with exquisite carvings.--_Labarte._) - -Mr. Edwards, in his 'History and Poetry of Finger-rings,' mentions, and -gives an illustration of, a ring that may well claim a place among -remarkable specimens. It is a gigantic ring, presented in 1852, by some -citizens of California to President Pierce. The description of this -golden monster is given from Gleason's 'Pictorial Newspaper' (December 25, -1852): 'It weighs upwards of a full pound, and for chasteness of design, -elegance of execution, and high style of finish, has, perhaps, no equal in -the world. The design is by Mr. George Blake, a mechanic of San Francisco. -The circular portion of the ring is cut into squares, which stand at right -angles to each other, and are embellished each with a beautifully executed -design, the entire group representing a pictorial history of California, -from her primitive state down to her present flourishing condition, under -the flag of our Union. - -'Thus, there is given a grizzly bear in a menacing attitude, a deer -bounding down a slope, an enraged boa, a soaring eagle, and a salmon. Then -we have the Indian with his bow and arrow, the primitive weapon of -self-defence; the native mountaineer on horseback, and a Californian on -horseback, throwing his lasso. Next peeps out a Californian tent. Then you -see a miner at work with his pick, the whole being shaded by two American -flags, with the staves crossed and groups of stars in the angles. The part -of the ring reserved for the seal is covered by a solid and deeply carved -plate of gold, bearing the arms of the State of California in the centre, -surmounted by the banner and stars of the United States, and inscribed -with "Frank Pierce" in old Roman characters. This lid opens upon a hinge, -and presents to view, underneath, a square box, divided by bars of gold -into nine separate compartments, each containing a pure specimen of the -varieties of one found in the country. Upon the inside is the following -inscription: "_Presented to_ Franklin Pierce, _the Fourteenth President of -the United States_." - -'The ring is valued at two thousand dollars. Altogether, it is a massive -and superb affair, rich in emblematical design and illustration, and -worthy its object.' - -In the collection of Lord Braybrooke is the ring of Tippoo Saib, which is -thus described in the catalogue: 'This magnificent jewel has a plain gold -hoop, with the entire surface set with rubies; on the centre is perched a -large bird, apparently intended for a hawk, made of gold and beautifully -executed, with the plumage composed completely of precious stones, the -diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire. A better idea of the splendour of -this ornament will be formed from a description of the bird. Length from -the base of the bill to the end of the tail, 3-1/4 inches; girth round the -body, 3-1/4 inches; width across the scapulars, 1-1/2 inch; width across -the tail, three-quarters of an inch; height 1-1/8 inch. In the beak are -two small ruby-drops, a single emerald in the crest, and rubies for the -eyes; a single row of nine sapphires encircles the throat, and 139 rubies, -including those on the hoop, 14 in number, with 29 diamonds, some of them -very large, and all set flat, cover the rest of the neck, breast, back, -and tail. Several gems beside have been lost from their setting. Across -the belly, behind the legs, is an inscription in some Indian characters, -which has not yet been explained beyond the following remarks upon it in a -letter addressed by the (late) A. Way Esq., who copied it, to Lady -Braybrooke: "The characters are a corruption of the ordinary Sanscrit, -that is, I suppose, some local variety or peculiarity of a dialect in -Tippoo's district; they appear to signify certain titles of the great -chief, commencing with a portion of his proper style, '_Maha ra jah_,' -sufficient to show that the inscription relates only to the name of Tippoo -Saib. This is all that I can at present offer in regard to your highly -curious jewel.--Nov. 24, 1848." This unique and interesting ring was -brought from India by some one in the army, at the time of the capture of -Seringapatam, 1792, under the first Marquis Cornwallis, and presented to -his family, by whom it has been preserved and descended as an heirloom -through his eldest grandchild, the late Lady Braybrooke. It was stated at -the time of its presentation that Tippoo was in the habit of wearing it -when he went out hawking, perhaps only when he did so in state. Weight of -the whole 2 oz. 6 dwts. 7 grs.' - -The Baroness Burdett Coutts possesses a gold ring set with large green -tourmaline. It is of Indian workmanship, and is said to have belonged to -Tippoo Saib. - -The Rev. C. W. King in his 'Precious Stones, Gems, and Precious Metals,' -mentions 'an unparalleled specimen of Oriental caprice and extravagance--a -finger-ring cut out of a solid piece of emerald of remarkably pure -quality, with two emerald drops and two collets set with rose diamonds, -and ruby borders in Oriental mountings, formerly belonging to Jehanghir, -son of Akbar, Emperor of Delhi, whose name is engraved on the ring. -Diameter 1-1/4 × 1-1/8 in. This ring was presented by Shah Soojah to the -East India Company, and was purchased by the late Lord Auckland, when -Governor-General of India. Now in the possession of the Hon. Miss Eden.' - -A wonderful ring was presented by the Great Mogul to the only envoy of the -Emperor of Germany who ever visited his court. 'The very first sight of -this jewel,' observes the Rev. C. W. King, 'sufficed to convince one that -it could have had no other origin than this, such a show of barbarian -splendour did it exhibit, forming in itself a complete cabinet of every -kind of precious stone of colour to be found in his dominions. Its form -was that of a wheel about three inches in diameter, composed of several -concentric circles, joined together by the spokes radiating from the -centre, in which was set a large round sapphire. The spokes at all their -intersections with the circles, had collets soldered on them, each -containing some coloured gem; in fact, every stone of value except the -diamond occurred in this glorious company. On the back was fixed the -shank, and when worn it covered the whole hand like some huge mushroom.' - -On the death of the late Cardinal York at Rome, amongst various relics of -the house of Stuart, purchased for Lord John Scott, were the ring worn by -the Pretender--James the Third, as he was styled abroad--on his marriage -with the Princess Clementina Sobieski, and the marriage-ring of his son, -Prince Charles Edward, enclosing a beautiful little miniature; a gold ring -with a white rose in enamel, worn by King James the Second and his son; a -ring with a cameo portrait in ivory of James the Second; a ring with a -miniature portrait of Henry Stuart, Cardinal, Duke of York, when young; a -ring with a cameo portrait, by the celebrated engraver Pickler, of James -Sobieski, great-uncle of the Pretender's wife; a ring with a cameo -portrait, by the same artist, of the wife of Prince Charles Edward; also -one with a cameo portrait of the Duchess of Albany, and another containing -a lock of her hair. - -In the possession of R. H. Soden Smith, Esq., F.S.A., is a gold ring, -having in the bezel a miniature of Prince James Stuart, the old Chevalier, -set round with small crystals. English contemporary work. - -Sir Watkin Williams Wynn possesses a gold ring, set with a ruby, -surrounded by the Garter, crowned with the motto 'Dieu et mon Droit' on -the hoop. - -This is an interesting family relic, having been a present from Prince -Charles Edward. - -A signet-ring, believed to be the Council Seal of Queen Henrietta Maria, -made by warrant, Sept. 6, 1626, is the property of Miss Hartshorne, and -has a circular bezel, set with sapphire, engraved with escutcheon, bearing -the arms of England surmounted by a crown, the letters M and R at the -sides; on the shoulders is the rose of England in coloured enamel. -Diameter of the ring 1-1/8 in. This curious relic was exhibited at the -Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South Kensington -Museum in 1872. - -Mr. Octavius Morgan, F.R.S., F.S.A., has in his valuable collection of -rings one formed with a diminutive squirt, which, being concealed in the -hand, would, at pleasure, throw a jet of water into the eye of anyone -examining it.[77] - -[Illustration: Squirt-ring.] - -In the Waterton Collection is a bronze squirt-ring with octagonal bezel, -finely chased with mask of Silenus, the ring hollow, with tube projecting -from the hoop, so that it can be used as a squirt. Italian work of the -sixteenth century. L. one and seven-tenths inch. - -In the same collection, also, is a ring made to serve as a _whistle_. It -is of lead, with circular bezel finely chased in relief, with profile -heads of Charles the Fifth and his empress. Flemish, sixteenth century. -Diameter one and one-eighth inch. - -In the 'Annual Register' for 1764 we read that Mr. Arnold, of Devereux -Court, in the Strand, watchmaker, had the honour to present His Majesty -George the Third with a most curious repeating watch of his own making, -_set in a ring_. The size of the watch was something less than a silver -twopence; it contained 120 different parts and weighed altogether five -dwts. seven grains and three-fourths. - -Among curious ring relics may be mentioned one in which a tooth of Sir -Isaac Newton was set. The tooth was sold to a nobleman in 1816 for -730_l._, who had it placed in the ring, and wore it constantly on his -finger. Denon, the French _savant_, wore a ring set with a tooth of -Voltaire. - -At Norwich in 1847 a silver ring was exhibited, set with a dark-coloured -substance, supposed to be the palatal tooth of a fish, like those of the -_Sphoerodus Gigas_. This closely resembles the precious ring given -(according to tradition) by Richard Coeur-de-Lion, to one of the Dawnay -family in the Holy Wars, and adopted as their crest. It is preserved in -the collection of Viscount Downe, and was shown by him at a meeting of the -Institute at York. Another ring, with the same kind of setting, belonged -to the late Mr. Albert Way. Date, the thirteenth century. - -In the collection of Mr. A. J. B. Beresford Hope is a gold ring set with a -sapphire of extraordinary brilliancy, known as the 'saphir merveilleux,' -which formerly belonged to Philippe d'Orléans (Égalité), and is mentioned -by Madame de Genlis. - -In 1765, a very beautiful and perfect gold ring was found by a workman -among the ruins of the North Gate House, on Bedford Bridge, when that -building was pulled down. It bears the initials 'J.B.,' and is engraved -with a death's-head and the words 'Memento mori.' There seems to be every -probability that this ring once belonged to John Bunyan, who was -imprisoned there. This precious relic was sold to Dr. Abbot, chaplain to -the Duke of Bedford, and presented by him in his last illness to the Rev. -G. H. Bower, perpetual curate of Elstow, the birthplace of Bunyan. - -The London press has lately announced that Dean Bower bequeathed to his -nephew, Mr. Henry Addington, this ring. - -In the preceding chapter I have mentioned several portrait-rings of -remarkable interest; I may add that at the Loan Exhibition of Ancient and -Modern Jewellery at the South Kensington Museum in 1872, some fine and -highly curious specimens of this character were shown, and amongst them -the following:-- - -Colonel Dawson Damer is the possessor of a gold ring with a miniature by -Cosway of the eye of George, Prince of Wales. - -Professor Maskelyne has an intaglio portrait of Sir Isaac Newton, set in a -ring, which was presented to the late Dr. Maskelyne, Astronomer Royal, by -Dr. Shepherd, of Cambridge, contemporary of Newton. - -In the collection of Earl Beauchamp is a gold ring with enamel portrait of -the Regent Orleans, by Petitot; French, beginning of the eighteenth -century. Also a gold ring with profile portrait of Frederic the Great; and -another portrait within; eighteenth century. - -Belonging to the Rev. J. C. Jackson is a gold ring set with intaglio, an -emerald portrait of James II.; eighteenth century; formerly the property -of Cardinal York. A gold ring, black enamelled, with miniature portrait of -Prince Charles Edward; eighteenth century. - -A ring with a portrait head of Queen Elizabeth (?) in carved jacinth, -mounted in gold, set with brilliants; French, sixteenth century, the -property of George Bonnor, Esq. - -Till, in his account of 'Coronation Medals,' mentions (but without citing -his authority) that the late Cardinal of York wore constantly, till his -decease, a ring which bore the portraits of the Pretender, James the -Third, and his wife; it was taken from his finger in the hour of his -dissolution, by his servant, and sold as a perquisite--a relic of the -instability and mutation of human greatness--to William, Baron Bartholdy, -son to the Jewish Plato, Moses Mendelssohn. It is now in the Ashmolean -Museum, Oxford, to which it was presented by Mrs. Maria Graham (since -Calcott), in 1824. - - - - -APPENDIX. - - -CHAPTER I. - -RINGS FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD. P. 18. - -Counterfeit rings belong to all ages and peoples. Hall, in his 'Satires,' -says:-- - - Nor can good Myron weare on his left hand - A signet-ring of Bristol diamond, - But he must cut his glove to show his pride - That his trim jewel might be better spied: - And that men might some burgesse him repute - With sattin sleeves hath graced his sacke-cloth suit. - -The punishment of whipping in former days was inflicted on dishonest -traders in rings. In the 'Diary of Henry Machyn, from 1550 to 1563' -(Camden Society), is the following entry in 1556:--'The iij day of July -was a man wypyd a-bowtt the post of reformacyon be{f} the standard in -Chepsyd for sellyng of false rynges.' - -Fines were also inflicted; in the records of the Goldsmiths' Company we -find: 'In 1512 Robert Mayne, for mysworkyng of rings wars (worse) than -sterling v oz and dj, leaves in pledge 2-1/2 dozen of the said rings, -pledges as security for the payments of fines and defaults.' - -In the same records we have a curious account for 'costs in the Chauncerie -for the recoverie of a counterfete Diamant set in a gold ring (8th Edward -IV., 1469),' which affords an idea of lawyers' charges in those days:-- - - £ _s._ _d._ - - For boat-hire to Westminster and home again for the suit - in the Chancery began in the old warden's time, for - the recovery of a counterfeit diamond set in a gold - ring 0 0 6 - For a breakfast at Westminster spent on our counsel 0 1 6 - To Mr. Catesby, serjeant at law, to plead for the same 0 3 4 - To another time for boat-hire in and out, and a breakfast - for two days 0 1 6 - Again for boat-hire and one breakfast 0 1 0 - To the keeper of the Chancery door 0 0 2 - To Timothy Fairfax at two times 0 8 4 - To Pigott for attendance at two times 0 6 8 - To a breakfast at Westminster 7_d._, boat-hire 4_d._ 0 0 11 - ----------- - 1 3 11 - - -_Pliny's account of Rings._ P. 25. - -Pliny's remarks on rings are as follow:--'It was the custom at first to -wear rings on a single finger only--the one, namely, that is next to the -little finger, and thus we see the case in the statues of Numa and Servius -Tullius. In later times it became the practice to put rings on the finger -next to the thumb, even in the case of the statues of the gods; and, more -recently again, it has become the fashion to wear them upon the little -finger as well. Among the peoples of Gallia and Britannia, the middle -finger, it is said, is used for this purpose. At the present day, however, -among us, this is the only finger that is excepted, all others being -loaded with rings, smaller rings even being separately adapted for the -smaller joints of the fingers. Some there are who heap several rings on -the little finger alone; while others, again, wear but one ring on this -finger--the ring that sets a seal on the signet-ring itself; this last -being carefully shut up as an object of rarity, too precious to be worn in -common use, and only to be taken from the cabinet (dactyliotheca) as from -a sanctuary. And thus is the wearing of a single ring upon the little -finger no more than an ostentatious advertisement that the owner has -property of a more precious nature under seal at home. Some, too, make a -parade of the weight of their rings, while to others it is quite a labour -to wear more than one at a time; some, in their solicitude for the safety -of their gems, make the hoop of gold tinsel, and fill it with a lighter -material than gold, thinking thereby to diminish the risk of a fall. -Others, again, are in the habit of enclosing poisons beneath the stones of -their rings, and so wear them as instruments of death. And then, besides, -how many of the crimes that are stimulated by cupidity are committed -through the instrumentality of rings! How happy the times--how truly -innocent--in which no seal was put to anything! At the present day, on the -contrary, our very food even, and our drink, have to be preserved from -theft through the agency of the ring; and so far is it from being -sufficient to have the very keys sealed, that the signet-ring is often -taken from off the owner's fingers while he is overpowered with sleep, or -lying on his deathbed.' - - -_Shrewsbury Morse-ivory Thumb-ring._ P. 89. - -The coat-of-arms engraved on this ring consists of--'Quarterly of four: 1. -Talbot, a lion rampant, with a bordure engrailed; 2. Strange, two lions -passant; 3. Neville, a saltire; 4. Verdon, a fret.' - -Dr. Iliff observes: 'The date of the ring appears to me to be about the -middle of the sixteenth century, and it may, therefore, be ascribed to -Francis Talbot, fifth Earl of Shrewsbury of that family, who was elected -K.G. in 1545, and died September 25, 1560. - -'With respect to the quarterings on the ring, I would observe that the -first coat was assumed, as the paternal coat of Talbot, by Sir Gilbert -Talbot (who died in 1298) on marrying Gwenllian, daughter of Rhys Vychan -ap Gruffyd, Lord of North Wales, in lieu of his paternal arms, Bendy of -ten argent and gules. The second quartering (Strange) was brought in by -the marriage of Richard, Lord Talbot, of Eccleswall, Lord Strange, of -Blackmere, in right of his wife Angharad, daughter and heir of John, Lord -Strange. The third and fourth quarterings (Neville and Verdon) were -brought in by the marriage of John Talbot, first Earl of Shrewsbury, of -that family, with Maud, only daughter and heir of Sir Thomas Neville, Lord -Furnival, and great-granddaughter of Thomas de Furnival, Lord of -Sheffield, by Joan, daughter and co-heir of Theobald de Verdon, Baron of -Webley.' - - -_The Soden Smith Collection of Ancient Rings._ - -In the splendid collection of rings belonging to Mr. R. H. Soden Smith, -F.S.A. (one hundred and forty specimens of which, dating from various -periods, and commencing with ancient Egyptian, were exhibited at the Loan -Exhibition of Jewellery at the South Kensington Museum, in 1872), are some -fine works of ancient art. I may mention an antique Etruscan gold ring, -with broad oblong bezel, repoussé, with representation of a chimera and -griffin, the sides of the bezel enriched with delicate filigree work. An -antique Etruscan gold ring, terminating in two serpents' heads, ornamented -with three collars of filigree work. An iron ring (probably Etruscan), the -surface plated with gold, chased with figure of a cock upon a pillar, and -having a gold dot inserted. An antique Græco-Roman gold ring, the hoop -formed of four strands of twisted wire-work, the bezel set with projecting -onyx of four strata. An antique Roman silver pennannular ring, ending in -two serpents' heads. A Roman ring, of the third century, the bezel set -with a pierced piece of rough emerald, shoulders chased from the solid -with beaded ornament. A silver pennannular ring, of Oriental type, -terminating in ribbed hexagonal knobs. Found with Roman coins, in removing -old London Bridge. An antique Roman bronze key-ring, found at Silchester. -A gold Roman ring, of the third century, very massive, of angular outline, -set with intaglio on nicolo onyx, engraved with a figure of Mercury; -ploughed up in Sussex. A series of five gold antique Roman rings, set with -emeralds, jasper, and sard; some engraved with subjects in intaglio. -Antique Greek rings of gold, hollow, set with sards, vitreous pastes, &c. -An antique Roman bronze ring, plated with gold. An antique Roman silver -ring, the bezel engraved with a hare. Two gold rings of the Lower Empire, -or Byzantine, with projecting bezels; one set with root of emerald, the -other with ribbon onyx. - - -CHAPTER II. - -RING SUPERSTITIONS. - - -_Solomon's Ring._ P. 93. - -In the Koran (chapter xxxvi., 'revealed at Mecca'), it is stated:--'We -also tried Solomon, and placed on his throne a counterfeit body.' In the -chapter on 'Ring Superstitions' I have mentioned the fable of Solomon's -ring. The exposition of the passage in the Koran is taken from the -following Talmudic fiction:--Solomon, having taken Sidon and slain the -king of that city, brought away his daughter Jerâda, who became his -favourite; and because she ceased not to lament her father's loss, he -ordered the devils to make an image of him for her consolation; which -being done, and placed in her chamber, she and her maids worshipped it -morning and evening, according to their custom. At length Solomon, being -informed of this idolatry, which was practised under his roof by his vizir -Asâf, he broke the image, and, having chastised the women, went out into -the desert, where he wept, and made supplication to God, who did not think -fit, however, to let his negligence pass without some correction. It was -Solomon's custom, while he washed himself, to trust his signet, on which -his kingdom depended, with a concubine of his, named Amîna. One day, -therefore, when she had the ring in her custody, a devil named Sakhar came -to her in the shape of Solomon, and received the ring from her, by virtue -of which he became possessed of the kingdom, and sat on the throne in the -shape which he had borrowed, making what alterations in the law he -pleased. Solomon, in the meantime, being changed in his outer appearance, -and known to none of his subjects, was obliged to wander about and beg -alms for his subsistence; till at length, after the space of forty days, -which was the time the image had been worshipped in his house, the devil -flew away and threw the ring into the sea, where it was immediately -swallowed by a fish, which being taken and given to Solomon, he found the -ring in its belly, and having by this means recovered the kingdom, took -Sakhar, and, tying a great stone to his neck, threw him into the Lake of -Tiberias. - - -_Charmed Ring of Sir Edward Neville._ P. 132. - -In the Confession of Sir Edward Neville, he alludes thus to the 'charmed' -ring:--'William Neville did send for me to Oxford that I should come and -speak with him at "Weke," and to him I went; it was the first time I ever -saw him; I would I had been buried that day. When I came he took me to a -_littell_ room, and went to his garden, and there demanded of me many -questions, and among all others, asked if it were not possible to have a -ring made which should bring a man in favour with his Prince; "seeing my -Lord Cardinal had such a ring, that whatsoever he asked of the King's -Grace, that he had; and Master Cromwell, when he and I were servants in my -Lord Cardinal's house, did haunt to the company of one that was seen in -your faculty; and shortly after, no man so great with my Lord Cardinal as -Master Cromwell was; and I have spoke with all them that has any name in -this realm; and all they showed me that I should be great with my Prince, -and this is the cause that I did send for you, to know whether your saying -will be agreeable to theirs, or no." And I, at the hearty desire of him, -showed him that I had read many books, and especially the works of -Solomon, and how his ring should be made, and of what metal; and what -virtues they have after the canon of Solomon. And then he desired me -instantly to take the pains to make him one of them; and I told him that I -could make them, but I made never none of them, and I cannot tell that -they have such virtues or no, but by hearing say. Also he asked me what -other works I had read. And I told him that I had read the magical works -of Hermes, which many men doth prize; and thus departed at that time. And -one fortnight after, William Neville came to Oxford, and said that he had -one Wayd at home at his house that did show him more than I did show him; -for the said Wayd did show him that he should be a great lord, nigh to the -parts that he dwelt in. And that in that lordship should be a fair castle; -and he could not imagine what it should be, except it were the castle of -Warwick. And I answered and said to him, that I dreamed that an angel took -him and me by the hands, and led us to a high tower, and there delivered -him a shield, with sundry arms, which I cannot rehearse, and this is all I -ever showed him save at his desire. I went thither with him, and as -concerning any other man, save at the desire of Sir Gr. Done, Knt., I made -the moulds that ye have, to the intent that he should have had Mistress -Elizabeth's gear.' - - -_Wedding-ring of the Virgin Mary and Joseph._ P. 93. - -In Patrick's 'Devotions of the Roman Church' is a curious account of the -wedding-ring of the Virgin Mary and Joseph. It is there described as of -onyx or amethyst, wherein was discerned a representation of the flowers -that budded on his rod. 'It was discovered in the year 996 in this -way:--Judith, the wife of Hugo, Marquis of Etruria, being a great lover of -jewels, employed one Ranerius, a skilful jeweller and lapidary of Clusium, -to go to Rome to make purchases for her. There he formed an intimacy with -a jeweller from Jerusalem, who, when Ranerius was about to return home, -professed great affection, and offered him a ring as a pledge of -friendship. Ranerius, looking upon it as of little value, declined it with -a slight compliment; but the jeweller from the Holy Land bade him not -contemn it, for it was the wedding-ring of Joseph and the Blessed Virgin, -and made him take it, with a special charge that it should not fall into -the hands of a wicked person. Ranerius, still careless of what he said, -threw it into a little chest with articles of inferior value, where it -remained until his forgetfulness cost him dear; for when his son was only -ten years old (the number of years that his father disregarded the -Virgin's ring) the boy died, and was carried to his burial. But, behold, -as the hearse went forward, on a sudden the dead child rose from the -coffin, ordered the bearers to stop, and, calling to his father, told him -that, by favour of the Blessed Virgin, he was come from Heaven to tell him -that, as he had contemned religion by concealing her most holy ring in a -common heap, he must immediately send for it, and publicly produce it, -that it might be openly venerated. The chest being brought and delivered -into the son's hand, he presently found the ring, although he had never -seen it before; then most reverently kissing it, and showing it to the -spectators, they religiously adored it, during the joyful pealing of the -bells, which rang of their own accord; whereupon, ordering himself to be -carried to the place where he desired to be buried, he delivered the ring -to the curate of the parish, and then, laying himself down in the coffin, -he was interred.--This ring wrought many miracles; ivory ones touched with -it, worn by women in difficult labour, relieved them; an impression of it -in wax, applied to the hip, removed the sciatica; it cured diseases of the -eyes, reconciled married people that quarrelled, and drove out devils. -Five centuries afterwards, in 1473, the church of Musthiola, where it -effected these wonders, becoming ruinous, the ring was deposited with a -religious community of the Franciscans at Clusium. One of the brethren of -the order, named Wintherus, a crafty German, and very wicked, having -obtained from the magistrates an appointment to show the ring, on a -certain occasion, after exhibiting it at the end of his sermon, stooped -down, as if he were putting it into the place provided for it, but instead -of doing so he slipped it up his sleeve, and privily conveyed himself and -the ring from the city across the water. All was well so far, but when he -got into a neighbouring field it suddenly became dark, so that, not -knowing which way to go, but well knowing what was the matter, he hung the -ring on a tree, and, falling on the ground, penitently confessed his sin -to it, and promised to return to Clusium if it would dispel the darkness. -On taking it down it emitted a great light, which he took advantage of to -travel to Perusia, where he sojourned with the Augustin friars, till he -determined on making another effort to carry it into Germany. He was again -hindered by the darkness returning. It infested him and the whole city for -twenty days. Still he resolved not to return to Clusium, but tell his -story in great confidence to his landlord, one Lucas Jordanus, who with -great cunning represented to him his danger from the Clusians, and the -benefits he would receive from the Perusians if he bestowed the ring on -that city. Wintherus followed his advice. As soon as the ring was shown to -the people the darkness disappeared, and Wintherus was well provided for -in the house of the magistrate. Meanwhile the Bishop of Clusium, coming to -Perusia, endeavoured in vain to obtain the relic. The city of Sena sent an -ambassador to resist the claims of the Clusians; he was entertained by the -Perusians with great respect, but they informed him that, having used no -sacrilegious arts to obtain the Blessed Virgin's ring, they respected her -too much to restore it to the owners; that they received it within their -walls with as much respect as they would do the Ark of the Covenant, and -would defend their holy prize by force of arms. The bereaved Clusians laid -the case before Pope Sixtus IV., and the Perusians did the same. Wintherus -was ordered by the Pope, on the importunity of the Clusians, into closer -confinement; but, as the heat abated, he passed a merry life in Perusia, -and at his death the Franciscans and the canons of St. Lawrence disputed -for the possession of his body. This honour was, in the end, obtained by -the latter, in whose chapel he was buried before an altar dedicated to St. -Joseph and the Virgin, and a monument was erected by the Perusians to the -ring-stealer's memory, with an inscription which acknowledged that the -receivers were as much indebted to him for it as if it had been his own -property, and he had offered it of his own accord. - -In the pontificate of Innocent VIII., A.D. 1486, the arbitration of the -dispute was left to Cardinal Piccolominæus, who adjudged the relic to -Perusia. The important decision was celebrated in that city by every -imaginable expression of joy, and for the greatest honour of the sacred -ring, a chapel was built for it in the church of St. Lawrence, with an -inscription, informing the reader that there the untouched mother, the -Queen of Heaven, and her spouse, were worshipped; that there in the -sanctuary of her wedding-ring she lent a gracious ear to all prayers; and -that he who gave the ring (Wintherus) defended it by his protection. The -pencil was called in to grace the more substantial labours of the -architect. A curious picture represented the High Priest in the Temple of -Jerusalem, taking Joseph and Mary by their hands to espouse them with the -venerated ring; one side of the solemnity was graced by a band of virgins, -the companions of Mary during her education; the other side was occupied -by a company of young men, Joseph's kinsmen of the house of David, holding -their withered rods. The imagination of the artist employed one of these -in breaking his own rod across his knee, as envious of Joseph's, which, by -its miraculous budding, had ended the hopes of all who, by the -proclamation, had become candidates for her hand. In addition to this, an -altar was raised and dedicated to St. Joseph; his statue was placed at its -side; his birthday was kept with great pomp; a society of seculars, called -his Fraternity, was instituted to serve in the chapel jointly with the -clergy of St. Lawrence; and on the joint festival of Mary and her spouse -the splendid solemnity was heightened by the solemn exhibition of the -ring, and by a picture of their miraculous nuptials being uncovered to the -eager gaze of the adoring multitude.' - -The ring is said by some to have been made of one whole stone, green -jasper or a plasma, hollowed out, and itself forming both hoop and bezel, -unalloyed with any metal. - -In Raffaelle's beautiful picture, _Le Sposalizio_, Mary and Joseph stand -opposite to each other in the centre; the high-priest, between them, is -bringing their right hands towards each other; Joseph, with his right hand -(guided by the priest), is placing the ring on the third finger of the -right hand of the Virgin; beside Mary is a group of the virgins of the -Temple; near Joseph are the suitors, who break their barren wands--that -which Joseph holds in his hand has blossomed into a lily, which, according -to the legend, was the sign that he was the chosen one. - -The Rev. C. W. King, in his 'Handbook of Engraved Gems,' observes: 'The -highest glory ever attained by a work of the engraver was that of the -cameo of the Abbey of St. Germain des Prés, which enjoyed for an entire -millennium the transcendent (though baseless) fame of adorning the -espousal-ring of the Virgin Mary, and of preserving the portraits after -the life of herself and Joseph. But, alas! antiquaries have now -remorselessly restored the ownership of gem and portraits to the two -nobodies (probably _liberti_, judging from their names), whose votive -legend, "Alpheus with Aretho," is but too plainly legible in our -Greek-reading times.' - -When the Abbey was destroyed by fire in 1795, this ring, with other -valuables, disappeared; it subsequently came into the hands of General -Hydrow, and from him passed into the Imperial Russian Cabinet. - - -_Ring of Gyges._ P. 96. - -Nizámi, the famous Persian poet, who died in 1209, has a story of a ring -which is a very close version of the ring of Gyges. A hot vapour once rent -the ground, and brought to light in the chasm a hollow horse of tin and -copper with a large fissure in its side. A shepherd saw it, and -discovered in the body an old man asleep, with a gold ring on his finger. -He took it off, and went next morning to his master to learn the value of -his booty; but during his visit he discovered, to his astonishment, that -when he turned the seal towards his palm he became invisible. He -determined to make use of this power, and he proceeded to the palace, and -secretly entered the council-chamber, where he remained unseen. When the -nobles had left it, he revealed himself to the king by this miracle as a -prophet. The king at once took him as his minister, and eventually the -shepherd succeeded him on the throne. - -In Reginald Scot's 'Discovery of Witchcraft,' 1665, is given a charm -whereby 'to go invisible by these three sisters of the fairies,' Milita, -Achilia, and Sibylia. You are 'first to go to a fair parlour, or chamber, -and on even ground, and in no loft, and from people nine dayes, for it is -better; and let all thy cloathing be clean and sweet. Then make a candle -of virgin wax and light it, and make a fair fire of charcoles in a fair -place in the middle of the parlour or chamber; then take fair clean water -that runneth against the East, and set it upon the fire, and if thou warm -thyself say these words, going about the fire three times holding the -candle in thy right hand.' The incantation is too profane to be repeated. -The following is the effect produced: 'and if they come not the first -night, then do the same the second night, and so the third night, until -they do come, _for doubtless they will so come_; and lie thou in thy bed -in the same parlour or chamber, and lay thy right hand out of the bed, and -look thou have a fair silken kerchief bound about thy head, and be not -afraid, they will do thee no harm; for there will come before thee three -fair women, and all in white cloathing, _and one of them will put a ring -upon thy finger wherewith thou shalt go invisible_. Then with speed bind -her with the bond aforesaid. When thou hast this ring on thy finger, look -in a glass and thou shalt not see thyself. And when thou wilt go -invisible, put it on thy finger, the same finger that they did put it on, -and every new moon renew it again,' &c. - - -_The Cruel Knight and the Fortunate Farmer's Daughter._ P. 99. - -'The Fish and the Ring, or the Cruel Knight, and the Fortunate Farmer's -Daughter' (a reprint for William Robinson, Esq., 1843). - - In famous York city a farmer did dwell, - Who was belov'd by his neighbours well; - He had a wife that was virtuous and fair, - And by her he had a young child every year. - In seven years six children he had, - Which made their parents' hearts full glad; - But in a short time, as we did hear say, - The farmer in wealth and stock did decay. - Though once he had riches in store, - In a little time he grew very poor; - He strove all he could, but, alas! could not thrive, - He hardly could keep his children alive. - The children came faster than silver or gold, - For his wife conceiv'd again, we are told, - And when the time came in labour she fell; - But if you would mind an odd story I'll tell: - - A noble rich Knight by chance did ride by, - And hearing this woman did shriek and cry, - He being well learned in the planets and signs, - Did look in the book which puzzled his mind. - The more he did look the more he did read, - And found that the fate of the child had decreed, - Who was born in that house the same tide, - He found it was she who must be his bride; - But judge how the Knight was disturb'd in mind, - When he in that book his fortune did find. - - He quickly rode home and was sorely oppressed, - From that sad moment he could take no rest; - At night he did toss and tumble in his bed - And very strange projects came into his head, - Then he resolv'd and soon try'd indeed, - To alter the fortune he found was decreed. - With a vexing heart next morning he rose, - And to the house of the farmer he goes, - And asked the man with a heart full of spite, - If the child was alive that was born last night? - - 'Worthy sir,' said the farmer, 'although I am poor, - I had one born last night, and six born before; - Four sons and three daughters I now have alive, - They are in good health and likely to thrive.' - The Knight he reply'd, 'If that seven you have, - Let me have the youngest, I'll keep it most brave, - For you very well one daughter may spare, - And when I die I'll make her my heir; - For I am a Knight of noble degree, - And if you will part with your child unto me - Full three thousand pounds I'll unto thee give - When I from your hands your daughter receive. - - The father and mother with tears in their eyes, - Did hear this kind offer and were in surprize; - And seeing the Knight was so noble and gay, - Presented the infant unto him that day. - But they spoke to him with words most mild, - 'We beseech thee, good sir, be kind to our child.' - 'You need not mind,' the Knight he did say, - 'I will maintain her both gallant and gay.' - So with this sweet babe away he did ride, - Until he came to a broad river's side. - Being cruelly bent he resolv'd indeed - To drown the young infant that day with speed, - Saying, 'If you live you must be my wife, - So I am resolved to bereave you of life; - For till you are dead I no comfort can have, - Wherefore you shall lie in a watery grave.' - In saying of this, that moment, they say, - He flung the babe into the river straightway; - And being well pleased when this he had done, - He leaped on his horse, and straight he rode home. - But mind how kind fortune for her did provide, - She was drove right on her back by the tide, - Where a man was a fishing, as fortune would have, - When she was floating along with the wave. - He took her up, but was in amaze; - He kissed her and on her did gaze, - And he having ne'er a child in his life, - He straightway did carry her home to his wife. - His wife was pleased the child to see, - And said, 'My dearest husband, be ruled by me, - Since we have no children, if you'll let me alone, - We will keep this and call it our own.' - The good man consented, as we have been told, - And spared for neither silver nor gold, - Until she was over eleven full year, - And then her beauty began to appear. - - The fisherman was one day at an inn, - And several gentlemen drinking with him: - His wife sent this girl to call her husband home, - But when she did into the drinking room come, - The gentlemen they were amazed to see - The fisherman's daughter so full of beauty. - They ask'd him if she was his own, - And he told them the story before he went home: - 'As I was fishing within my bound, - One Monday morning this sweet babe I found; - Or else she had lain within a watery grave;' - And this was the same which now he gave. - The cruel Knight was in the company, - And hearing the fisherman tell his story, - He was vexed at the heart to see her alive, - And how to destroy her again did contrive, - Then spake the Knight, and unto him said, - 'If you will but part with this sweet maid - I'll give you whatever your heart can devise, - For she in time to great riches may rise.' - The fisherman answered, with a modest grace, - 'I cannot unless my dear wife were in the place, - Get first her consent, you shall have mine of me, - And then to go with you, sir, she is free.' - The wife she did also as freely consent, - But little they thought of his cruel intent; - He kept her a month very bravely they say, - And then he contrived to send them away. - - He had a great brother in fair Lancashire, - A noble rich man worth ten thousand a year, - And he sent this girl unto him with speed - In hopes he would act a most desperate deed. - He sent a man with her likewise they say, - And as they did lodge at an inn on the way, - A thief in the house with an evil intent - For to rob the portmanteau immediately went, - But the thief was amazed, when he could not find - Either silver or gold, or aught to his mind, - But only a letter the which he did read - And soon put an end to this tragical deed: - The Knight had wrote to his brother that day, - To take this poor innocent damsel away, - With sword or with poison that very same night, - And not let her live till morning light. - The thief read the letter, and had so much grace - To tear it, and write in the same place, - 'Dear brother, receive this maiden from me, - And bring her up well as a maiden should be; - Let her be esteem'd, dear brother, I pray, - Let servants attend her by night and by day. - For she is a lady of noble worth, - A nobler lady ne'er lived in the north; - Let her have good learning, dear brother, I pray, - And for the same I will sufficiently pay; - And so, loving brother, this letter I send, - Subscribing myself your dear brother and friend.' - The servant and maid were still innocent, - And onward their journey next day they went. - Before sunset to the Knight's house they came - Where the servant left her, and came home again. - The girl was attended most nobly indeed, - With the servants to attend to her with speed; - Where she did continue a twelvemonth's space, - Till this cruel Knight came to this place, - As he and his brother together did talk, - He spy'd the young maiden in the garden to walk. - She look'd most beautiful, pleasant, and gay, - Like to sweet Aurora, or the goddess of May. - He was in a passion when he did her spy, - And instantly unto his brother did cry, - 'Why did you not do as in the letter I writ?' - His brother replied, 'It is done every bit.' - 'No, no,' said the Knight, 'it is not so I see, - Therefore she shall back again go with me;' - But his brother showed him the letter that day, - Then he was amazed, but nothing did say. - - Soon after the Knight took this maiden away, - And with her did ride till he came to the sea, - Then looking upon her with anger and spite, - He spoke to the maiden and bade her alight. - The maid from the horse immediately went - And trembled to think what was his intent. - 'Ne'er tremble,' said he, 'for this hour's your last; - So pull off your clothes, I command you, in haste.' - This virgin, with tears, on her knees did reply, - 'Oh! what have I done, sir, that now I must die? - Oh! let me but know how I offend - I'll study each hour my life to amend, - Oh! spare my life and I'll wander till death, - And never come near you while I have breath.' - He hearing the pitiful moan she did make - Straight from his finger a ring did take, - He then to the maiden these words did say, - 'This ring in the water I'll now throw away; - Pray look on it well, for the posy is plain, - That you when you see it may know it again. - I charge you for life never come in my sight, - For if you do I shall owe you a spite, - Unless you do bring the same unto me:' - With that he let the ring drop in the sea, - Which when he had done away he did go, - And left her to wander in sorrow and woe. - She rambled all night, and at length did espy - A homely poor cottage, and to it did hie, - Being hungry with cold, and a heart full of grief, - She went to this cottage to seek for relief; - The people reliev'd her, and the next day - They got her to service, as I did hear say, - At a nobleman's house, not far from this place - Where she did behave with a modest grace. - She was a cookmaid and forgot the time past, - But observe the wonder that comes at last. - - As she for dinner was dressing one day, - And opened the head of a cod, they say, - She found such a ring, and was in amaze - And she, in great wonder, upon it did gaze - And viewing it well she found it to be - The very same the Knight dropped in the sea, - She smil'd when she saw it, and bless'd her kind fate, - But did to no creature the secret relate. - - This maid, in her place, did all maidens excel, - That the lady took notice, and lik'd her well; - Saying, she was born of some noble degree, - And took her as a companion to be. - The Knight when he came to the house did behold - This beautiful lady with trappings of gold, - When he ask'd the lady to grant him a boon, - And said it was to walk with that virgin alone. - The lady consented, telling the young maid - By him she need not fear to be betrayed. - When he first met her, 'Thou strumpet,' said he, - 'Did I not charge thee never more to see me? - This hour's thy last, to the world bid good night, - For being so bold to appear in my sight.' - Said she, 'In the sea you flung your ring, - And bid me not see you unless I did bring - The same unto you. Now I have it,' cries she, - 'Behold, 'tis the same that you flung into the sea.' - When the Knight saw it, he flew to her arms, - And said, 'Lovely maid, thou hast millions of charms.' - Said he, 'Charming creature, pray pardon me, - Who often contrived the ruin of thee: - 'Tis in vain to alter what heaven doth decree, - For I find you are born my wife to be.' - Then wedded they were, as I did hear say, - And now she's a lady both gallant and gay, - They quickly unto her parents did haste, - When the Knight told the story of what had passed. - But asked their pardon, upon his bare knee, - Who gave it, and rejoiced their daughter to see. - Then they for the fisherman and his wife sent, - And for their past troubles did them content. - And so there was joy for all them that did see - The farmer's young daughter a lady to be. - -The Rev. C. W. King, in his 'Handbook of Engraved Gems,' gives the -following fish-and-ring story. Pietrus Damianus, a very unlikely personage -to have ever read of Polycrates, relates in his Fifth Epistle a story -worth translating literally, as a specimen of the style of thought of his -age:--'This Arnulphus was the father of King Pepin and grandfather of -Charlemagne, and when, inflamed with the fervour of the Holy Ghost he -sacrificed the love of wife and children, and exchanged the glory and -pomps of this world for the glorious poverty of Christ, it chanced, as he -was hastening into the wilderness, that in his way he had to cross a -river, which is called the Moselle; but when he reached the middle of the -bridge, thrown over it where the river's stream ran deepest, he tossed in -there his own ring with this protestation, "When I shall receive back," -said he, "this ring from the foaming waves of this river, then will I -trust confidently that I am loosed from the bonds of all my sins." -Thereupon he made for the wilderness, where he lived no little space dead -unto himself and the world. Meanwhile, the then Bishop of Metz having -died, Divine Providence raised Arnulphus to the charge of that see. -Continuing in his new office to abstain from eating flesh, according to -the rule observed by him in the wilderness, once upon a time a fish was -brought him for a present. The cook, in gutting the same, found in its -entrails a ring, and ran full of joy to present it to his master; which -ring the blessed Bishop no sooner cast eyes upon than he knew it again for -his own, and wondered not so much at the strange mine that had brought -forth the metal, as that, by the Divine propitiation, he had obtained the -forgiveness of his sins.' - -The same distinguished writer, in the work before mentioned, relates the -story told by St. Augustine, bishop of the city where it happened, 'and -who has deemed it worthy of insertion in his great work, "De Civitate Dei" -(xxii. 8):--"There lived an old man, a fellow-townsman of ours at Hippo, -Florentius by name, by trade a tailor, a religious poor person. He had -lost his cloak and had not wherewith to buy another. Certain ribald youths -who happened to be present overheard him, and followed him as he went -down, mocking at him as though he had demanded of the martyrs the sum of -fifty _folles_ (12-1/2 denarii) to clothe himself withal. But Florentius -walking on without replying to them, espied a big fish thrown up by the -sea, and struggling upon the beach, and he secured it through the -good-natured assistance of the same youths, and sold it for 300 _folles_ -(75 denarii) to a certain cook, by name Carthosus, a good Christian, for -pickling, telling him at the same time all that had taken place--intending -to buy wool with the money, so that his wife might make therewith, as well -as she could, something to clothe him. But the cook in cutting up the fish -found in its belly a gold ring, and forthwith, being moved with -compassion, as well as influenced by religious scruples, restored it to -Florentius, saying, 'Behold how the Twenty Martyrs have clothed thee.'"' - - -_King Edward's Ring._ P. 119. - -In the 'Life of Edward the Confessor' (forming one of the series of the -chronicles and memorials of Great Britain and Ireland, during the Middle -Ages, published by the authority of H.M. Treasury, under the direction of -the Master of the Rolls), Mr. Luard, the editor, has given the translation -of a manuscript in the public library of the University of Cambridge, to -which the date of 1245 is ascribed, and written in Norman-French. The -legend of the Confessor's ring is thus introduced:-- - - The King was at the service - Where was dedicated the church - Of Saint John, who to God was dear, - And whom the King could so much love: - No saint had he so dear except Saint Peter. - Lo, a poor man who was there, - A stranger and unknown, - When he saw King Edward, - For the love of Saint John prays him - That of his possession he would give him a part. - The King who hears his prayer, - Puts his hand to his alms-chest, - But neither gold nor silver does he there find. - He bids his almoner to be summoned, - But he was not found for the crowd. - The poor man ceases not to beg - And the King is in distress - Because neither gold nor silver he finds at hand. - And he reflects, remains silent, - Looks at his hand and remembers - That on his finger he had a cherished ring - Which was large, royal, and beautiful; - To the poor man he gives it for the love - Of Saint John, his dear lord; - And he takes it with joy, - And gently gives him thanks; - And when he was possessed of it, - He departed and vanished. - But to this no one paid attention. - Soon after it chanced that - Two palmers of English birth, - Who go to seek the Holy Sepulchre - By a path where no one guides them - In the land of Syria, - Go astray, far out by the way, - See neither man nor house: - Now they have arrived in the wilderness, - The night comes on, the sun sets; - Nor do they know which way to turn, - Nor where they can lodge for the night, - They fear robbers, they fear wild beasts, - They fear monsters and dreadful tempests, - And many an adventure of the desert. - The dark night surprises them. - - Now behold a band of youths - In a circle which was very large and beautiful, - By whom the whole road and air - Were lightened as if by lightning, - And an old man white and hoary, - Brighter than the sun at mid-day, - Before whom are carried two tapers, - Which lighten the path; - He, when he comes close to the palmers - Salutes them; says, 'Dear friends - Whence come you? Of what creed - Are you, and of what birth? - What kingdom and King? What seek you here?' - And one of them answered him, - 'We are Christians, and desire - Have we to expiate our sins; - We are both from England; - We have come to seek the Holy Sepulchre, - And the holy places of this country, - Where Jesus died and lived. - And our King is named Edward, - The good prince, whom may God preserve to us, - He has not such a saint from here to France. - But it has befallen us by mishap - We have lost to-day the company - Which comforts and which guides us, - Nor know we what has become of us.' - - And the old man answered there, - Joyously like a clerk, - 'Come after me, I go before; - Follow me, I will conduct you - Where you will find a good hostelry. - For love of King Edward - You shall have lodging and good care, - Your leader I will myself be, - And your host.' He leads them on; - They enter a city, - They have found a good hostelry, - The table prepared, and good treatment, - Linen and bed, and other preparatives; - The tired ones, who had great need, - Repose themselves after supper. - In the morning, when they depart, - They find their host and leader, - Who, when they have issued from the gate, - Gently thus comforts them. - 'Be not troubled nor sad, - I am John the Evangelist; - For love of Edward the King, - I neither will nor ought to fail you; - For he is my especial - Friend and loyal King. - With me he has joined company, - Since he has chosen to lead a chaste life, - We shall be peers in paradise. - And I tell you, dear good friends, - You shall arrive, be assured, - In your country safe and sound. - You shall go to King Edward, - Salute him from me, - And that you attempt not a falsehood - To say, you shall carry proofs-- - A ring, which he will know, - Which he gave to me, John, - When he was at the service - Where my church was dedicated; - There I besought him, for the love - Of John; it was I in poor array. - And let King Edward know well, - To me he shall come before six months (are over). - And since he resembles me, - In paradise shall we be together - And that of this he may be confidently assured - You shall tell him all that whatever I tell you.' - - They, who well understand his words, - Give him thanks for all his benefits, - And when they are possessed of the ring - The saint departed and vanished; - And the pilgrims depart, - Who now are on the certain path - Without ill, and without trouble; - The saint leads and conducts them; - They hasten to go to King Edward, - That they have not arrived seems tardy to them, - And they relate their adventure, - Show the ring at once, - Whatever they relate he believes true, - When he sees the proofs; - Of this witness bears the whole - Company, large in numbers. - - -_Demons imprisoned in Rings._ P. 132. - -There was a strong belief that familiar spirits could be carried about in -rings and trinkets. Le Loyer, in his curious work 'Des Spectres,' writes: -'With regard to the demons whom they imprisoned in rings or charms, the -magicians of the school of Salamanca and Toledo, and their master -Picatrix, together with those in Italy who made traffic of this kind of -ware, knew better than to say whether or not they had appeared to those -who had them in possession or bought them. And truly I cannot speak -without horror of those who pretend to such vulgar familiarity with them, -even to speaking of the nature of each particular demon shut up in a ring; -whether he be a Mercurial, Jovial, Saturnine, Martial, or Aphrodisiac -spirit; in what form he is wont to appear when required; how many times in -the night he awakes his possessor; whether benign or cruel in disposition; -whether he can be transferred to another; and if, once possessed, he can -alter the natural temperament, so as to render men of Saturnine complexion -Jovial, or the Jovials Saturnines, and so on. There is no end of the -stories which might be collected under this head, to which, if I gave -faith, as some of the learned of our time have done, it would be filling -my paper to little purpose. I will not speak, therefore, of the crystal -ring mentioned by Joaliun of Cambray, in which a young child could see all -that they demanded of him, and which eventually was broken by the -possessor, as the occasion by which the devil too much tormented him. -Still less will I stay my pen to tell of the sorcerer of Courtray, whose -ring had a demon enclosed in it, to whom it behoved him to speak every -five days.' By this familiar (remarks Heywood, in his 'Hierarchie of the -Blessed Angels') 'he was not onely acquainted with all newes, as well -forrein as domesticke, but learned the cure and remedie for all griefs and -diseases; insomuch that he had the reputation of a learned and excellent -physition. At length, being accused of _sortilège_, or enchantment, at -Arnham, in Guelderland, he was proscribed, and in the year 1548, the -Chancellor caused his ring, in the public market, to be layd on an anvil -and with an iron hammer to be beaten in pieces. Mengius reporteth from the -relation of a deare friend of his (a man of approved fame and honestie) -this history. In a certain town under the jurisdiction of the Venetians, -one of their præstigious artists (whom some call Pythonickes), having one -of these rings in which he had two familiar spirits exorcised and bound, -came to a predicant or preaching friar, a man of sincere life and -conversation; and confessed unto him that hee was possessed of such an -enchanted ring, with such spirits charmed, with whom he had conference at -his pleasure. But since he considered with himselfe that it was a thing -dangerous to his soule, and abhominable both to God and man, he desired to -be cleanely acquit thereof, and to that purpose hee came to receive of him -some godly counsell. But by no persuasion would the religious man be -induced to have any speech at all with these evil spirits (to which motion -the other had before earnestly solicited him), but admonished him to cause -the magicke ring to be broken, and that to be done with all speed -possible. At which words the familiars were heard (as it were) to mourne -and lament in the ring, and to desire that no such violence might be -offered to them; but rather than so, that it would please him to accept of -the ring, and keepe it, promising to do him all service and vassallage; of -which, if he pleased to accept, they would in a short time make him to be -the most famous and admired predicant in all Italy. But he perceiving the -divels cunning, under this colour of courtesie, made absolute refusall of -their offer; and withall conjured them to know the reason why they would -so willingly submit themselves to his patronage? After many evasive lies -and deceptious answers, they plainly confessed unto him that they had of -purpose persuaded the magition to heare him preach; that by that sermon, -his conscience being pricked and galled, he might be weary of the ring, -and being refused of the one, be accepted of the other; by which they -hoped in short time so to have puft him up with pride and heresie, to have -precipitated his soule into certaine and never-ending destruction. At -which the churchman being zealously inraged, with a great hammer broke the -ring almost to dust, and in the name of God sent them thence to their own -habitation of darknesse, or whither it pleased the highest powers to -dispose them. - -'Of this kind doubtless was the ring of Gyges--such likewise had the -Phocensian tyrant, who, as Clemens Stromæus speaketh, by a sound which -came of itselfe, was warned of all times, seasonable and unseasonable in -which to mannage his affaires; who, notwithstanding, could not be -forewarned of his pretended death, but his familiar left him in the end, -suffering him to be slain by the conspirators. Such a ring, likewise, had -one Hieronimus, Chancellor of Mediolanum, which after proved to be his -untimely ruine.' ['Hierarchie of the Blessed Angels.'] - -A learned German physician has given an instance in which the devil, of -his own accord, enclosed himself in a ring as a familiar, thereby proving -how dangerous it is to trifle with him. - - -_Cramp-Rings._ P. 164. - -The precise date when the Kings of England commenced to bless rings, -regarded as preservatives against the cramp or against epilepsy, the -_morbus Sancti Johannis_, is uncertain. The earliest mention of the -practice, which Mr. Edmund Waterton has found, occurs in the reign of -Edward II.: 'The prayer used in the blessing of the ring implores--'ut -omnes qui eos gestabunt, nec eos infestet vel nervorum contractio, vel -comitialis morbi periculum.' And the King, to impart this salutary virtue, -rubbed the rings between his hands, with this invocation: 'Manuum -nostrarum confricatione quas olei sacri infusione externa sanctificare -dignatus es pro ministerii nostri modo consecra,' &c. Hitherto these rings -are simply described as _annuli_. But in the 44th of Edward III., in the -account-book of John of Ipres, or Ypres, they are termed _medicinales_.' - -In the last chapter of the 'Constitutions of the Household,' settled in -the reign of Edward II., the following entry appears: 'Item, le Roi doit -offrer de certein le jour de grant vendredi a crouce v. s. queux il est -accustumez receivre devers lui a la mene le chapelein afair eut anulx a -_donner pur medicine_ az divers gentz.' - -In the Eleemosyna Roll of 9th Edward III. the following entry occurs: 'In -oblacione domini Regis ad crucem de Gneythe die parasceves in capella sua -infra mannerium suum de Clipstone, in precium duorum florencium de -Florencia xiiij. die Aprilis vi. _s._ viij. _d._, et in denariis quos -posuit pro dictis florenciis reassumptis _pro annulis medicinalibus inde_ -faciendis, eodem die vi. _s._; summa xii. _s._ viii. _d._' - -In the Eleemosyna Roll of 10th Edward III. we have the following entry: -'In oblacione domini Regis ad crucem de Gneyth in die parasceves apud -Eltham, xxix. die Marcii v. _s._, et pro iisdem denariis reassumptis pro -annulis inde faciendis per manus Domini Johannis de Crokeford eodem die v. -_s._' And in the following year: 'In oblacione domini Regis ad crucem de -Gneyth in capella sua in pcho de Wyndesore die parasceves v. _s._, et pro -totidem denariis reassumptis pro annuli inde faciendis v. _s._' - -In the accounts of John de Ypres, 44th Edward III., the following entries -are found: 'In oblacionibus Regis factis adorando crucem in capella sua -infra castrum suum de Wyndesore, die parasceves in pretio trium nobilium -auri et quinque solidorum sterling. xxv. _s._ In denariis solutis pro -iisdem oblacionibus reassumptis pro annulis medicinalibus inde faciendis, -ibidem, eodem die xxv. _s._' - -The same entries occur in the 7th and 8th Henry IV. - -In the 8th Edward IV. mention occurs that these cramp-rings were made of -silver and of gold, as appears by the following entry: 'Pro eleemosyna in -die parasceves c. marc., et pro annulis de auro et argento pro eleemosyna -Regis eodem die,' &c. And a Privy Seal of the next year, amongst other -particulars relates: 'Item paid for the King's Good Fryday rings of gold -and silver xxxiii. _l._ vi. _s._ viii. _d._' - -Mention of these rings is also found in the Comptroller's accounts in the -20th Henry VII. - -A MS. copy of the Orders of the King of England's Household, 13th Henry -VIII., 1521-1522, preserved in the National Library at Paris (No. 9,986), -contains 'the order of the Kinge's of England, touching his coming to -service, hallowing y{e} crampe rings, and offering and creeping to the -crosse.' 'First, the King to come to the closett or to the chappell with -the lords and noblemen wayting on him, without any sworde to bee borne -before him on that day, and there to tarry in his travers till the bishop -and deane have brought forth the crucifix out of the vestry (the almoner -reading the service of the cramp-rings), layd upon a cushion before the -high altar, and then the huishers shall lay a carpet before y{t} for the -King to creepe to the crosse upon: and y{t} done, there shall be a fourme -set upon the carpet before the crucifix, and a cushion layd before it for -the King to kneele on; and the Master of the Jewell house shal be ther -ready with the crampe-rings in a basin or basins of silver; the King shall -kneele upon the sayd cushion before the fourme, and then must the clerke -of the closett bee ready with the booke conteyninge y{e} service of the -hallowing of the said rings, and the almoner must kneel upon the right -hand of the King, holding of the sayd booke; and when y{t} is done the -King shall rise and go to the high altar, where an huisher must be ready -with a cushion to lay for his grace to kneele upon, and the greatest Lord -or Lords being then present shall take the basin or basins with the rings, -and bear them after the King, and then deliver them to the King to offer; -and this done, the Queen shall come down out of the closett or travers -into the chappell with ladies and gentlewomen wayters on her, and creepe -to the crosse; and that done, she shall returne againe into her closett or -travers, and then the ladies shall come downe and creepe to the crosse, -and when they have done, the lords and noblemen shall in likewise.' - -A letter from Dr. Thomas Magnus, Warden of Sibthorpe College, -Nottinghamshire, to Cardinal Wolsey, written in 1526, contains the -following curious passage: 'Pleas it your Grace to wete that M. Wiat of -his goodness sent unto me for a present certaine crampe ringges, which I -distributed and gave to sondery myne acquaintaunce at Edinburghe, amongse -other to M. Adame Otterbourne, who, with one of thayme, releved a mann -lying in the falling sekenes in the sight of myche people; sethenne whiche -tyme many requestes have been made unto me for crampe ringges at my -departing there, and also sethenne my comyng from thennes. May it pleas -your Grace therefore to shew your gracious pleasure to the said M. Wyat, -that some ringges may be kept and sent into Scottelande, whiche, after my -poore oppynnyon shulde be a good dede, remembering the power and operacyon -of thame is knowne and proved in Edinburghe, and that they be gretly -required for the same cause both by grete personnages and other.' - -Mr. Edmund Waterton thinks that the illuminated manual which Queen Mary -used at the blessing of the cramp-rings, and which I have mentioned was in -the possession of the late Cardinal Wiseman, was the same from which -Bishop Burnet printed the formula. Mr. Waterton states that on the second -leaf of the MS. the service for the blessing of the rings begins with this -rubric: 'Certeyne Prayers to be used by the Quene's Heighnes in the -Consecration of the Cramperings.' - -The next rubric is as follows: 'The Ryngs lyeing in one basin or moo, this -Prayer shall be said over them,' &c. This is followed by the _Benedictio -Annulorum_, consisting of several short formulas or sentences. Then -another rubric sets forth: 'These prayers beinge saide, the Queene's -Heighnes rubbeth the rings betwene her hands, sayinge _Sanctifica Domine -Annulos_,' &c. - -'Thenne must holly water be caste on the rings, sayeing, _In nomine Patris -et Filii et Spiritus Sancti_, Amen. Followed by two other prayers.' - -Miss Strickland claims the blessing of the cramp-rings as the peculiar -privilege of the Queens of England. But her argument falls to the ground -when tested by collateral and official documents. - -Mr. Waterton concludes his most interesting article on Royal Cramp-rings -('Archæological Journal,' vol. xxi. pp. 103-113) by stating that he has -been unable to accompany the essay by the representation of any example, -'but I have never met with a specimen that could with any certainty be -pronounced a royal cramp-ring, neither have I found any description of the -rings made, as the entries state, from the gold and silver coins offered -by the King on Good Friday, and then redeemed by an equivalent sum. -Probably they were plain hoop-rings. In the will of John Baret, of Bury -St. Edmunds, 1463, a bequest is made to "my Lady Walgrave" of a "rowund -ryng of the Kynge's silvir." In another part of his will he bequeaths to -"Thomais Brews, esquiyer, my crampe ryng with blak innamel, and a part -silvir and gilt." And, in 1535, Edmund Lee bequeaths to "my nece Thwarton -my gold ryng w{t} a turkes, and a crampe ryng of gold w{t} all." - -'But there is no evidence to show that the second ring mentioned by John -Baret was a royal cramp-ring; whereas it appears to me that the one -bequeathed by Edmund Lee may have been one of the royal cramp-rings, for -otherwise a more particular description would have been given.' - -An interesting account of 'the ceremonies of blessing cramp-rings on Good -Friday, used by the Catholic Kings of England,' will be found in Pegge's -'Curialia Miscellanea' (Appendix No. 3, p. 164). - -It is curious that in Somersetshire the ring-finger is thought to have the -power of curing any sore or wound that is rubbed with it. - - -CHAPTER V. - -BETROTHAL AND WEDDING-RINGS. P. 275. - - -I should not omit to mention the famous sermon of good Jeremy Taylor on 'a -wedding-ring for the finger,' which is worthy the perusal not only of -those who have entered the matrimonial life, but of others who contemplate -an entrance into the same. The text is (Genesis ii. 18), 'And the Lord God -said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an -help-meet for him.' Although no allusion is made to the substantial -character of the nuptial circle, yet the deductions made from the text are -the sweetest and the holiest that could be imagined, and the brightest -jewels of the mineral world could not exceed in beauty the language of the -grand old divine. 'When thou layest out for such a good upon earth, look -up to the God of heaven. Let Him make his choice for thee, who hath made -this choice of thee. Look _above_ you before you look _about_ you.' 'Give -God the tribute of your gratulation for your good companion. Take heed of -paying your rent to a wrong landlord. When you taste of the stream, -reflect on the spring that feeds it. Now thou hast four eyes for thy -speculation, four hands for thy operation, four feet for thy ambulation, -and four shoulders for thy sustentation. What the sin against the Holy -Ghost is in point of divinity, that is unthankfulness in point of -morality; an offence unpardonable. _Pity it is but that moon should ever -be in an eclipse, that will not acknowledge her beams to be borrowed from -the sun._ He that praises not the giver, prizes not the gift.' '_It is -between a man and his wife in the house, as it is between the sun and the -moon in the heavens; when the greater light goes down, the lesser light -gets up; when the one ends in setting, the other begins in shining._ - -'Husband and wife should be as the milch-kine, which were coupled together -to carry the ark of God; or as the two Cherubims, that looked one upon -another, and both upon the mercy-seat; or as the two tables of stone, on -each of which were engraven the laws of God. In some families married -persons are like Jeremiah's two baskets of figs, the one very good, the -other very evil; or like fire and water, whilst the one is flaming in -devotion, the other is freezing in corruption. There is a two-fold -hindrance in holiness: first, on the right side; secondly, on the left. On -the right side, when the wife would run in God's way, the husband will not -let her go; when the fore-horse in a team will not draw, he wrongeth all -the rest; when the general of an army forbids a march, all the soldiers -stand still.' 'Man is an affectionate creature. Now the woman's behaviour -should be such towards the man, as to require his affection by increasing -his delectation; _that the new-born love may not be blasted as soon as it -is blossomed, that it may not be ruined before it be rooted_.' 'Husband -and wife should be like two candles burning together, which make the house -more lightsome; or like two fragrant flowers bound up in one nosegay, that -augment its sweetness; or like two well-tuned instruments, which, sounding -together, make the more melodious music.' 'A spouse should be more careful -of her children's breeding than she should be fearful of her children's -bearing. _Take heed lest these flowers grow in the devil's garden._' -'_Good education is the best livery you can give them living; and it is -the best legacy you can leave them when dying._' 'Let these small pieces -of timber be hewed and squared for the celestial building; by putting a -_sceptre of grace_ into their hands, you will set _a crown of glory_ upon -their heads.' 'Marriages are styled _matches_, yet amongst those many that -are married, how few are there that are _matched_! Husbands and wives are -like locks and keys, that rather break than open, except the wards be -answerable.' - - -CHAPTER VI. - -RING TOKENS. - - -_The Essex Ring._ P. 336. - -The story of the ring given by Queen Elizabeth to the Earl of Essex is of -such romantic interest that it is sad to destroy the charm by casting -doubts on its authenticity; but, at the present day especially, a crucial -test is applied to numbers of similar instances, and 'historic doubts' -crop up incessantly, with which heretofore no profane hand was expected to -meddle. The story of the Essex ring-token has been investigated with great -care by a writer in the 'Edinburgh Review' (No. 200), who says: 'Whatever -might be the supposed indignation of Elizabeth against her dying cousin, -Lady Nottingham, it is clear that as the real offender was Lord -Nottingham, he would naturally have more shared in her displeasure; and it -is very improbable that a fortnight after the Queen had shaken the -helpless wife on her death-bed, the husband, by whose authority the -offence was committed, should have continued in undiminished favour. The -existence of the ring would do but little to establish the truth of the -story, even if but one had been preserved and cherished as the identical -ring; but as there are two, if not three, which lay claim to that -distinction, they invalidate each other's claims. One is preserved at -Hawnes, in Bedfordshire, the seat of the Rev. Lord John Thynne; another is -the property of C. W. Warren, Esq.; and we believe the third is deposited -for safety at Messrs. Drummond's bank. - -'The ring at Hawnes is said to have descended in unbroken succession from -Lady Frances Devereux (afterwards Duchess of Somerset) to the present -owner. The stone in this ring is a sardonyx, in which is cut in relief a -head of Elizabeth, the execution of which is of a high order. That the -ring has descended from Lady Frances Devereux, affords the strongest -presumptive evidence that it was not _the_ ring. According to the -tradition, it had passed from her father into Lady Nottingham's hands. -According to Lady Elizabeth Spelman, Lord Nottingham insisted upon her -keeping it. - -In her interview with the Queen, the Countess might be supposed to have -presented to her the token she had so fatally withheld; or it might have -remained in her family, or have been destroyed; but the most improbable -circumstance would have been its restoration to the widow or daughter of -the much-injured Essex by the offending Earl of Nottingham. The Duchess of -Somerset left a long, curious, and minute will, and in it there is no -mention of any such ring. If there is good evidence for believing that the -curious ring at Hawnes was ever in the possession of the Earl of Essex, -one might be tempted to suppose that it was the likeness of the Queen, to -which he alludes in his letters as his "fair angel," written from Portland -Road, and the time of his disgrace after the proceedings in the Star -Chamber, and when still under restraint at Essex House. Had Essex at this -time possessed any ring, a token, by presenting which he would have been -entitled to favour, it seems most improbable that he should have kept it -back, and yet regarded this likeness of the Queen, whose gracious eyes -encouraged him to be a petitioner for himself. The whole tone of this -letter is in fact almost conclusive against the possibility of his having -in his possession any gift of hers endowed with such rights as that of the -ring which the Countess of Nottingham is supposed to have withheld.' - - -CHAPTER IX. - -CUSTOMS AND INCIDENTS IN CONNECTION WITH RINGS. - - -_Wedding of the Adriatic._ P. 419. - -In Richard Lassel's 'Voyage of Italy' is an account of the performance of -this ceremony at Venice, about the year 1650. 'I happened to be at Venice -thrice at the great sea Triumph, or feast of the Ascension, which was -performed thus: About our eight in the morning the Senators, in their -scarlet robes, meet at the Doge's Pallace, and there, taking him up, they -walk with him processionally unto the shoar, where the Bucentoro lyes -waiting them; the Pope's Nuncio being on his right hand, and the Patriarch -of Venice on his left hand. Then, ascending into the Bucentoro by a -handsome bridge thrown out to the shoar, the Doge takes his place, and the -Senators sit round about the galley as they can, to the number of two or -three hundred. The Senate being placed, the anchor is weighed, and the -slaves being warned by the Captain's whistle, and the sound of trumpets, -begin to strike all at once with their oars, and to make the Bucentoro -march as gravely upon the water as if she also went upon cioppini (high -shoes then worn by the Venetian ladies). Thus they steer for two miles -upon the Laguna, while the music plays and sings Epithalamiums all the way -long, and makes Neptune jealous to hear Hymen called upon in his -Dominions. Round about the Bucentoro flock a world of Piottas and -Gondolas, richly covered overhead with sumptuous Canopies of silks and -rich stuffs, and rowed by watermen in rich liveries as well as the -Trumpeters. Thus forrain Embassadors, divers noblemen of the country and -strangers of condition, wait upon the Doge's gally, all the way long both -coming and going. At last the Doge, being arrived at the appointed place, -throws a Ring into the sea, without any other ceremony than by saying, -_Desponsamus te, Mare; in signum perpetui dominii_. _We espouse thee, O -Sea, in Testimony of our perpetual dominion over thee_; and so returns to -the Church of St. Nicolas, in Lio (an Island hard by), where he assists at -High Mass with the Senate. This done, he returns home again in the same -state, and invites those that accompanied him in his gally to dinner in -his Pallace, the preparations of which dinner we saw before the Doge was -got home.' - - * * * * * - -By the kindness of Mr. Octavius Morgan, F.R.S., Vice-President of the -Antiquarian Society, &c., I am enabled to reproduce in the present work a -privately-printed tract by that eminent antiquarian, which will be found -of great utility to ring-collectors generally. - - -CLASSIFICATION FOR THE ARRANGEMENT OF A COLLECTION OF FINGER-RINGS. - -The Rings are divided into Two Grand Chronological Classes. - -Class I. ANTIQUE, comprising all European Rings prior to the year A.D. -800, when the Empire of Charlemagne was established in Europe, and England -was united under one Sceptre, and all Oriental Rings prior to the Hedjira, -A.D. 622, or prior to the Mussulman Conquest of the various countries. - -Class II. MEDIEVAL AND MODERN, comprising all Rings subsequent to those -dates. - -Each Ring in the Collection should have a small label or ticket, of card -or parchment, attached to it, bearing on one side the special letters -belonging to the group, and on the other its number in the group; thus any -Ring removed from the Collection, when once so arranged, can be easily -restored to its proper group and place. - -The letters O and Y (Nos. 15 and 25) are left vacant in case any collector -should desire to make or add any other group. - - -CLASS I.--ANTIQUE. - -Arranged according to the various nations in the order of their antiquity -or pre-eminence. - - 1 A Egyptian. - 2 B Assyrian. - 3 C Babylonian. - 4 D Phoenician. - 5 E Hebrew. - 6 F Greek. - 7 G Etruscan. - 8 H Roman. - 9 I Early Christian. - 10 J Byzantine. - 11 K Hindoo. - 12 L Persian. - 13 M Sassanian. - 14 N Gnostic. - 15 O - 16 P Celtic. - 17 Q Scandinavian. - 18 R Teutonic. - 19 S Gaulish. - 20 T Frankish (_Merovingian_). - 21 U Ancient British. - 22 V Ancient Scotch. - 23 W Ancient Irish. - 24 X Anglo-Saxon (_Early_). - 25 Y - 26 Z Unascertained and Miscellaneous. - - -CLASS II.--MEDIEVAL AND MODERN. - -DIVIDED INTO OFFICIAL AND PERSONAL. - - -_OFFICIAL._ - - -ECCLESIASTICAL. - - 27 =A= Rings of Popes, or with Papal insignia. - - 28 =B= Rings of Cardinals, or with Cardinals' insignia. - - 29 =C= Rings of Archbishops or Bishops, or with Episcopal - insignia. - - 30 =D= Rings of Abbots and Priors, or Abbesses or Prioresses. - - 31 =E= Rings of other Ecclesiastical Dignitaries. - - -CIVIL. - - 32 =F= Rings bearing the insignia of Sovereigns, not being - Signet Rings. - - 33 =G= Rings of Investiture. - - 34 =H= Credential Rings. - - 35 =I= Presentation Rings (_Sergeants_). - - 36 =K= Masonic Rings. - - -MILITARY. - - 37 =L= Rings worn by Knights of various orders. - Knights of Malta. - " Templars. - " St. John of Jerusalem. - - -_PERSONAL._ - - -SIGNET RINGS. - - 38 =a= Heraldic, with Coats of Arms or Badges. - - 39 =b= Merchants' Marks. - - 40 =c= Crowned Letters or Devices. - - 41 =d= Letters without Crowns. - - 42 =e= Other Devices. - - 43 =f= Persian, Cufic, and Arabic, with names. - - 44 =g= Antique Intagli in Medieval settings. - - -LOVE, BETROTHAL, AND MARRIAGE. - - 45 =h= Tokens of Love. - - 46 =i= Posy Rings. - - 47 =j= Giardinetti. - - 48 =k= Betrothal Rings. - - 49 =l= Gimmal Rings. - - 50 =m= Marriage Rings. - - 51 =n= Jewish Nuptial Rings. - - -MOURNING AND MEMORIAL RINGS. - - 52 =o= Rings with Hair. - - 53 =p= Rings with Portraits. - - 54 =q= Rings with Memorial Devices and Inscriptions. - - 55 =r= Rings with Emblems of Death. - - -HISTORICAL RINGS. - - 56 =s= Rings used by, or belonging to, Historical Persons. - - 57 =t= Rings commemorating Historical Events. - - 58 =u= Rings emblematical of particular Persons, Events, or - Countries. - - -RELIGIOUS. - - 59 =v= Devotional (_Decade_). - - 60 =w= Rings bearing Religious Devices or Inscriptions. - - 61 =x= Rings bearing Figures or Emblems of Saints. - - 62 =y= Pilgrims' Rings (_Jerusalem, Mount Serrat, &c._). - - 63 =z= Rings for containing Reliques. - - -CHARM, MAGIC, AND MEDICINAL. - - 64 =a a= Cramp Rings. - - 65 =b b= Rings with Toadstones or other substances believed to - possess medicinal virtues. - - 66 =c c= Astrological and Cabalistic Rings. - - 67 =d d= Talismanic, with Cufic, Arabic, and Gnostic Inscriptions. - - 68 =e e= Poison Rings. - - -ORNAMENTAL RINGS. - - 69 =f f= Rings with Precious Stones, according to their kind. - - 70 =g g= Rings set with enamels, paste, or other ornaments, - having no special meaning. - - 71 =h h= Peasants' Rings. - - 72 =i i= ASIATIC, including Modern Persian, Hindoo, and - Chinese. - - 73 =k k= AFRICAN. - - 74 =l l= MISCELLANEOUS RINGS, which group will contain all - such as cannot be brought under the other heads of - classification, such as whistle-rings, puzzle-rings, - squirt-rings, jointed rings to form devices, rings with - watches, dials, compasses, &c. - - 75 =m m= Rings made of strange and unusual materials, not being - metal. - - 76 =n n= Unascertained. - - -_Additional Note._ - -In the chapter on 'Memorial and Mortuary Rings' (page 378), I have related -the circumstance of an Arabian princess in Yemen, who had been buried with -her rings and other jewels; a tablet recording that she had vainly -endeavoured to exchange them for flour during the great famine mentioned -in the Holy Scriptures. - -A singular incident of this character is stated in Forbes's 'India' (vol. -ii. p. 18): 'The present finest mausoleum in Cambaya was erected to the -memory of a Mogul of great rank, who, during a famine which almost -depopulated that part of the country, _offered a measure of pearls for an -equal quantity of grain_; but not being able to procure food at any price, -he died of hunger, and this history is related on his monument.' - -[Illustration] - - - - -INDEX. - - - Abbots invested with the ring, 231 - - 'Abraxas,' definition of, 139 - - Adriatic, marriage of the Doge of Venice with the, 419, 529 - - 'Agla,' the mystic word inscribed on rings, 137 - - Agnes, legend of the saint and the ring, 239 - - Alcock, Bishop, on consecration of nuns, 233 - - Alexandrinus, Clemens, advice on rings, 39 - - 'Alhstan' ring, the, 62 - - Amelia, memorial ring of the Princess, 375 - - American ring, gigantic, 488 - - Amulet-rings, 103, 126, 138, 166, 140, 141, 147 - - Ancient custom of Archbishops of Rouen, 211 - - Anecdote of a mourning-ring used at a wedding, 449 - - Angelo, ring of Michael, 470 - - Anglo-Saxons, betrothal rings of the, 306 - - Anne, mourning ring of Queen, 373 - - 'Annuli Ecclesiæ,' Bishops' rings so called, 212 - - Antique intaglio rings with mottoes, 418 - - Antoinette, ring of Queen Marie, 374 - - Apollo and Marsyas, ring of, 470 - - Archery, rings prizes for, 444 - - Armenians, betrothal rings among the, 312 - - Arnulphus, ring of Bishop, 228 - - Arundel Collection of gem rings, 462 - - Ashantee, rings from, 455 - - Astrological rings, 108 - - - Bailewski Collection, Jewish betrothal ring in the, 300 - - Bards rewarded with rings, 192 - - Bavarian peasant's ring, 84 - - Becket, ring from the shrine of Thomas à, 247 - - 'Beef Steak' Club, ring of the, 193 - - Bequests of rings, 355 - - Berquem, rings engraved by Louis de, 450 - - Berry, Lady, the fish and the ring, 100 - - Bessborough Collection of gem-rings, 462 - - -- -- religious ring in the, 258 - - Betrothal and wedding rings, 275, 526 - - -- -- -- -- of the Jews, 298, 299 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Romans, 303 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Anglo-Saxons, 306 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Germans, 310 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Italians, 310 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Middle Ages, 307 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Armenians, 312 - - -- -- -- -- in the North, 305 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- of Sir Thomas Gresham, 318 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Martin Luther, 481 - - -- rings divided, 309, 316 - - Bishops buried with rings, 203 - - -- rings used to seal baptismal fonts, 212 - - Bishops' rings, manner of benediction, 219 - - -- -- -- of investiture, 209, 213 - - -- -- engravings on, 212 - - -- -- used as signets, 213 - - -- -- importance attached to, 213 - - -- -- how worn, 218 - - -- resignation of, by the ring, 211 - - -- rings taken from degraded, 218 - - Bitton, ring of Bishop de, 228 - - Blaize, rings on the fingers of St., 221 - - Blessing of coronation-rings, 179 - - -- -- cramp-rings, 163, 522 - - Boccaccio's fable of the three rings, 451 - - Bonomi, M., on Pharaoh's ring, 1 - - Borgias, poison rings of the, 434 - - Bowet, ring of Archbishop, 225 - - Braybrooke Collection, Jewish marriage rings in the, 299 - - -- -- Gemmel ring in the, 321 - - -- -- rings with death's-heads in the, 372 - - -- -- ring of Pope Boniface in the, 207 - - -- -- pilgrims' rings in the, 265 - - -- -- Roman and Romano-British rings in the, 41 - - -- -- Royalist mourning ring in the, 371 - - -- -- mourning rings of Mary and William III. in the, 374 - - -- -- mortuary ring in the, 383 - - -- -- ring of Tippoo Saib in the, 490 - - -- -- nun's ring in the, 240 - - -- -- thumb-ring in the, 89 - - Bribe rings, 444 - - Bride-cake, rings placed in, 171 - - British Museum, gem-rings in the, 459 - - Brooches and rings, 74 - - Bunyan, ring of John, 495 - - Burnet, bequest of ring by Bishop, 363 - - Bursting of rings a bad omen, 168 - - 'Bury' wills, bequests of rings in the, 356 - - Byron, lines by, on the wedding-ring, 277 - - - Cabalistic ring, 139 - - Cantelupe, ring of Bishop de, 229 - - Carbuncle rings, 159 - - Cardinals buried with rings, 203 - - -- -- invested with rings, 215 - - -- -- rings laid aside on Good Friday, 216 - - Castellani Collection, rings in the, 46 - - Catherine, legend of the spousal ring of St., 238 - - Chaplet, origin of the, 252 - - Chariclea, famous ring of, 463 - - Charles I., signet ring of, 461 - - -- -- memorial rings of, 366 - - Charles II., rings stolen from, 452 - - -- -- signet-ring of, 461 - - -- -- mourning-ring of, 371 - - Charlemagne charmed by a ring, 115 - - Charm rings of the Greeks and Romans, 103 - - -- -- Benvenuto Cellini on, 105 - - -- -- of the Oxford Conjurer, 132 - - Charms, Sigil, 113 - - Charters confirmed by rings, 184 - - Chichester, rings belonging to the Dean and Chapter of, 225 - - Childeric, ring of King, 386 - - Christ, espousals to, 233 - - Christian rings, representations on, 38, 258 - - Claddugh wedding-rings, 320 - - Clerical fondness for rings, 220 - - Clovis, ring-token of King, 323 - - Cockatrice, mystic properties of the, 152 - - Cologne, legend of the Three Kings of, 143 - - Colour, change of, in jewels evil portents, 160 - - Commonwealth, rings during the, 288 - - Cork, ring-token to the Earl of, 351 - - Cornwall, ancient signet-ring found in, 266 - - Coronation rings, 177 - - -- ring of Queen Elizabeth, 165 - - -- -- -- James II., 177 - - Coronets on rings, 475 - - Cotterell, curious ring bequeathed by Sir Charles, 361 - - Cramp-rings, 162, 522 - - Cranmer, ring of Archbishop, 217 - - Cromwell crest, ring on the, 421 - - Cross, the true, wood of in rings, 141 - - Crystallomancy, 100 - - Cuerdale, Saxon rings found at, 63 - - Curious advertisements of rings in cakes, 173 - - Custom, curious Russian ring, 447 - - - Dactylomancia, or ring divination, 111 - - Dancas, a thank-offering ring, 247 - - Darnley ring, the, 460 - - Days, rings worn on particular, 165 - - Decade rings, 248 - - Deæ Matres, worship of the, 107 - - Devereux ring, the, 338 - - Device rings illustrative of death, 372 - - Devonshire gems, the, 458 - - Diamond-pointed rings, 76 - - Diplomacy, rings given in, 184, 422 - - Divinating power in a ring, 450 - - Divination by prayer-book and ring, 172 - - -- -- sounds, 113 - - -- -- rings in wedding-cakes, 170 - - Doctors' rings, 191 - - Doctors' Commons, rings mentioned in wills at, 356 - - - Earliest materials of rings, 3 - - Early Christian rings, 258, 259, 268 - - Ecclesiastical mortuary, or 'corse-present,' 221 - - -- usages, rings in connection with, 198 - - Edgcumbe, Lady, and the ring, 429 - - Edward I., token-ring of, 324 - - Edward the Confessor, 'pilgrim' ring of, 116, 516 - - Egyptian rings, 5 - - -- -- exhibited at the South Kensington Museum, 12 - - -- -- -- at the Louvre, 13 - - -- -- representations on, 11 - - -- glass rings, 13 - - -- ring with double keeper, 17 - - Egyptians, their fondness for rings, 10 - - -- modern rings of the, 16 - - Eldon, memorial ring of, 375 - - Elfric's canon against clerical rings, 220 - - Elizabeth, token-ring of Queen, 343 - - Eloy, rings of St., 232 - - Enchanted rings of the Greeks, 113 - - Engagement-ring of the Prince Regent, 284 - - Epilepsy, rings to cure, 153 - - Episcopal rings, 209, 225, 230, 239 - - -- -- engravings on, 212 - - -- -- fashion of, 216 - - -- -- formula of investiture with, 214 - - -- -- usually set with sapphires, 217 - - -- ring of St. Loup, 217 - - Episode in ring history, 453 - - Escutcheon ring, French, 81 - - Espousals to Christ, 233, 259 - - Essex ring, the, 336, 528 - - Ethelswith, Queen of Mercia, ring of, 55 - - Ethelwulf, ring of King, 54 - - Etruscan rings, 18 - - -- -- in the Bibliothèque Nationale at Paris, 20 - - -- -- -- -- British Museum, 15 - - -- -- -- -- Waterton Collection, 15 - - 'Evil eye,' rings to preserve from the, 151 - - Evil portents connected with rings, 165 - - - Fish and the ring, legends of the, 98, 510 - - Fishes, rings found in the bodies of, 439 - - Fisherman's ring, the, 198 - - Fleet marriages, 282 - - Forensic order of knighthood, 191 - - Formula for blessing cramp-rings, 164 - - -- -- investing bishops with rings, 215 - - Fotheringay, ring-relic of, 475 - - French 'escutcheon' ring, 81 - - -- Régard, Souvenir, and Amitié rings, 414 - - -- rings, 79, 81 - - -- episcopal rings, 228 - - Funerals, rings given to attendants at, 364 - - - Gardiner, ring of Bishop, 226 - - Garter rings, 193 - - Gems mounted in Roman rings, 30, 40 - - Gemmel rings, 313, 318 - - Gentlemen formerly distinguished by rings, 446 - - George III., ring-token to, 352 - - German 'liberation' rings, 448 - - Germans, interchange of rings among the, 310 - - 'Gesta-Romanorum,' ring stories in the, 124 - - 'Giardinetti' rings, 79 - - Gift-rings of the Romans, 46 - - Glasgow, ring in the arms, of the city of, 98 - - Gnostic rings, 107 - - Gold ring at Irish weddings, 173 - - Gray the poet, bequest of rings by, 374 - - Greece, interchange of rings in modern, 311 - - Greek Church, rings how worn in the, 293 - - Græco-Egyptian gold rings, 7 - - Greek ring in form of a crescent, 26 - - -- and Roman rings, 18, 50 - - -- -- -- charm rings, 103, 113 - - Gresham, wedding-ring of Sir Thomas, 319 - - Gretna Green marriages, 283 - - Grey, linked rings of Lady, 317 - - Gundulf, ring of Bishop, 213 - - Gyges, ring of, 96, 508 - - - Hatton, charm ring of Lord Chancellor, 161 - - Hebrew betrothal and marriage-rings, 298 - - Henrietta Maria, ring of Queen, 493 - - Henry VII., charm ring of, 133 - - Henry of Worcester, ring of, 230 - - Henry IV. of Germany, ring-token sent by, 326 - - Heraldic ring, 481 - - Hereford Cathedral, rings found in, 227 - - Herrick on the wedding-ring, 276 - - 'Heth,' the sacred name inscribed on rings, 140 - - Hilary, ring of Bishop, 225 - - Hoof-rings, charmed, 153 - - - Identification by means of rings, 426 - - Incidents and customs in connection with rings, 419 - - Indian rings, 78, 84 - - Inscription rings, 390, 417 - - Inscriptions on glass with diamond rings, 77 - - Interchange of rings among the Germans, 310 - - Investiture of Abbots with rings, 231 - - -- -- Bishops with rings, 215 - - -- -- Cardinals with rings, 215 - - -- -- Novices with rings, 232 - - -- secular, by the ring, 177 - - Ipomydon, ring-token given to, 327 - - Irish Academy, episcopal ring in the Royal, 230 - - Irish, early, rings, 61, 65 - - -- weddings, gold rings at, 173 - - Iron rings of the Romans, 25, 303 - - -- -- French lines on, 303 - - Ishtar, legend of, 7 - - Italian rings, 76, 310 - - Ivory Egyptian rings, 8 - - -- Trinity rings, 487 - - - James of Scotland, ring-token sent by King, 327 - - Jasper amulet-rings, 148 - - Jeffreys, token-ring given to Judge, 351 - - Jet, talismanic virtues of, 106 - - Jews, betrothal and marriage-rings of the, 298 - - -- covenant-rings of the, 297 - - -- ring worn by the High Priest of the, 91 - - John, token-rings sent to, 325 - - -- ring of the Order of St., 193 - - Johnson, wedding-ring of Dr., 279 - - Josephus, account of charm-rings by, 92 - - -- on the rings of the Israelites, 3 - - Jupiter, the planet, propitious for weddings, 94 - - - Kenilworth Castle, ring found at, 473 - - Kensington Museum, memorial rings in the, 388 - - Kentigern, legend of St., 98 - - Key-rings, Roman, 45, 51, 293 - - Keys delivered at weddings, 294 - - Kilsyth, loss of a ring by Lady, 167 - - Kings buried with their rings, 385 - - Kirchmann on episcopal rings, 210 - - Knight Hospitaller, ring of a, 196 - - Knight, legend of the cruel, 99 - - Knighthood, rings of, 181 - - - Lacedemonian rings, 18 - - Lawsuits, rings an authority in, 184 - - Legacy of rings to shrines, 244 - - Legend of St. Agnes and the ring, 239 - - -- -- -- Catherine and the ring, 238 - - -- -- the fish and the ring, 98, 510 - - -- -- -- 'Royal of France' jewel, 133 - - -- -- Marianson and the rings, 354 - - -- -- St. Mark's ring, 119 - - -- -- a ring derived from the North, 131 - - -- -- the 'Pilgrim' ring, 117, 516 - - -- -- -- Three Kings of Cologne, 143 - - -- -- -- Lady of Toggenburg, 354 - - -- -- a ring of espousals received from Our Saviour, 237 - - -- -- -- -- on the statue of Venus, 129 - - Lines on wedding-rings, 276 - - Lion, King-at-Arms, ring given to, 194 - - Loadstone set in wedding-rings, 304 - - Londesborough Collection, charm-ring against the 'Evil Eye' in the, 153 - - -- -- decade ring of Delhi work in the, 253 - - -- -- early Christian ring in the, 47 - - -- -- episcopal ring in the, 230 - - -- -- gemmel rings in the, 319 - - -- -- Jewish marriage-rings in the, 298 - - -- -- jointed betrothal ring in the, 314 - - -- -- Irish rings in the, 61 - - -- -- Italian rings in the, 76 - - -- -- later period rings in the, 75 - - -- -- love gift ring, 47 - - -- -- 'Lucretia' ring in the, 318 - - -- -- magical thumb-ring in the, 89 - - Londesborough Collection, mechanical mystic ring in the, 147 - - -- -- memorial and mortuary rings in the, 373 - - -- -- Moorish rings in the, 83 - - -- -- mortuary rings in the, 383 - - -- -- motto ring in the, 416 - - -- -- Papal ring in the, 208 - - -- -- 'religious' ring in the, 251 - - -- -- ring of Bishop Thierry in the, 204 - - -- -- toadstone rings in the, 157 - - Lost rings, singular recovery of, 436 - - Louis XII., rings of, 461, 469 - - Love-knots, rings with, 414 - - Love-pledges, rings as, 283 - - Lucretia, rings with representations of, 318 - - Luther, betrothal and marriage-rings of Martin, 481 - - Lynnoch, Turlough, signet-ring of, 194 - - - Magi, rings of the, 143 - - Magical thumb-rings, 89 - - Maintenon, ring of Madame de, 469 - - Man, ring-custom in the Isle of, 443 - - Mantle and ring, vows taken with, 241 - - Mark, ring of St., 119 - - Marlborough gem-rings, 461 - - Marriage-ring of the Doge of Venice, 99, 419, 529 - - Marriages, fleet, 282 - - -- Gretna Green, 283 - - Marriage ring of Joseph and the Virgin Mary, 93, 505 - - -- of prelates, 234 - - -- -- Archbishop Rich to the Virgin, 237 - - Martin, rings of St., 285 - - Martyrs and saints, relics of, in rings, 142 - - Mary, Queen of Scots, investiture rings of, 182 - - -- -- -- -- signet-ring of, 459, 478 - - Massinissa and Sophonisba, figures of, on a ring, 38 - - Materials of wedding-rings, 285, 377 - - Mayhew, ring of Bishop, 227 - - Mecca, rings of, 17 - - Mechanical mystic ring, 147 - - Medical amulet-rings, 147, 161 - - Medici, rings of the, 471 - - Mediæval romances, charmed rings in, 121 - - 'Memento mori' rings, 372 - - Memorial and mortuary rings, 355, 377 - - -- ring of the Princess Amelia, 375 - - -- rings, Charles I., 366 - - -- -- Charles II., 371 - - -- -- Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, 361 - - -- -- Countess of Hartford, 366 - - -- -- Mary, Queen of Scots, 365 - - -- -- Royalist, 371 - - Merchant's 'mark' rings, 84 - - Meridian rings, 451 - - Merovingian rings, 69 - - Modern French, 83 - - Montfaucon's theory of the zodiac, 109 - - 'Month' rings of the Poles, 115 - - Morgan, Papal ring in the collection of Mr. Octavius, 207 - - Moore's poem on the 'Ring,' 129 - - -- allusion to his mother's wedding-ring, 281 - - Moorish rings, 83 - - Motto-rings, 390 - - Mourning rings, 360 - - Mourning ring of Queen Anne, 374 - - -- -- -- Lord Eldon, 375 - - -- -- -- Queen Mary and William III., 374 - - -- -- -- Lord Nelson, 375 - - -- -- -- the Emperor Nicholas of Russia, 384 - - Mummy, rings on the fingers of a, 10 - - Museum, Egyptian rings in the South Kensington, 12 - - -- -- -- -- -- British, 5 - - -- Etruscan ring with chimeræ in the British, 15 - - -- Prince of Canino's ring in the British, 14 - - -- ring of Queen Sebek-nefru, 7 - - -- -- -- Sennacherib in the British, 9 - - -- Egyptian rings in the Louvre, 13 - - - Names on rings, 416 - - Necromantic rings, 146 - - Nelson, memorial rings of Lord, 375 - - New Year's Gift rings, 421 - - Nobility, rings badges of, 195 - - Northmen, wedding-keys of the old, 294 - - Novices invested with the ring, 232 - - Nuns forbidden to wear rings, 240 - - Nuptial ring of the Virgin Mary, 93 - - - Omens, blood-dropping from the ring-finger, 168 - - -- breaking of rings, 168 - - -- bursting of rings, 168 - - -- fall of rings, 167 - - -- loss of rings, 167 - - -- taking off rings, 171 - - Oriental rings, 90, 491 - - Origin of merchant's 'mark' rings, 192 - - Orpine plant, rings with devices of the, 169 - - Oswald, token-ring of, 325 - - - Pagan graves, rings found in, 69 - - Paradise rings, 257 - - Parthenon, rings in the treasury of the, 43 - - Pedlar's rings, 73 - - Pendrell, token-ring given to, 350 - - Pepys, bequest of rings by, 363 - - Perceval of Galles, bequest of rings by, 328 - - Perrot, bequest of rings by, 344 - - Persian rings, 17 - - Perugia, nuptial ring of the Virgin at, 93 - - Perugino's picture of the marriage of the Virgin, 94 - - 'Pilgrim' ring of Edward the Confessor, 116, 516 - - Pilgrim rings, 264 - - Planetary rings, virtues ascribed to, 108 - - Poets Laureate, rings given to, 191 - - Poison-rings, 432 - - Poles, 'month' rings of the, 115 - - Polycrates, ring of, 96 - - Pontifical rings, 205, 207 - - Pope, bequest of rings by, 374 - - Pope Boniface, ring of, 207 - - -- Pius II., ring of, 207 - - -- -- IX., ring of, 201 - - Popes buried with their rings, 202 - - Popes, their sanctity disregarded, 202 - - Porcelain rings, Egyptian, 8 - - Portrait-rings, 496 - - Posy-rings, 390 - - Power of the royal ring, 182 - - 'Poynings,' the charter of, confirmed by a ring, 186 - - Precious stones, episcopal rings enriched with, 216 - - Prometheus, the ring of, 95 - - Property conveyed by a ring, 185 - - Puzzle-rings, 322 - - - Ring, Alhstan, the, 62 - - -- of Angelo, Michael, 470 - - -- -- Bitton, Bishop, 228 - - -- -- Pope Boniface, 207 - - -- -- Bowett, Archbishop, 225 - - -- -- John Bunyan, 495 - - -- -- Cantelupé, Bishop, 229 - - -- -- Chariclea, 463 - - -- -- Charles I. and Charles II., 461 - - -- -- Childeric, 386 - - -- -- Cranmer, Archbishop, 217 - - -- found in the grave of St. Cuthbert, 227 - - -- the Darnley, 460 - - -- of Eloy, St., 232 - - -- -- Ethelswith, Queen of Mercia, 55 - - -- -- Ethelwulf, King, 54 - - -- -- Gardiner, Bishop, 226 - - -- -- Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, 213 - - -- -- Gyges, 96, 508 - - -- -- Queen Henrietta Maria, 493 - - -- -- Henry of Worcester, 230 - - -- -- Hilary, Bishop, 225 - - -- -- Lion King-at-Arms, 194 - - -- -- Louis XII., 461, 469 - - -- -- Loup, St., 217 - - -- -- Turlough Lynnoch, 194 - - -- -- Madame de Maintenon, 469 - - -- -- Mary, Queen of Scots, 459, 478 - - -- -- Mayhew, Bishop, 227 - - -- -- the Great Mogul, 491 - - -- -- Lorenzo de Medici, 471 - - -- -- Pius II., 207 - - -- -- Pius IX., 201 - - -- -- Polycrates, 96 - - -- -- Sir Walter Raleigh, 486 - - -- -- Cola di Rienzi, 465 - - Ring of Seffrid, Bishop, 225 - - -- the Seymour, 479 - - -- -- Shakspeare, 484 - - -- of Solomon, 91, 503 - - -- -- Roger, King of Sicily, 465 - - -- -- the Stuarts, 492 - - -- -- Thierry, Bishop of Verdun, 201 - - -- -- Tippoo Saib, 490 - - -- -- William of Wyckham, 226 - - -- the Worsley seal, 467 - - -- American gigantic, 488 - - -- amulet, of Prince Charles Edward, 166 - - -- -- found at Eltham Palace, 126 - - -- authority of the, in law suits, 184 - - -- of the 'Beef Steak' Club, 193 - - -- Byzantine betrothal, 304 - - -- charm of the 'Oxford Conjurer,' 132 - - -- charters confirmed by the, 184 - - -- Claddugh wedding, 320 - - -- found in Cornwall, 266 - - -- Queen Elizabeth's coronation, 165 - - -- given to the 'Admirable' Crichton, 194 - - -- on the Cromwell crest, 421 - - -- devices of the Medici, 473 - - -- diplomas sanctioned by the, 184 - - -- divination, 100, 172 - - -- of Edward the Confessor, 116, 516 - - -- escutcheon, French, 81 - - -- superstition of Henry VIII., 133 - - -- history, episode in, 453 - - -- the 'Fisherman's,' 198 - - -- relic of Flodden Field, 478 - - -- -- of Fotheringay, 475 - - -- heraldic, 481 - - -- diamond-pointed Italian, 76 - - -- of the Grand Master of the Order of St. John, 193 - - -- found at Kenilworth Castle, 473 - - -- of knighthood, 181 - - -- legend, 130 - - -- of Martin Luther, 481 - - -- legends of the Fish and the Ring, 98, 510 - - -- of St. Mark, 119 - - -- mourning, of Charles II., 371 - - -- -- Royalist, 371 - - -- -- of the Princess Amelia, 375 - - -- -- -- Queen Anne, 373 - - -- -- -- Lord Eldon, 375 - - -- -- -- Marie Antoinette, 374 - - -- -- -- Mary and William III., 374 - - -- -- -- Lord Nelson, 375 - - -- -- -- the Emperor Nicholas of Russia, 384 - - -- memorial, of the Countess of Hertford, 366 - - -- of a nun, 240 - - -- kissing the Pope's, 201 - - -- Russian customs of the wedding, 174 - - -- secular investiture by the, 177 - - -- small wedding, 287 - - -- tragical incident of a, 449 - - -- marriage, of the Doge of Venice, 89 - - -- legend of a, on the statue of Venus, 128 - - Rings, Abbots invested with, 231 - - -- the mystic word 'Agla' on, 137 - - -- amulet, 148 - - -- Anglo-Saxon betrothal, 306 - - -- prizes for archery, 444 - - -- Arundel and Bessborough Collection of gem, 462 - - -- from Ashantee, 455 - - -- astrological, 108 - - -- Bavarian, 84 - - -- bequests of, 355 - - -- engraved by Berquem, 450 - - -- betrothal and wedding, 275, 526 - - -- dividing betrothal, 316 - - -- bursting on the fingers, 168 - - -- importance of Bishops', 213 - - -- taken from degraded Bishops, 218 - - -- on the fingers of the arm of St. Blaize, 221 - - -- Boccaccio's fable of the three, 451 - - -- offered as bribes, 444 - - -- of British, Saxon, and mediæval times, 53 - - -- British Museum collection of gem, 459 - - -- Byzantine, 48 - - -- carbuncle, 159 - - -- stolen from Charles II., 454 - - -- charm, 105, 115, 121 - - -- of espousals to Christ, 233, 241 - - -- early Christian, 258, 268 - - -- clerical extravagance in, 220 - - -- coronation, 177 - - -- claimed as 'corse' present, 221 - - -- during the Commonwealth, 288 - - -- coronets on, 475 - - -- cramp, 162, 522 - - -- customs and incidents in connection with, 419 - - -- with wood of the true cross, 141 - - -- with devices of death, 372 - - -- decade, 248 - - -- buried with the dead, 377 - - -- Devonshire gem, 458 - - -- given in diplomacy, 422 - - -- divination, powers of, 450 - - -- doctors', 191 - - -- taken from the finger, an ill omen, 171 - - -- in connection with ecclesiastical usages, 198 - - -- engravings on Bishops', 212 - - -- to cure epilepsy, 153 - - -- attached to episcopal charters, 211 - - -- episcopal investiture with, 215 - - -- -- how worn, 218 - - -- -- French, 228 - - -- found in the bodies of fishes, 439 - - -- French, 82, 415 - - -- garter, 193 - - -- gemmel, 313, 318 - - -- German 'liberation,' 448 - - -- in the 'Gesta Romanorum,' 124 - - -- Gnostic, 107 - - -- gold wedding, 84 - - -- at marriages of modern Greeks, 311 - - -- harlequin, 414 - - -- discovered at Herculaneum and Pompeii, 49 - - -- charmed 'hoof,' 153 - - -- identification by means of, 426 - - -- incidents in connection with, 419 - - -- inscription, 390 - - -- antique intagli motto, 417 - - -- in the Royal Irish Academy, 65 - - -- at Italian marriages, 310 - - -- talismanic virtues of jet, 107 - - -- Jewish betrothal and marriage, 298 - - -- used in Jewish covenants, 297 - - -- -- -- -- synagogues, 302 - - -- given in lieu of dowry by the Jews, 298 - - -- key, 294 - - -- love 'pledge,' 283 - - -- loss of, an ill omen, 167 - - -- love-knot, 414 - - -- denoting love's telegraph, 293 - - -- linked, 317, 322 - - -- life saved by, 427 - - -- with representations of Lucretia, 318 - - -- of the Magi, 143 - - -- Marlborough gem, 461 - - -- -- St. Martin, 285 - - -- materials of wedding, 286 - - -- medicinal, 161 - - -- 'Memento mori,' 372 - - -- memorial and mortuary, 355 - - -- -- of Charles I., 366 - - -- -- -- Mary, Queen of Scots, 365 - - -- merchant's 'mark,' 84 - - -- meridian, 451 - - -- Merovingian, 69 - - -- month, of the Poles, 115 - - -- Moorish, 83 - - -- motto, 390 - - -- mourning, 360 - - -- -- given at funerals, 364 - - -- necromantic, 146 - - -- New Year gift, 421 - - -- an ancient mark of nobility, 195 - - -- of the old Northmen, 305 - - -- novices invested with, 232 - - -- Oriental, 90 - - -- origin of 'merchant's marks,' 192 - - -- with device of the orpine plant, 169 - - -- in Pagan graves, 68 - - -- Paradise, 257 - - -- of a later period, 75 - - -- pilgrim, 264 - - -- planetary virtues of, 108, 112 - - -- poison, 432 - - -- conferred on Poets Laureate, 191 - - -- pontifical, 205, 207, 209 - - -- buried with popes, 202 - - -- portrait, 496 - - -- posy, 390 - - -- profusely worn, 72 - - -- property conveyed by, 185 - - -- recovery of lost, 436 - - -- 'Regard,' 414 - - -- religious, 133, 138, 248, 254 - - -- reliquary, 142, 257 - - -- remarkable, 457 - - -- 'Reynard the Fox' on magical, 145 - - -- Roman amber and glass, 48 - - -- -- in the Bibliothèque Nationale at Paris, 32 - - -- -- in the Castellani Collection, 46 - - -- Roman devices and inscriptions on, 41 - - -- of a Roman lady, 33, 43 - - -- gems mounted in Roman, 30, 40 - - -- Roman gift, 46 - - -- gold, when first worn in Rome, 26 - - -- Roman and Greek huge, 28 - - -- -- iron, 25 - - -- -- key, 45, 51 - - -- -- legionary, 47 - - -- in the treasury of the Parthenon, 43 - - -- profusion of, worn by the ancients, 28, 30 - - -- Roman rock-crystal, 31 - - -- -- 'season,' 28, 30 - - -- -- signs engraved on, 33 - - -- -- thumb, 29 - - -- -- used for various purposes, 42 - - -- -- votive, 44 - - -- -- and Greek, in the Waterton Collection, 50 - - -- Runic characters on, 148, 150 - - -- rush, 284 - - -- at Russian marriages, 311 - - -- Russian customs with, 447 - - -- Saxon wire, 59 - - -- -- found at Cuerdale, 63 - - -- mode of securing, 449 - - -- Serjeants', 186 - - -- at shrines, 259 - - -- sigil charm, 113 - - -- signet, 25 - - -- at Spanish marriages, 312 - - -- gold, to cure sties, 174 - - -- superstitions in connection with, 91 - - -- magical 'suspended,' 112 - - -- talismanic, 91, 134, 140, 147, 151, 166 - - -- mystic 'Tau,' 155 - - -- toadstone, 155 - - -- given at tournaments, 197 - - -- discovered on the (presumed) site of Troy, 32 - - -- thumb, 87, 89, 139, 501 - - -- thank-offering, 247 - - -- the Three, 352 - - -- token, 323 - - -- tooth, 495 - - -- Trinity, 248, 254 - - -- given on St. Valentine's Day, 422 - - -- at Venetian marriages, 311 - - -- 'Vertuosus,' 162, 355 - - -- offered to the Virgin, 130 - - -- watch, 494 - - -- in wedding cakes, 170 - - -- -- -- possets, 173 - - -- given at wrestling-matches, 195 - - -- wedding, how worn, 291, 293 - - -- blessing wedding, 288 - - -- of espousals to the Virgin, 237 - - -- mentioned in wardrobe books, 228 - - -- thumb wedding, 289 - - -- of the Virgin in Raphael's Sponzalizio, 291 - - -- ancient origin of wedding, 297 - - -- whistle, 494 - - -- worn on particular days, 165 - - -- zodiacal, 110 - - - Sanctity of the Popes disregarded, 202 - - Sapphires, episcopal rings set with, 217 - - Saxon rings found at Cuerdale, 63 - - Scarabæus on rings, 5 - - Schliemann's, Dr., discoveries at Troy (?), 32 - - Scots, wedding-ring of Mary, Queen of, 280 - - Scott, Sir Walter, on superstitious charms, 132 - - Season-rings of the Romans, 28, 30 - - Sebek-nefru, signet-ring of, 7 - - Secular investiture by the ring, 177 - - Seffrid, ring of Bishop, 225 - - Serjeants' rings, 186 - - Seymour ring, the, 480 - - Shakspeare, rings bequeathed by, 359 - - -- the ring (presumed) of, 484 - - Shrine of Thomas à Becket, ring from the, 247 - - -- -- the Magi, 144 - - Shrines, legacies of rings to, 244, 259 - - Sicily, supposed ring of Roger, King of, 465 - - Sidney, rings bequeathed by Sir Philip, 358 - - Sigebert, supposed ring of King, 70 - - Sigil charms, 113 - - Signet-ring of Sennacherib, 9 - - Singer, collection of posy-rings by Mr. J. W., 394 - - Singular mode of securing rings, 449 - - Soden Smith, rings in the collection of Mr. R. H., 230, 502 - - Solomon's ring, 91, 503 - - Southey on zodiacal signs, 109 - - Spain, ring-customs in, 312 - - Spanish rings, 79 - - Squirt rings, 493 - - Stone and silver rings of the Romans, 31 - - Stuart rings, the, 492 - - Suckling, lines on a wedding-ring, by Sir John, 287 - - Superstitions connected with the carbuncle, 159 - - -- -- -- change of colours in jewels, 160 - - -- -- -- gold rings, 175 - - -- -- -- rings generally, 91 - - -- -- -- toadstone, 156 - - -- -- -- turquoise, 159 - - - Talismanic ring, remarkable gold, 95 - - Tau-rings, mystic character of, 155 - - Thierry, ring of Bishop, 204 - - Thumb-rings, allusions to, 88 - - -- -- magical, 89 - - -- -- of the Romans, 29 - - -- -- worn in token of widowhood, 364 - - Tippoo Saib, rings of, 490 - - Toadstone rings, virtues of, 157 - - Token-rings, Charles II., 350 - - -- -- Earl of Derby, 348 - - -- -- Duke of Dorset, 347 - - -- -- Edward I., 324 - - -- -- Queen Elizabeth, 340 - - -- -- Earl of Essex, 336, 528 - - -- -- George III., 352 - - -- -- Queen Henrietta Maria, 349 - - -- -- Henry VIII., 334, 335 - - -- -- Henry IV. of Germany, 326 - - -- -- James of Scotland, 327 - - -- -- King John, 325, 332 - - -- -- Margaret of Scotland, 333 - - -- -- Queen Mary, 335 - - -- -- Mary, Queen of Scots, 340 - - -- -- Viscount Melgum, 350 - - -- -- King Oswald, 324 - - -- -- Sir John Perrot, 344 - - -- -- Earl of Toulouse, 327 - - Tooth rings, 495 - - Tournaments, rings given at, 197 - - Trinity rings, 248, 254 - - -- ivory rings, 487 - - Troy, discoveries on the (presumed) site of, 32 - - Turquoise rings, the _gage d'amour_ of the Germans, 159 - - -- -- their magical virtues, 158 - - - Valentine's Day, rings given on St., 422 - - Venetian rings, 76 - - -- weddings, rings at, 311 - - -- reliquary ring, 143 - - Venice, marriage-ring of the Doge of, 99, 419, 529 - - -- saved by St. Mark's ring, 119 - - 'Vertuosus' rings, 162, 355 - - Virgin, gifts of rings to the, 130 - - Virtues of a loadstone ring, 156 - - -- -- -- turquoise ring, 158 - - -- -- the ring-finger, 155 - - Votive rings of the Romans, 44 - - Vow of chastity with mantle and ring, 241 - - - Wales, the Prince of, invested with a ring, 183 - - Walton, rings bequeathed by Izaak, 360 - - Wardrobe books, rings mentioned in the, 228 - - Warwick, ring-token sent by Guy, Earl of, 331 - - Washington, bequest of rings by, 363 - - Watch set in a ring, 494 - - Waterton Collection, curious South Saxon ring in the, 60 - - -- -- ecclesiastical ring with figure of Christ, in the, 264 - - -- -- Egyptian rings in the, 13 - - -- -- episcopal ring in the, 230 - - -- -- Etruscan ring in the, 15 - - -- -- Gnostic rings in the, 107 - - -- -- Greek and Roman rings in the, 50 - - -- -- Papal rings in the, 207 - - -- -- ring on the forefinger of a statue in the, 291 - - Wedding-rings, ancient origin of, 297 - - -- -- mentioned in ancient rituals, 290 - - Wedding-ring, blessing the, 288 - - -- -- of the 'Claddughs,' 320 - - -- -- during the Commonwealth, 288, 290 - - -- -- given by the Prince Regent, 296 - - -- -- -- -- -- Princess Royal, 296 - - -- -- -- -- -- Queen Victoria, 296 - - -- -- plain gold, 295 - - -- -- how worn, 291 - - -- -- several, worn at marriages, 289 - - -- -- worn on the thumb, 289 - - -- -- one of the smallest, 287 - - -- -- of the German Jews, 302 - - -- -- in cakes, 170 - - -- ring of the Rev. George Bull, 290 - - -- -- -- James II., 281 - - -- -- -- Mrs. Johnson, 279 - - -- -- -- Mary, Queen of Scots, 280 - - -- -- -- Mrs. Moore, 280 - - -- -- -- Baron Rosen, 281 - - -- -- lines by Suckling on a, 287 - - -- -- -- -- Woodward on a, 277 - - -- -- Customs of the Russians, 174 - - Wells, rings belonging to the Dean and Chapter of, 231 - - Whistle rings, 494 - - William of Wyckham, ring of, 226 - - Winchester Cathedral, rings belonging to the Dean and Chapter of, 226 - - -- -- ring found in the tomb of William Rufus in, 385 - - Wire-rings of the Saxons, 58 - - Worcester Cathedral, Pontifical rings found in, 209 - - 'Worsley' seal-ring, the, 467 - - Wotton, rings bequeathed by Sir Henry, 359 - - Wrestling, prize-rings for, 195 - - - Xerxes, a great gem-fancier, 16 - - - Zodiac, astrological definition of the, 109 - - -- Montfaucon's singular theory of the, 109 - - Zodiacal signs, Southey on, 109 - - - LONDON: PRINTED BY - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE - AND PARLIAMENT STREET - - -[Illustration] - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] In 1841 Mr. Joseph Bonomi read a paper before the Royal Society of -Literature on an ancient signet-ring of gold, resembling in every respect, -except the name of the king, the ring which Pharaoh put on the finger of -Joseph. The account of its purchase, loss, and subsequent recovery is very -interesting. It was bought by Lord Ashburnham at Cairo in 1825. In the -spring of the same year his Lordship embarked a valuable collection on -board a brig he had chartered at Alexandria, to carry his heavy baggage to -Smyrna. This was attacked and pillaged by Greek pirates, who sold their -booty in the island of Syra. The ring then became the property of a Greek -merchant, in whose possession it remained until it was sold at -Constantinople, and was brought to England in 1840. It then passed from -the hands of Mr. Bonomi into those of Lord Ashburnham, its former -possessor. It is conjectured, from evidence peculiar to Egyptian -antiquities, that this ring belonged to the age of Thothmes III. - -[Illustration: Egyptian Gold Signet-ring.] - -In the winter of 1824 a discovery was made in Sakkara of a tomb enclosing -a mummy entirely cased in solid gold (each limb, each finger of which had -its particular envelope inscribed with hieroglyphics), a scarabæus -attached to a gold chain, a gold ring, and a pair of bracelets of gold -with other valuable relics. This account was wrested from the excavators -_à coups de bâton_ administered by Mohammed Defterdar Bey, by which means -were recovered to Signor Drovetti (at whose charge the excavation was -made) the scarabæus and gold chain, a fragment of the gold envelope, and -the bracelets, now in the Leyden Museum, which bear the same name as this -ring. From the circumstance of the bracelets bearing the same name as this -ring, and from the word Pthah, the name of the tutelar divinity of Memphis -(of which city Sakkara was the necropolis) being also inscribed upon it, -there is little doubt it was found in that place, and, from the confession -of the Arabs, a great probability that it came out of the same excavation. -The discovery of so much gold in a single tomb, which, from the nature of -the ornaments, must have belonged to the Pharaoh himself, or to a -distinguished officer of his household, accords well with Mr. Cory's -system of chronology, which places the death of the patriarch Joseph in -the twenty-first year of the reign of Thothmes III., at which period the -treasury of Pharaoh must have been well stored with the precious material -of these ornaments accumulated by the prudent administration of the -patriarch. Assuming, therefore, that Mr. Cory's system is correct, this -ring may be regarded, not only as an excellent specimen of that kind -called Tabát (a word still used in Egypt to signify a stamp or seal), but -also as resembling in every respect, excepting the name, the ring which -Pharaoh put on the hand of Joseph. - -[2] Mr. Layard, in 'Nineveh and Its Remains,' describes the wife of an -Arab Sheikh, whom he met, as having a nose adorned with a prodigious gold -ring, set with jewels of such ample dimensions that it covered her mouth, -and was obliged to be removed when she ate. - -[3] The Egyptians made the scarabæus the symbol of the world, because it -rolled its excrements into a globe; of the sun; of the moon, from horns; -one-horned, of Mercury; of generation, because it buried the bowls in -which it included its eggs, &c.; of an only son, because they believed -that every beetle was male and female; of valour, manly power, &c., whence -they forced all the soldiers to wear a ring upon which a beetle was -engraved. All these superstitions are very ancient, for they occur upon -the sepulchres of Biban-el-Molook, and are traced to the Indians, -Hottentots, and other nations. In the hieroglyphs it is used for the -syllable _Khepra_, and expresses the verb 'to be, exist.' In connection -with Egyptian notions, the Gnostics and some of the Fathers called Christ -the Scarabæus. - -'The usual mode of mounting the scarab,' observes the Rev. C. W. King, in -'Antique Gems,' 'as a finger-ring, was, the _swivel_, a wire as a pivot -passing through the longitudinal perforation of the stone (the edge of -which was generally protected by a gold rim), and then brought through -holes in each end of a bar of gold, or else of a broad, flat band of -plaited wire, and bent into a loop of sufficient size to admit the finger, -which was usually the fore-finger of the left hand. For the sake of -security, the ends of the loop were formed into small disks, touching each -extremity of the scarabæus. This loop, or ring shank, as it may be -considered, was treated in a great variety of fashions, and sometimes was -made extremely ornamental. One that I have seen terminated in rams' heads, -the pivot entering the mouth of each; in another the shank was formed as a -serpent, the head of which was one of the supporting points, and the tail -tied into a knot. Occasionally the form of the shank was varied by bending -the bar upon itself, so as to form a bow in the middle of its length; the -ends were then beaten to a point, which, being twisted inwards, passed -into the opposite holes of the stone, and thus formed a handle to the -signet. This last manner of mounting the scarabæus was often used by the -Egyptians, the shank being made of every kind of metal; it was also the -common setting of the Phoenician stones of this form.' - -[4] Appendix. - -[5] Cellini, in his 'Memoirs,' says that Pope Clement VII. showed him a -gold Etruscan necklace of exquisite workmanship, which had just been -discovered in the ground. On examining it, 'Alas,' cried he, 'it is better -not to imitate these Etruscans, for we should be nothing but their humble -servants. Let us rather strike out a new path, which will, at least, have -the merit of originality.' - -[6] Appendix. - -[7] Addison remarks that when at Rome he had 'seen old Roman rings so very -thick about, and with such large stones in them, that it is no wonder a -fop should reckon them a little cumbersome in the summer season of so hot -a climate.' - -A Roman ring found in Hungary contained more than two ounces of gold. - -[8] 'As soon as the despotic power of the Cæsars was established,' remarks -the Rev. C. W. King ('Handbook of Engraved Gems'), 'it became a mark of -loyalty to adorn either one's house, or one's hand, with the visible -presence of the sovereign. Capitolinus notices that the individual was -looked upon as an impious wretch, who, having the means, did not set up at -home a statue of M. Aurelius; and, a century later, the Senate obliged by -an edict every householder to keep a picture of the restorer of the -Empire, Aurelian. That official swore such portraits in their rings as an -indispensable mark of distinction may be deduced from the negotiations of -Claudius (preserved by Pliny) confining the _entrée_ at court to such as -had received from him a gold ring having the imperial bust carved on it.' - -[9] Xenophon, in his 'Economics,' states that the Greek matrons had the -power of sealing up, or placing the seal upon the house-goods, and at -Rome, Cicero's mother was accustomed to enhance to consumers the merits of -some poor thin wine, _vile Sabinum_, by affixing to each amphora her -official signet. - -It appears that the women of Greece did not use the ring as frequently as -the men, and that theirs were less costly. - -[10] Amber rings were worn in our own country to a late date; thus Swift, -writing to Pope respecting Curll and the 'Dunciad,' says:--'Sir, you -remind me of my Lord Bolingbroke's ring; you have embalmed a gnat in -amber.' - -[11] At the exhibition of antiquities and works of art at the -Archæological meeting of January 5, 1849, Major Ker Macdonald produced a -ring supposed to be a recent imitation of the ring of Ethelwulf. - -[12] I am much indebted to Mr. R. H. Soden Smith, F.S.A.--a gentleman so -distinguished in art circles, and the possessor of a remarkably fine and -rare collection of rings--for information on some points connected with -this work. - -[13] There is the well-known anecdote of Francis the First, who, in order -to let the Duchess d'Estampes know that he was jealous, wrote with a -diamond these lines on a pane of glass, 'which,' says Le Vieil, in his -'Peinture sur Verre,' 'may be still seen in the Château Chambord':-- - - Souvent femme varie, - Mal habil qui s'y fie. - -A similar story is recorded of Henry the Fourth of France and the Duke of -Montpensier. The latter had written with his diamond ring on a pane of -glass the following, in allusion to his love for the aunt of the King:-- - - Nul bonheur me contente, - Absent de ma Divinité. - -Henry, in the same manner, wrote under it:-- - - N'appellez pas ainsi ma tante, - Elle aime trop l'Humanité. - -It was on the pane of a window in Hampton Court Palace that, during one of -the festivals given there by Henry the Eighth, the ill-fated Earl of -Surrey wrote with his diamond ring the name of fair Geraldine, and in -quaint verse commemorated her beauty. - -[14] Calmet, in his 'Dictionary,' states that the Arabian princesses wore -golden rings on their fingers, to which little bells were suspended, as -well as in the flowing tresses of their hair, that their superior rank -might be known, and that they might receive in passing the homage due to -them. - -[15] Montfaucon, in his 'L'Antiquité Expliquée,' describes the -representation of a trading seal 'as one of the most extraordinary that -has yet been seen.' It was given to him by a monk of St. Victor, at -Marseilles. The form was oblong, and the inscription was in three lines, -the first of which is P. Hileyi, Publii Hileyi, at the end of which words -was a well-formed _caduceus_. The second and third lines were Sex. Maci -Paullini, Sexti Maci Paullini. The _caduceus_, which was a symbol of -traffic, denotes that these were two merchants and co-partners, and the -anchor, that they were adventurers by sea. One thing remarkable is that -the first name, P. Hileyi, was taken by design, but yet so that it might -be read; the letters being cut very deep, they contented themselves with -taking out so much of them only as would spoil that part of the impression -upon wax, or any other matter, and leave the other name to be impressed -alone. That this was done by design appeared from the varnish seen in -these traces, as well as in the rest of the seal, and was probably done by -Sextus Macius Paullinus at the death of his partner Publius Hileyus. - -[16] Appendix. - -[17] Chaucer, in his 'Squire's Tale,' says:-- - - 'Then speaken they of Canace's ring - And saiden all that such a wondrous thing - Of crafte of ringès heard they never none, - Save that he, Moses, and King Solomon - Hadden a name of cunning in such art.' - -[18] Among the Mohammedans at present a talisman, consisting generally of -a formula on a scrap of paper, or sentences from the Koran, is placed in a -piece of stuff and put into a ring between the stone and the metal. -Although the Mussulman doctors generally concur in considering these -practices vain, and many Asiatics do not use them, yet the multitude still -retain a predilection for them. - -[19] Appendix. - -[20] Appendix. - -[21] Plato relates the story of Gyges differently to that by Herodotus. He -tells us that Gyges wore a ring, the stone of which, when turned towards -him rendered him invisible, so that he had the advantage of seeing others -without being seen himself. By means of this ring he deprived Candaules of -his throne and life, with the concurrence of the queen. 'This,' remarks -Rollin, 'probably implies that in order to compass his own criminal design -he used all the tricks and stratagems which the world calls subtle and -refined policy, which penetrates into the most secret purposes of others -without making the least discovery of its own.' This story, thus -explained, carries in it a greater appearance of truth than what we read -in 'Herodotus.' - -Cicero, after relating the fable of Gyges' famous ring, adds, that if a -wise man had such a ring he would not use it to any wicked purpose, -because virtue considers what is honourable and just, and has no occasion -for darkness. - -[22] See chapter on 'Customs and Incidents in Connexion with Rings.' - -[23] Dr. Gordon, in his 'History of Glasgow,' quotes the legend thus, from -the 'Aberdeen Breviary:'--'The Queen of Cadzow was suspected by her -husband, King Roderick, of being too intimate with a knight whom he had -asked to hunt with him. The King waited his opportunity to abstract from -the satchel of the knight, when asleep, a ring which the Queen had -presented to him. King Roderick, in furious jealousy, threw it into the -Clyde. When they returned to the palace of Cadzow from the day's hunting, -the King, in the course of the evening, asked her where her ring was. It -could not be produced. Death was threatened if it were not forthcoming. -The Queen sent one of her maids to the knight for the ring, and being -unsuccessful, a bearer was sent to _Cathures_ (Glasgow), to St Mungo, -making a full confession of all. The Apostle of Strathclyde commiserated -the Queen. Forthwith he sent one of his monks to the river to angle, -instructing him to bring home alive the first fish that he caught. This -was done. St. Mungo (_dear friend_) found the annulet in the mouth of the -miraculous fish, and speedily sent it to the Queen, who restored it to her -husband, and thereby saved her life.' - -[24] Appendix. - -[25] 'A Berril,' observes Aubrey in his 'Miscellanies,' 'is a kind of -crystal that hath a weak tincture of red. In this magicians see visions. -There are certain formulas of prayers to be used before they make the -inspection which they term a _Call_. In a manuscript of Dr. Forman, of -Lambeth (which Mr. Elias Ashmole had), is a discourse of this and the -prayer; also there is a Call which Dr. Napier did use. James Harrington -(author of "Oceana") told me that the Earl of Denbigh, then ambassador at -Venice, did tell him that one did show him three several times, in a -glass, things past and to come. When Sir Marmaduke Langdale was in Italy -he went to one of these Magi, who did show him a glass where he saw -himself kneeling before a crucifix.' A 'Berrill' belonging to Sir Edward -Harley is thus described by Aubrey:--'It is a perfect sphere; the diameter -of it I guess to be something more than an inch; _it is set in a ring_ or -circle of silver resembling the meridian of a globe; the stem of it is -about ten inches high, all gilt. At the four quarters of it are the names -of four angels, viz., Uriel, Raphael, Michael, Gabriel. On the top is a -cross _patée_. This, it appears, was efficacious in detecting thieves; it -also forewarned death.' - -Dr. Dee's famous crystal, now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, will be -remembered. (See discoveries in the tomb of Childeric, at Tournay, in -chapter on 'Memorial and Mortuary Rings.') - -[26] The superstitious custom of carrying the medals of Alexander the -Great, as if they had some salutary virtue in them, was frequent among the -Christians of Antioch, as is evident from St. John Chrysostom's -declamation against the practice:--'What shall we say of those that use -enchantments and ligatures, and bind upon their head and feet brass medals -of Alexander of Macedon? Are these our hopes? And shall we, after the -passion and death of our Saviour, place our salvation in an image of a -heathen king?' - -[27] Montfaucon, in his 'L'Antiquité Expliquée,' has a singular theory in -regard to the signs of the Zodiac. He mentions a fine gem on which were -represented the figures of Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus, included in a -large circle which contained the twelve signs of the Zodiac. These he -conjectured to signify the days of the week, Wednesday, Thursday, and -Friday. 'But, why,' he observes, 'do the three gods in this image indicate -so many days of the week? Some ancient and particular custom is referred -to and expressed, without doubt. Ausonius, in his "Eclogues," inserts a -verse current in his time preceded by this question:--"Quid quoque die -demi de corpore oporteat?" On what days is it most proper to cut the -beard, nails, or hair? "Ungues Mercurio, barbam Jove, Cypride crines." -That is, on Wednesday pare your nails, shave your beard on Thursday, and -on Friday cut your hair. This usage Ausonius rallies in eight pleasant -verses. "Mercury," says he, "a pilferer by trade, loves his nails too well -to let them be pared. Jupiter, venerable by his beard, Venus adorned by -her hair, are by no means willing to part with what is so dear to -them."... I think it certain that these deities are represented as -presiding over Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, without being able to -assign the certain reason why they are pictured upon this gem.' - -A very extraordinary form of oath, by which the astronomer Vettius Valens -bound his disciples to secresy, is quoted by Selden. 'I adjure thee, most -honoured brother and your fellow-students, by the starry vault of heaven, -_by the circle of the zodiac_, the sun, the moon, and the five wandering -stars (by which universal life is governed), by Providence itself, and -Holy Necessity, that you will keep these things secret, nor divulge them -except to those who are worthy and are able to make a just compensation to -me, Valens.' - -[28] According to the ancient lapidaries, a ram with the half-figure of an -ox, or any stone set in a silver ring, whoever was touched with should be -immediately reconciled. A woman, one half a fish, holding a mirror and a -branch, cut on a marine hyacinth (pale sapphire), set in a gold ring, the -signet covered with wax, procured any desire. A man ploughing, and over -him the hand of the Lord making a sign, and star, if cut on any stone, and -worn in all purity, ensured safety from tempest and immunity to crops from -storms. Head, with neck, cut in green jasper; set in a brass or iron ring -engraved with the letters B. B. P. P. N. E. N. A.: wear this, and thou -shalt in no wise perish, but be preserved from many diseases, especially -fever and dropsy; it likewise gives good luck in fowling. Thou shalt be -reasonable and amiable in all things; in battle and in law-suits thou -shalt be victor. Man standing and tall, holding an obolus (patera) in one -hand and a serpent in the other, with the sun over his head, and a lion at -his feet: if cut on a diacordius (diadochus) set in a leaden ring and put -underneath wormwood and fenugreek, carry it to the bank of a river and -call up whatsoever evil spirit thou pleasest, and thou shalt have from -them answers to all thy questions. A youth having a crown on his head and -seated on a throne with four legs, and under each leg a man standing and -supporting the throne on his neck; round the neck of the seated figure a -circle, and his hands raised up to heaven; if cut on a white hyacinth -(pale sapphire) ought to be set in a silver ring of the same weight as the -stone, and under it put mastic and turpentine; make the seal in wax and -give it to any one, and let him carry it about on his neck or person, -either the wax or the ring, and go with pure mind and chastity before -king, noble, or wise man, and he shall obtain from them whatsoever he may -desire. A bearded man holding a flower in his hand cut on carnelian, and -set in a tin ring, the ring being made on the change of the moon on a -Friday, the 1st or the 8th of the month, whomsoever thou shalt touch -therewith he shall come to do thy will. Man standing on a dragon, holding -a sword, must be set in a leaden or iron ring; then all the spirits that -dwell in darkness shall obey the wearer, and shall reveal to him in a -low-toned song the place of hidden treasure and the mode of winning the -same. Man riding and holding in one hand the bridle, in the other a bow, -and girt with a sword, engraved on pyrites set in a gold ring, it will -render thee invincible in all battles; and whosoever shall steep this ring -in oil of musk and anoint his face with the said oil, all that see him -shall fear him, and none shall resist. Man erect in armour, holding a -drawn sword, and wearing a helmet, if set in an iron ring of the same -weight, renders the wearer invincible in battle. Capricorn on carnelian, -set in a silver ring and carry about with thee, thou shalt never be harmed -in purse or person by thine enemies, neither shall a judge pass an unjust -sentence against thee; thou shalt abound in business and in honour, and -gain the friendship of many, and all enchantments made against thee shall -be of none effect, and no foe, however powerful, shall be able to resist -thee in battle. (Extracts from 'Sigil-charms,' 'History of the Glyptic -Art,' 'Handbook of Engraved Gems,' by the Rev. C. W. King.) - -[29] 'The Hermetic Brethren had certain rules that they observed in -relation to the power of precious stones to bring good or bad fortune -through the planetary affinities of certain days, because they imagined -that the various gems, equally as gold and silver, were produced through -the chemic operation of the planets working secretly in the telluric -body.... All yellow gems and gold are appropriate to be worn on Sunday, to -draw down the propitious influences or to avert the antagonistic effects -of the spirits on this day, through its ruler and name-giver, the Sun. On -Monday, pearls and white stones (but not diamonds) are to be worn, because -this is the day of the Moon, or of the second power in Nature. Tuesday, -which is the day of Mars, claims rubies and all stones of a fiery lustre. -Wednesday is the day for turquoises, sapphires, and all precious stones -which seem to reflect the blue of the vault of heaven.... Thursday demands -amethysts and deep-coloured stones of sanguine tint, because Thursday is -the day of Thor--the Runic impersonated Male Divine Sacrifice. Friday, -which is the day of Venus, has its appropriate emeralds, and reigns over -all the varieties of the imperial, yet, strangely, the sinister, colour, -green. Saturday, which is Saturn's day, the oldest of the gods, claims for -its distinctive talisman the most splendid of all gems, or the queen of -precious stones, the lustre-darting diamond.' (The 'Rosicrucians,' by -Hargrave Jennings.) - -[30] There is a tradition that this ring found its way to the chapel of -Havering (have the ring), in the parish of Hornchurch, near Romford, and -was kept there until the dissolution of religious houses. Weaver says he -saw a representation of it on a window of Romford church. The legend is -also displayed on an ancient window in the great church of St. Lawrence, -at Ludlow, to which town the pilgrims who received the ring from the saint -are said to have belonged. A tradition to this effect was current in the -time of Leland, who notices it in his 'Itinerary.' - -[31] Appendix. - -[32] To understand the language of birds was peculiarly one of the boasted -sciences of the Arabians. Their writers relate that Balkis, the Queen of -Sheba, or Saba, had a bird called _Huddud_, a lapwing, which she -despatched to King Solomon on various occasions, and that this trusty bird -was the messenger of their amours. We are told that Solomon, having been -secretly informed by the winged confidant that Balkis intended to honour -him with a grand embassy, enclosed a spacious square with a wall of gold -and silver bricks, in which he ranged his numerous troops and attendants, -in order to receive the ambassadors, who were astonished at the suddenness -of these splendid and unexpected preparations. - -[33] Moore, in his juvenile poem of the 'Ring,' has made use of this -legend, and added considerably to its fanciful conceptions:-- - - 'Young Rupert for his wedding-ring - Unto the statue went, - But, ah! how was he shock'd to find - The marble finger bent! - - 'The hand was closed upon the ring - With firm and mighty clasp; - In vain he tried, and tried, and tried, - He could not loose the grasp.' - -Austin is the hermit that Rupert seeks, and whose aid enables him to -regain the ring from the female fiend:-- - - "In Austin's name take back the ring, - The ring thou gav'st to me; - And thou'rt to me no longer wed, - Nor longer I to thee." - - 'He took the ring, the rabble pass'd, - He home returned again; - His wife was then the happiest fair, - The happiest he of men.' - -[34] Appendix. - -[35] Appendix. - -[36] A curious legend is connected with this famous jewel. The French -monarch had visited the shrine of the saint to discharge a vow which he -had made in battle, and he knelt before it with the stone set in a ring on -his finger. The officiating prelate entreated the King to bestow the jewel -on the shrine, but as the jewel ensured good luck, Louis hesitated, but -offered, in compensation, one hundred thousand florins. The prelate was -satisfied, but the saint evidently was not, for the stone leaped from the -ring and fastened itself to the shrine. So bright was the stone that it -was impossible to look at it distinctly, and at night it burned like fire. - -[37] Abraxas-stones were so called from having the word _Abraxas_ or -Abrasax engraved on them. They are cut in various forms, and bear a -variety of capricious symbols, mostly composed of human limbs, a fowl's -head and serpent's body. These gems are represented as coming from Syria, -Egypt, and Spain. It is certain that the use of the name Abraxas was at -first peculiar to the Gnostic sect of the Basilideans. There is little -doubt that the greater part of the Abraxas-stones were made in the Middle -Ages as talismans. - -[38] The shrine of the Magi, in Cologne Cathedral, dates from the twelfth -century. The central subject is the Virgin with the infant Jesus; on the -left, the Adoration of the Three Kings, accompanied by the Emperor Otho -IV. On the right, the Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, in presence -of an angel. All these figures are of pure gold, and in full relief. The -architectural decorations are covered with enamels and precious stones. -Above these figures is a cover of silver-gilt, on removing which the -skulls of the Three Kings are seen, with their names, Gaspar, Melchior, -and Balthazar, traced in rubies. The crowns of copper gilt replace those -of massive gold, which disappeared during the revolutionary storms. They -weighed each six pounds, and were enriched with fine pearls and an -aigrette of diamonds. Above the relics is the figure of Christ, as the -Judge of men, between two angels, who hold the instruments of the Passion. -This reliquary is 5-1/2 feet long, by three wide, 5 feet high. It was -begun in 1170, and made by order of Archbishop Philip von Heinsberg. In -the Rosicrucian theory, Caspar, or Gaspar, is the 'White One;' Melchior is -the 'King of Light;' Beltasar, the 'Lord of Treasures.' Balthasar, or -Balthazar, is the septuagint spelling of Belshazzar. Talismanic rings and -other objects were manufactured largely for sale to the pilgrims at the -shrine of the 'Three Kings.' - -Mr. Thomas Wright, M.A., has, in his edition of the 'Chester Plays,' -described, at length, this popular legend. - -A magic ring was found a few years ago at Dunwich, with this -inscription:-- - - 'Jasper fert myrrham; thus Melchior; Balthasar aurum, - Hæc tria qui secum portabit nomina Regum, - Solvitur a morbo, Christi pietate, caduco.' - -Bishop Patrick, in his 'Reflections on the Devotions of the Roman Church,' -1674, asks, with assumed _naïveté_, how these names of the Three Wise -Men--Melchior, Balthazar, and Jasper--are to be of service, 'when another -tradition says they were Apellius, Amerus, and Damascus; a third, that -they were Megalath, Galgalath, and Sarasin; and a fourth calls them Ator, -Sator, and Peratoras; which last I should choose (in this uncertainty), as -having the more kingly sound.' - -[39] The horn of the narwhal (which in the Middle Ages passed for the horn -of the unicorn) was supposed to possess, among other virtues, that of -neutralising and detecting the presence of poison. Various old writers -relate that it became agitated when placed in contact with a poisoned -body, and the most efficacious antidote to poison was the water in which -it had been steeped. A piece of the horn was attached to a chain of gold, -in order that it might be plunged into a dish without putting in the -fingers. - -[40] The Runic characters are of very remote antiquity, and of entirely -pagan origin. They are attributed to Odin, whom tradition asserts to have -been eminently skilful in the art of writing, as well for the common -purposes of life, as for the operations of magic. It is the earliest -alphabet in use among the Teutonic and Gothic nations of Northern Europe. -The name is derived from the Teutonic _rûn_, a mystery; whence _runa_, a -whisper, and _helrun_, divination. They were distinguished into various -kinds: the _noxious_--or, as they were called, the _bitter_--employed to -bring various evils on their enemies; the _favourable_ averted -misfortunes; the _victorious_ procured conquest to those who used them; -the _medicinal_ were inscribed on the leaves of trees for healing; others -served to dispel melancholy thoughts; to prevent shipwreck; were antidotes -against poison; preservatives against the anger of enemies; efficacious to -render a mistress favourable--these last were to be used with great -caution. If an ignorant person had chanced to write one letter for -another, or had erred in the minutest stroke, he would have exposed his -mistress to some dangerous illness, which was only to be cured by writing -other runes with the greatest niceness. All these various kinds differed -only in the ceremonies observed in writing them, in the materials on which -they were written, in the place where they were exposed, in the manner in -which the lines were drawn, whether in the form of a circle, of a serpent, -or a triangle, &c. - -'In the strict observance of these childish particulars consisted' -(remarks Mallet in his 'Northern Antiquities') 'that obscure and -ridiculous art which acquired to so many weak and wicked persons the -respectable name of priests and prophetesses, merely for filling rude -minds with so much jealousy, fear, and hatred.' - -Grimm states that the Anglo-Saxon Runic alphabet was derived from the -Scandinavian at a period when it had only sixteen letters, the -complementary letters of the two alphabets having been formed on -principles that offer not the slightest analogy. While on the subject of -Runic calendars I may mention (although unconnected with rings) a singular -Runic almanack which was exhibited at the Winchester meeting of the -Archæological Institute in 1845. It is in the form of a walking-stick, -called in the north of Europe a 'rim-stok,' or 'primstaf.' The symbols and -figures which ornament this calendar relate to the saints' days and the -successive occupations of the seasons. The staff is of a fashion rarely to -be found in the north, and appears to be the same which was procured at -Trondheim, in Norway, by Mr. Wolff, formerly Norwegian consul at London, -who published an account of it. - -[41] A modern poet thus apostrophises the turquoise and its changeful -properties in the following beautiful sonnet:-- - - 'In sunny hours, long flown, how oft my eyes - Have gazed with rapture on thy tender blue! - Turquoise! thou magic gem, thy lovely hue - Vies with the tints celestial of the skies. - What sweet romance thy beauty bids arise, - When, beaming brightly to the anxious view, - Thou giv'st th' assurance dear that love is true! - _But should thy rays be clouded_, what deep sighs, - What showers of tenderness distress the heart! - Ah! much of joy I owe thee, but no woe. - As to my mind, thou ever didst impart - That feeling blest which made my pale cheek glow - (For love was mine, shorn of his wings and dart). - Turquoise! in warmest strains thy praise should flow, - Such as some gifted minstrel could bestow.' - -[42] A more homely remedy for the same disorder is given in Wittal's -'Little Dictionary,' where we find that-- - - 'The bone of a hare's foot, closed in a ring, - Will drive away the cramp, whenas it doth wring.' - -[43] Appendix. - -[44] Queen Bertha, consort of King Louis the Seventh, of France, was -crowned by the Pope, who also placed a ring on her finger, saying: -'Receive this ring, emblem of the Holy Trinity, by which you may resist -heresy and bring the heathen to a knowledge of the faith by the virtue -thus given. God, the source of all dignity and honour, give to thy -servant, by this sign of the faith, grace to persevere in His sight, that -she may evermore rest firm in the faith by the merits of Jesus Christ.' - -[45] The ruby, according to De Laert (1647), appears to have been very -generally used for rings, and unpolished; for, 'unlike the diamond that -hath no beauty unless shaped and polished, the ruby charms without any aid -from art.' True rubies, and of good colour uncut, but with their natural -surface polished, set in rings, date from the earliest times. Gesner -states that Catherine of Arragon used to wear a ring set with a stone -luminous at night, which he conjectures was a ruby. - -[46] A MS. account of the 'Conveyance of Great Estates into the King's -presence at the time of their creation' (British Museum, Additional MSS. -No. 6,297) gives the preparation for a creation of the Prince. After the -rich habits given on this occasion, we read: 'Item, a sword, the scabbard -covered with crimson cloth of gold, plain, and a girdle agreeable to the -same. Item, a coronal. Item, a verge of gold. Item, a ring of gold to be -put on the third finger.' - -[47] The use of a seal, or signet-ring, for the purchase of property is -mentioned in the Bible. In Jeremiah the formalities are thus given: 'And I -bought the field of Hanameel, and weighed him the money, even seventeen -shekels of silver. And I subscribed the evidence, _and sealed it_, and -took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. So I took the -evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed, according to the law -and custom, and that which was open' (chap. xxxii.). - -[48] In the Braybrooke Collection is a gold band-ring with a similar -inscription, found at Wimbish, in Essex. It is noticed in the seventh -volume of the 'Archæological Institute Journal,' p. 196, and is described -as a serjeant-at-law's gold ring, the hoop 3/8 of an inch in width, and of -equal thickness; the motto 'Lex regis præsidium.' - -[49] Horace Walpole, in one of his letters, alludes to the 'Fisherman's -Ring' in his usual lively manner: 'Mr. Chute has received a present of a -diamond mourning-ring from a cousin; he calls it _l'annello del -Piscatore_. Mr. Chute, who is unmarried, meant that his cousin was -_fishing_ for his estate.' - -[50] To show how little, in former times, the sanctity of the Popes was -regarded after death, Aimon, in his 'Tableau de la Cour de Rome,' relates -that 'when the Pope is in the last extremity, his nephews and his servants -carry from the palace all the furniture they can find. Immediately after -his death, the officers of the Apostolic Chamber strip the body of -everything valuable, but the relations of the Pope generally forestal -them, and with such promptitude that nothing remains but bare walls and -the body, placed on a wretched mattress, with an old wooden candlestick -and a wax end in it.' - -[51] In the 'Archæologia,' vol. xxxvi., Mr. Octavius Morgan remarks 'that -in the beginning of the seventeenth century some attention seems to have -been paid to the subject of rings in general, and several persons wrote -concerning them. John Kirchmann, a learned German of Lubeck, published a -treatise "De Annulis;" and about the same time Henry Kornmann wrote -another small treatise "De Triplici Annulo." Kirchmann appears to have -made deep researches on the subject, and in the chapter on "Episcopal -Rings" he gives their history as far as he was able to trace it, though he -cannot find in ancient writers any facts relating to them earlier than the -reign of Charlemagne. In gratitude to this monarch for the important -services he had rendered the Church, it was decreed in the eighth century -that the Emperor should have the power of electing the Popes and ordering -the Holy See, and that in addition the archbishops and the bishops of the -provinces should receive investiture from him. No newly-elected prelate -could be consecrated until he received from the Emperor the ring and the -staff; these were to be returned on the death of the prelate. But this -practice was disused for a time; for we find enumerated in the old -chronicles of Mayence, among the jewels in that city, "sixteen large and -good pontifical rings--one of ruby, with other gems, one of emerald, one -of sapphire, and one of topaz."' - -[52] The mode of giving the benediction differs in the two Churches. In -the Greek it is given with the forefinger open, to form an I, the middle -finger curved like a C, the ancient _sigma_ of the Greeks, the thumb and -annulary crossed form an X, and the little finger curved represents a C. -All this gives IC XC, the Greek monogram of Jesus Christ. Thus, as the -author of the 'Guide of Painting,' of Mount Athos, observes:--'By the -Divine providence of the Creator, the fingers of the hand of man, be they -more or less long, are arranged so as to form the name of Christ.' - -The Latin benediction is more simple, being made with the annulary and the -little finger closed, the three first fingers open, symbolical of the -Trinity. - -'Formerly, bishops and priests blessed alike; latterly, bishops reserved -to themselves the right of blessing with their fingers, the priest with -the open hand; the bishops facing the congregation, the priests in -profile, with the hand placed edgeways. The sign of the cross was formerly -made with three fingers open, but now with the open hand, from the -forehead to the breast, and from the left to the right shoulder by the -Latins, but from the right to the left by the Greeks' (Didron, -'Iconographie Chrétienne'). - -[53] The reader will be reminded of the anecdote of Queen Elizabeth, who, -drawing from her finger the coronation ring, showed it to the Commons, and -told them that when she received that ring she had solemnly bound herself -in marriage to the realm, and it would be quite sufficient for the -memorial of her name, and for her glory, if, when she died, an inscription -were engraved on her marble tomb: 'Here lyeth Elizabeth, which (_sic_) -reigned a virgin, and died a woman.' This coronation ring was filed off -her finger shortly before her death, on account of the flesh having grown -over it. - -[54] In 'A Relation, or rather True Account of the Islands of England,' -about the year 1500 (Camden Society), the author, after describing the -shrine of St. Thomas, at Canterbury, adds: 'Everything is left far behind -by a ruby not larger than a man's thumb-nail, which is set to the right of -the altar. The church is rather dark, and particularly so where the shrine -is placed, and when we went to see it the sun was nearly gone down, and -the weather was cloudy, yet I saw the ruby as well as if it had been in my -hand. They say it was a gift of the King of France.' - -[55] See Appendix. - -[56] The gilding and silvering of locks, _rings_ (firmalx anelx), and -other articles of a similar nature made of copper or latten (faitz de -cupre ou laton) having been prohibited by the statute 5th Henry IV. c. 13, -under what was then a heavy penalty, the 'disloyal artificers,' against -whom this enactment was made, appear to have taken refuge in the sanctuary -of St. Martin's-le-Grand, where they were able to labour in their vocation -unmolested by the marshal or the sheriff. This may be inferred from 3 Edw. -IV. c. 4, by which it was declared unlawful to import various articles of -foreign manufacture, including _rings_ of _gilded copper or laten_, but -with an express declaration that the Act was not to extend to or be -prejudicial or hurtful to Robert Styllington, clerk, dean of the King's -Free Chapel of 'St. Martin's le Graunt, de Londres,' nor to his -successors. - -[57] English ladies at one time wore the wedding-ring on the thumb. At -Stanford Court, Worcestershire, may be seen the portraits of five ladies -of the Salway family, in the days of Queen Elizabeth, all of whom have -their wedding-rings on their thumbs. According to the 'British Apollo,' -the brides of George the First's time used to remove the ring from its -proper abiding-place to the thumb as soon as the ceremony was over. - -In Southerne's 'Maid's Last Prayer' (Act iv. vol. i. p. 67) we -find:--'Marry him I must, and wear my wedding-ring upon my thumb, too, -that I'm resolved.' - -An instance of several wedding-rings being used at the bridal ceremony is -related by Burcard, master of the ceremonies to the Pope's Chapel from -Sixtus IV. to Julius II. At the marriage of a daughter of Pope Innocent -VIII. to Lewis of Arragon, Marquis of Geracio (January 3, 1492), the pair -approached the Pope, and, both being on their knees, the husband put the -ring on the proper finger of the left hand of his spouse, then several -rings on the other fingers of both hands. - -[58] In the Waterton Collection, at the South Kensington Museum, a -forefinger, from a bronze statue of late Roman work, wears a large ring -upon the second joint. In Germany it is still customary to wear the ring -in this fashion, a custom borrowed from their Roman subjugators. - -[59] A correspondent to 'Notes and Queries' (vol. viii. series i. p. 575) -observes, with regard to the ring being placed on the third finger of the -right hand of the Blessed Virgin in Raffaelle's 'Sponsalizio,' at Milan, -and in Ghirlandais's fresco of the same subject in the Santa Croce, at -Florence, 'that it has been customary among artists to represent the -Virgin with the ring on the right hand, to signify her superiority over -St. Joseph, from her surpassing dignity of Mother of God. Still, she is -not always represented so.' - -[60] A bishop, in the thirteenth century, gives the following reasons why -the ring should be of gold. He says that 'one Protheus made a ring of iron -with an adamant enclosed therein, as a pledge of love, because as iron -subdueth all things, so doth love conquer all things, since nothing is -more violent than its ardour, and, as an adamant cannot be broken, so love -cannot be overcome, for love is strong as death. In course of time gold -rings set with gems were substituted for the adamantine ones of baser -metal, because, as gold excelleth all other metals, so doth love excel all -other blessings, and as gold is set off with gems, so is conjugal love set -off by other virtues.' - -[61] In the reign of George the Fourth, a limited number of plain gold -rings were made, having a well-executed miniature medallion of that King -set beneath a large diamond. One of these was in the possession of the -late Lady Fellows. - -[62] It was formerly the custom in Brittany that, on the night after the -marriage, the husband presented his wife with a ring and act of dowry. - -[63] Latour St. Ybars, in his tragedy of 'Virginius,' alludes to the iron -ring:-- - - Alors qu' Icilius ne m'a jamais offert - Pour gage de sa foi que cet anneau de fer, - Claudius, sans respect pour l'amour qui m'anime - Par cet appas grossier croit m'entraîner au crime, - Et ces ornaments vils qu'il m'ose présenter - Sont fait de ce métal qui sert pour acheter! - Va rendre à Claudius tous ces dons, et sur l'heure - Les présents de cet homme ont souillés ma démeure, - Et ce seroit blesser notre honneur et nos dieux - Que d'y porter la main, que d'y jeter les yeux. - -[64] The 'betrothing penny' given at the ceremony of marriage was in olden -times a common usage both in England and in France, representing either -earnest-money, or the actual purchase of the bride. In the pontifical of -Amiens, the bridegroom is to say: 'De cet anneau t'espouse, et de cet -argent te hounoure, et de mon corps te doue.' In an ancient manuscript of -the Salisbury Missal, in the Harleian Collection, the bridegroom says: -'Wyth thys rynge y the wedde, and thys golde and selvir the geve, and with -my bodi y the worshippe, and with all my worldith catel y the honoure.' - -[65] Pitscottie says 'the Queen of France wrote a love-letter to the King -of Scotland, calling him her love, showing him that she had suffered much -rebuke in France for defending his honour. She believed surely that he -would recompense her with some of his kingly support in her necessity; -that is to say, that he would raise her an army and come three foot of -ground on English ground for her sake. To that effect she sent him a ring -off her finger, with 14,000 French crowns to pay his expenses.' - -[66] Appendix. - -[67] Lady Moray, the wife of the Scottish Regent, had appropriated, during -the Queen's troubles, many of her most valuable jewels. She wrote to her -from Tutbury, March 28th, 1570:-- - -'We are informed that ye have tane in possession certain of our jewels, -such as our Henry of dyamant and ruby, with a number of other dyamant, -ruby, perles, and gold worke, whereof we have the memoir to lay to your -charge, which jewels incontinent, after the sight hereof, ye sall deliver -to our right trusty cousins and counsellors, the Earl of Huntley, our -lieutenant, and my Lord Setoun, who will, on so doing, give you discharge -of the same.' - -Lady Moray paid no attention to Queen Mary's request for the return of her -jewels, well knowing that she was in no condition for enforcing her -demands. - -[68] 'The skull and skeleton decorations for rings' (remarks Mr. Fairholt) -'first came into favour and fashion at the obsequious court of France, -when Diana, of Poictiers, became the mistress of Henry the Second. At that -time she was a widow, and in mourning, so black and white became -fashionable colours; jewels were formed like funeral memorials; golden -ornaments, shaped like coffins, holding enamelled skeletons, hung from the -neck; watches, made to fit in little silver skulls, were attached to the -waists of the denizens of a court that alternately indulged in profanity -or piety, but who mourned show.' - -[69] _Biblical Monuments_, by William Harris Rule, D.D., and J. Corbet -Anderson; 1871, 1873. - -[70] This great founder of the Merovingian dynasty, the father of Clovis, -died in 482, and was buried with his treasures, weapons, and robes. Nearly -twelve hundred years afterwards, a labourer, a poor deaf and dumb man, -accidentally discovered the royal grave, and was astonished, and almost -terrified, at the sight of the treasures it contained. Among them was the -signet-ring alluded to, which, with a considerable number of the other -treasures of the tomb, were deposited in the Bibliothèque, then 'Royale,' -at Paris, which was broken into by burglars in 183-. An alarm being given, -in their hasty flight they threw the objects into the Seine; the ring was -not recovered. - -In the tomb were found, besides the skeletons of his horse and page, his -arms; a cornelian Etruscan scarab, doubtless deposited therein as an -amulet of wondrous virtue; also a crystal divining-ball, two inches in -diameter, and more than three hundred little _bees_, of the purest gold, -their wings being inlaid with a red stone like cornelian. - -On the authority of the historian Augustin Thierry, it is stated that -these ornaments resembling bees were only what in French are called -_fleurons_ (supposed to have been attached to the harness of his -war-horse). Montfaucon is of the same opinion. - -[71] I am greatly indebted to this gentleman for the loan of a manuscript -catalogue of ring mottos and inscriptions on wedding-rings, of -which--besides those exhibited at the Kensington Museum--I have availed -myself in the following pages of this chapter. Mr. Singer has, I believe, -the finest collection of inscribed wedding-rings known, numbering two -hundred and forty-five specimens of every kind, in gold and silver, each -weighing from three dwts. and upwards, and none less than a hundred years -old, some dating from five hundred years. - -Mr. Singer's collection is also enriched with some interesting betrothal -rings, and there are fourteen double-line motto-rings which are matchless. -This collection has been accumulated during the last quarter of a century, -at a very considerable cost. - - -[72]This play upon words has been applied in a political sense. 'So,' as -the late Mr. Crofton Croker observed, 'when the Repeal question was -agitated in Ireland, rings and brooches, set in precious stones, made to -represent the word "Repeal" were popular:-- - - R uby - E merald - P earl - E merald - A methyst - L apis lazuli. - -One of these was given to a gentleman as a relic of this memorable -agitation, but the bit of lapis lazuli had dropped out, and he took it to -a working jeweller in Cork to have the defect supplied. When it was -returned, he found that a topaz had been substituted for the missing bit -of lapis lazuli. "How is this?" he inquired, "you have made a mistake." -"No mistake, sir," said the witty workman, whom he afterwards discovered -to be an ardent Repealer, "It is all right: it _was_ repea_l_, but let us -repea_t_ that we may have it yet."' - -[73] Appendix. - -[74] In Knight's 'Pictorial Shakspeare' is the following note on the dial -which Touchstone drew 'from his "poke:"' '"There's no clock in the -forest," says Orlando; and it was not very likely that the fool would have -a pocket-clock. What then was the _dial_ that he took from his poke? We -have lately become possessed of a rude instrument kindly presented to us -by a friend, which, as the Maid of Orleans found her sword, he picked "out -of a deal of old iron." It is a brass circle of about two inches in -diameter. On the outer side are engraved letters, indicating the names of -the months, with gradual divisions; and on the inner side, the hours of -the day. The brass circle itself is to be held in one position by a ring; -but there is an inner slide in which there is a small orifice. This slide -being moved, so that the hole stands opposite the division of the month -when the day falls of which we desire to know the time, the circle is held -up opposite the sun. The inner side is then, of course in shade, but the -sunbeam shines through the little orifice and forms a point of light upon -the hour marked on the inner side. We have tried this dial and found it -give the hour with great exactness.' - -A correspondent of 'Notes and Queries' (vol. xii. 3rd series, p. 79) -mentions that rings to ascertain the time are regularly sold at the Swiss -fairs. They are called _cadrans_. The price of one is twenty centimes. - -[75] This magnificent collection was sold, in one lot (June 28th, 1875), -to Mr. Bromilow, of Battlesden Park, for 35,000_l._ - -[76] In Montfaucon's 'L'Antiquité Expliquée' there is a fine illustration -of this beautiful seal. My edition of the work is in English (1721), and -the engraving is in vol. i. page 145. It is thus described: the child -Bacchus is in the arms of his nurse. She is generally thought to have been -Ino, called also Leucothea, or the daughters of Ino (according to others) -brought him up. A nymph, or perhaps another nurse, is sitting by. The old -man is either Silenus, or it may be Athamas, Ino's husband. Several other -nymphs have on their heads baskets full of flowers and fruits. Two Cupids, -or Genii, stretch a canopy over Bacchus and the company that are about -him. A nymph presents a cup to one of the Cupids. On the side of the -figure is an old satyr leaning against a tree. He is playing on a kind of -crooked hautboy. At the end, behind the tree, is a young boy, holding with -both hands a bason, in which a goat seems to be going to drink. It is not -easy to say who a naked man is with the crown on, and holding a cup in one -hand, and in the other the bridle of a horse that is prancing. Some have -taken it for Apollo. - -[77] A curious story of a _squirt_-ring is mentioned in Thiebault's -'Original Anecdotes of Frederick II.' M. de Guines, ambassador of France -at Berlin, had greatly mortified the Prussian nobles, and especially the -other foreign ministers, by the ostentatious pomp which he displayed. -Those whose limited means he thus eclipsed longed for some opportunity to -wound the vanity of the proud man who daily humbled theirs, and excited -their envy. At this crisis a Russian ambassador, who was returning home to -present at his own court his newly-married bride, stopped on his way at -Berlin. Prince Dolgorouki, the Russian ambassador there, did the honours -of the Russian court to his countryman, and gave him and his wife a -dinner, to which were invited all the corps diplomatique. M. de Guines was -seated next to the bride. The lady, who had been initiated into all the -court gossips, had enlisted under the banner of the malcontents, and taken -upon herself the task of vexing the magnificent Frenchman. She had placed -upon her finger a ring of very exquisite and curious workmanship, to which -she called the attention of her neighbour during the course of the dinner. -As he stooped to examine the jewel, the wearer pressed a spring concealed -in the side of the ring within her hand, and jerked a small quantity of -water into the eyes of the ambassador. The ring contained a syringe. The -minister wiped his face, jested good-humouredly on the diminutive little -instrument, and thought no more of it. But his fair enemy had not yet -accomplished her purpose of mortifying the ambassador. Having refilled the -squirt unperceived by him, she called his attention to herself, and again -discharged the water in his face. M. de Guines looked neither angry nor -abashed, but, in a serious tone of friendly advice, said to his foolish -aggressor: 'Madame, this kind of jest excites laughter the first time; -when repeated it may be excused, especially if proceeding from a lady, as -an act of youthful levity; but the third time it would be looked upon as -an insult, and you would instantly receive in exchange the glass of water -you see before me: of this, madame, I have the honour to give you notice.' -Thinking he would not dare to execute his threat, the lady once more -filled and emptied the little water-spout at the expense of M. de Guines, -who instantly acknowledged and repaid it with the contents of his glass, -calmly adding, 'I warned you, madame.' The husband took the wisest course, -declaring that the ambassador was perfectly justified in thus punishing -his wife's unjustifiable rudeness. The lady changed her dress, and the -guests were requested to keep silence on the affair. [Madame de Barrera.] - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - -Passages in italics are indicated by _italics_. - -Passages in Gothic font are indicated by =font=. - -Superscripted characters are indicated by {superscript}. - -The original text contains letters with diacritical marks that are not -represented. - -The original text includes Greek characters that have been replaced with -transliterations. - -The original text includes Hebrew characters that are indicated by -[Hebrew]. - -The original text includes various symbols that are represented as -[Description]. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Finger-Ring Lore, by William Jones - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FINGER-RING LORE *** - -***** This file should be named 43707-8.txt or 43707-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/7/0/43707/ - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Finger-Ring Lore - Historical, Legendary, Anecdotal - -Author: William Jones - -Release Date: September 13, 2013 [EBook #43707] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FINGER-RING LORE *** - - - - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43707 ***</div> <p class="figcenter"><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="" /></p> @@ -19022,383 +18983,7 @@ declaring that the ambassador was perfectly justified in thus punishing his wife’s unjustifiable rudeness. The lady changed her dress, and the guests were requested to keep silence on the affair. [Madame de Barrera.]</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Finger-Ring Lore, by William Jones - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FINGER-RING LORE *** - -***** This file should be named 43707-h.htm or 43707-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/7/0/43707/ - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Finger-Ring Lore - Historical, Legendary, Anecdotal - -Author: William Jones - -Release Date: September 13, 2013 [EBook #43707] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FINGER-RING LORE *** - - - - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - - - - - - - - -FINGER-RING LORE - - - - - LONDON: PRINTED BY - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE - AND PARLIAMENT STREET - - - - - FINGER-RING LORE - - _HISTORICAL, LEGENDARY, ANECDOTAL_ - - - BY WILLIAM JONES, F.S.A. - - - _WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS_ - - - London - CHATTO AND WINDUS, PICCADILLY - 1877 - - - - - TO MY WIFE: - - [Illustration: _A pledge of Happy Wedded Life_] - - =Bon Coeur: Sans Peur.= - - - - -PREFACE. - - -I had intended to confine my observations exclusively to the subject of -'ring superstitions,' but in going through a wide field of olden -literature I found so much of interest in connection with rings generally, -that I have ventured to give the present work a more varied, and, I trust, -a more attractive character. - -The importance of this branch of archaeology cannot be too highly -appreciated, embracing incidents, historic and social, from the earliest -times, brought to our notice by invaluable specimens of glyptic art, many -of them of the purest taste, beauty, and excellency; elucidating obscure -points in the creeds and general usages of the past, types for artistic -imitation, besides supplying links to fix particular times and events. - -In thus contributing to the extension of knowledge, the subject of -ring-lore has a close affinity to that of numismatics, but it possesses -the supreme advantage of appealing to our sympathies and affections. So -Herrick sings of the wedding-ring: - - And as this round - Is nowhere found - To flaw, or else to sever, - So let our love - As endless prove, - And pure as gold for ever! - -It must be admitted that in many cases of particular rings it is sometimes -difficult to arrive at concurrent conclusions respecting their date and -authenticity: much has to be left to conjecture, but the pursuit of -enquiry into the past is always pleasant and instructive, however -unsuccessful in its results. One of our most eminent antiquarians writes -to me thus: 'We must not take for granted that everything in print is -correct, for fresh information is from time to time obtained which shows -to be incorrect that which was previously written.' - -My acknowledgments are due to friends at home and abroad, whose -collections of rings have been opened for my inspection with true masonic -cordiality. - -I have also to thank the publishers of this work for the liberal manner in -which they have illustrated the text. Many of the engravings are from -drawings taken from the gem-room of the British, and from other museums, -and from rare and costly works on the Fine Arts, not easily accessible to -the general reader. Descriptions of rings without pictorial -representations would (as in the case of coins) materially lessen their -attraction, and would render the book what might be termed 'a garden -without flowers.' - -In conclusion I will adopt the valedictory lines of an old author, who -writes in homely and deprecatory verse: - - FOR HERDE IT IS, A MAN TO ATTAYNE - TO MAKE A THING PERFYTE, AT FIRST SIGHT, - BUT WAN IT IS RED, AND WELL OVER SEYNE - FAUTES MAY BE FOUNDE, THAT NEVER CAME TO LYGHT, - THOUGH THE MAKER DO HIS DILIGENCE AND MIGHT. - PRAYEING THEM TO TAKE IT, AS I HAVE ENTENDED, - AND TO FORGYVE ME, YF THAT I HAVE OFFENDED. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. RINGS FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD 1 - - II. RING SUPERSTITIONS 91 - - III. SECULAR INVESTITURE BY THE RING 177 - - IV. RINGS IN CONNECTION WITH ECCLESIASTICAL USAGES 198 - - V. BETROTHAL AND WEDDING RINGS 275 - - VI. TOKEN RINGS 323 - - VII. MEMORIAL AND MORTUARY RINGS 355 - - VIII. POSY, INSCRIPTION, AND MOTTO RINGS 390 - - IX. CUSTOMS AND INCIDENTS IN CONNECTION WITH RINGS 419 - - X. REMARKABLE RINGS 457 - - APPENDIX 499 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - PAGE - - Egyptian gold signet-ring 2 - - Egyptian bronze rings 4 - - Egyptian signet-rings 6 - - Egyptian porcelain ring 9 - - Egyptian mummy, rings on the fingers of an 10 - - Egyptian gold ring from Ghizeh 11 - - Etruscan ring with chimerae 15 - - Roman-Egyptian ring 15 - - Modern Egyptian rings 17 - - Modern Egyptian ring with double keepers 17 - - Etruscan ring representing the car of Admetus 19 - - Etruscan rings with serpents and beetle 19 - - Etruscan ring with scarabaeus 20 - - Etruscan ring with representation of two spirits in combat 20 - - Etruscan ring with intaglio 21 - - Greek and Roman rings 22 - - Late Roman rings 23 - - Ring found at Silchester 24 - - Ring of a group pattern 24 - - Ancient plain rings 24 - - Iron ring of a Roman knight 25 - - Roman ring, crescent-shaped 26 - - Roman ring of coloured paste 28 - - Gallo-Roman ring representing a cow or bull 29 - - Roman thumb-ring 29 - - Roman ring, with a representation of Janus 32 - - Roman ring, with figures of Egyptian deities 32 - - Roman ring, with busts; from the Musee du Louvre 33 - - Roman ring, with head of Regulus 34 - - Roman rings from Montfaucon 36, 37, 38 - - Roman ring in the Florentine Cabinet 39 - - Roman 'memorial' gift-rings 41 - - Anglo-Roman 41 - - Anglo-Roman and Roman rings 42 - - Roman rings found at Lyons 43 - - Roman bronze ring of a curious shape 44 - - Roman key-rings 45 - - Roman rings, with inscription and monogram 47 - - Roman 'legionary' ring 47 - - Roman 'legionary' ring 48 - - Roman amber and glass rings 48 - - Byzantine ring, from Montfaucon 49 - - Byzantine ring, found at Constantinople 49 - - Rings from Herculaneum and Pompeii 49 - - Roman bronze ring 50 - - Roman 'trophy' ring 50 - - Roman ring, from the Museum at Mayence 50 - - Roman key-rings 51 - - Roman, late, from the Waterton Collection 52 - - Anglo-Saxon rings 53 - - Early British (?) ring found at Malton 54 - - Ring of King Ethelwulf 54 - - Anglo-Saxon rings 58 - - Early Saxon rings found near Salisbury 59 - - South Saxon ring found in the Thames 60 - - Ancient Irish rings found near Drogheda 61 - - Early Irish gold ring 62 - - The 'Alhstan' ring 62 - - Anglo-Saxon ring found near Bosington 63 - - Rings found at Cuerdale, near Preston 64 - - Rings in the Royal Irish Academy 65 - - Spiral silver ring, found at Lago 66 - - Ring found at Flodden Field 66 - - Figured ring supposed to represent St. Louis 67 - - Rings found in Pagan graves 68 - - Rings of the Frankish and Merovingian periods 69, 70 - - Gold 'Middle Age' ring, from the Louvre 71 - - Rings on the effigy of Lady Stafford 72 - - Enamelled floral ring 75 - - 'Merchant's Mark' rings 75, 87 - - Ring of the sixteenth century 76 - - Ring of Frederic the Great 76 - - Venetian ring 76 - - Italian diamond-pointed ring 76 - - Italian symbolical ring 77 - - Venetian ring 78 - - East Indian ring, with drops of silver 78 - - Indian rings 79 - - Spanish ring 79 - - 'Giardinetti' or guard rings 79 - - French rings of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries 80 - - 'Escutcheon' ring, French 81 - - French rings 81, 82, 83 - - Moorish rings 82 - - Bavarian peasant's ring 84 - - Thumb-rings 89, 90, 139 - - Divination-rings 101, 102 - - Roman amulet-rings 104, 105, 107 - - Astrological ring 108 - - Zodiacal ring 110 - - Amulet rings 126, 138, 141, 151, 152 - - Charm-rings 133, 153 - - Talismanic rings 134, 135, 136 - - Cabalistic rings 139, 147 - - Mystical rings 140 - - Rings of the Magi 143 - - Rings with mottoes, worn as medicaments 148 - - Rings, Runic 150 - - Toadstone rings 157, 158 - - Cramp rings 163, 165 - - Serjeant's ring 190 - - Ring of the 'Beef Steak' Club 193 - - The Fisherman's Ring 199 - - Ring of Thierry, Bishop of Verdun 204 - - Ring of Pope Pius II. 206 - - Papal rings 208 - - Episcopal rings 217, 226, 230, 231 - - Episcopal thumb-ring 219 - - Ring of Archbishop Sewall 225 - - Ring of Archbishop Greenfield 225 - - Ring of Bishop Stanbery 226 - - Decade ring with figure of St. Catherine (?) 249 - - Decade thumb-ring 249 - - Silver decade ring 250 - - Decade ring found near Croydon 250 - - Decade signet-ring 251 - - Decade rings 251, 252 - - Decade ring of Delhi work 253 - - Trinity ring 254 - - Religious rings 254, 255, 256, 260, 261, 262, 263 - - 'Paradise' rings 257 - - Reliquary ring 257 - - Early Christian rings 258, 259, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273 - - Ecclesiastical ring 264 - - Pilgrim ring 264 - - Roman key-rings 294 - - Hebrew marriage and betrothal rings 299, 300, 302 - - Byzantine ring 304 - - Betrothal ring 307 - - Half of broken betrothal ring 309 - - Jointed betrothal ring 314 - - Gemmel ring, found at Horselydown 316 - - Ring with representation of Lucretia 318 - - Wedding-ring of Sir Thomas Gresham 319 - - Gemmel ring 319 - - 'Claddugh' ring 320 - - Betrothal ring with sacred inscription 321 - - Devices on wedding rings 322 - - The 'Devereux' ring 338 - - The 'Essex' ring 342 - - Old mourning ring 360 - - Memorial rings, Charles I. 366, 367, 370 - - Royalist memorial ring 370 - - Memorial and mortuary rings 373 - - Squared-work diamond ring found in Ireland 380 - - Mortuary rings at Mayence 381, 382 - - Gold rings from Etruscan sepulchres 383 - - Ring found at Amiens 383 - - Ring found in the tomb of William Rufus, Winchester Cathedral 385 - - Ring discovered in Winchester Cathedral 385 - - Ring of Childeric 386 - - Motto and device rings 390, 406 - - Posy-ring 391, 417 - - Inscription rings 410, 411, 412, 417 - - New Year's gift ring 421, 422 - - Poison-rings 433 - - Dial-rings 452, 453 - - Signet-ring of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Darnley ring 460 - - Supposed ring of Roger, King of Sicily 465 - - The Worsley seal-ring 467 - - Ring of Saint Louis 469 - - Ring-devices of the Medici family 472, 473 - - Ring found at Kenilworth Castle 474 - - Heraldic ring 481 - - Martin Luther's betrothal and marriage rings 481, 482, 483 - - Shakspeare's ring (?) 484 - - Initials of Sir Thomas Lucy, at Charlecote Hall 486 - - Ivory-turned rings 488 - - Squirt ring 494 - - - - -FINGER-RING LORE. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -RINGS FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD. - - -The use of signet-rings as symbols of great respect and authority is -mentioned in several parts of the Holy Scriptures, from which it would -seem that they were then common among persons of rank. They were sometimes -wholly of metal, but frequently the inscription was borne on a stone, set -in gold or silver. The impression from the signet-ring of a monarch gave -the force of a royal decree to any instrument to which it was attached. -Hence the delivery or transfer of it gave the power of using the royal -name, and created the highest office in the State. In Genesis (xli. 42) we -find that Joseph had conferred upon him the royal signet as an insignia of -authority.[1] Thus Ahasuerus transferred his authority to Haman (Esther -iii. 12). The ring was also used as a pledge for the performance of a -promise: Judah promised to send Tamar, his daughter-in-law, a kid from -his flock, and for fulfilment left with her (at her desire) his signet, -his bracelet, and his staff (Genesis xxxviii. 17, 18). - -Darius sealed with his ring the mouth of the den of lions (Daniel vi. 17). -Queen Jezebel, to destroy Naboth, made use of the ring of Ahab, King of -the Israelites, her husband, to seal the counterfeit letters ordering the -death of that unfortunate man. - -The Scriptures tell us that, when Judith arrayed herself to meet -Holofernes, among other rich decorations she wore bracelets, ear-rings, -and rings. - -The earliest materials of which rings were made was of pure gold, and the -metal usually very thin. The Israelitish people wore not only rings on -their fingers, but also in their nostrils[2] and ears. Josephus, in the -third book of his 'Antiquities,' states that they had the use of them -after passing the Red Sea, because Moses, on his return from Sinai, found -that the men had made the golden calf from their wives' rings and other -ornaments. - -Moses permitted the use of gold rings to the priests whom he had -established. The nomad people called Midianites, who were conquered by -Moses, and eventually overthrown by Gideon (Numbers xxxi.), possessed -large numbers of rings among their personal ornaments. - -The Jews wore the signet-ring on the right hand, as appears from a passage -in Jeremiah (xxii. 24). The words of the Lord are uttered against -Zedekiah: 'though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, King of Judah, were the -signet on my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence.' - -We are not to assume, however, that all ancient seals, being signets, were -rings intended to be worn on the hand. 'One of the largest Egyptian -signets I have seen,' remarks Sir J. G. Wilkinson, 'was in possession of a -French gentleman of Cairo, which contained twenty pounds' worth of gold. -It consisted of a massive ring, half an inch in its largest diameter, -bearing an oblong plinth, on which the devices were engraved, 1 inch long, -6/10ths in its greatest, and 4/10ths in its smallest, breadth. On one side -was the name of a king, the successor of Amunoph III., who lived about -fourteen hundred years before Christ; on the other a lion, with the legend -"Lord of Strength," referring to the monarch. On one side a scorpion, and -on the other a crocodile.' - -This ring passed into the Waterton Dactyliotheca, and is now the property -of the South Kensington Museum. - -[Illustration: Egyptian Bronze Rings.] - -Rings of inferior metal, engraved with the king's name, may, probably, -have been worn by officials of the court. In the Londesborough collection -is a bronze ring, bearing on the oval face the name of Amunoph III., the -same monarch known to the Greeks as 'Memnon.' The other ring, also of -bronze, has engraved on the face a scarabaeus. Such rings were worn by the -Egyptian soldiers. - -In the British Museum are some interesting specimens of Egyptian rings -with representations of the scarabaeus,[3] or beetle. These rings generally -bear the name of the wearer, the name of the monarch in whose reign he -lived, and also the emblems of certain deities; they were so set in the -gold ring as to allow the scarabaeus to revolve on its centre, it being -pierced for that purpose. - -Colonel Barnet possesses an Egyptian signet-ring formed by a scarabaeus set -in gold. It was found on the little finger of a splendid gilded mummy at -Thebes. In all probability the wearer of the ring had been a royal scribe, -as by his side was found a writing-tablet of stone. On the breast was a -large scarabaeus of green porphyry, set in gold. - -The Rev. Henry Mackenzie, of Yarmouth, possesses an Egyptian scarabaeus, a -signet-ring, set with an intaglio, on cornelian, found in the bed of a -deserted branch of the Euphrates, in the district of Hamadan in Persia. -The engraving is unfinished, the work is polished in the intaglio, and the -date has therefore been supposed not later than the time of the Greeks in -Persia, _circa_ 325 B.C. - -[Illustration: Egyptian Signet-rings.] - -The representations here given illustrate the large and massive Egyptian -signet-ring, and also a lighter kind of hooped signet, 'as generally worn -at a somewhat more recent period in Egypt. The gold loop passes through a -small figure of the sacred beetle, the flat under-side being engraved with -the device of a crab.' - -In the British Museum, in the first Egyptian Room, is the signet-ring of -Queen Sebek-nefru (Sciemiophris). 'Sebek' was a popular component of -proper names after the twelfth dynasty, probably because this queen was -beloved by the people. On Assyrian sculptures are found armlets and -bracelets; rings do not appear to have been generally worn. - -At a meeting of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, in June 1873, Dr. H. -F. Talbot, F.R.S., read an interesting paper on the legend of 'Ishtar -descending to Hades,' in which he translated from the tablets the -goddess's voluntary descent into the Assyrian _Inferno_. In the cuneiform -it is called 'the land of no return.' Ishtar passes successively through -the seven gates, compelled to surrender her jewels, viz. her crown, -ear-rings, head-jewels, frontlets, girdle, _finger-_ and toe-_rings_, and -necklace. A cup full of the Waters of Life is given to her, whereby she -returns to the upper world, receiving at each gate of Hades the jewels she -had been deprived of in her descent. - -Mr. Greene, F.S.A., has an Egyptian gold ring, formerly in the possession -of the late Mr. Salt, belonging to the nineteenth dynasty, probably from -the Lower Country, below Memphis. It is engraved with a representation of -the goddess Nephthis, or Neith. Another gold ring of a later period, from -the Upper Country, dates, probably, from the time of Psammitichus, B.C. -671 to 617. - -In the collection of Egyptian antiquities formed by the late R. Hay, Esq., -of Limplum, N.B., were two Graeco-Egyptian gold rings, found, it is -conjectured, in the Aasa-seef, near Thebes. One of these is of the usual -signet form, but without an inscription; the other is of an Etruscan -pattern, and is composed of a spiral wire, whose extremities end in a -twisted loop, with knob-like intersections. Both these objects are of fine -workmanship, and are wrought in very pure gold. Sir J. G. Wilkinson, in -'Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians,' remarks: 'The rings were -mostly of gold, and this metal seems always to have been preferred to -silver for rings and other articles of jewellery. Silver rings are, -however, occasionally to be met with, and two in my possession, which were -accidentally found in a temple at Thebes, are engraved with hieroglyphics, -containing the name of the royal city. Bronze was seldom used for rings; -some have been discovered of brass and iron (of a Roman time), but ivory -and blue porcelain were the materials of which those worn by the lower -classes were usually made.' - -The Rev. C. W. King observes: 'I have seen finger-rings of ivory of the -Egyptian period, their heads engraved with sphinxes and figures of eyes -cut in low relief as camei, and originally coloured.' - -The porcelain finger-rings of ancient Egypt are extremely beautiful, the -band of the ring being seldom above one eighth of an inch in thickness. -Some have a plate in which in bas-relief is the god Baal, full-faced, -playing on the tambourine, as the inventor of music; others have their -plates in the shape of the right symbolical eye, the emblem of the sun, of -a fish of the perch species, or of a scarabaeus. Some few represent -flowers. Those which have elliptical plates with hieroglyphical -inscriptions bear the names of Amen-Ra, and of other gods and monarchs, as -Amenophis III., Amenophis IV., and Amenmest of the eighteenth and -nineteenth dynasties. One of these rings has a little bugle on each side, -as if it had been strung on the beaded work of a mummy, instead of being -placed on the finger. Blue is the prevalent colour, but a few white and -yellow rings, and some even ornamented with red and purple colours, have -been discovered. It is scarcely credible that these rings, of a substance -finer and more fragile than glass, were worn during life, and it seems -hardly likely that they were worn by the poorer classes, for the use of -the king's name on sepulchral objects seems to have been restricted to -functionaries of state. Some larger rings of porcelain of about an inch in -diameter, seven-eighths of an inch broad, and one-sixteenth of an inch -thick, made in open work, represents the constantly-repeated -lotus-flowers, and the god Ra, or the sun, seated and floating through the -heavens in his boat. - -At the Winchester meeting of the Archaeological Institute in 1845 a curious -swivel-ring of blue porcelain was exhibited, found at Abydus in Upper -Egypt; setting modern. It has a double impression: on the one side is the -king making an offering to the gods, with the emblems of life and purity; -on the other side the name of the monarch in the usual 'cartouche,' one -that is well known, being that of Thothmes III., whom Wilkinson supposes -to have been the Pharaoh of Exodus. It is worthy of remark that this -cartouche is 'supported' by asps, which are usually considered to be the -attributes of royalty. - -[Illustration: Egyptian Porcelain Ring.] - -The annexed engraving represents an Egyptian ring, _en pate ceramique_, -from M. Dieulafait's 'Diamants et Pierres Precieuses.' - -The signet of Sennacherib in the British Museum is made of Amazon stone, -one of the hardest stones known to the lapidary, and bears an intaglio -'which,' observes the Rev. C. W. King, 'by its extreme minuteness, and -the precision of the drawing, displays the excellence to which the art had -already attained.' - -On a mummy-case in the British Museum is a representation of a woman with -crossed hands, covered with rings; the left hand is most loaded. Upon the -thumb is a signet with hieroglyphics on the surface, three rings on the -forefinger, two on the second, one formed like a snail shell, the same -number on the next, and one on the little finger. The right hand carries -only a thumb ring, and two upon the third finger. - -[Illustration: Rings on the fingers of a Mummy.] - -Sir J. G. Wilkinson observes: 'The left was considered the hand peculiarly -privileged to bear these ornaments; and it is remarkable that its third -finger was decorated with a greater number than any other, and was -considered by them, as by us, _par excellence_, the ring-finger, though -there is no evidence of its having been so honoured at the marriage -ceremony.' - -The same author mentions that rings were a favourite decoration among the -Egyptians; women wore sometimes two or three on the same finger. They -were frequently worn on the thumb. Some were simple, others had an -engraved stone, and frequently bore the name of the owner; others the -monarch in whose time he lived, and they were occasionally in the form of -a snail, a knot, a snake, or some fancy device. A cat--emblem of the -goddess Bast, or Pasht, the Egyptian Diana--was a favourite subject for -ladies' rings. - -[Illustration: Egyptian Gold Ring, from Ghizeh.] - -One of the oldest, if not the most ancient ring known, is supposed to be -that in the collection of Dr. Abbot, of Cairo, now preserved with his -other Egyptian antiquities at New York. It is thus described by -him:--'This remarkable piece of antiquity is in the highest state of -preservation, and was found at Ghizeh, in a tomb near the excavation of -Colonel Vyse, called Campbell's tomb. It is of fine gold, and weighs -nearly three sovereigns. The style of the hieroglyphics within the oval -make the name of that Pharaoh (Cheops, Shofo) of whom the pyramid was the -tomb. The details are minutely accurate and beautifully executed. The -heaven is engraved with stars; the fox or jackal has significant lines -within its contour; the hatchets have their handles bound with thongs, as -is usual in the sculptures; the volumes have the strings which bind them -hanging below the roll--differing in this respect from any example in -sculptured or painted hieroglyphics. The determinative for country is -studded with dots, representing the land of the mountains at the margin of -the valley of Egypt. The instrument, as in the larger hieroglyphics, has -the tongue and semi-lunar mark of the sculptured examples; as is the case -also with the heart-shaped vase. The name is surmounted with the globe and -feathers, decorated in the usual manner; and the ring of the cartouche is -engraved with marks representing a rope, never seen in the sculptures; and -the only instance of a royal name similarly encircled is a porcelain -example in this collection, inclosing the name of the father of Sesostris. -The O in the name is placed as in the examples sculptured in the tombs, -not in the axis of the cartouche; the chickens have their unfledged wings; -the cerastes its horns, now only to be seen with a magnifying glass.' - -In a lecture to the deaf and dumb in St. Saviour's Hall, Oxford Street, -London (October 1875), on 'Eastern Manners and Customs,' amongst various -relics exhibited was the hand of a female mummy, on one finger of which -was a gold ring, with the signet of one of the Pharaohs. - -A gold ring exhibited at the exhibition of antiquities at the Ironmongers' -Hall, in 1861, had hieroglyphics meaning 'protected by the living goddess -Mu.' - -Among some interesting specimens of Egyptian rings exhibited at the South -Kensington Loan Exhibition of 1872 I may mention an antique ring of pale -gold, with a long oval bezel chased in intaglio, with representation of a -_sistrum_ (timbrel, used by the Egyptians in their religious ceremonies), -the property of Viscount Hawarden; an antique ring of pale gold (belonging -to Lady Ashburton), formed of a slender wire, the ends twisted round the -shoulders, upon which is strung a signet, in form of a cat, made of -greenish-blue glazed earthenware. - -From the collection of R. H. Soden Smith, Esq. F.S.A., an ancient pale -gold ring, with revolving cylinders of lapis-lazuli, engraved with -hieroglyphics; the shoulders of the hoop wrapped round with wire ornament. - -The Waterton Collection contains Egyptian rings of various descriptions: -one of silver, with revolving bezel of cornelian representing the -symbolical right eye. Several rings of glazed earthenware; one of gold, -very massive, with revolving scarab of glazed earthenware, partially -encased in gold. A gold ring, the hoop of close-corded work, revolving -bezel with blood-stone scarab, engraved with Hathor and child. The same -engraving is on a gold signet-ring, with vesica-shaped bezel, and upon a -white-metal ring, where the figures are surrounded by lotus-flowers. -Another gold signet-ring is engraved with the figure of Amen-ra; a -probably Egyptian white-metal ring, with narrow oblong bezel, engraved -with a frieze of figures, and winged Genii, divided by candelabra. - -Several of the Egyptian rings in the Museum of the Louvre at Paris date -from the reign of King Moeris. One of the oldest rings extant is that of -Cheops, the founder of the Great Pyramid, which was found in a tomb there. -It is of gold, with hieroglyphics. - -The Egyptian glass-workers produced small mosaics of the most minute and -delicate finish, and sufficiently small to be worn on rings. - -Dr. Birch, in a very interesting paper communicated to the Society of -Antiquaries, at the meeting of November 17, 1870, observes, with regard to -the scarabaei and signet-rings of the ancient Egyptians, that the use of -these curious objects (the exhibition comprising upwards of five hundred -scarabs from the collection of Egyptian antiquities formed by the late R. -Hay, Esq., of Sinplum, N.B., to which I have alluded) dates back from a -remote period of Egyptian history. 'As it is well known, they were not -merely made in porcelain, but also in steatite, or stea-schist, and the -various semi-precious stones suitable for engraving, such as cornelian, -sard, and such-like.' In the time of the twelfth dynasty the cylindrical -ring, also found in use among the Assyrians and Babylonians, came into -vogue. The hard stones and gems were of later introduction, probably under -the influence of Greek art, for the ancient Egyptians themselves do not -appear to have possessed the method of cutting such hard substances. A -few, however, exist, which are clearly of great antiquity--as, for -example, a specimen in yellow jasper now in the British Museum. - -The principal purpose to which these scarabs were applied was to form the -revolving bezel of a signet-ring, the substance in which the impression -was taken being a soft clay, with which a letter was sealed. - -It is singular that some of these objects have been found in rings fixed -with the plane engraved side inwards, rendering them unfit for the -purposes of sealing. It is well known that the use of these scarabs was so -extensive as to have prevailed beyond Egypt, being adopted by the -Phoenicians and the Etruscans. - -On this subject the Rev. C. W. King remarks that gold rings, even of the -Etruscan period, are very rare, the signets of that nation still retaining -the form of scarabaei. 'The most magnificent Etruscan ring known, belonging -once to the Prince de Canino, and now in the matchless collection of -antique gems in the British Museum, is formed of the fore-parts of two -lions, whose bodies compose the shank, whilst their heads and fore-paws -support the signet--a small sand scarab, engraved with a _lion regardant_, -and set in an elegant bezel of filagree-work. The two lions are beaten up -in full relief of thin gold plate, in a stiff archaic style, but very -carefully finished.' - -The Waterton Collection contains a gold ring of Etruscan workmanship, of -singular beauty. It is described by Padre Geruchi, of the Sacred College, -as a betrothal or nuptial ring. It has figures of Hercules and Juno placed -back to back on the hoop, having their arms raised above their heads. -Hercules is covered with the skin of a lion, Juno with that of a goat. - -[Illustration: Etruscan, with Chimerae.] - -[Illustration: Roman-Egyptian.] - -Fairholt, in 'Rambles of an Archaeologist,' describes an ancient Etruscan -ring in the British Museum, with chimerae on it opposing each other. The -style and treatment partake largely of ancient Eastern art. There is also -in the same collection a remarkable ring having the convolutions of a -serpent, the head of Serapis at one extremity and of Isis at the other; by -this arrangement one or other of them would always be correctly posited; -it has, also, the further advantage of being flexible, owing to the great -sweep of its curve. Silver rings are rarer than those of gold in the -tombs of Etruria, and iron and bronze examples are gilt. - -All the Hindoo Mogul divinities of antiquity had rings; the statues of the -gods at Elephanta, supposed to be of the highest antiquity, had -finger-rings. - -The Rev. C. W. King describes a ring in the Waterton collection, of -remarkable interest--apparently dating from the Lower Empire, for the head -is much thrown up, and has the sides pierced into a pattern, the -'_interrasile opus_, so much in fashion during those times. It is set with -two diamonds of (probably) a carat each: one a perfect octahedron of -considerable lustre, the other duller and irregularly crystallised. -Another such example might be sought for in vain throughout the largest -cabinets of Europe.' - -After the conquest of Asia Alexander the Great used the signet-ring of -Darius to seal his edicts to the Persians; his own signet he used for -those addressed to the Greeks. - -Xerxes, King of Persia, was a great gem-fancier, but his chief signet was -a portrait, either of himself, or of Cyrus, the founder of the monarchy. -He also wore a ring with the figure of Anaitis, the Babylonian Venus, upon -it. Thucydides says that the Persian kings honoured their subjects by -giving them rings with the likenesses of Darius and Cyrus. - - * * * * * - -The late Mr. Fairholt purchased in Cairo a ring worn by an Egyptian lady -of the higher class. It is a simple hoop of twisted gold, to which hangs a -series of pendant ornaments, consisting of small beads of coral, and thin -plates of gold, cut to represent the leaves of a plant. As the hands move, -these ornaments play about the finger, and a very brilliant effect might -be produced if diamonds were used in the pendants. - -The rings worn by the middle class of Egyptian men are usually of silver, -set with mineral stones, and are valued as the work of the silversmiths of -Mecca, that sacred city being supposed to exert a holy influence on all -the works it originates. - -[Illustration: Modern Egyptian Rings.] - -A curious ring with a double keeper is worn by Egyptian men. It is -composed entirely of common cast silver, set with mineral stone. The -lowermost keeper, of twisted wire, is first put on the finger, then -follows the ring. The second keeper is then brought down upon it: the two -being held by a brace which passes at the back of the ring, and gives -security to the whole. - -[Illustration: Modern Egyptian Ring, with Double Keepers.] - -Tavernier states in his 'Travels' that the Persians did not make gold -rings, their religion forbidding the wearing of any article of that metal -during prayers, it would have been too troublesome to take them off every -time they performed their devotions. The gems mounted in gold rings, sold -by Tavernier to the King, were reset in silver by native workmen. - -The custom of wearing rings may have been introduced into Greece from -Asia, and into Italy from Greece. They served the twofold purpose, -ornamental and useful, being employed as a seal, which was called -_sphragis_, a name given to the gem or stone on which figures were -engraved. The Homeric poems make mention of ear-rings only, but in the -later Greek legends the ancient heroes are represented as wearing -finger-rings. Counterfeit stones in rings are mentioned in the time of -Solon. Transparent stones when extracted from the remains of the original -iron-rings of the ancients are sometimes found backed by a leaf of red -gold as a foil.[4] The use of coloured foils was merely to deceive and -impose upon the unwary, by giving to a very inferior jewel the finest -colour. Solon made a law prohibiting sellers of rings from keeping the -model of a ring they had sold. - -The Lacedaemonians, according to the laws of Lycurgus, had only iron rings, -despising those of gold; either that the King devised thereby to retrench -luxury, or not to permit the use of them. - -The Etruscans and the Sabines wore rings at the period of the foundation -of Rome, 753 B.C. - -The Etruscans made rings of great value. They have been found of every -variety--with precious stones, of massive gold, very solid, with engraved -stones of remarkable beauty. Among Etruscan rings in the Musee Nap. III. -the table of one offers a representation, enlarged, of the story of -Admetus, the King of Pherae in Thessaly. He took part in the expedition of -the Argonauts, and sued for the hand of Alcestis, the daughter of Pelias, -who promised him to her on condition that he should come to her in a -chariot drawn by lions and boars. This feat Admetus performed by the -assistance of Apollo, who served him, according to some accounts, out of -attachment to him, or, according to others, because he was obliged to -serve a mortal for one year, for having slain the Cyclops. - -[Illustration: Etruscan (Admetus).] - -[Illustration: Representation of Admetus.] - -[Illustration: Etrusca.] - -Among rings taken out of the tombs there are some in the form of a knot or -of a serpent. They are frequently found with shields of gold, and of that -form which we call Gothic, that is elliptical and pointed, called by -foreigners _ogive_, with raised subjects chiselled on the gold, or with -onyxs of the same form, but polished and surrounded with gold. There are -some particular rings which appear more adapted to be used as seals than -rings, and they have on the shields, relievos of much more arched, and -almost Egyptian, form.[5] - -[Illustration: Etruscan.] - -[Illustration: Etruscan.] - -Among the antique jewels at the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris are two -fine specimens of Etruscan rings. One is of gold, on which is a scarabaeus -in cornelian; the stomach of the scarabaeus is engraved hollow and -represents a naked man holding a vase. The other is a gold ring found in a -tomb at Etruria, of which the bezel, sculptured in relief, could not serve -as a seal. The subject is a divinity combating with two spirits, a -representation of the eastern idea of the struggles between the two -principles of good and evil, such as are found on numerous cylinders that -come from the borders of the Euphrates and the Tigris. This analogy -between the religious ideas of the Etruscans and those of the most ancient -monuments of the East is not astonishing when it is shown that the -Etruscans, the ancient inhabitants of Italy, were originally from Asia. -The following engraving represents an intaglio on a scarabaeus ring, of -fine workmanship, preserved in Vienna. - -At a meeting of the Archaeological Institute (May 3, 1850) the Dowager -Duchess of Cleveland exhibited a curious Roman ring of pure gold (weight -182 grains), of which an illustration is given in the Journal of the -Institute (vol. vii. p. 190). 'It was found, with other remains, at Pierse -Bridge (AD TISAM), county of Durham, where the vestiges of a rectangular -encampment may be distinctly traced. The hoop, wrought by the hammer, is -joined by welding the extremities together; to this is attached an oval -facet, the metal engraved in intaglio, the impress being two human heads -_respectant_, probably male and female--the prototype of the numerous -"love seals" of a later period. The device on the ring is somewhat -effaced, but evidently represented two persons gazing at each other. This -is not the first Roman example of the kind found in England. The device -appears on a ring, apparently of that period, found on Stanmore Common in -1781. On the mediaeval seals alluded to, the heads are usually accompanied -by the motto "Love me, and I thee," to which, also, a counterpart is found -among relics of a more remote age. Galeotti, in his curious illustrations -of the "Gemmae Antiquae Litteratae," in the collection of Ficoroni, gives an -intaglio engraved with the words "Amo te, ama me."' - -[Illustration: Etruscan.] - -The following engravings represent: A ring in the Musee du Louvre, with a -lion sculptured by a Greek artist, in an oriental cornelian; the reverse -has an intaglio of a lion _couchant_. The second, from the Webb -Collection, is that of an ancient Greek ring, of solid gold, with the -representation of a comic mask in high relief. The other, a gold ring with -a bearded mask, Roman, in the Waterton Collection at the South Kensington -Museum--also in high relief--has the shoulders thickened with fillets, -engraved with stars. - -[Illustration: Greek.] - -[Illustration: Greek.] - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -A singular discovery of Roman relics was made in 1824 at Terling Place, -near Witham, Essex, by some workmen forming a new road; the earth being -soaked by heavy rains the cart-wheels sank up to their naves. The driver -of the cart saw some white spots upon the mud adhering to the wheels, -which proved to be coins. On further search a small vase was discovered in -which had been deposited with some coins, two gold rings, which are -interesting examples of late Roman work; and representations of these, by -Lord Rayleigh's permission, were given in the 'Journal of the -Archaeological Institute' (vol. iii. p. 163) and are here shown. One of the -rings is set with a colourless crackly crystal, or _pasta_, uncut and _en -cabochon_; the other with a paste formed of two layers, the upper being of -a dull smalt colour, the lower dark brown. The device is apparently an -ear of corn. - -[Illustration: Late Roman.] - -The Hertz Collection contained a well-formed octahedral diamond, about a -carat in weight, set open in a Roman ring of unquestionable authenticity. - -At the Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South -Kensington Museum, in 1872, John Evans Esq., F.S.A., contributed a series -of seven rings, gold and silver, Roman, set with antique stones; one very -massive, of silver and gold, set with intaglio on nicolo onyx; one with an -angular hoop, and another with beaded ornaments. - -'Though,' remarks Mr. Fairholt, 'a great variety of form and detail was -adopted by Greek and Roman goldsmiths for the rings they so largely -manufactured, the most general and lasting resembled a Roman ring, -probably of the time of Hadrian, which is said to have been found in the -Roman camp at Silchester, Berkshire. The gold of the ring is massive at -the face, making a strong setting for the cornelian, which is engraved -with the figure of a female bearing corn and fruit. By far the greater -majority of Roman rings exhumed at home and abroad are of this fashion, -which recommends itself by a dignified simplicity, telling by quantity and -quality of metal and stone its true value, without any obtrusive aid.' -Sometimes a single ring was constructed to appear like a group of two or -three upon the finger. Mr. Charles Edwards, of New York, in his 'History -and Poetry of Finger Rings,' has given an example of this kind of ring. -Upon the wide part of each are two letters, the whole forming 'ZHCAIC,' -_mayst thou live!_ - -[Illustration: Ring found at Silchester.] - -[Illustration: Group Pattern.] - -'The simplest and most useful form of rings, and that by consequence -adopted by people of all early nations, was the plain elastic hoop. Cheap -in construction and convenient in wear, it may be safely said to have been -generally patronised from the most ancient to the most modern times.' An -engraving by Mr. Fairholt represents 'the old form of a ring made in the -shape of a coiled serpent, equally ancient, equally far-spread in the old -world, and which has had a very large sale among ourselves as a decided -novelty. In fact, it has been the most successful design our ring-makers -have produced of late years.' - -[Illustration: Ancient Plain Rings.] - -The statues of Numa and Servius Tullius were represented with rings, while -those of the other Kings had none; which would induce the belief that the -use of rings was little known in the early days of Rome. Pliny[6] states -that the first date in Roman history in which he could trace any general -use of rings was in A.U.C. 449, in the time of Cneius Flavius, the son of -Annius. Less than a century before Christ, Mithridates, the famous King of -Pontus, possessed a museum of signet-rings; later, Scaurus, the stepson of -the Dictator, Sylla, had a collection of signet-rings, but inferior to -that of Mithridates, which, having become the spoil of Pompey, was -presented by him to the Capitol. - -In Rome every freeman had the right to use the iron ring, which was worn -to the last period of the Republic, by such men as loved the simplicity of -the good old times. Among these was Marius, who, as Pliny tells us, wore -an iron ring in his triumph after the subjugation of Jugurtha. In the -early days of the Empire the _jus annuli_ seems to have elevated the -wearer to the equestrian order. Those who committed any crime forfeited -the distinction, and this shows us the estimation in which the ring, as an -emblem of honour, was regarded. - -[Illustration: Iron Ring of a Roman Knight.] - -We are told of Caesar that when addressing his soldiers after the passage -of the Rubicon he often held up the little finger of his left hand, -protesting that he would pledge even to his ring to satisfy the claims of -those who defended his cause. The soldiers of the furthest ranks, who -could see but not hear him, mistaking the gesture, imagined that he was -promising to each man the dignity of a Roman Knight. - -Gold rings appear to have been first worn by ambassadors to a foreign -State, but only during a diplomatic mission; in private they wore their -iron ones. - -In the course of time it became customary for all the senators, chief -magistrates, and the _equites_ to wear a gold seal-ring. This practice, -which was subsequently termed the _jus annuli aurei_, or the _jus -annulorum_, remained for several centuries at Rome their exclusive -privilege, while others continued to wear the iron ring. In Plutarch's -Life of Caius Marius he mentions that the slaves of Cornutus concealed -their master at home, and hanging up by the neck the body of some obscure -person, and putting a gold ring on his finger, they showed him to the -guards of Marius, and then wrapping up the body as if it were their -master's, they interred it. - -Magistrates and governors of provinces seem to have possessed the -privilege of conferring upon inferior officers, or such persons as had -distinguished themselves, the right of wearing a gold ring. Verres thus -presented his secretary with a gold ring in the assembly at Syracuse. - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -Montfaucon mentions in his 'Antiquity Explained' (English Edition, 1722, -vol. iii. p. 146), a Greek seal-ring, which has the shape of a crescent. -An illustration is here given of a similarly-formed Roman ring, with the -letters Q. S. P. Q., Quintanus Senatus Populusque, from the 'Gemmae Antiquae -Litteratae.' - -Some wore rings of gold, covered with a plate of iron. Trimalchion wore -two rings, one upon the little finger of his left hand, which was a large -gilt one, and the other of gold, set with stars of iron upon the middle of -the ring-finger. Some rings were hollow, and others solid. The _Flamines -Diales_ could only wear the former. - -During the Empire the right of granting the privilege of a gold ring -belonged to the emperors, and some were not very scrupulous in conferring -this distinction. - -Severus and Aurelian granted this privilege to all Roman soldiers; -Justinian allowed all citizens of the empire to wear such rings. - -But there always seems to have been a difficulty in restricting the use of -the gold ring. Tiberius (A.D. 22) allowed its use to all whose fathers and -grandfathers had property of the value of 400,000 sestertia (3,230_l._). -The restriction, however, was of little avail, and the ambition for the -_annulus aureus_ became greater than it had ever been before. - -Juvenal, in his eleventh 'Satire,' alludes to a spendthrift who, after -consuming his estate, has nothing but his ring:-- - - At length, when nought remains a meal to bring, - The last poor shift, off comes the Knightly ring, - And sad Sir Pollio begs his daily fare, - With undistinguished hands, and fingers bare. - -Martial attacks a person under the name of Zoilus, who had been raised -from a state of servitude to Knighthood, and was determined to make the -ring, the badge of his new honour, sufficiently conspicuous:-- - - Zoile, quid tota gemmam praecingere libra - Te juvat, et miserum perdire sardonycha? - Annulus iste tuus fuerat modo cruribus aptus; - Non eadem digitis pondera conveniunt. - -The keeping of the imperial ring (_cura annuli_) was confided to a state -keeper, as the Great Seal with us is placed in custody of the Lord -Chancellor. - -With the increasing love of luxury and show, the Romans, as well as the -Greeks, covered their fingers with rings, and some wore different ones for -summer and winter, immoderate both in number and size.[7] The accompanying -illustrations represent a huge ring of coloured paste, all of one piece, -blue colour--one of the rings of inexpensive manufacture in popular use -among the lower classes. It is smaller on one side, to occupy less space -on the index or little finger. - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -The following illustrates a supposed Gallo-Roman ring of outrageous -proportions, similar to those complained of by Livy (xxxiii., see -Appendix), for their extravagant size. It is of bronze, and supposed to -represent a cow or bull seated, with a bell round the neck. - -Heavy rings of gold of a sharp triangular outline were worn on the little -finger in the later time of the Empire. A thumb-ring of unusual magnitude -and of costly material is represented in Montfaucon. It bears the bust in -high relief of the Empress Plotina, the consort of Trajan: she is -represented with the imperial diadem. It is supposed to have decorated the -hand of some member of the imperial family. The Rev. C. W. King mentions a -ring in the Fould Collection (dispersed by auction in 1860), the weight of -which, although intended for the little finger, was three ounces. It was -set with a large Oriental onyx, not engraved. - -[Illustration: Supposed Gallo-Roman.] - -[Illustration: Roman Thumb-ring.] - -Juvenal alludes to the 'season' rings:-- - - Charged with light summer rings his fingers sweat, - Unable to support a gem of weight. - -The custom of wearing numerous rings must have been at a comparatively -early period: it is alluded to both by Plato and Aristophanes. According -to Martial, one Clarinus wore daily no less than sixty rings: 'Senos -Clarinus omnibus digitis gerit,' and, what is more remarkable, he loved to -sleep wearing them, 'nec nocte ponit annulos.' Quintilian notices the -custom of wearing numerous rings: 'The hand must not be overloaded with -rings, especially with such as do not pass over the middle joints of the -finger.' Demosthenes wore many rings and he was stigmatised as -unbecomingly vain for doing so in the troubled times of the State. - -Seneca, describing the luxury and ostentation of the time, says: 'We adorn -our fingers with rings, and a jewel is displayed on every joint.' - -As a proof of the universality of gold rings as ornaments in ancient -times, we are told that three bushels of them were gathered out of the -spoils after Hannibal's victory at Cannae. This was after the second Punic -war. - -According to Mr. Waterton it is believed that gems were not mounted in -rings prior to the LXII. Olympiad. - -Nero, we are informed, during his choral exhibitions in the circus, was -attended by children, each of whom wore a gold ring. Galba's guard, of the -_Equites_, had gold rings as a distinguishing badge. - -Rock crystal appears to have been much in use among the Romans for making -solid finger-rings carved out of one single piece, the face engraved with -some intaglio serving for a signet. - -'All those known to me,' remarks the Rev. C. W. King in 'Precious Stones,' -&c., 'have the shank moulded into a twisted cable; one example bore for -device the Christian monogram, which indicates the date of the fashion. It -would seem that these rings superseded and answered the same purpose as -the balls of crystal carried at an earlier period by ladies in their hands -for the sake of the delicious coolness during the summer heat.' - -Stone rings were in common use, formed chiefly of chalcedony. 'It is most -probable,' remarks the Rev. C. W. King, 'that the first ideas of these -stone rings were borrowed by the Romans from the Persian conical and -hemispherical seals in the same material. Some of these latter have their -sides flattened, and ornamented with divers patterns, and thus assume the -form of a finger-ring, with an enormously massy shank and very small -opening, sufficient, however, to admit the little finger. And this theory -of their origin is corroborated by the circumstance that all these Lower -Roman examples belong to the times of the Empire, none being ever met with -of an early date.' - -Silver rings were common: Pliny relates that Arellius Fuscus, when -expelled from the equestrian order, and thus deprived of the right of -wearing a gold ring, appeared in public with silver rings on his fingers. - -Among the ancient jewels in the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris is a fine -Roman ring, of which the bezel, a cornelian graved hollow, represents a -Janus with four faces. - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -Another Roman ring, also of gold, is attributed to the epoch of the -Emperor Hadrian. The three golden figures represented on it are those of -Egyptian deities, which have suffered under the hands of a Roman jeweller. -It is, however, possible to distinguish them as one of the most important -of the Egyptian Pantheon; that is to say, Horus, Isis, and Nephtys. -Isis-Hathor is shown with cow's ears; she has near her Horus-Harpocrates, -her son, who is crowned with the _schent_; the mother and child rise from -a lotus flower: on the left is Nephtys, crowned with a hieroglyphic -emblem, accidentally incomplete, but the signification of which is the -name even of this divinity, 'the lady of this house.' - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -Montfaucon, in his 'L'Antiquite Expliquee,' describes a ring with a gem -engraved representing Bellerophon, Pegasus, and the Chimaera. The hero, -riding on his famous horse, in the air, throws a dart at the monster -below, whose first head is that of a lion, the goat's head appears on her -back, and her tail terminates in a large head of a serpent. This ring was -found on the road to Tivoli, among some ashes of a dead body. - -[Illustration: Representation of a ring ornamented with busts of -divinities. From the Musee du Louvre.] - -Montfaucon gives the contents of a Roman lady's jewel box cut upon the -pedestal supporting a statue of Isis, and amongst other rich articles for -female decoration are, for her little finger, two rings with _diamonds_; -on the next finger a ring with many gems (_polypsephus_), emeralds, and -one pearl. On the _top joint_ of the same finger, a ring with an emerald. -The Roman ladies were prodigal in their display of rings: we read that -Faustina spent 40,000_l._ of our money, and Domitia 60,000_l._ for single -rings. Greek women wore chiefly ivory and amber rings, and these were less -costly and numerous than those used by men. - -The Rev. C. W. King remarks of Roman rings that if of early date, and set -with good intagli, they are almost invariably hollow and light, and -consequently are easily crushed. Cicero relates of L. Piso, that 'while -praetor in Spain he was going through the military exercises, when the gold -ring which he wore was, by some accident, broken and crushed. Wishing to -have another ring made for himself, he ordered a goldsmith to be summoned -to the forum at Cordova, in front of his own judgment-seat, and weighed -out the gold to him in public. He ordered the man to set down his bench in -the forum, and make the ring for him in the presence of all, to prove that -he had not employed the gold of the public treasury, but had made use only -of his broken ring.' - -The signs engraved on rings were very various, including portraits of -friends and ancestors, and subjects connected with mythology and religion. -In the reign of Claudius no ring was to bear the portrait of the emperor -without a special licence, but Vespasian, some time after, issued an -edict, permitting the imperial image to be engraven on rings and brooches. -Besides the figures of great personages, there were also representations -of popular events: thus, on Pompey's ring, like that of Sylla, were three -trophies, emblems of his three victories in Europe, Asia, and Africa. -After the murder of this great general, his seal-ring, as Plutarch tells -us, was brought to Caesar, who shed tears on receiving it. The Roman senate -refused to credit the news of the death of Pompey, until Caesar produced -before them his seal-ring. - -[Illustration: Head of Regulus, between cornucopiae.] - -On the ring of Julius Caesar was a representation of an armed Venus, as he -claimed to be a descendant of the goddess. This device was adopted by his -partisans; on that of Augustus, first a sphinx; afterwards the image of -Alexander the Great, and at last, his own portrait, which succeeding -emperors continued to use.[8] - -Among the ancients the figures engraved on rings were not hereditary, and -each assumed that which pleased him. Numa had made a law prohibiting -representations of the gods, but custom abrogated the ordinance, and the -Romans had engraved in their rings not only figures of their own deities, -but those of other countries, especially of the Egyptians. The physician -Asclepiades had a ring with Urania represented upon it. Scipio the African -had a sphinx; Cornelius Scipio Africanus, younger son of the great -Africanus, wore the portrait of his father, but as his conduct was -unworthy of the character of his illustrious sire the people expressed -their disgust by depriving him of the ring. Sylla had a Jugurtha; the -Epicureans, a head of Epicurus; Commodus, an Amazon, the portrait of his -mistress Martia; Aristomenes, an Agathocles, King of Sicily; Callicrates, -a Ulysses; the Greeks, Helen; the Trojans, Pergamus; the inhabitants of -Heraclia, a Hercules; the Athenians, Solon; the Lacedaemonians, Lycurgus; -the Alexandrians, an Alexander; the Seleucians, Seleucus; Maecenas, a frog; -Pompey, a dog on the prow of a ship; the Kings of Sparta, an eagle holding -a serpent in its claws; Darius, the son of Hystaspes, a horse; the -infamous Sperus, the rape of Proserpine; the Locrians, Hesperus, or the -evening star; Polycrates, a lyre; Seleucus, an anchor. - -The Rev. C. W. King, in 'Antique Gems,' informs us that 'the earliest -mention of a ring-stone in relief occurs in Seneca, who, in a curious -anecdote which he tells ("De Beneficiis," iii. 26) concerning the informer -Maro and a certain Paulus, speaks of the latter as having had on his -finger on that occasion a portrait of Tiberius in relief upon a projecting -gem, "Tiberii Caesaris imaginem ectypam atque eminente gemma." This -periphrasis would seem to prove that such a representation was not very -common at the time, or else a technical term would have been used to -express that particular kind of gem-engraving.' - -Among the discoveries made during some excavations at Canterbury in 1868 -was a Roman ring of exceedingly pure gold, the stone being a very fine and -highly-polished onyx, engraved with a Ganymede. - -At a meeting of the Archaeological Institute at Norwich in 1847 a fine gold -Roman ring found at Caistor was exhibited, set with an intaglio on onyx, -the subject being the Genius of Victory. The following illustrations of -engraved Roman rings are taken from Montfaucon's 'L'Antiquite -Expliquee':-- - -[Illustration: Gold ring, with head of Trajan, radiated.] - -[Illustration: Silver ring, with head of the Empress Crispina.] - -[Illustration: Head of the Emperor Gordian III.] - -[Illustration: Iron ring, with head of Socrates.] - -[Illustration: Gold ring, with name, Vibianae.] - -[Illustration: Iron ring, representing a shepherd and goat.] - -[Illustration: Jupiter Serapis.] - -[Illustration: Galba.] - -[Illustration: Pan and Goat.] - -[Illustration: Hygeia.] - -[Illustration: Mercury.] - -[Illustration: Bust, with inscription 'Lucilla Acv. Sta. Virgo,' formerly -in the collection of St. Genevieve; added to the splendid Cabinet of -Antiquities at Paris in 1796.] - -The following engraving (from Gorlaeus) refers to the story of Masinissa -and Sophonisba, well known to classical readers. She was betrothed at a -very early age to the Numidian prince, but was afterwards married to -Syphax, B.C. 206. This warrior, in a battle with Masinissa, was conquered, -and Sophonisba became a prisoner to the Numidian prince, who, won by her -charms, married her. Scipio, fearing her influence, persisted in his -immediate surrender of the princess, and Masinissa, to spare her the -humility of captivity, sent her a bowl of poison, which she drank without -hesitation, and thus perished. - -[Illustration: Ring with figures of Masinissa and Sophonisba.] - -The portraits of Caligula and Drusilla, in an iron ring, made to turn from -one side to the other (Gorlaeus):-- - -[Illustration: Caligula and Drusilla.] - -A representation of Victory, suspending a shield to a palm-tree -(Gorlaeus):-- - -[Illustration: Roman ring of 'Victory.'] - -With regard to the engraved representations on rings, Clemens -Alexandrinus gives some advice to the Christians of the second century: -'Let the engraving upon the stone be either a pigeon, or a fish, or a ship -running before the wind, or a musical lyre, which was the device used by -Polycrates; or a ship's anchor, which Seleucus had cut upon his signet; -and if it represents a man fishing, the wearer will be put in mind of the -Apostle, and of the little children drawn up out of the water. For we must -not engrave on them images of idols, which we are forbidden even to look -at; nor a sword, nor a bow, being the followers of peace, nor drinking -goblets, being sober men.' (See Chapter IV., 'Rings in connexion with -ecclesiastical usages,' _religious rings_.) The Rev. C. W. King remarks -that 'the practice of engraving licentious subjects on rings was very -prevalent in Ancient Rome. Ateius Capito, a famous lawyer of the Republic, -highly censured the practice of wearing figures of deities on rings, on -account of the profanation to which they were exposed.' - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -The same distinguished writer mentions an antique gold ring now in the -Florentine Cabinet, set with a cameo, which evidently shows that it -belonged to some Roman sporting gentleman, who, as the poet says, 'held -his wife a little higher than his horse,' for it is set with a cameo-head -of a lady, of tolerable work in garnet, and on the shoulders of the ring -are intaglio busts of his two favourite steeds; also a garnet with their -names cut in the gold on each side--_Amor_ and _Ospis_. On the outside of -the shank is the legend _Pomphonica_, 'success to thee, Pomphius,' very -neatly engraved on the gold. - -In the possession of Captain Spratt is a remarkably fine specimen of early -Greek work, a large ring of thin gold, set with an intaglio on very fine -red sard, oval, of most unusual size, representing a figure of Abundantia -beside an altar; the edge of the setting slightly bended; the stone held -in its position by thin points of gold. This most important gem is in its -original gold setting, and was purchased in June 1845 at Milo, where it -had been found the previous year, within a short distance of the theatre, -near the position in which the Venus of Milo had been discovered about -thirty years previously. - -Such was the value attached by the Romans to the setting of gems in rings, -that Nonius, a senator, is said to have been proscribed by Antony, for the -sake of a precious opal, valued at 20,000_l._ of our money, which he would -not relinquish. - -The taste for engraved gems, 'grew,' observes the Rev. C. W. King, 'into -an ungovernable passion, and was pushed by its noble votaries to the last -degree of extravagance. Pliny seriously attributes to nothing else the -ultimate downfall of the Republic; for it was in a quarrel about a ring at -a certain auction that the feud originated between the famous demagogue -Drusus, and the chief senator Caepio, which led to the breaking out of the -Social War, and to all its fatal consequences.' - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a gold Roman finger-ring, with two hands -clasping a turquoise in token of concord: this device, a favourite one in -mediaeval times, has thus an early origin. In the same collection is a -beautiful Romano-British gold ring, chased to imitate the scales of a -serpent, which it resembles in form: the eyelet-holes have been set with -some coloured gem, or paste, now lost. - -Sometimes the decoration of a ring was not confined to a single gem. -Valerian speaks of the _annulus bigemmis_, and Gorlaeus gives specimens; -one, the larger gem of which has cut upon it the figure of Mars, holding a -spear and helmet, but wearing only the chlamys; the smaller gem is incised -with a dove and myrtle-branch. Engraved are two examples of the emblematic -devices and inscriptions adopted for classic rings when used as memorial -gifts. The first is inscribed,--'You have a love-pledge,' the -second,--'Proteros (to) Ugiae,' between conjoined hands. - -[Illustration: Roman 'memorial' gift-rings.] - -The annexed illustration represents a jewelled ring of gold, considered to -be of Roman work. It is formed with nine little bosses, set with uncut -gems, emeralds, garnets, and a sapphire: one only, supposed to be a blue -spinel, is cut in pyramidal fashion. - -[Illustration: Anglo-Roman.] - -A similar ring, of gold, found in Barton, Oxfordshire, may, probably, be -ascribed to the same period of the Roman rule in Britain. Weight 3 dwts. -16 grains. ('Archaeological Journal,' vol. vi. p. 290.) - -[Illustration: Anglo-Roman.] - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -The Roman ring here given must have been inconvenient to the wearer from -its form, but may have been used as a signet. Rings were chiefly used by -the Romans for sealing letters and papers; also cellars, chests, casks, -&c.[9] They were affixed to certain signs, or symbols, used for tokens, -like what we call tallies, or tally-sticks, and given in contracts instead -of a bill, or bond, or for any sign. Rings were also given by those who -agreed to club for an entertainment, to the person commissioned to bespeak -it, from _symbola_, a reckoning; hence, _symbolam dare_, to pay his -reckoning. Rings were also given as votive offerings to the gods. - -In 1841 a curious discovery was made at Lyons of the jewel-case of a -Roman lady containing a complete _trousseau_, including rings: one is of -gold, the hoop slightly ovular, and curving upward to a double leaf, -supporting three cup-shaped settings, one still retaining its stone, an -Arabian emerald. Another is also remarkable for its general form, and -still more so for its inscription, 'Veneri et Tvtele Votvm,' explained by -M. Comarmond as a dedication to Venus, and the local goddess Tutela, who -was believed to be the protector of the navigators of the Rhine; hence he -infers these jewels to have belonged to the wife of one of those rich -traders in the reign of Severus. - -[Illustration: Roman rings, found at Lyons.] - -Boeckh's Inscriptions (dating from the Peloponnesian War) enumerate in the -Treasury of the Parthenon, among other sacred jewels, the following rings: -an onyx set in a gold ring; ditto in a silver ring; a jasper set in a gold -ring; a jasper _seal_, enclosed in gold, seemingly a mounted scarabaeus; a -signet in a gold ring, dedicated by Dexilla (the two last were evidently -cut in the gold itself); two gem signets set in one gold ring; two signets -in silver rings, one plated with gold; seven signets of _coloured glass_ -plated with gold (_i.e._ their settings); eight silver rings, and one gold -piece, fine (probably a Daric), a gold ring of 1-1/2 drs. offered by -Axiothea, wife of Socles; a gold ring with one gold piece, fine, _tied_ to -it, offered by Phryniscus, the Thessalian; a plain gold ring weighing 1/2 -dr. offered by Pletho of AEgina (a widow's mite). - -Fabia Fabiana, a Roman lady, offered in honour of her granddaughter Avita, -amongst other costly gifts, two rings on her little finger with diamonds, -on the next finger a ring with many gems, emeralds and one pearl; on the -top joint of the same ring, a ring with an emerald. 'The notice of the two -diamond-rings and the emerald-ring on the top joint of the ring-finger -are,' remarks the Rev. C. W. King, 'very curious. The pious old lady had -evidently offered the entire set of jewels belonging to her deceased -grandchild for the repose of her soul.' - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -The annexed engraving represents a remarkably fine Roman bronze ring of a -curious shape. The parts nearest the collet are flat and resemble a -triangle from which the summit has been cut. The peculiarity of the ring -is an intaglio, here represented, cut out of the material itself, -representing a youthful head. The two triangular portions which start from -the table of the ring are filled with ornaments, also engraved hollow. -Upon it is the word VIVAS, or _Mayest thou live_; probably a gift of -affection, or votive offering. - -In many of the Roman keys that have been discovered the ring was actually -worn on the finger. The shank disappears, and the wards are at right -angles to the ring, or in the direction of the length of the finger. - -[Illustration: Roman 'Key-rings.'] - -When a person, at the point of death, delivered his ring to anyone, it was -esteemed a mark of particular affection. The Romans not only took off the -rings from the fingers of the dead, but also from such as fell into a very -deep sleep or lethargy. Pliny observes: 'Gravatis somno aut morientibus -religione quadam annuli detrahuntur.' Some have conjectured that Spartian -alludes to this custom where, taking notice in the Life of the Emperor -Hadrian of the tokens of his approaching death, he says: 'Signa mortis haec -habuit: annulus in quo Imago ejus sculpta erat, sponte de digito lapsus -est.' The ring, with his own image on it, fell of itself from his finger. -Morestellus thinks they took the rings from the fingers for fear the -Pollinctores, or they who prepared the body for the funeral, should take -them for themselves, because when the dead body was laid on the pile they -put the rings on the fingers again, and burnt them with the corpse. - -The custom of burning the dead lasted to the time of Theodosius the Great, -as Gothofredus states. Macrobius, who lived under Theodosius the Younger, -says the custom of burning the dead had quite ceased in his time. - -The Romans commonly wore the rings on the _digitus annularis_, the fourth -finger, and upon the left hand, but this custom was not always observed. -Clemens Alexandrinus remarks that men ought to wear the ring at the bottom -of the little finger, that they might have their hand more at liberty. For -Pliny's account of this, and other ring customs, I refer the reader to the -Appendix at the end of this volume. - -The clients of a Roman lawyer (remarks Fosbroke), usually presented him, -as a birthday present, with a ring, which was only used on that occasion. - -Rings were given among the Romans on birthdays--generally the most solemn -festival among them, when they dressed and ornamented themselves, with as -much grandeur as they could afford, to receive their guests. Persius -alludes to the natal ring in his first Satire, in which a ring, richly set -with precious stones, figures as a part of the ceremonial. - -The gladiators often wore heavy rings, a blow from which was sometimes -fatal. The ring of the first barbarian chief who entered and sacked Rome -was a curious cornelian inscribed 'Alaricus rex Gothorum.' - -In the famous Castellani Collection of Antiques, now in the British -Museum, are some splendid specimens of Roman rings: one with an uncut -crystal of diamond, a stone of great rarity, and highly prized; also a -minute votive ring set with a cameo, which probably adorned the finger of -a statuette; a curious double ring for two fingers. The early Christian -rings are very remarkable; one has a crossed 'P' in gold, formerly filled -with stones or enamel; another has an anchor for device, and one a ship, -emblematic of the Church. - -Amongst the Greek rings in this superb collection is the most splendid -intaglio, _on gold_, ever discovered; the bust of some Berenice or -Arsinoe side by side with that of Serapis; the ring itself, plain and very -massive, is, as the Rev. C. W. King observes, 'a truly royal signet.' - -A ring in the Londesborough Collection bears the _Labarum_, the oldest -monogram of Christianity, derived from the vision in which Constantine -believed he saw the sacred emblem, and placed it on his standard with the -motto, 'In hoc signo vinces.' This ring came from the Roman sepulchre of -an early Christian. - -An engraving of another ring in the same collection of massive silver is -inscribed SABBINA, most probably a love-gift. - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -The following represents a bronze 'legionary' ring, of oval form, with -flattened bezel, supposed to be Early Christian; obtained from Rome -('Arch. Journal,' vol. xxvi. p. 146):-- - -[Illustration: Roman 'Legionary' ring.] - -Another, of the same description, is more elaborate:-- - -[Illustration: Roman 'Legionary' ring.] - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -The collections of our English antiquaries contain numerous specimens of -Roman rings. At Uriconium several have been found of very varied -materials. Rings formed of bone, amber,[10] and glass were provided for -the poorer people, as was the case in ancient Egypt. - -[Illustration: Roman amber and glass rings.] - -In the later period of the Roman empire a more ostentatious decoration of -rings, derived from Byzantium, became common. In Montfaucon we find -illustrations of this change from the classical simplicity of earlier -times. - -A specimen of this character is given by Montfaucon:-- - -[Illustration: Byzantine.] - -The annexed represents a gold ring, probably of the fifth or sixth -century, found at Constantinople ('Arch. Journal,' vol. xxvi. p. 146):-- - -[Illustration: Byzantine.] - -In the Museum at Naples are two fine specimens of rings discovered at -Herculaneum and Pompeii, illustrations of which are here given from the -work of M. Louis Barre, 'Herculaneum et Pompeii' (Paris, 1839-40):-- - -[Illustration: Rings from Herculaneum and Pompeii.] - -A bronze ring is curious from having similar ornaments to those of the -horse-furniture discovered some years ago at Stanwick, on the estates of -the Duke of Northumberland in Yorkshire, and which are analogous in the -character of their design to those found in Roman places of sepulture in -Rhenish Germany. - -[Illustration: Roman.] - -Representation of a 'trophy' ring in the Museum of the Hermitage, St. -Petersburg; the figure of a lion on the convex; on the reverse a trophy:-- - -[Illustration: Roman 'Trophy' ring.] - -[Illustration: Roman ring (from the Museum at Mayence).] - -In the Waterton Collection are some valuable and curious specimens of -Greek and Roman art in ring-manufacture. These are composed of gold, -silver, bronze, iron, lead, earthenware, amber, vitreous paste, jet, white -cornelian, lapis-lazuli, chrysoprase, &c. Amongst these will be seen some -interesting Roman rings for children; one engraved with a rude figure of -Victory, found at Rietri, in 1856, diam. 9/16 in. In the same collection -are bronze 'legionary' rings--perhaps the number of a 'centuria,' some -corps employed about Rome, where all the rings of this character connected -with the collection have been found. - -Among the 'votive' rings in this collection, is one in the form of a shoe, -inscribed FELIX, of bronze. - -There are also specimens of rings with the key on the hoop, to which I -have alluded in the chapter on 'Betrothal and Wedding Rings.' One has a -fluted pipe; another has a key with two wards; in another the key is -riveted on the hoop. - -[Illustration: Roman Key-rings.] - -The earthenware rings are of brown or red. The amber rings are of mottled -deep red, set with green paste. Those in vitreous paste are of pale blue, -transparent yellowish and transparent brown. A 'jet' ring belongs to the -late Roman period. A white cornelian ring has a smaller part of the hoop -cut down, so as to form an oval bezel, on which is engraved a standing -figure of AEsculapius. A gold ring, Roman, set with oval intaglio, on -cornelian, of a trophy consisting of a horse's head bridled, and two -Gallic shields crossed, with the name of Q. Cornel Lupi, is the seal of -Quintus Cornelius Lupus, commemorating a victory over the Gauls: the -setting is modern. Another gold ring, with oval bezel, set with an -intaglio on yellow sard, has a youthful bust, full-faced; on one side a -spear, on the other side, in Greek letters, 'Hermai.' A gold ring with -nicoli onyx is inscribed 'VIBAS LUXURI HOMO BONE.' - -Some of the 'Early Christian' rings in the same collection are very -interesting. These are of silver, bronze, and lead. One of silver has an -octagonal bezel engraved with the Agnus Dei; another, of bronze, has a -square bezel inscribed 'VIVAS IN DEO'; a bronze ring with oval bezel is -chased with a lamb, the shoulders and hoop chased so as to represent a -wreath of palms; another, of bronze, has a projecting octagonal bezel, -engraved with a dove and a star, the hoop formed so as to resemble a -wreath. A massive bronze ring has the bezel engraved with the figure of an -_orante_; on the hoop is also a _sigillum_ engraved with a cross. One -ring, of lead, has a flattened bezel rudely incised with a cross. - -The following engraving represents the fore-finger, from a bronze statue, -of late Roman workmanship, on which a large ring is seen on the second -joint. A similar custom prevails in Germany. - -[Illustration: Late Roman (from the Waterton Collection).] - -The latest 'surprise' in regard to rings is that in connection with Dr. -Schliemann's discovery of antiquities upon the presumed site of Troy. The -Doctor, in June 1873, after indefatigable exertions in excavating, came -upon a _trouvaille_ consisting of ancient relics of great rarity, value, -and importance, including finger-rings, of which, as I have mentioned, -the Homeric writings make no mention. These were found among a marvellous -assemblage of bronze, silver, and gold objects, which lay together in a -heap within a small space. This seemed to indicate that they had -originally been packed in a chest which had perished in a conflagration -(most of the articles having been exposed to the action of fire), a bronze -key being found near them. The period to which these objects belong is the -subject of much controversy, but their origin must date from a very remote -period. - - * * * * * - -Among our British, Saxon, and Mediaeval ancestors, rings were in common -use. Pliny ('Hist. Nat.' lib. xxxiii. c. 6) mentions, that the Britons -wore the ring on the middle finger. In the account of the gold, silver, -and jewellery belonging to Edward the First is mentioned 'a gold ring with -a sapphire, the workmanship of St. Dunstan.' Aldhelm, '_De Laud. Virg._', -describes a lady with bracelets, necklaces, and rings set with gems on her -fingers. Rings are frequently mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon annals. They -appear to have been worn then on the finger next to the little finger, and -on the right hand--for a Saxon bard calls that the golden finger--and we -find recorded that a right hand was once cut off on account of this -ornament. - -[Illustration: Anglo-Saxon.] - -[Illustration: Early British (?) ring, found at Malton.] - -It was not uncommon for Saxon gold rings to have the name of the owner for -a legend. Some of the rings of the Anglo-Saxon period which have been -discovered would not discredit the workmanship of a modern artificer. One -of the most interesting relics of enamelled art which is exhibited in the -medal room of the British Museum is the gold ring of Ethelwulf, King of -Wessex (A.D. 837-857), the father of Alfred the Great. It was found in the -parish of Laverstock, Hampshire, in a cart-rut, where it had become much -crushed and defaced. Its weight is 11 dwts. 14 grains. This ring was -presented to the British Museum by Lord Radnor, in 1829. Ethelwulf became -later in life a monk at Winchester, where he had been educated, and he -died there. No reasonable ground can be alleged for doubting the -authenticity of this ring.[11] - -[Illustration: Ring of Ethelwulf.] - -M. de Laborde, in his 'Notice des Emaux, &c., du Louvre,' considers the -character of the design and ornament to be Saxon; and there is every -reason to suppose it was the work of a Saxon artist. - -In connexion with this valuable relic is the gold ring of AEthelswith, -Queen of Mercia, the property of the Rev. W. Greenwell, F.S.A., by whom it -was exhibited at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries in January 1875. -On this occasion, A. W. Franks, Esq., Director of the Society, made the -following observations:--'This ring is one of the most remarkable relics -of antiquity that has appeared in our rooms for many years past. - -'It was ploughed up in Yorkshire, between Aberford and Sherburn in the -West Riding, and it is said that the fortunate finder attached it to the -collar of his dog as an ornament. It is of gold, weighing 312 grains; the -outer surface is engraved, and partly filled up with niello. In the centre -of the bezel is the Agnus Dei, accompanied by the letters A.D. The second -letter has a stroke passing through it, so as to resemble the Saxon _th_. -If this stroke is not to be considered a simple contraction, it may be -intended for [Greek: arnos] or [Greek: arnion Theou]. In the half circle -on each side are conventional animals or monsters; the whole is surrounded -by a border of dots, much worn in places. The most remarkable part of the -ring, however, is the inscription within, which is in letters large in -proportion to the surface they occupy, and which read EATHELSVITH REGNA. -These letters, excepting the two last, are in double outline. The -engraver seems to have miscalculated the space necessary, and has left out -one letter towards the end and given the NA in single lines; or, perhaps, -the I and the N are combined in a monogram. - -'The inscription is perfectly genuine, and we have, therefore, before us -the ring of Queen AEthelswith. The only person to whom, with any -probability, this inscription can be applied is AEthelswith, daughter of -Ethelwulf, and wife of Burgred or Burhred, King of Mercia. She was thus -sister to Alfred the Great. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, under -the year 853 (854), Burhred, King of the Mercians, prayed in that year -King Ethelwulf to aid him in reducing the North Welsh to obedience, which -he did; the Easter after which King Ethelwulf gave his daughter in -marriage to Burhred. She appears as witness to the charter of Burhred in -855 and 857, and 866 and 869 (Kemble's Codex, cclxxvii., cclxxviii., -cclxxx., ccxci., ccxii., ccxcix.). In 868 we have a charter giving to her -faithful servant Cuthwulf land in Lacinge. About 872-4 she is witness to a -charter of AEthelred, Duke of Mercia. In 888 (889) we learn from the -"Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" that she died:--"And Queen AEthelswith, who was -King Alfred's sister, died on the way to Rome, and her body lies at -Pavia." - -'She was daughter of Ethelwulf by Osburh, daughter of Oslac, the King's -cup-bearer, and must have been many years older than her brother Alfred, -as he was only five years old at the time of her marriage. - -'With regard to the inscription within the ring, it may be noticed that it -exhibits scarcely any traces of wear, while the edges of the ring show -marks of having been long worn. The engraving (which illustrates this -explanation in the "Proceedings of the Society") moreover, scarcely looks -like the work of a goldsmith. I would, therefore, suggest that the Queen -had probably offered this ring at some shrine, and the priests connected -with the shrine had engraved her name within the ring, to record the royal -giver. It could scarcely have been deposited in her tomb, as she is -recorded to have been buried at Pavia.' - -In the rings of King Ethelwulf and his daughter, certain -symmetrically-placed portions of the design are not filled with niello. -These may (observes Mr. Franks) have been enriched with some coloured -mastic now perished. It has been habitual to describe the inlaying of -Ethelwulf's ring as blue enamel, which is certainly an error. Enamel was -very seldom employed by the Anglo-Saxon jeweller, and enamel and niello -could with difficulty be applied to the same object, on account of the -different heat at which these two substances melt. - -An illustration of the remarkable ring of the Queen of Mercia is displayed -on the cover of this work. - -Rings were given in Anglo-Saxon times to propitiate royal favours. Thus, -towards the end of the tenth century, Beorhtric, a wealthy noble in Kent, -left in his will a ring worth thirty mancuses of gold that the queen might -be his advocate that the will should stand. In the Braybrooke Collection -is a plain silver ring, inscribed on the top of the exterior of the hoop, -with the Anglo-Saxon word 'Dolghbot,' the meaning of which is, -compensation made for giving a man a wound, either by a stab or blow. This -ring is ornamented by a simple wavy line, and dots, as if to represent a -branch, and was found in Essex. From its size, probably a woman's -ring--perhaps for injury, or the death of her husband. - -There are various nielloed rings of the Saxon period; notably a gold ring -with an inscription, and partly in runes, meaning 'Alhreds owns me, Eanred -engraved (or wrought) me,' now in the British Museum, which also has a -gold ring with two facets, found in the river Nene, near Peterborough, -engraved in the Archaeological Institute Proceedings for 1856. - -[Illustration: Anglo-Saxon.] - -Plain wire rings were used by the South Saxons; specimens have been -obtained in Anglo-Saxon grave-mounds in England, and others, identical in -form, in the old Saxon cemeteries in Germany. Mr. Fairholt says: 'In the -museum at Augsburg are several, which were found in cutting for the -railway near that city. One of the plain wire rings' (the first of our -illustrations) 'was exhumed from a tumulus on Chartham Downs, a few miles -from Canterbury, in 1773, by the Rev. Bryan Faussett, who says: "The bones -were those of a very young person. Upon the neck was a cross of silver, a -few coloured earthen beads, and two silver rings with sliding knots." The -second illustration--a wire ring, twisted so as to resemble a seal -ring--was discovered in a Saxon cemetery on Kingston Downs, Canterbury.' - -[Illustration: Early Saxon rings, found near Salisbury.] - -The simplest form of finger-ring worn by our ancestors, consisted of a -band of metal, merely twisted round to embrace the finger, and open at -either end. One of these rings found upon the finger-bone of an early -Saxon, in excavating at Harnham Hill, near Salisbury, was found on the -middle finger of the right hand of a person of advanced age. Sometimes -several rings were found on one hand. Among the bones of the fingers of -the left hand of an adult skeleton was found a silver ring of solid form, -another of spiral form, and a plain gold ring. Mr. Akerman, who -superintended these researches, says: 'Similar rings have been found at -Little Wilbraham, at Linton Heath, at Fairford, and other localities. -They are, for the most part, of a uniform construction, being so contrived -that they could be expanded or contracted, and adapted to the size of the -finger of the wearer.' - -[Illustration: South Saxon ring, found in the Thames.] - -In the Waterton Collection is a very curious South Saxon ring, described -as 'an elongated oval with a circular centre; within the circle is the -conventional figure of a dragon, surrounded by four convoluted ornaments, -reminding one of the prevailing enrichments so lavishly bestowed on old -Runic ornaments, at home and abroad. Four quaintly-formed heads of dragons -occupy the triangular spaces above and below this centre. The ground -between the ornaments has been cut down, probably for the insertion of -niello or enamel colour.' It was found in the Thames at Chelsea in 1856. - -At a meeting of the Royal Archaeological Institute in June 1873 Mr. J. J. -Rogers exhibited some Anglo-Saxon bronze rings which were found in a cave, -in the parish of St. Keverne, Cornwall. - -The Duke of Northumberland possesses a beautiful ring of pale-coloured -gold (weight 157 grains), set with a ruby-coloured gem, surrounded with -filagree work, the hoop beaded with small circles, punched, as on work of -the Saxon age. It was discovered, about 1812, by a boy who was ploughing, -near Watershaugh, Northumberland, and found the ring fixed on the point of -his ploughshare. - -In the collection of R. H. Soden Smith, Esq., F.S.A., is a curious -Anglo-Saxon ring, found about ten feet below the surface of the ground, in -making Garrick Street, Covent Garden. It is of gold, the hoop nearly half -an inch wide, with a broad oval bezel, expanding to 1-3/16 inches; the -gold pale, alloyed with silver. The whole is overlaid with funiform wire -ornaments and granulated work; on the bezel are four curves of beaded -filagree radiating from the centre ornament, and having smaller bosses of -similar work between.[12] - -Spiral elastic band rings of Anglo-Saxon work have been found in -considerable numbers in excavations. Douglas, in his 'Nenia Britannica,' -describes many specimens under this term, found by him in the graves of -Anglo-Saxon tribes. - -[Illustration: Ancient Irish rings, found near Drogheda.] - -In the earlier history of Ireland we find instances of a wonderful -development of artistic skill in goldsmith work. The Royal Irish Academy -possesses some beautiful specimens of rings. The Londesborough Collection -includes two remarkable rings which were found with other gold ornaments -near the remarkable tumulus, known as 'New Grange,' a few miles from -Drogheda. They were accidentally discovered in 1842 by a labouring man, -within a few yards to the entrance of the tumulus, at the depth of two -feet from the surface of the ground, and without any covering or -protection from the earth about them. Another labouring man, hearing of -this discovery, carefully searched the spot whence they were taken, and -found a denarius of Geta. The stone set in both rings is a cut agate. - -Aildergoidhe, son of Muinheamhoin, monarch of Ireland, who reigned 3070 -A.M., is traditionally said to have been the first prince who introduced -the wearing of gold rings into Ireland, which he bestowed on persons of -merit who excelled in knowledge of the arts and sciences. - -[Illustration: Early Irish gold ring.] - -The engraving (from the 'Archaeological Journal,' June 1848), represents a -gold ring twisted, or plaited, of early Irish work, in the fine collection -of antiquities of Edwin Hoare, Esq., of Cork. - -[Illustration: The 'Alhstan' ring.] - -The Alhstan ring, engraved and described in the 'Archaeologia' (vol. iv. p. -47), is in the Waterton Collection. Some observations on this very -remarkable ring are given by that learned antiquary, the Rev. Mr. Pegge. -It was found by a labourer on the surface of the ground at Llysfaen in -Caernarvonshire. It is of good workmanship, and weighs about an ounce. It -bears the inscription of Alhstan, which was a common Saxon name. Mr. Pegge -appropriates the ring to the Bishop of Sherborne of that name, because -the dragon of Wessex, apparent in the first lozenge, was not only the -device on the royal standard of Wessex, but the Bishop of Sherborne had -often conducted armies under it, having been much engaged in affairs of -war. The prelate died in 867, in the beginning of the reign of Ethelred I. - -[Illustration: Anglo-Saxon ring, found near Bosington.] - -In the Journal of the British Archaeological Association (vol. i.) is a cut -of an Anglo-Saxon gold-ring, discovered at Bosington, near Stockbridge; it -is of considerable thickness, ornamented with rich chain-work, and has in -its centre a male head, round which is inscribed 'NOMEN EHLLA FID IN -XPO,'--my name is Ella; my faith is in Christ. It is now in the Ashmolean -Museum at Oxford. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - -In 1840 at Cuerdale, near Preston, some curious discoveries of coins and -treasure were made, considered to have been deposited about the year 910, -and the ornaments such as were worn about the time of Alfred, or somewhat -earlier. These included several rings, representations of which are given -in the 'Archaeological Journal' (vol. iv. p. 127). One is merely a piece of -metal hammered flat, thinner and narrower at the ends, and formed into a -circle; the ends lapping over, but without any fastening. It is entirely -without ornament. In some specimens the metal is hammered and bent into -the form of a ring, in the same manner as the flat one. Two rings are -formed exactly like some armlets, found at the same time; the punch has -had a triangular point, and triangles conjoined at their bases having been -struck side by side, parallel rows of sunk lozenges have been produced. -Another ring has been hammered into a small four-sided bar, then twisted, -and ultimately formed into a ring, the ends of which meet, but have not -been united. In another ring two wires have been hammered into a roundish -form, tapering towards the ends, which have been tied together. Each wire -has been ornamented by transverse blows of a blunt chisel, and has the -appearance of being also twisted; these two have been twined together to -form one ring. - -In a communication from Mr. Worsaae, of Copenhagen, to the 'Archaeological -Journal,' he observes that the triangular pattern with three or four -points on the Cuerdale rings differs totally from the designs on Celtic, -Roman, or Saxon remains, and which never seems to occur on any objects -found in the interior or southern parts of Europe. 'To the instances which -Mr. Hawkins has already cited of similar patterns on silver objects found -in Denmark and in Finland, I can only add that I have seen precisely -similar objects with the same pattern in Ireland, Prussia, and Sweden, and -that in the interior of Russia, in _tumuli_ in the neighbourhood of -Moscow, the same patterns have been found on rings. In nearly every -instance these ornaments have been found along with oriental or Cufic -coins, as in the case at Cuerdale.' Mr. Worsaae is of opinion that they -are of eastern origin, and were brought to the north in the same way as -the oriental coins. - -In the collection of antiquities of the Royal Irish Academy there are two -curious specimens of rings; one, like a ferule, fluted both externally and -internally, so as to resemble seven plain rings, attached to one another; -and their weight is 9 dwts. - -[Illustration: Rings in the Royal Irish Academy.] - -The other is a five-sided bar of gold, flat on the inside near the finger, -and angular externally; weight 1 oz. 12 dwts. 6 grs. This might be -denominated a torque ring. - -The following illustration represents a spiral silver ring, found at -Largo, weighing 120 grs. It is shaped, apparently, by the hammer. The -edges are serrated. A spiral ring found with Saxon remains in Kent, -engraved by Douglas in his 'Nenia,' and another found in the Isle of -Wight, represented in the 'Winchester' volume of the Archaeological -Association, may be compared with the present example. - -[Illustration: Spiral silver ring.] - -Dr. Mantell has a massive gold ring, supposed to have been worn on the -finger, formed of two square bars rudely twisted together, and gradually -diminishing in size towards the extremities, where they are united -together. It was ploughed up at Bormer, in Sussex, and was presented to -Dr. Mantell by the Earl of Chichester. It is represented in Horsfield's -'History of Lewes,' plate iv. Similar rings of this description, but -differing in the fashion of the twist, have been noticed as found in -Britain. The resemblance between these ornaments and the gold 'ring-money' -of the interior of Africa is exceedingly curious. - -[Illustration: Ring: Flodden Field.] - -The annexed engraving (from the 'Archaeological Journal,' vol. iii. p. 269) -represents a gold ring, belonging to Sir Noel Paton, F.S.A., Scotland, -reported to have been found on the field of Flodden: weight 8 dwts. 17 -grs. Other rings of a similar form have been discovered, and 'they appear -to offer some analogy with the torc of the Celtic age.' - -The annexed illustration represents a remarkably fine ring engraved in -Chifflet's 'Anastasis Childerici' (1655), on the same page as that of the -Childeric ring (described in the chapter on 'Memorial and Mortuary -Rings'), for purposes of comparison, in carrying out his original theory, -that the supposed bees of Childeric were, by gradual transition, converted -into the figure known as the _fleur de lys_ of a later monarchy, as he -endeavours to illustrate by numerous diagrams, but he omits to say where -this ring marked 'sapphirus' was originally found. It is a mere -supposition that the figure represents St. Louis, but in Montfaucon's -'Monuments de la Monarchie Francaise' (Paris, 1729), in a long -disquisition on the origin, &c., of the _fleur de lys_, on referring to -plate xxiii. tom. ii. p. 158, where St. Louis 'instruit ses enfans,' his -shield is noticed as bearing for the _first time three fleurs de lys_. - -[Illustration] - -Sandford, in his 'Genealogical History' (pp. 270, 289), says that Henry -the Fifth, being Prince of Wales, 'did bear azure, 3 _flowers de lys or_, -for the Kingdom of France, reducing them from _semee_ to the number 3, as -did Charles VI., the present King.' - -Among the old Northmen rings were generally worn by rich people and -persons of rank. Such rings are frequently found in barrows of pagan date, -and from their nature and quality it is easy to determine that they were -generally of very simple workmanship; the reason of which, undoubtedly, -was that they were used instead of money in commercial transactions, and -had, therefore, not unfrequently to be cut asunder. Still, rings of more -artistic workmanship are sometimes found in pagan graves. - -[Illustration: Gold.] - -[Illustration: Gold.] - -[Illustration: Bronze.] - -[Illustration: Gold, enamelled and inlaid.] - -[Illustration: Gold.] - -[Illustration: Gold.] - -[Illustration: Gold.] - -The preceding cuts are taken from examples in the Royal Museum, -Copenhagen, of the curious twisted spiral rings alluded to, found in the -graves of the old Northmen. - -Charlemagne sealed all his acts with his ring. That of his son Louis le -Debonnaire had for inscription XPE. PROTEGE HELLDOVICUNI. IMPERATOREM. - -From the reign of Hugh Capet each King had his particular seal-ring. St. -Louis had for device a ring interlaced with a garland of lilies and -daisies, in allusion to his name and that of his queen. - -Two curious rings of early date are here represented: one a seal-ring of -the Frankish period, found near Allonnes (Sarthe) bearing the monogram -Lanoberga; the other, of gold, Merovingian, found in Vitry-le-Francais, -supposed to be a conjugal ring, with inscription. - -[Illustration: Frankish period.] - -[Illustration: Merovingian.] - -The annexed illustration represents a gold ring, in the Bibliotheque -Nationale at Paris, with the initials S. R., and supposed by the Abbe -Cochet ('La Normandie Souterraine') to mean 'Sigebertus Rex,' but which -of the three Sigeberts, Kings of Austrasia (the name given, under the -Merovingians, to the eastern possessions of the Franks), cannot be -conjectured. - -[Illustration: Merovingian.] - -To a similar period may, perhaps, be ascribed the ring found near Blois, -represented in the following engraving:-- - -[Illustration: Merovingian.] - -The annexed cuts represent a gold signet-ring, inscribed 'Heva,' and a -seal-ring, both of the Merovingian period. - -[Illustration: Merovingian.] - -A remarkable ring of the Merovingian period, now in the collection of R. -H. Soden Smith, Esq., F.S.A., was exhibited at the Archaeological Institute -in 1874. It is a massive gold ring, with oval bezel 1-1/4 inches long, by -1 inch in width, set with an antique polished chalcedony of two layers, -the edges bevelled. The setting is rather more than a quarter of an inch -deep, and is formed of a band of gold, supported by perpendicular ridges, -made by folding another thick band, or ribbon, of gold; a double row of -pellets of gold, and others on the shoulder of the hoop, add to the rich -effect of the whole. The hoop is a somewhat rude angular band, with a -zigzag punched ornament round it. This ring was found in the neighbourhood -of Bristol. - - * * * * * - -It was in the Middle Ages, however, after a period of comparative -mediocrity, that the greatest degree of perfection in goldsmiths' work, -and especially in rings, began to display itself. In the reign of Edward -III. (1363), so great was the extravagance in dress and decoration that an -Act was passed to repress the evil. All persons under the rank of -Knighthood, or of less property than two hundred pounds in land and -tenements, were forbidden to wear rings, and other articles of jewellery. - -[Illustration: Gold 'Middle Age' ring, from the Louvre.] - -In the 'Vision of Pierce Ploughman,' written, it is supposed, about this -date, the poet speaks of a richly-adorned lady, whose fingers were all -embellished with rings of gold, set with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. - -In a parchment roll of Prayers to the Virgin in the Library of Jesus -College, Oxford, which formerly belonged to Margaret of Anjou, there is a -portrait of that queen who is represented wearing two rings on each finger -except the least, placed on the middle as well as the third joint of the -fingers--a fashion probably introduced by her, and shown in the curious -portrait of this queen on the tapestry at Coventry. - -In later ages we find the same practice of ornamenting the fingers with -several rings. In the description of a Scottish woman of the middle of the -sixteenth century, attributed to Dunbar, we find:-- - - On ilkune fyngar scho weirit ringis tuo - Scho was als proud an ony papingo. - -Queen Elizabeth had an immoderate love for jewellery; and the description -given of her dresses covered with gems of the greatest rarity and beauty -reads like a romance. For finger-rings she had a remarkable fondness. Paul -Hentzner, in his 'Journey into England,' 1598, relates that a Bohemian -baron having letters to present to her at the palace of Greenwich, the -queen, after pulling off her glove, 'gave him her right hand to kiss, -sparkling with rings and jewels--a mark of particular favour.' - -[Illustration: Rings on the effigy of Lady Stafford.] - -In Bromsgrove Church, Staffordshire, are the fine monumental effigies of -Sir Humphrey Stafford and his lady (1450)--remarkable alike for the rich -armour of the knight and the courtly costume of the lady. She wears a -profusion of rings; every finger, except the little finger of the right -hand, being furnished with one. They exhibit great variety of design. The -two hands are lifted in prayer. - -'In the Duke of Newcastle's comedy,' observes Mr. Fairholt, 'the "Country -Captain" (1649), a lady of title is told that when she resides in the -country a great show of finger rings will not be necessary: "Show your -white hand, with but one diamond, when you carve, and be not ashamed to -wear your own ringe with the old posie." That many rings were worn by -persons of both sexes is clear from another passage in the same play, -where a fop is described, 'who makes his fingers like jewellers' cards to -set rings upon.' - -The same custom prevailed in France. Mercier, in his 'Tableau de France,' -mentions that at the close of the eighteenth century enormous rings were -worn. The hand of a woman presented a collection of rings, 'et si ces -bagues etaient des antiques, elles offriraient un echantillon d'un cabinet -des pierres gravees.' He adds that 'the nuptial ring is now unnoticed on -the fingers of women; wide and profane rings altogether conceal this -warrant of their faith.' - -So important a business was the making of rings that it was separated from -the ordinary work of the goldsmith, and became a distinct trade. - -In the sixteenth century, among the various articles carried by the pedlar -rings were reckoned. In Heywood's 'Four PP (A Newe and a very mery -Enterlude of a Palmer, a Pardoner, a Potycary, and a Pedler),' the -Potycary addresses the Pedler:-- - - What the devyll hast thou there at thy backe?-- - -to which he replies:-- - - What dost thou not knowe that every pedler - In all kinde of trifles must be a medler? - Gloves, pinnes, combes, glasses unspotty'd, - Pomanders, hookes, and lases knottyed; - Broches, _rynges_, and all maner of bedes. - -The instances in which brooches and rings are mentioned together are -numerous. In Scott's edition of Sir Tristrem (pages 23, 28) we find:-- - - Who gaf broche and beighe (ring)? - Who but Douk Morgan? - - A loud thai sett that sleigh - With all his winning yare - With broche and riche beighe. - -In the Chester Mystery Plays the shepherds do not know what to present to -the Babe of Bethlehem, and Secundus Pastor says:-- - - Goe we nere anon, with such as we have broughte, - Ringe, broche, ner precious stoune, - Let us see yf we have oughte to proffer. - -And the 'first boye' adds:-- - - Nowe Lorde for to geve thee have I no thinge, - Neither goulde, silver, broche, ner ringe. - -In the old ballad of Redisdale and Wise William the lady is enticed with -rich presents:-- - - Come down, come down, my lady fair, - A sight of you i'll see, - And bonny jewels, broaches, rings, - I will give unto thee. - -to which she replies:-- - - If you have bonny broaches, rings, - Oh, mine are bonny tee, - Go from my yettes, now, Reedisdale, - For me ye shall not see. - -Of the later period of ring decoration there are some splendid specimens -in various collections. Mr. Fairholt, in his 'Facts about Finger-rings,' -has given illustrations and descriptions of two rings of this character in -the Londesborough Collection. One is decorated with floral ornament, -engraved and filled with green and red enamel colours. The effect on the -gold is extremely pleasing, having a certain quaint sumptuousness -peculiarly its own. The other specimen, a signet-ring, bears a 'merchants' -mark' (see notice of 'Merchants' marks' at the end of this chapter) upon -its face. - -[Illustration: Enamelled floral ring.] - -[Illustration: 'Merchant's' ring.] - -In the same collection is a ring, doubtless a _gage d'amour_, the hoop of -which is richly decorated with quaint floriated ornaments, cut upon its -surface, and filled in with the black composition termed _niello_, once -extensively used by goldsmiths in enriching their works. This beautiful -ring is inscribed within the hoop, '=Mon Cor Plesor=,'--'my heart's -delight.' - -There are two very beautiful examples of sixteenth century rings, one in -the Londesborough Collection, which has a ruby in a very tall setting, -enriched by enamel. The sides of the hoop are highly decorated with -flowers and scroll ornament, also richly enamelled. The other ring is in -the Waterton Collection, gold, enamelled, set with a large turquoise in -the centre, and surrounded by six raised garnets. This ring is said to -have subsequently belonged to Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, whose -cipher is upon it. - -[Illustration: Ring: Sixteenth Century.] - -[Illustration: Ring of Frederick the Great.] - -Rings of Italian workmanship of a late period are remarkably beautiful. -Venice particularly excelled in this art. In the Londesborough Collection -is a fine specimen. The four claws of the other ring in open-work, support -the setting of a sharply-pointed pyramidal diamond, such as was then -coveted for writing on glass. The shank bears a fanciful resemblance to a -serpent swallowing a bird, of which only the claws connecting the face -remain on view. - -[Illustration: Venetian.] - -[Illustration: Italian diamond ring.] - -'It was,' remarks Mr. Fairholt, 'with a similar ring Raleigh wrote the -words on a window-pane: "Fain would I rise, but that I fear to fall," to -which Queen Elizabeth added: "If thy heart fail thee, do not rise at -all"--an implied encouragement which led him on to fortune.'[13] - -The annexed engraving represents a gold symbolical ring of the sixteenth -century, enamelled, of various colours. - -[Illustration: Italian.] - -Two rings are described by Mr. Fairholt of a peculiar construction. One, -of Venice work, is set with three stones in raised bezels; to their bases -are affixed, by a swivel, gold pendant ornaments, each set with a garnet. -As the hand moves, these pendants fall about the finger, the stones -glittering in the movement. This fashion was evidently borrowed from the -East, where people delight in pendant ornaments, and even affix them to -articles of utility. - -The other ring, of silver, is of East Indian workmanship, discovered in -the ruins of one of the most ancient temples: to its centre are affixed -bunches of pear-shaped, hollow drops of silver, which jingle with a soft, -low note as the hand moves.[14] - -[Illustration: Venetian.] - -[Illustration: East Indian.] - -The Indians prefer rings with large floriated faces spreading over three -fingers like a shield. When made for the wealthy, in massive gold, the -flower leaves are of cut jewels, but the humbler classes are content with -them in cast silver. Representations are here given of these rings. - -[Illustration: Indian.] - -In Southern Europe, where jewellery is deemed almost an essential of life -and the poorest will wear it in profusion, though only made of copper, the -rings are curious and elaborate. A Spanish ring, of the early part of the -last century, has a heart, winged and crowned, in its centre: the heart is -transfixed by an arrow, but surrounded by flowers. It may possibly be a -religious emblem. Another Spanish ring, of more modern manufacture, has a -very light and elegant design. The flowers are formed of rubies and -diamonds, and the effect is extremely pleasing. Such work may have -originated the 'giardinetti' rings, specimens of which are seen in the -South Kensington Museum. Two are there described as English work of the -seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They appear to have been used as -'guards,' or 'keepers,' to the wedding-ring, and are of pleasing floriated -design, and of very delicate execution. - -[Illustration: Spanish.] - -[Illustration: 'Giardinetti' rings.] - -Annexed are representations of some remarkably fine rings (French) dating -from the close of the fourteenth century or the commencement of the -fifteenth. - -[Illustration: French.] - -A handsome ring, of silver gilt, representing St. George and the Dragon, -belongs to the end of the fifteenth century. There is a border of roses -and fleurs-de-lys around the saint. - -[Illustration: French.] - -[Illustration: French.] - -The following examples of French art of the sixteenth century are in the -Museum of the Louvre:-- - -[Illustration: French.] - -The annexed illustration represents an escutcheon ring (from Viollet le -Duc) of the Middle Ages, and is thus described by M. Chabouillet in his -'Catalogue General.' The Cabinet of Medals at Paris possesses a ring -dating from the commencement of the fifteenth century, if one may judge -from the form of the letters, and that of the helmet engraved on the seal. -The ring is of massive gold; the arms, engraved hollow on the seal, -represent a shield, charged with a dragon, carrying (perhaps) some prey in -his jaws. On the two sides of the intaglio are two names--MARIN, PIXIAN. -On the sides of the ring are two inscriptions in relief, one only of which -is legible, and this is taken from St. Luke--'Jesus autem transiens per -medium illorum ibat.' - -[Illustration: 'Escutcheon' ring. French.] - -The accompanying are from Chabouillet's 'Orfevrerie de la Renaissance,' in -the Fould Collection (dispersed by auction in 1860). - -[Illustration: French.] - -These engravings are from Labarte's 'Orfevrerie du XV. et XVI. Siecles':-- - -[Illustration: French.] - -[Illustration: French.] - -The following represent rings in the Musee Sauvageot, of the sixteenth and -seventeenth centuries; one is elaborately wrought of chiselled iron, of -French manufacture--date, 16th century. - -[Illustration: French.] - -The annexed are two fine specimens of comparatively modern date; one -ending in volutes near the bezel, the other enamelled white, red, green, -and blue--a turquoise, with diamonds and rubies in settings. - -[Illustration: French.] - -Mr. Fairholt mentions two characteristic specimens of modern French -ring-work; one a signet ring, the face engraved with a coat of arms. At -the sides two _Cupidons_ repose amidst scroll-work partaking of the taste -of the _Renaissance_. The same peculiarity influences the design of the -second ring; here a central arch of five stones, in separate settings, are -held by the heads and outstretched wings of _Chimaeras_, whose breasts are -also jewelled. Both are excellent designs. - -[Illustration: Modern French.] - -[Illustration: Moorish.] - -In the Londesborough Collection is a triplicate of Moorish rings, which -will enable us to understand their peculiarities. One has a large circular -face composed of a cluster of small bosses, set with five circular -turquoises and four rubies; the centre being a turquoise, with a ruby and -turquoise alternating round it. This ring is of silver. Another, of the -same material, is set with an octangular bloodstone, with a circular -turquoise on each side. There is, also, a silver signet ring, bearing the -name of its original owner, engraved on a cornelian. - -[Illustration: Bavarian.] - -In the South Kensington Museum is a massive and heavy brass ring, with -octagonal bezel armed with five projecting points, used as a weapon by -peasants in Upper Bavaria from about the year 1700 to the present time. - -The Indians prefer rings with large floriated faces, spreading over three -fingers like a shield. When made for the wealthy in massive gold, the -flower leaves are of cut jewels, but the humbler classes, who equally love -display, are content with them in cast silver. Such a ring is in the -British Museum, where there are also two specimens of rings beside it such -as are worn by the humbler classes. - - * * * * * - -A curious gold ring, bearing the impress a 'merchant's mark,' was -exhibited by Mr. Sully at a meeting of the Archaeological Institute of -November 1851. It was found at St. Anne's Well, near Nottingham, and the -date is about the time of Henry VI. From a representation in the 'Journal' -the impress appears to be composed of the orb of sovereignty, surmounted -by a cross, having two transverse bars, like a patriarchal cross. The -extremities of the lower limbs terminate with the Arabic numerals, 2--0, -the cipher being transversed by a diagonal stroke, as frequently written -in early times. On one side of the hoop is seen the Virgin and Child, on -the other the Crucifix; these were originally enamelled. Within is -inscribed--=Mon Cur avez=. Weight 7 dwts. 21 grs. - -A brass signet-ring found in the Cathedral Close at Hereford, bears for -impress a kind of merchant's mark, a cross, with the lower extremity -barbed like an arrow, between the initials G. M.--now in the possession of -the Dean of Hereford. - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a bronze signet-ring with a merchant's -mark within a cable border: the mark may be intended to represent a buoy, -which would accord well with the border, supposing it to be a trader's -cipher; the hoop is likewise twisted to imitate the strands of a rope. -This ring was found in the Thames. - -In the same collection is a massive gold thumb-ring engraved as a signet, -with a merchant's mark within a rude shield. The shoulders of the hoop are -chased with Marguerite flowers, which were commonly adopted in the reign -of Henry VI., in honour of the queen-mother, and may indicate the date of -the ring. It was found at Littlebury, Essex, in 1848. In the same -collection is a large gold thumb-ring, with a round hoop and signet, on -which is engraved the letter E of Longobardic form, within -delicately-cusped tracery, surmounted by a coronet. The hoop is inscribed -externally with the words _in. on. is. al._ (in one is all): probably -intended for a charm, of which so many forms are found upon rings of the -fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. - -In the Londesborough Collection is the fine specimen (to which I have -alluded in a previous page) of a signet-ring bearing a 'merchant's mark.' - -'The marks,' observes Mr. Fairholt, 'varied with every owner, and was as -peculiar to himself as the modern autograph; they were a combination of -initials, or letter-like devices, frequently surmounted by a cross, or a -conventional sign, believed to represent the sails of a ship. The marks -were placed upon the bales of merchandise, and were constantly used where -the coat armour, or badge of a nobleman or gentleman entitled to bear arms -would be placed. The authority vested in such merchants' rings is -curiously illustrated in one of the historical plays on the life and reign -of Queen Elizabeth, written by Thomas Heywood, and to which he gave the -quaint title: "If you know not me, you know nobody." Sir Thomas Gresham, -the great London merchant, is one of the principal characters, and in a -scene where he is absent from home, and in sudden need of cash, he -exclaims: "Here, John, take this seal-ring, bid Timothy send me presently -a hundred pound." John takes the ring to the trusty Timothy, saying: -"Here's his seal-ring; I hope a sufficient warrant." To which Timothy -replies: "Upon so good security, John, I'll fit me to deliver it." Another -merchant in the same play is made to obtain his wants by similar means:-- - - ------receive thou my seal-ring: - Bear it to my factor; bid him by that token - Sort thee out forty pounds' worth of such wares - As thou shalt think most beneficial. - -The custom must have been common to be thus used in dramatic scenes of -real life. These plays were produced in 1606.'[15] - -'Merchants' marks, which appear to have been imitated from the Flemings -during the reign of Edward the Third, and became very common during the -fifteenth and early part of the sixteenth century, both on seals and -signet-rings, offer a somewhat curious field for research, and are often -very useful in identifying the persons by whom domestic and parts of -ecclesiastical edifices on which they occur were built. They were more -generally used in the great seaports of England than in the south--a fact -which is readily accounted for by the frequent intercourse between those -ports and Flanders. It may be observed also that such marks belonged -chiefly to wool-factors, or merchants of the staple.'--_Archaeological -Journal_ for March 1848. - -[Illustration: Merchants' rings.] - - * * * * * - -In the collections of our English antiquaries are numerous specimens of -_thumb-rings_, and in the chapter on 'Ecclesiastical Usages in Connection -with Rings' I have mentioned several of particular interest, notably an -effigy with a signet-ring of remarkable size represented as worn over both -the thumbs. Dr. Bruce found some thumb-rings along the line of the Roman -wall. - -The custom of wearing thumb-rings is alluded to by Chaucer, in the -'Squire's Tale,' where it is said of the rider of the brazen horse who -advanced into the hall, Cambuscan, that 'upon his thumb he had of gold a -ring.' Brome, in the 'Antipodes,' 1638, and also in the 'Northern Lass:' -'A good man in the city wears nothing rich about him but the gout, or a -thumb-ring.' - -In the 'Archaeological Journal' (vol. iii. page 268) is a representation of -a curious thumb-ring, which supplies a good example of the signet -thumb-ring of the fifteenth century. It is of silver, alloyed, or plated -with baser metal and strongly gilt. The hoop is grooved spirally, and the -initial H is engraved upon it; weight 17 dwts. 18 grs. It was found in -1846, in dredging in the bed of the river Severn, at a place called -Saxon's or Saxton's Lode. - -Signet rings of this kind were worn by rich citizens, or persons of -substance not entitled to bear arms. Falstaff bragged that in his earlier -years he had been so slender in figure that he could readily have crept -through an 'alderman's thumb-ring,' and a ring thus worn--probably, as -more conspicuous--appears to have been considered as appropriate to the -customary attire of a civic dignitary at a much later period. A character -in the Lord Mayor's show in 1664 is described as 'habited like a grave -citizen--gold girdle and gloves hung thereon, rings on his fingers, and a -seal-ring on his thumb.' - -In Labartes 'Hand-book of the Fine Arts in the Middle Ages' is a -representation of a fine thumb-ring, of Hindoo workmanship, cut out of a -single piece of jade, decorated with gold filagree, and incrusted with -rubies. - -A magical thumb-ring of gilt, bearing the figure of a toad, and of German -workmanship of the fourteenth century is in the Londesborough Collection, -and is described in the chapter on 'Ring Superstitions.' The annexed -representation is from a ring in the same collection. - -[Illustration: Thumb-ring.] - -The figure of a morse ivory thumb-ring of an Earl of Shrewsbury, belonging -to Dr. Iliff, is given in the 'Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries' -(December, 1859), in which it is fully described. On this is engraved -various coats of arms, surrounded by the Garter, and ensigned with an -earl's coronet. A list of the quarterings is also given.[16] - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a massive latten thumb-ring, with a signet -engraved with I.H.S. and three tears below; the words, 'in Deo Salus' are -inside the hoop. They are from the Penitential Psalms, and in union with -the tears. Date from the thirteenth century. - -In a portrait of Lady Anne Clifford, the celebrated Countess of Pembroke, -she wears a ring upon the thumb of her right hand. - -To the practice of English ladies wearing, formerly, the wedding-ring on -the thumb I have alluded in the chapter on 'Betrothal and Wedding-rings.' - -Dr. Thomas Chalmers wore the ring of his great-great-great-grandfather, -John Alexander, on his thumb. - -'Oriental rings,' remarks the Rev. C. W. King, 'exactly like the ancient -in shape, and made of cornelian, chalcedony, and agate, with legends in -Arabic on the face, for the use of signets, are by no means uncommon in -collections. They are of large size, being designed to be worn on the -_thumb_ of the right hand, in order to be used in drawing the bow-string, -which the Orientals pull with the bent thumb, catching it against the -shank of the ring, and not with the two first fingers, as is the practice -of English archers.' - -[Illustration: Brass Thumb-ring.] - -A brass seal-ring large enough for a man's thumb was found in Hampshire -some years ago, and is noticed in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' vol. liv. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -RING SUPERSTITIONS. - - -A mysterious significance has been associated with rings from the earliest -periods, among various nations. They were supposed to protect from evil -fascinations of every kind, against the 'evil eye,' the influence of -demons, and dangers of every possible character; though it was not simply -in the rings themselves that the supposed virtues existed, but in the -materials of which they were composed, in some particular precious stone -that was set in them, as charms or talismans, in some device or -inscription on the stone, or some magical letters engraven on the -circumference of the ring. - -The ring worn by the high-priest of the Jews was of inestimable value, -chiefly, according to a tradition, of its celestial virtues; and the ring -of Solomon, as Hebrew legends state, possessed powers which enabled him to -baffle the most subtle of his enemies.[17] Some curious particulars -respecting this ring will be found in Josephus (lib. viii. ch. 2), which, -however, are considered as interpolations. According to this he witnessed -the healing of demoniacs by one Eleazar, a Jew, in the presence of the -Emperor Vespasian, by the application of a medicated ring to the nostrils -of the patient. The Jew recited several verses connected with the name of -Solomon, and the devils came forth through the noses of the patients. 'It -was to this great prince the honour of this discovery is attributed, as -well as other magical operations, and without him it would be improbable -to obtain success.'[18] The signet-ring of Solomon had the mystic word -_schemhamphorasch_ engraved upon it, and procured for him the wonderful -_shamir_, which enabled him to build the temple. Every day at noon it -transported him into the firmament, where he heard the secrets of the -universe. This continued until he was persuaded by the devil to grant him -his liberty, and to take the ring from his finger; the demon then assumed -his shape as King of Israel, and reigned three years, while Solomon became -a wanderer in foreign lands. - -According to an Arabian tradition, King Solomon, on going to the bath, -left his ring behind him, which was stolen by a Jewess, and thrown by her -into the sea. Deprived of his miraculous amulet, which prevented him from -exercising the judicial wisdom for which he was celebrated, Solomon -abstained for forty days from administering justice, when he at length -found the ring in the stomach of a fish that was served at his table. Many -curious fictions on this subject are related by Arabian writers in a book -called 'Salcuthat,' devoted to the subject of magical rings, and they -trace this particular ring of Solomon in a regular succession from Jared, -the father of Enoch, to the 'wisest of men.'[19] - -Old legends state that Joseph and the Virgin Mary used at their espousals -a ring of onyx or amethyst. The discovery is dated from the year 996, when -the ring was given by a jeweller from Jerusalem to a lapidary of Clusium, -who indicated its origin. The miraculous powers of the ring having been -found out by accident, it was placed in a church, when its efficacy in -curing disorders of every kind was remarkable--trifling, however, in -comparison with its singular power of multiplying itself. Similar rings -were claimed as the genuine relic by many churches in Europe at the same -time, and received the same devout homage. - -This superstition of the 'Virgin's Ring' still prevails in Catholic -countries. Thus, the correspondent of the 'Standard' newspaper, in an -article contributed to that journal on 'Art in Perugia' (Sept. 4, 1875), -writes:--'We went into the Duomo, or cathedral of Perugia. It is not among -the churches most worth visiting. Several other churches contain far more, -and more interesting works of art in various kinds. The "Nuptial Ring of -the Virgin Mary," which is the treasure on which the Chapter of Perugia -most prides itself, is not to be seen. A sacristan whom I innocently asked -to show it to me, looked at me and spoke to me as much as if I had -requested him to show me round the wondrous scene described by the Seer of -the Apocalypse. He told me, indeed, when his first astonishment at my -ignorant audacity had somewhat calmed down, that the ring could be seen if -I would "call again" on St. Joseph's day next, on which solemnity it is -every year exhibited from a high balcony in the church to the kneeling -crowds of the faithful from all the country-side. Meanwhile it was locked -away behind innumerable bars and doors, the many keys of which are in the -keeping of I do not know how many high ecclesiastical authorities. - -'The ring itself, a plain gold circlet--large enough, apparently, for any -man's thumb, and about six times as thick as any ordinary marriage-ring (I -have seen an accurate engraving of it)--is, of course, in no wise worth -seeing. But the casket in which it is kept--a very remarkable specimen of -mediaeval goldsmiths' work--is, by all accounts, very much so. However, it -is not to be seen, not even on St. Joseph's day, to any good purpose.' - -I may add that the celebrated painting of the Marriage of the Virgin, by -Perugino, was formerly in this chapel of the cathedral, called 'Del Santo -Anelo,' or the Holy Ring, but was removed, with many other spoils, after -the treaty of Tolentino, and is now in the Museum of Caen, in Normandy. - -In the old Mystery of the 'Miraculous Espousal of Mary and Joseph,' -Issachar, the 'Busshopp,' says:-- - - 'Mary; wole ye have this man - And hym to kepyn, as yo lyff?' - _Maria._--'In the tenderest wyse, fadyr, as I kan, - And with all my wyttys ffyll.' - _Ep'us._--'Joseph; with this rynge now wedde thi wyff, - And be her hand, now, thou her take.' - _Joseph._--'Ser, with this rynge, I wedde her ryff, - And take her' now her' for my make.'[20] - -The planet Jupiter was considered by the Hebrews propitious for weddings, -and the newly-married gave rings on those occasions, on which the words -_Mazal Tob_ were inscribed, signifying that good fortune would happen -under that star. - -A remarkable gold talismanic ring, supposed, on satisfactory grounds, by -Colonel Tod (author of 'Annals and Antiquities of Rajast'han') to be of -Hindu workmanship, was found some years since on the Fort Hill, near -Montrose, on the site of an engagement in the reign of the unfortunate -Queen Mary. This ring had an astrological and mythological import. It -represented the symbol of the sun-god Bal-nat'h, around which is wreathed -a serpent _guardant_, with two bulls as supporters, or the powers of -creative nature in unison, typified in the miniature Lingam and Noni--in -short, a graven image of that primaeval worship which prevailed among the -nations of antiquity. This is 'the pillar and the calf worshipped on the -fifteenth of the month' (the sacred _Amavus_ of the Hindus) by the -Israelites, when they adopted the rites of the Syro-Phoenician adorers of -Bal, the sun. Colonel Tod considered that this curious relic belonged to -some superstitious devotee, who wore it as a talisman on his thumb. - -According to Zoroaster, Ormuzd represented the Good Principle, and -Ahrimanes the Evil. The former is seen on ancient sculptures, holding, as -an emblem of power, a ring in one hand. - -All the Hindu Mogul divinities are represented with rings. The statues of -the gods at Elephanta have, amongst other ornaments, finger-rings. - -From Asia, legends connected with rings were introduced into Greece, and -numberless miraculous powers were ascribed to them. The classical -derivation of the ring was attributed to Prometheus, who, having incurred -the displeasure of Jupiter, was compelled to wear on his finger an iron -ring, to which was attached a fragment of the rock of the Caucasus. - - To adorn the finger-ring with inlaid stone - Was first to men by wise Prometheus shown, - Who from Caucasian rock a fragment tore, - And, set in iron, on his finger wore. - -The ring of Gyges, King of Lydia, rendered the wearer invisible when the -stone turned inwards[21] (so also the ring of Eluned, the Lunet of the old -English romance of Ywaine and Gawaine, and in several German stories). The -ring of Polycrates the tyrant, which was flung into the sea to propitiate -Nemesis, was found, like that of Solomon, inside a fish served at his -table. The story is thus related by Herodotus. Amasis, King of Egypt, -after Polycrates had obtained possession of the island of Samos, sent the -tyrant a friendly letter, expressing a fear of the continuance of his -singular prosperity, for he had never known such an instance of felicity -which did not come to calamity in the long run; advising, therefore, -Polycrates to throw away some favourite gem in such a way that he might -never see it again, as a kind of charm against misfortune. Polycrates -took the advice, and, sailing away from the shore in a boat, threw a -valuable signet-ring--an emerald set in gold--into the sea, in sight of -all on board. This done he returned home and gave vent to his sorrow. It -happened five or six days afterwards that a fisherman caught a fish so -large and beautiful that he thought it well deserved to be presented to -the King. So he took it with him to the gate of the palace, and said that -he wanted to see Polycrates. On being admitted the fisherman gave him the -fish with these words: 'Sir King, when I took this prize I thought I would -not carry it to market, though I am a poor man who lives by his trade. I -said to myself, it is worthy of Polycrates and his greatness, and so I -brought it here to give to you.' The speech pleased the King, who replied: -'Thou didst well, friend, and I am doubly indebted both for the gift and -the speech. Come now and sup with me.' So the fisherman went home, -esteeming it a high honour that he had been asked to sup with the King. -Meanwhile the servants, in cutting open the fish, found the signet of -their master in the stomach. No sooner did they see it than they seized -upon it, and, hastening to Polycrates with great joy, restored it to him, -and told him in what way it had been found. The King, who saw something -providential in the matter, forthwith wrote a letter to Amasis telling him -all that had happened. Amasis perceived that it does not belong to man to -save his fellow-man from the fate which is in store for him. Likewise, he -felt certain that Polycrates would end ill, as he prospered in everything, -even finding what he had thrown away. So he sent a herald to Samos, and -dissolved the contract of friendship. This he did that when the great and -heavy misfortune came he might escape the grief which he would have felt -if the sufferer had been his loved friend. Polycrates died in the third -year of the 64th Olympiad. This seal-ring was taken later to Rome, where -Pliny relates that he saw and handled it. The Emperor Augustus had it -inserted in a horn of gold, and placed it in the temple of Concord, in the -midst of other golden objects of great value. The seal is represented to -have been as large as a crown piece, in shape a little oblong. The subject -was a lyre, around which were three bees in the upper part; at the foot -was a dolphin on the right, and the head of a bull on the left--the lyre, -the emblem of poetry; the bees, industry; the bull, production; and the -dolphin, a friend to man. - -Some years ago, it was reported that this remarkable seal-ring was found -by an inhabitant of Albano in a vineyard, but this story has never been -confirmed. - -Apart from the superstitious inferences deduced from the singular recovery -of the ring, the fact itself may be probably accepted. The Rev. C. W. -King, in 'Precious Stones, Gems, and Precious Metals,' observes: 'There -can be little doubt that this tale of the "Fish and the Ring" is true. -Fish, especially the mackerel, greedily swallow any glittering object -dropped into the sea; and within my own recollection, one when opened was -found to contain a wedding-ring.'[22] - -Legends of the fish and the ring are found in most countries: the ancient -Indian drama of Sacontala has an incident of this character. In the -armorial bearings of the see of Glasgow, and now of the city, the stem of -St. Kentigern's tree is crossed by a salmon bearing in its mouth a ring. -The legend attached to this is related in 'Jocelin's Life of St. -Kentigern.' In the days of this saint, a lady having lost her -wedding-ring, it stirred up her husband's jealousy, to allay which she -applied to Kentigern, imploring his help for the safety of her honour. Not -long after, as the holy man walked by the river, he desired a person who -was fishing to bring him the first fish he could catch, which was -accordingly done, and from its mouth was taken the lady's ring, which he -immediately sent to her, to remove her husband's suspicions. So runs the -legend; but a more truthful explanation of the arms of St. Mungo -attributes the ring to the episcopal office, and the fish to the scaly -treasures of the river at the foot of the metropolitan cathedral.[23] - -An Italian legend ascribes as an omen of the downfall of the Venetian -republic that the ring cast into the Adriatic by the Doge, in token of his -marriage to the sea, was found in a fish that was served up at his table a -year after the custom had been observed. - -A popular ballad of old, called the 'Cruel Knight, or the Fortunate -Farmer's Daughter,' represents a knight passing a cot, and hearing that -the woman within is in childbirth. His knowledge in the occult sciences -informs him that the child to be born is destined to become his wife. He -endeavours to evade the decrees of fate, and, to avoid so ignoble an -alliance, by various attempts to destroy the child, but which are -defeated. At length, when grown to woman's estate, he takes her to the -sea-side, intending to drown her but relents; at the same time, throwing a -ring into the sea, he commands her never to see his face again, on pain of -death, unless she can produce the ring. She afterwards becomes a cook in a -gentleman's family, and finds the ring in a cod-fish as she is dressing it -for dinner. The marriage takes place, of course. - -The monument to Lady Berry in Stepney Church bears:--paly of six on a -bend, three mullets (Elton) impaling a fish, and in the dexter chief point -an annulet between two bends wavy. This coat of arms, which exactly -corresponds with that borne by Ventris, of Cambridgeshire, has given rise -to the tradition that Lady Berry was the heroine of the above story. The -ballad lays the scene of the events in Yorkshire, but incidents of the -ring and the fish are, as I observed, numerous.[24] - -The various arts employed by the ancients in 'divination' were many. The -annexed illustrations, representing divination rings, are taken from -Liceti, 'Antiqua Schemata' (_Gemmarium Annularium_); the two figures on -one ring are trying eagerly to discover future events in a crystal globe. -Crystallomancy included every variety of divination by means of -transparent bodies. These, polished and enchanted, signified their meaning -by certain marks and figures. - -The serpent held by the female figure refers to _ophiomancy_, the art -which the ancients pretended to, of making predictions by serpents. -According to the _ophites_, who emanated from the Gnostics, the serpent -was instructed in all knowledge, and was the father and author of all the -sciences. - -[Illustration: Divination ring.] - -The hieroglyphic ring represents a sphinx, the monster described by the -poets as having a human face with the body of a bird or quadruped, the -paws of a lion, the tail of a dragon, &c. It was said to propose riddles -to those it met with, and destroyed those who could not answer them. Upon -this they consulted the oracle, to know what should be done. It answered -that they could not be delivered until they could solve this riddle: 'What -creature is that which has four feet in the morning, two at noon, and -three towards night.' Oedipus answered that it was a man, who, in his -infancy, crawled on all fours, until he was sufficiently strong to walk; -then went on two legs, until old age obliged him to use a staff to help -and support him. On this the monster is said to have dashed out its brains -against a rock. - -[Illustration: Divination ring.] - -The star over the head of the sphinx in the engraving represents the -divination by stars practised by the Cabalists. The stars vertical over a -city or nation were so united by lines as to form resemblances of the -Hebrew letters, and thus words which were deemed prophetic. Burder remarks -that the rise of a new star, or the appearance of a comet, was thought to -portend the birth of a great person; also that the gods sent stars to -point out the way to their favourites, as Virgil shows, and as Suetonius -and Pliny actually relate in the case of Julius Caesar. - -The cup or vase represented in the engraving near the sphinx refers to the -divination by the cup, one of the most ancient methods of discovering -future events by crystalline reflection. The divining cup of Joseph shows -that its use was familiar in Egypt at that remote period.[25] - -Charmed rings found easy believers among the Greeks and the Romans, and -were special articles of traffic. Such objects, made of wood, bone, or -some other cheap materials, were manufactured in large numbers at Athens, -and could be purchased, gifted with any charm required, for the small -consideration of a single drachma. - -In the 'Plutus' of Aristophanes, to a threat on the part of the sycophant, -the just man replies 'that he is proof against evil influences, having a -charmed ring.' Carion, the servant, observes 'that the ring would not -prevail against the bite of a sycophant.' The ring was probably a -medicated one, to preserve from demons and serpents. - -The following engraving from Gorlaeus represents a human head with an -elephant's trunk, &c., holding a trident, an amulet against the perils of -the sea:-- - -[Illustration: Amulet ring: Roman.] - -The council of ravens, prophetic birds (and attributes of Apollo), or -crows, which were used as symbols of conjugal fidelity:-- - -[Illustration: Amulet ring: Roman.] - -A silver ring on a sardonyx, engraved with the figure of a sow, as a -propitiatory sacrifice:-- - -[Illustration: Amulet ring: Roman.] - -In Lucian's 'Philopseudes,' in a dialogue called the Ship or Wish, a man -is introduced who desires that Mercury should bestow a ring on him to -confer perpetual health and preservation from danger. - -Benvenuto Cellini, in his 'Memoirs,' mentions the discovery in Rome of -certain vases, 'which appeared to be antique urns filled with ashes; -amongst these were iron rings inlaid with gold, in each of which was set a -diminutive shell. Learned antiquarians, upon investigating the nature of -these rings, declared their opinion that they were worn as charms by those -who desired to behave with steadiness and resolution either in prosperous -or adverse fortune. I likewise took things of this nature in hand at the -request of some gentlemen who were my particular friends, and wrought some -of these little rings, but I made them of steel, well-tempered, and then -cut and inlaid with gold, so that they were very beautiful to behold; -sometimes for a single ring of this sort I was paid above forty crowns.' - -In Rome there were altars to the Samothracian deities, who were supposed -to preside over talismans. The people of that island were extensive -manufacturers of iron rings, to which they attached supernatural -qualities. - -On ancient Mexican rings and seals set with precious stones are -constellation representations, as, for example, Pisces. Those people -awaited their Messiah, or Crusher of the Serpent, during the conjunction -of Jupiter and Saturn, in the same zodiacal sign of Pisces, the protecting -sign of Syria and Palestine. - -Pliny informs us that the ancients set additional value on articles made -of jet, such as rings, buttons, &c., from a notion that it possessed the -virtue of driving away serpents--a belief which existed also in the days -of the Venerable Bede, who, describing the various mineral productions of -Britain, says: 'It has much excellent jet, which is black and sparkling, -glittering at the fire, and, when heated, drives away serpents.' Some -examples of jet rings have been found at Uriconium. - -A portrait of Alexander the Great, set in a gold or silver ring, and -carried about on the finger, was supposed by the Greeks to ensure -prosperity to the wearer; as a reverse, one of the omens announcing the -fall of Nero was the presentation to him of a ring engraved with the Rape -of Proserpine, being a symbol of death.[26] - -Spartian includes among the omens of Hadrian's coming death the falling -off from his finger of his ring, 'which bore a likeness to himself,' as he -was taking the auspices on a New Year's day, and so obtaining a -foreshadowing of the events of the coming year. - -A portrait of Hadrian, engraved with Mercury in a magic ring (Gorlaeus):-- - -[Illustration: Amulet ring: bust of Hadrian.] - -Heliodorus describes a precious stone as set in the King of Ethiopia's -ring, one of the royal jewels, the shank being formed of electrum and the -bezel flaming with an Ethiopian amethyst, engraved with a youthful -shepherd and his flock--an antidote to the wearer against intoxication. - -Philostratus relates how Chariclea escaped unharmed from the funeral pyre -on which she was condemned to be burnt by the jealous Arsace, from having -secreted about her the espousal-ring of King Hydaspes, 'which was set with -the stone called Pandarbes, engraved with certain sacred letters' and -antagonistic to fire. - -In the British Museum is a remarkable collection of ornaments of the Roman -period connected with the worship of the Deae Matres, discovered in the -county of Durham, or in some adjoining district in the beginning of this -century. Among these are several rings which have been elaborately -described by Mr. Edward Hawkins in the 'Archaeological Journal' for March -1851 (vol. viii.), with illustrations. - -In the Waterton Collection are some specimens of Gnostic Roman rings, of -the third century: one, of silver, is set with an intaglio on bloodstone -of an Abraxas figure, with head of a jackal. The others have Gnostic -emblems and inscriptions. - -Astrological rings in connexion with mythological representations were -worn by the ancients. - -The accompanying engraving from Gorlaeus represents the sun and stars. -According to the Gnostic theories, the properties of the sun on the -destinies of men were numerous and important. The mystical virtues of the -most precious stones were under the solar influence. - -[Illustration: Astrological ring.] - -Planetary rings were formed of the gems assigned to the several planets, -each set in its appropriate metal: thus, the Sun, diamond or sapphire in a -ring of gold; the Moon, crystal in silver; Mercury, magnet, in -quicksilver; Venus, amethyst in copper; Mars, emerald in iron; Jupiter, -cornelian in tin; Saturn, turquoise in lead. - -From the remotest antiquity every planet in the heavens was believed to -possess a virtue peculiar to itself. Each presided over some kingdom, -nation, or city; then, extending its influence to individuals, it decided -their personal appearance, temperament, disposition, character, health, -and fortune, and even influenced the several members and parts of the -body. After this, it ruled plants, herbs, animals, stones, and all the -various productions of nature. Southey, in the 'Doctor' (vol. iii. p. -112), commenting on the exhibition of the Zodiacal signs in the 'Margarita -Philosophica,' a work of the sixteenth century, observes: 'There Homo -stands naked, but not ashamed, upon the two Pisces, one foot upon each; -the fish being neither in air nor water, nor upon earth, but -self-suspended, as it appears, in the void. _Aries_ has alighted with two -feet on Homo's head, and has sent a shaft through the forehead into his -brain. _Taurus_ has quietly seated himself across his neck. The _Gemini_ -are riding astride a little below his right shoulder. The whole trunk is -laid open, as if part of the old accursed punishment for high treason had -been performed on him. The _Lion_ occupies the thorax as his proper -domain, and the _Crab_ is in possession of his domain. _Sagittarius_, -volant in the void, has just let fly an arrow which is on its way to his -right arm. _Capricornus_ breathes out a visible influence that penetrates -both knees. _Aquarius_ inflicts similar punctures upon both legs. _Virgo_ -fishes, as it were, at his intestines, _Libra_ at the part affected by -schoolmasters in their anger, and _Scorpio_ takes the wickedest aim of -all.' - -The old astrological definition of the Zodiac seems to be this--that it -was the division of the great circle of the heavens into twelve parts. -These twelve parts are divided into those called _northern_ and -_commanding_ (the first six), and those called southern and _obeying_ (the -remaining six). The other constellations of the two hemispheres are not -unconsidered in astrology, but those of the zodiac are more important, -because they form the pathway of the sun, the moon, and the planets, and -are supposed to receive from these bodies, as they roll through their -spaces, extraordinary energy.[27] - -The following illustration from Liceti, 'Antiqua Schemata Gemmarum -Annularium,' represents Jupiter, Mercury, Pallas, and Neptune surrounded -by the signs of the Zodiac:-- - -[Illustration: Zodiacal ring.] - -Among the various modes of enquiring by magical means as to who should -succeed to the Roman emperorship during the reigns of Valentinian and -Valens, we are told that the letters of the alphabet were artificially -disposed in a circle, and a magic ring, being suspended over the centre, -was believed to point to the initial letters of the name of him who should -be the future emperor. Theodorus, a man of most eminent qualifications and -high popularity, was put to death by the jealousy of Valens on the vague -evidence that this kind of trial had indicated the first letters of his -name. Gibbon remarks on this point that the name of Theodosius, who -actually succeeded, begins with the same letters which were indicated in -this magic trial. - -This ring mystery, the _Dactylomancia_ (from two Greek words signifying -_ring_ and _divination_), was a favourite operation of the ancients. It -was preceded by certain ceremonies, and the ring was subjected to a form -of conjuration. The person who held it was arrayed in linen, a circlet of -hair was left by an artistic barber on his head, and in his hand he held -a branch of vervain. An invocation to the gods preceded the ceremony. - -The 'suspended ring,' another mode of divination practised at a later -period, is thus described by Peucer among various modes of hydromancy: 'A -bowl was filled with water, and a ring suspended from the finger was -librated in the water, and so, according as the question was propounded, a -declaration, or confirmation of its truth, or otherwise, was obtained. If -what was proposed was true, the ring, of its own accord, without any -impulse, struck the sides of the goblet a certain number of times. They -say that Numa Pompilius used to practise this method, and that he evoked -the gods, and consulted them in water this way.' - -The ring suspended over a monarch was supposed to indicate certain persons -among those sitting round the table, and if a hair was used, taken from -one of the company, it would swing towards that individual only. An -ancient method of divining by the ring is similar in principle to the -modern table-rapping. The edge of a round table was marked with the -characters of the alphabet, and the ring stopped over certain letters, -which, being joined together, composed the answer. - -In another method of practising Dactylomancy, rings were put on the -finger-nails when the sun entered Leo, and the moon Gemini, or the sun and -Mercury were in Gemini and the moon in Cancer; or the sun in Sagittarius, -the moon in Scorpio, and Mercury in Leo. These rings were made of gold, -silver, copper, iron, or lead, and magical characters were attached to -them, but how they operated we are not informed. - -Another mode of water divination with the ring was to throw three pebbles -into standing water, and draw observations from the circles which they -formed. - -Divination by sounds emitted by striking two rings was practised by -Execetus, tyrant of the Phocians. - -In the enchanted rings of the Greeks the position of the celestial bodies -was most important. Pliny states that all the Orientals preferred the -emerald jasper, and considered it an infallible panacea for every ill. Its -power was strengthened when combined with silver instead of gold. Galen -recommends a ring with jasper set in it, and engraved with the figure of a -man wearing a bunch of herbs round his neck.[28] Many of the Gnostic or -Basilidian gems, evidently used for magical purposes, were of jasper. -Apollonius of Tyana, in Cappadocia, who flourished in the first age of the -Christian era, and who fixed his residence in the temple of AEsculapius, -considered the use of charmed rings so essential to quackery that he wore -a different ring on each day of the week, marked with the planet of the -day. He had received a present of the seven rings from Iarchas, the Indian -philosopher.[29] - -It was a belief among the Poles that each month of the year was under the -influence of a precious stone. Thus January was represented by the garnet, -emblem of constancy and fidelity; February, the amethyst, sincerity; -March, bloodstone, courage and presence of mind; April, diamond, -innocence; May, emerald, success in love; June, agate, health and long -life; July, cornelian, contented mind; August, sardonyx, conjugal -felicity: September, chrysote, antidote against madness; October, opal, -hope; November, topaz, fidelity; December, turquoise, prosperity. These -several stones were set in rings and other trinkets, as presents, &c. - -In the early and middle ages it was not only generally believed that rings -could be charmed by the power of a magician, but that the engraved stones -on ancient rings which were found on old sites possessed supernatural -properties, the benefits of which would be imparted to the wearer. - -The great potentate Charlemagne, we are told by old French writers, was, -in his youth, desperately in love with a young and beautiful woman, and -gave himself up to pleasure in her society, neglecting the affairs of -State. She died, and Charles was inconsolable at her loss. The Archbishop -of Cologne endeavoured to withdraw him from her dead body, and at length, -approaching the corpse, took from its mouth a ring in which was set a -precious stone of remarkable beauty. It was the talisman which had charmed -the monarch, whose passionate grief became now immediately subdued. The -body was buried, and the Archbishop, fearing lest Charles might experience -a similar magical effect in another seducer, threw it into a lake near -Aix-la-Chapelle. The virtue of this marvellous ring was not, however, lost -by this incident, for the legend relates that the monarch became so -enamoured of the lake that his chief delight was in walking by its margin, -and he became so much attached to the spot that he had a palace erected -there, and made it the seat of his empire. - -In the Persian Tales a king strikes off the hand of a sorceress (who had -assumed the appearance of his queen), which had a ring upon it, when she -immediately appears as a frightful hag. - -The charmed ring of Aladdin plays a wonderful part in the 'Arabian Nights' -Entertainments.' - -One of the earliest ring superstitions in our own country, is that -connected with the life of Edward the Confessor. In the mortuary chapel of -this saintly monarch in Westminster Abbey are fourteen subjects in -_relievi_, represented on the frieze of the screen on the western side, of -incidents in the King's life, in which the legend of the 'Pilgrim' -(derived from a chronicle written by AElred--a monk, and, later, abbot of -Rievaulx, who died in 1166--but taken almost entirely from the life of St. -Edward, by Osbert or Osbern, of Clare, prior of Westminster). is curiously -displayed. The whole length of this sculpture is thirty-eight feet six -inches by three feet in height. The relief is very bold, the irregular -concave ground being much hollowed out behind. The compartment relating -to the ring represents St. John, in the garb of a pilgrim, asking alms of -the King. The figures are much injured. The monarch occupies the centre of -the compartment, and a pilgrim or beggar is before him on the spectator's -right hand. Behind the King is a figure holding a pastoral staff--probably -an ecclesiastic--and in front of whom, between the King and himself,--is -an object not easily defined, but which appears like a basket. This design -is interesting, from the back-ground being entirely filled in by a large -and handsome church. This refers to the subject mentioned by AElred, of the -King being engaged in the construction of a church in honour of St. John, -when the pilgrim appeared and asked alms. - -According to the legend, King Edward was on his way to Westminster, when -he was met by a beggar, who implored him in the name of St. John--the -apostle peculiarly venerated by the monarch--to grant him assistance. The -charitable King had exhausted his ready-money in alms-giving, but drew -from his finger a ring, 'large, beautiful, and royal,' which he gave to -the beggar, who thereupon disappeared. Shortly afterwards, two English -pilgrims in the Holy Land found themselves benighted, and in great -distress, when suddenly the path before them was lighted up, and an old -man, white and hoary, preceded by two tapers, accosted them. Upon telling -him to what country they belonged, the old man, 'joyously like to a -clerk,' guided them to a hostelry, and announced that he was John the -Evangelist, the special patron of King Edward, and gave them a ring to -carry back to the monarch, with the warning that in six months' time the -King would be with him in Paradise. The pilgrims returned and found the -King at his palace, called from this incident 'Havering atte Bower.' He -recognised the ring, and prepared for his end accordingly. On the death -of the Confessor, according to custom, he was attired in his royal robes, -the crown on his head, a crucifix and gold chain round his neck, and the -'Pilgrim's Ring' on his finger. The body was laid before the high altar at -Westminster Abbey (A.D. 1066). On the translation of the remains of Henry -the Second, the ring of St. John is said to have been withdrawn, and -deposited as a relic among the crown jewels.[30] During the reign of Henry -III. some repairs were made at the tower, and orders were given for -drawing in the chapel of St. John two figures of St. Edward holding out a -ring and delivering it to St. John the Evangelist. - -As a proof, also, how this beautiful legend was engrafted on the popular -mind in after ages, we find it stated in the account of the coronation of -Edward II. (1307), that the King offered, first a pound of gold, made like -a king holding a ring in his hand, and afterwards a mark, or eight ounces -of gold, formed into the likeness of a pilgrim putting forth his hand to -receive the ring, a conceit suggested by the legend of the Confessor. So -great was the sanctity in which this monarch (who was influenced by -childish and superstitious fancies) was held, that Richard II., whenever -he left the kingdom, confided the ring which he usually wore to the -custodian of St. Edward's shrine. - -'It appears,' observes Mr. Edmund Waterton ('Archaeological Journal,' No. -82, 1864), 'that St. Edward's ring was deposited with his corpse in his -tomb. His translation took place on the third of the ides of October -(October 13), A.D. 1163, ninety-seven years after the burial. This -ceremony was performed at midnight, and on opening his coffin the body was -found to be incorrupt. On this occasion the Abbot Lawrence took from the -body of the sainted king his robes and the ring of St. John; of the robes -the abbot made three copes, as appears from the following entry in the -catalogue of the relics of the saint. The abbot also gave the ring to the -abbey: "Dompnus Laurentius quondam abbas hujus loci ... sed et annulo -ejusdem (Sancti Edwardi) quem Sancto Johanni quondam tradidit, quem et -ipse de paradiso remisit, elapsis annis duobus et dimidio, postea in nocte -translationis de digito regis tulit, et pro miraculo in loco isto -custodiri jussit." The same manuscript ("De Fundacione ecclesie Westm." by -Ric. Sporley, a monk of the abbey, A.D. 1450), contains the indulgences to -be gained by those who visited the holy relics:--"Ad annulum Sancti -Edwardi vj. ann. iijc. xi. dies." No further mention has been found of St. -Edward's ring.'[31] - -Another legendary story, in connection with saintly interposition, is -related in the annals of Venice. Moreover, it forms the subject of a -painting, attributed (though with some doubt) to Giorgione, 'St. Mark -staying, miraculously, the tempest,' in the Accademia Picture Gallery at -Venice. - -'In the year 1341, an inundation of many days' continuance had raised the -water three cubits higher than it had ever before been seen at Venice; and -during a stormy night, while the flood appeared to be still increasing, a -poor fisherman sought what refuge he could find by mooring his crazy bark -close to the _Riva di San Marco_. The storm was yet raging, when a person -approached and offered him a good fare if he would but ferry him over to -_San Giorgio Maggiore_. 'Who,' said the fisherman, 'can reach San Giorgio -on such a night as this? Heaven forbid that I should try!' But as the -stranger earnestly persisted in his request, and promised to guard him -from all harm, he at last consented. The passenger landed, and having -desired the boatman to wait a little, returned with a companion, and -ordered him to row to _San Nicolo di Lido_. The astonished fisherman again -refused, till he was prevailed upon by a further assurance of safety and -excellent pay. At _San Nicolo_ they picked up a third person, and then -instructed the boatman to proceed to the Two Castles at Lido. Though the -waves ran fearfully high, the old man had by this time become accustomed -to them, and moreover, there was something about his mysterious crew which -either silenced his fears, or diverted them from the tempest to his -companions. Scarcely had they gained the Strait, than they saw a galley, -rather flying than sailing along the Adriatic, manned (if we may so say) -with devils, who seemed hurrying with fierce and threatening gestures, to -sink Venice in the deep. The sea, which had been furiously agitated, in a -moment became unruffled, and the strangers, crossing themselves, conjured -the fiends to depart. At the word the demoniacal galley vanished, and the -three passengers were quietly landed at the spots where each, -respectively, had been taken up. - -The boatman, it seems, was not quite easy about his fare, and before -parting, he implied, pretty clearly, that the sight of the miracle would, -after all, be bad pay. 'You are right, my friend,' said the first -passenger; 'go to the Doge and the Procuratori, and assure them that, but -for us three, Venice would have been drowned. I am St. Mark; my two -comrades are St George and St. Nicholas. Desire the magistrate to pay you; -and add that all the trouble has arisen from a schoolmaster at San Felice, -who first bargained with the devil for his soul, and then hanged himself -in despair.' - -The fisherman, who seemed to have, all his wits about him, answered that -he might tell that story, but he much doubted whether he should be -believed; upon which St. Mark pulled from his finger a gold ring, worth -about five ducats, saying:--'Show them this ring, and bid them look for it -in my Treasury, whence it will be found missing.' On the morrow the -fisherman did as he was told. The ring was discovered to be absent from -its usual custody, and the fortunate boatman not only received his fare, -but an annual pension to boot. Moreover, a solemn procession and -thanksgiving were appointed in gratitude to the three holy corpses which -had rescued from such calamity the land affording them burial.' - -Pope Hildebrand, one of the prime movers of the Norman invasion of -England, excommunicated Harold and his supporters, and despatched a sacred -banner, as well as a diamond ring enclosing one of the Apostle Peter's -hairs, to Normandy. - -The mediaeval romances abound in allusions to the wonderful virtues of -rings. These were cherished conceits among the old writers. In the -fabulous history of Ogier le Danois the fairy Morgana gives that hero a -ring, which, although at that time he was one hundred years old, gives him -the appearance of a man of thirty. After a lapse of two hundred years -Ogier appears at the court of France, where the secret of his -transformation is found out by the old Countess of Senlis, who, while -making love to him, draws the talisman from his finger, and places it on -her own. She instantly blossoms into youth, while Ogier as suddenly sinks -into decrepitude. The Countess, however, is forced to give back the ring, -and former appearances are restored, but as she had discovered the virtues -of the ring, she employs thirty champions to regain it, all of whom are -successfully defeated by Ogier. - -In the 'Vision of Pierce Plowman' (about 1350) the poet speaks of a woman -whose fingers were all embellished with rings of gold, set with diamonds, -rubies, and sapphires, and _also Oriental stones or amulets to prevent any -poisonous infection_. - -In the romance of 'Sir Perceval of Galles' the knight obtains -surreptitious possession of a ring endowed with mysterious qualities:-- - - Suche a vertue es in the stane - In alle thys werlde wote I nane, - Siche stone in a rynge; - A mane that had it in were, - One his body for to bere, - There scholde no dyntys hym dere, - Ne to the dethe brynge. - -So in 'Sir Eglamour of Artois':-- - - Seyde Organata that swete thynge - Y schalle geve the a gode golde rynge - With a fulle ryche stone, - Whedur that ye be on water or on londe, - And that rynge be upon yowre honde, - Ther schall nothyng yow slon. - -The ring, a gift to Canace, daughter of King Cambuscan, in the 'Squire's -Tale' of Chaucer, taught the language of birds, and also imparted to the -wearer a knowledge of plants, which formed an important part of the -Arabian philosophy:-- - - The vertue of this ring, if ye wol here, - Is this, that if hire list it for to were, - Upon hire thomb, or in hire purse it bere, - There is no fowle that fleeth under haven, - That she ne shal wel onderstond his steven (language) - And know his mening openlie and plaine, - And answere him in his langage againe,[32] - And every gras that groweth upon rote, - She shal eke know and whom it wol do bote, - All be his woundes never so depe and wide. - -In the romance of Ywain and Gawaine (supposed to have been written in the -reign of Henry VI.), when the knight is in perilous confinement, a lady -looks out of a wicket which opened in the walls of the gateway, and -releases him. She gives him a ring:-- - - I sal leue the her mi ring, - Bot yelde it me at myne askyng, - When thou ert broght of al thi payn, - Yelde it than to me ogayne: - Als the bark kills the tre, - Right so sal my ring do the; - When thou in hand hast the stane, - Der (harm) sal thai do the nane; - For the stane es of swilk might, - Of the sal men have na syght-- - -thus possessing the power ascribed to the ring of Gyges. In a story of the -'Gseta Romanorum' a father, on his death-bed, gives a ring to his son, the -virtue of which was that whoever wore it would obtain the love of all men. - -In chapter x. of the same work the Emperor Vespasian marries a wife in a -distant country, who refuses to return home with him, and yet declares -that she will kill herself if he leaves her. In this dilemma the emperor -orders two rings to be made having wonderful efficacious properties; one -represents on a precious stone the figure of Oblivion, and the other bears -the image of Memory. The former he gives to the empress, the latter he -keeps himself. Chapter cxx. contains the story of the legacy of King -Darius to his three sons. The eldest receives his inheritance, the second -all that had been acquired by conquest, and the third a ring, a necklace, -and a rich mantle, all of which possess magical properties. He who wore -the ring gained the love and favour of all; the collar obtained all that -the heart could desire, and whoever laid down on the mantle would be -instantly transported to any part of the world he might desire to visit. - -In the romance of 'Melusine,' the heroine, when about to leave the house -of her husband, gives him two rings, and says: 'My sweet love, you see -here two rings which have both the same virtue, and know well for truth, -so long as you possess them, or one of them, you shall never be overcome -in pleading, nor in battle, if your cause be rightful, and neither you nor -others who may possess them shall ever die by any weapons.' - -The ring given by the Princess Rigmel to Horn possessed similar -properties, as also the ring in the 'Little Rose-garden,' given by the -Lady Similt to her brother Dietlieb. - -In Orlando's 'Inamorata' the palace and gardens of Dragontina vanish at -Angelica's ring of virtue, which also enables her to become invisible. - - Now that she this upon her hand surveys, - She is so full of pleasure and surprise, - She doubts it is a dream, and, in amaze, - Hardly believes her very hand and eyes. - Then softly to her mouth the hoop conveys, - And, quicker than the flash which cleaves the skies, - From bold Rogero's sight her beauty shrouds, - As disappears the sun concealed in clouds. - -Lydgate, in his 'Troy book' (1513), relates how Medea gives to Iason, when -he is going to combat the brazen bulls, and to lull to sleep the dragon -that guarded the golden fleece, a ring, in which was a gem charmed against -poison, and would render the wearer invisible. 'It was a sort of precious -stone,' says Lydgate, 'which Virgil celebrates, and which Venus sent her -son AEneas that he might enter Carthage.' - -In the metrical romance of 'Richard Coeur-de-Lion,' King Modard gives -him:-- - - Two riche rings of gold: - The stones wherein be full bold. - Hence to the land of Ind, - Better than they shalt thou not find. - For whoso hath that one stone, - Water ne shall him drench none. - That other stone whoso that bear - Fire ne shall him never dere (hurt). - -In 'Floire and Blanceflor' the latter, drawing from her finger a ring -containing a small talisman, says to her lover: 'Floire, accept this as a -pledge of our mutual love; look on it every day; if thou seest its -brilliancy tarnished, it is a sign that my life or my liberty is in -danger.' - -In another part of the story, when going in search of Blanceflor, who has -been carried away, Floire receives a ring from his mother: 'Have now, lief -son, this ring: whilst thou preservest it neither fire shall burn, nor -water drown, nor weapon injure thee, and all thy wants shall be instantly -supplied.' - -In the 'Archaeologia' (vol. xix. p. 411) is a notice of a gold ring found -in the ruins of the palace at Eltham, in Kent, bearing on the side edges -of the interior the following inscription:-- - - Qui me portera ecploitera - Et a grant Joye revendra. - - Who wears me shall perform exploits, - And with great Joy shall return: - -implying that the ring was an amulet, and may, possibly, have been -presented to some distinguished personage when setting out for the Holy -Land in the time of the Crusades. The ring is set with an oriental ruby -and five diamonds, placed at equal distances round the exterior. - -[Illustration: Amulet ring.] - -The inscription is in small Gothic characters, but remarkably well-formed -and legible. The shape of the ruby is an irregular oval, while the -diamonds are all of a triangular form and in their natural crystallised -state. - -An emerald ring was thought to ensure purity of thought and conduct. In -'Caltha Poetarium, or the Humble Bee,' by T. Cutwode (1599), Diana is -represented adorning the heroine of the piece:-- - - And, with an emerald, hangs she on a ring - That keeps just reckoning of our chastity: - - * * * * * - - And, therefore, ladies, it behoves you well - To walk full warily when stones will tell. - -In the ballad of 'Northumberland betrayed by Douglas,' Mary, a Douglas -that dabbled in sorcery, shows the chamberlain of Earl Percy, James -Swynard, the foes of the former in the field, through the 'weme' (hollow) -of her ring:-- - - I never was on English ground, - Ne never sawe it with mine eye, - But as my book it sheweth me, - And through my ring I may descrye. - -The treachery of Earl Douglas is thus foreshadowed, and the chamberlain -returns sorrowfully to his master with the news of what he had seen. Earl -Percy, however, is determined to keep his hunting appointment with -Douglas:-- - - Now nay, now nay, good James Swynard, - I may not believe that witch ladye; - The Douglasses were ever true, - And they can ne'er prove false to me. - -The 'witch-ladye' who effects such powerful influences with her magic ring -is, nevertheless, rewarded for her warnings:-- - - He writhe a gold ring from his finger - And gave itt to that gay ladye; - Sayes 'it was all that I cold save - In Harley woods where I cold bee' (where I was). - -A ring story in which the Venus of antiquity assumes the manners of one of -the Fays, or Fatae of romance, is quoted by Sir Walter Scott in his notes -to the 'Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border.' It is related by Fordun in his -'Scotichronicon,' by Matthew of Westminster, and Roger of Wendover. In the -year 1058 a young man of noble birth had been married at Rome, and during -the period of the nuptial feast, having gone with his companions to play -at ball, he put his marriage-ring on the finger of a broken statue of -Venus in the area to remain while he was engaged in the recreation. -Desisting from the exercise he found the finger on which he had placed the -ring, contracted firmly against the palm, and attempted in vain either to -break it, or to disengage his ring. He concealed the circumstance from his -companions, and returned at night with a servant, when he found the finger -extended and his ring gone. He dissembled the loss and returned to his -wife; but whenever he attempted to embrace her he found himself prevented -by something dark and dense, which was tangible, though not visible, -interposing between them, and he heard a voice saying: 'Embrace me, for I -am Venus whom you this day wedded, and I will not restore your ring.' As -this was constantly repeated, he consulted his relations, who had recourse -to Palumbus, a priest skilled in necromancy. He directed the young man to -go at a certain hour of the night to a spot among the ancient ruins of -Rome, where four roads met, and wait silently until he saw a company pass -by; and then, without uttering a word, to deliver a letter which he gave -him to a majestic being who rode in a chariot after the rest of the -company. The young man did so, and saw a company of all ages, sexes, and -ranks, on horse and on foot, some joyful and others sad, pass along; among -whom he distinguished a woman in a meretricious dress, who, from the -tenuity of her garments, seemed almost naked. She rode on a mule; her long -hair, which flowed over her shoulders, was bound with a golden fillet, and -in her hand was a gold rod with which she directed the mule. In the close -of the procession a tall majestic figure appeared in a chariot adorned -with emeralds and pearls, who fiercely asked the young man what he did -there. He presented the letter in silence, which the demon dared not -refuse. As soon as he had read, lifting up his hands to heaven, he -exclaimed: 'Almighty God, how long wilt thou endure the iniquities of the -sorcerer Palumbus?' and immediately despatched some of his attendants, -who, with much difficulty, extorted the ring from Venus, and restored it -to its owner, whose infernal bands were thus dissolved.[33] - -Another mediaeval story is founded on the same myth, but purified and -Christianised. A knight is playing at ball and incommoded by his ring. He -therefore removes it, and places it for safety on the finger of a statue -of the Blessed Virgin. On seeking it again he finds the hand of the finger -clasped, and is unable to recover his ring; whereupon the knight renounces -the world, and, as the betrothed of the Virgin, enters a monastery. - -Gifts of rings to the Virgin were common in the Middle Ages. Monstrelet -relates that at the execution of the Constable of France, Louis de -Luxembourg, in the reign of Louis XI., he took a gold ring set with a -diamond from his finger, and, giving it to the Penitentiary, desired he -would offer it to the image of the Virgin Mary, and place it on her -finger, which he promised to perform. - -Mr. J. Baring Gould, in his 'Curious Myths of the Middle Ages,' relates a -legend by Caesarius of Heisterboch of a similar character to that of Venus -and the ring. A certain clerk, Philip, a great necromancer, took some -Swabian and Bavarian youths to a lonely spot in a field, where, at their -desire, he proceeded to perform incantations. First, he drew a circle -round them with his sword, and warned them on no consideration to leave -the ring. - -Then, retiring from them a little space, he began his incantations, and -suddenly there appeared around the youths a multitude of armed men -brandishing weapons, and daring them to fight. The demons, failing to -draw them by this means from their enchanted circle, vanished, and there -was seen a company of beautiful damsels, dancing about the ring, and by -their attitudes alluring the youths towards them. One of them, exceeding -in beauty and grace the others, singled out a youth, and, dancing before -him, extended to him a ring of gold, casting languishing glances towards -him, and, by all the means in her power, endeavouring to attract his -attention and kindle his passion. The young man, unable to resist any -longer, put forth his finger beyond the circle to take the ring, and the -apparition at once drew him towards her, and vanished with him. However, -after much trouble, the necromancer was able to recover him from the evil -spirit. - -'The incident of the ring,' remarks Mr. Gould, 'in connexion with the -ancient goddess, is certainly taken from the old religion of the Teutonic -and Scandinavian peoples. Freyja was represented in her temples holding a -ring in her hand; so was Thorgerda Hoerdabruda. The Faereyinga Saga relates -an event in the life of the Faroese hero Sigmund Brestesson, which is to -the point. "They (Earl Hakon and Sigmund) went to the temple, and the earl -fell on the ground before her statue, and there he lay long. The statue -was richly dressed, and had a heavy gold ring on the arm. And the earl -stood up and touched the ring, and tried to remove it, but could not; and -it seemed to Sigmund as though she frowned. Then the earl said: 'She is -not pleased with thee, Sigmund, and I do not know whether I shall be able -to reconcile you; but that shall be the token of her favour, if she gives -us the ring which she has in her hand.' Then the earl took much silver, -and laid it on her footstool before her, and again he flung himself before -her, and Sigmund noticed that he wept profusely. And when he stood up he -took the ring, and she let go of it. Then the earl gave it to Sigmund and -said: 'I give thee this ring to thy weal; never part with it;' and Sigmund -promised he would not." - -'This ring occasions the death of the Faroese chief. In after years King -Olaf, who converts him to Christianity, knowing that this gold ring is a -relic of paganism, asks Sigmund to give it to him: the chief refuses, and -the king angrily pronounces a warning that it will be the cause of his -death. And his word falls true, for Sigmund is murdered in his sleep for -the sake of the ring.' - -There was no limit to the credulity of believers in the mystic in the -middle and even in later ages. Sir Walter Scott, in his 'Demonology and -Witchcraft,' remarks that the early dabblers in astrology and chemistry, -although denying the use of all necromancy--that is, unlawful or black -magic--pretended always to a correspondence with the various spirits of -the elements, on the principle of the Rosicrucian philosophy. They -affirmed that they could bind to their service, and imprison in a ring, a -mirror, or a stone, some fairy sylph or salamander, and compel it to -appear when called, and render answers to such questions as the viewer -should propose.'[34] - -In the reign of Henry VIII. (1533) Jones, the famous, or rather infamous, -'Oxford Conjurer,' told his dupe, Sir William Neville, that amongst other -marvels he could make rings of gold which would ensure the favour of great -men to those who wore them. He said 'that my lord cardinal (Wolsey) had -such,' and he promised one to Sir William and his brother.[35] - -It is not a little curious that Henry VIII. himself, the despoiler of -monasteries, and, to a certain extent, the uprooter of many superstitious -practices, placed such faith in the traditional virtues of a jewel that -had for ages decked the shrine of Thomas a Becket at Canterbury that he -caused it to be placed in a ring, which he constantly wore afterwards, in -the manner of those times, on his enormous thumb. The last time that this -jewel appears in history is among the 'diamonds' of the golden collar of -his daughter Queen Mary, who, although a bigoted Roman Catholic, did not -scruple to wear the spoils of a shrine. This jewel was called the 'royal -of France' having been presented to the shrine of the murdered Archbishop -by King Louis VII. in 1179.[36] - -[Illustration: Charm-rings.] - -Religious charms were of exhaustless variety. In the Braybrooke Collection -is a bone charm-ring, surmounted by a circular signet, on which is -engraved the crucifix, with our Saviour upon it, and the two Maries -standing on either side of the stem: round the edge of the signet is the -inscription 'In hoc signo vinces,' headed with a small cross. - -In the 'Journal of the Archaeological Institute' (vol. iii. p. 358) is an -account of a curious magical ring, found on the coast of Glamorganshire, -near to the 'Worm's Head,' the western extremity of the county, where -numerous objects have been found at various times on the shifting of the -sand, such as fire-arms, an astrolabe, and silver dollars. This ring is of -gold, much bent and defaced, and inscribed with mystic words both inside -and outside the hoop. - -[Illustration: Talismanic ring.] - -'The talismanic character of these mysterious words seems to be -sufficiently proved by comparison with the physical charms given in an -English medical MS., preserved at Stockholm, and published by the Society -of Antiquaries. Amongst various cabalistic prescriptions is found one "for -peynys in theth.... Boro berto briore + vulnera quinque dei sint medecina -mei + Tahebal + ghether (or guthman) + + + Onthman," &c. The last word -should probably be read Guthman, and it is succeeded by five crosses, -probably in allusion to the five wounds of the Saviour.' It is supposed -that this ring and the other remains alluded to indicate the spot where a -Spanish or Portuguese vessel was wrecked about two hundred years ago. - -The following engraving, from the 'Archaeological Journal' (vol. iii. p. -267), represents another cabalistic ring, found in Worcestershire, and the -property of Mr. Jabez Allies. It is of base metal, plated with gold, and -is, apparently, of the fourteenth century. - -[Illustration: Talismanic ring.] - -In the 'Archaeological Journal' (vol. v. p. 159) is an engraving and -description of a curious talismanic ring, with an inscription showing -stronger evidence of oriental origin than any heretofore noticed, the -Greek letters _theta_ and _gamma_ occurring twice in the legend. The -discovery of this relic, which is of gold, weighing 56 grains, was -singular. It was found in digging up the roots of an old oak-tree which -had been blown down by a violent wind in 1846, on a farm called the -'Rookery,' in the parish of Calne, Wiltshire, belonging to Mr. Thomas -Poynder, who thinks that the spot where the ring was found was in the -track of the fugitive Royalists, after the battle at Rounday Hill, near -Devizes, on their retreat towards Oxford, where the King's head-quarters -were stated to be at that time. This curious ring is divided into eight -compartments, with a row of three little rounded points, or studs, between -each. The hoop is bent irregularly, so that the inner circle presents -seven straight sides, but the angles thus formed do not correspond -precisely with the external divisions. - -[Illustration: Talismanic ring.] - -[Illustration: Talismanic ring.] - -A talismanic ring of gold found in Coventry Park in 1802, represents in -the centre device Christ rising from the sepulchre, and in the background -are shown the hammer, sponge, and other emblems of the Passion. On the -left is figured the wound at the side, with an inscription 'the well of -ewerlastingh lyffe.' In the next compartment, two smaller wounds, with -'the well of confort,' 'the well of gracy,' and afterwards two other -wounds inscribed 'the well of pitty,' 'the well of merci.' - -From some small remains it is evident that the figure of our Saviour, with -all the inscriptions, had been filled with _black_ enamel, whilst the -wounds and drops of blood issuing from them were appropriately -distinguished by _red_. On the inside of the ring is the following -inscription: 'Wulnera quinq' dei sunt medecina mei, pia crux et passio xpi -sunt medecina michi, Jaspar, Melchior, Baltasar, ananyzapta -tetragrammaton.' - -In the 'Archaeologia' (vol. xviii.) it is stated that Sir Edward Shaw, -goldsmith and alderman of London, by his will (_circa_ 1487), directed to -be made sixteen rings of 'fyne gold, to be graven with the well of pitie, -the well of mercie, and the well of everlasting life.' - -It is, perhaps, impossible now to explain the import of the legends which -occur on certain mediaeval rings, and devices which are probably, in many -cases, anagrammatic, and the original orthography of the legend corrupted -and changed in others; but they, no doubt, had a talismanic meaning. A -gold ring found in Rockingham Forest in 1841 has inscribed on the outer -side, _guttv_: _gutta_: _madros_: _adros_; and in the inner side, _vdros_: -_udros_: _thebal_. A thin gold ring discovered in a garden at Newark in -1741 was inscribed with the words _Agla_: _Thalcvt_: _Calcvt_: _Cattama_. - -The mystic word, or anagram, _Agla_ is engraved on the inner side of a -silver ring (of the fourteenth century) found in 1846 on the site of the -cemetery of St. Owen's, which stood on the west site of Gloucester, a -little without the south gate, and was destroyed during the siege of 1643. -On the outside of the ring is engraved + AVE MARIA, and within appear the -letters AGLA, with the symbol of the cross between each letter. The weight -of the ring is 20 grs. The term Agla designated in the East a wand of -dignity or office, and may possibly have been used in connection with -magical or alchemical operations. - -There is a notice of a curious magical ring against leprosy in the -'Archaeologia' (vol. xxi. p. 25, 120). In the Londesborough Collection is a -'religious,' or 'superstitious' ring of silver, the workmanship of which -dates it at the end of the fifteenth century, and which is supposed to -have been worn as a charm against St. Vitus's dance. To a circular plate -are attached three large bosses, and, between each, two smaller bosses, -all the nine of which are hollow, and were filled, apparently, by some -resinous substance. On the three larger bosses are engraved the letters S. -M. V. (Sancta Maria Virgo) in relief. - -In the same collection is a gold ring of the same century, the face -engraved with St. Christopher bearing the infant Saviour, worn as a charm -against sudden death, more particularly by drowning. - -It is very delicately engraved. The circle is formed by ten lozenges, each -of which bears a letter of the inscription, 'de boen cuer.' - -[Illustration: Amulet rings.] - -Sir John Woodford is in possession of a gold ring found on the field of -Azincourt, which bears the inscription BURO. BERTO. BERIORA. These mystic -words occur likewise in the charm against tooth-ache given in the -Stockholm MS. ('Archaeological Journal,' vol. iv. p. 78). - -A thumb-ring was discovered a few years since in the coffin of an -ecclesiastic, in Chichester Cathedral, set with an Abraxas gem,[37] an -agate; the deceased churchman, it may be well believed, had worn it -guiltless of all knowledge of Alexandrine pantheism. The ring was of gold, -and was found on the right-hand thumb-bone of a skeleton, the supposed -remains of Seffrid, Bishop of Chichester, A.D. 1125. - -[Illustration: Cabalistic ring.] - -A very large ring, bearing great resemblance to the episcopal ring, was -occasionally worn as a thumb-ring by the laity. In the Londesborough -Collection is a fine specimen. It is somewhat roughly formed of mixed -metal, and has upon the circular face a conventional representation of a -monkey looking at himself in a hand-mirror. This is surrounded by a -cable-moulding, and on each side is set two large stones. The outer edge -of this ring is also decorated with a heavy cable-moulding; inside, next -the figure, is the cross and sacred monogram, placed on each side of the -mystic word _anamzapta_, showing it to be a charm-ring. - -Another mystical ring in the same collection is inscribed, on an oval -boss, hETh; the workmanship, probably English, of about the fifteenth -century. This ring was bought at Ely. _Heth_ was the sacred name of -Jehovah. Dr. Dee and similar Gnostics composed several mystical -arrangements founded on these four letters. - -[Illustration: Mystical ring.] - -The Londesborough Collection has also a massive thumb-ring, having the -tooth of some animal as its principal gem, supposed to have mystic power -over its possessor. It is set all around with precious stones to ensure -its potency. - -[Illustration: Mystical ring.] - -The last leaf of the 'Theophilus' MS. of the fourteenth century has: -'Against the falling sickness, write these characters upon a ring; -outside, + ou. thebal gut guthani; inside, + eri gerari.' - -A ring that had belonged to Remigius, being dipped in holy water, -furnished, it is said, a good drink for fever and other diseases. - -The sacred names of 'Jesus,' 'Maria,' and 'Joseph' were formerly inscribed -on rings, and worn as preservatives against the plague. Rings simply made -of gold were supposed to cure St. Antony's fire, but if inscribed with -magical words their effect was irresistible. - -A representation is annexed of an amulet ring found near Oxford, about -1805, bearing an inscription SCA. BAR., Sancta Barbara. The legend of St. -Barbara calls her a patroness against storms and lightning. - -[Illustration: Amulet ring.] - -The following engraving represents an amulet wedding-ring, conjectured to -be the figure of St. Catherine with her wheel, being an emblem of good -fortune; the other being probably, St. Margaret (with the church), an -emblem of her faith, wisdom, constancy, and fortitude: time of Richard II. - -[Illustration: Amulet ring.] - -Rings in which pieces of what was asserted to be the 'true cross' were -placed are sometimes met with in old writings. St. Gregory states that his -sister wore one of this kind. That this belief was not always credited is -seen in the case of an exchange of rings between a bishop and an abbot in -the annals of St. Alban's Abbey. This occurred in the reign of Richard -II., when the Bishop of Lincoln (Beaufort) gave his to John, fifth abbot -of St. Alban's, for one containing a piece of the true cross, and was -therefore earnestly prized and begged for by the bishop. Whether the -prelate had his misgivings as to the alleged sanctity of the splinter, or -considered the garniture of the ring too plain, he very soon after -informed the abbot that his own ring was the most valuable of the two, and -the difference in value must be paid to him in money. In his zeal for his -material interests the bishop overlooked the assurances of friendship -which the exchange conveyed, and the abbot was obliged to give him five -pounds. - -Relics of martyrs and saints were frequently inserted in rings: in the -Londesborough Collection is a silver reliquary, probably intended for the -thumb. It has a heart engraved on a lozenge, the reliquary being enclosed -beneath. It was found in the ruins of the abbey of St. Bertin, at St. -Omer. - -In the possession of Lady Fitz Hardinge is a remarkable reliquary ring, of -admirable workmanship, probably of the tenth century, perhaps Anglo-Saxon, -but possibly of Irish (Celtic) origin. It is of gold with very large -expanded bezel, cruciform or quatrefoil, 1-7/8 in. wide. In the centre is -a raised boss, intended, possibly, to contain a relic, as the ring is, no -doubt, ecclesiastical; from this radiates four monsters' heads, similar to -those on early Irish work, marked with thin lines of niello, the eyes -formed of dots of dark glass pastes, the whole edged with fine corded -ornament. - -In the collection of Mr. R. H. Soden Smith is a reliquary gold ring, -having suspended on the bezel side a small gold relic-case, chased with -two crosses, and edged with beaded work of the twelfth century. - -Mr. Fairholt describes a curious Venetian ring, the bezel formed like a -box to contain relics. The face of the ring has a representation of St. -Mark seated, holding his gospel and giving a benediction. The spaces -between this figure and the oval border are perforated, so that the -interior of the box is visible, and the relic enshrined might be seen. - -Liceti, a Genoese physician of the seventeenth century, who wrote a book -on rings, ascribed the want of virtue in medicated rings to their small -size, observing that the larger the ring or the gem contained in it, the -greater was the effect. He endeavoured to prove that the Philistines, when -they were punished for touching the ark of Israel, wore rings on their -fingers with the image of the disease engraved on them by way of -expiation. - -[Illustration: Rings of the Magi.] - -The names of the Three Kings of Cologne constituted a popular charm -against diseases and evil influences in the Middle Ages. The late Crofton -Croker, in his description of the rings in the Londesborough Collection, -mentions one dating from the fourteenth, or early in the fifteenth -century, engraved outside with these names: Gasper: Melchior: Baltazar: -in. God. is. a. r.--the latter words, probably, implying 'in God is a -remedy.' The three Kings were supposed to be the Wise Men (according to -the legend, three Kings of Arabia) who made offerings to our Saviour. -Their bodies travelled first to Constantinople, thence to Milan, and, -lastly, to Cologne, by various removals.[38] These three potent names -have continued as a charm even to a late period; for, in January 1748-9, -one William Jackson, a Roman Catholic, and a proscribed smuggler, being -sentenced to death at Chichester, had a purse taken from his person, -containing the following scrap:-- - - Sancti tres Reges, - Gaspar, Melchior, Baltasar, - Orate pro nobis nunc et in hora - Mortis nostrae. - -The paper on which this invocation was written had touched the heads of -the Three Kings at Cologne. - -In 'Reynard the Fox,' the hero of that satirical work, describing the -treasure he pretends to have discovered for the sole benefit of his royal -master and mistress, says: 'Oon of them was a rynge of fyne gold, and -within the rynge next the fyngre were wreton lettres enameld wyth sable -and asure, and there were three Hebrew names therein, y coude not myself -rede ne spelle them, for I onderstand not that language, but mayster -Abryon of Tryers, he is a wise man, he onderstandeth wel al maner of -langages, and the virtue of al maner of herbes. And yet he byleveth not in -God, he is a Jewe, the wysest in conynge, and specyally he knoweth the -virtue of stones. I shewed him thys ryng, he sayd that they were the thre -names that Seth brought out of Paradys, when he brought to his fader Adam -the oyle of mercy. And whomsoever bereth on hym thyse thre names, he shal -never be hurte by throndre ne by lyghtning, ne no wytchcraft shal have no -power over hym, ne be tempted to doo synne; and also he shall never take -harme by colde though he laye thre wynters long nyghtes in the felde -though it snowed, stormed, or froze never soo sore, so grete myghte have -these wordes.' - -The stone set in the ring and its wonderful properties are then -enumerated, and the conclusion is: 'I thought in myself that I was not -able ne worthy to bere it, and therefore I sent it to my dere lord, the -Kyng, for I knew hym for the moost noble that now lyveth, and also all our -welfare and worship lyeth on hym, and for he shold be kepte fro al drede, -nede, and ungeluck.' - -While the names of saints were employed for the prevention or relief of -bodily ailments, those of 'devils' were made the agency for criminal -objects; thus we read in Monstrelet's 'Chronicles,' that in the plea of -justification made by the Duke of Burgundy for the assassination of Louis, -Duke of Orleans, in 1407, he accused the latter of having conspired -against the King of France by means of sorcery. Among other things a ring -was made use of 'in the name of devils.' A monk undertook this 'who -performed many superstitious acts near a bush, with invocations to the -devil.' Two evil spirits appeared to him in the shape of two men, one of -whom took the ring, which had been placed on the ground, and vanished. -After half an hour he returned, and gave the ring to the monk, 'which to -the sight was the colour of red, nearly scarlet,' and said to him: 'Thou -wilt put it into the mouth of a dead man in the manner thou knowest,' and -then vanished. The monk obeyed these instructions 'thinking to burn the -lord our King.' - -Mr. Fairholt describes a mechanical ring, of mystic signification, as one -of the most curious rings in the Londesborough Collection. The outside of -the hoop is perfectly plain, and is set with a ruby and amethyst. Upon -pressing these stones a spring opens, and discovers the surface covered -with magical signs and names of spirits; among them Asmodiel, Nachiel, and -Zamiel occur, a similar series occupying the interior of the hoop. Such a -ring might be worn without suspicion of its true import, looking -simplicity itself, but fraught with unholy meaning. It was, probably, -constructed for some German mystic philosopher, at a time when students -like Faust devoted themselves and their fortune to occult sciences, -believing in the philosopher's stone, the elixir of life, and the power -given to man to control the unseen world of spirits. - -[Illustration: Cabalistic ring.] - -Among the charges brought against Joan of Arc were that she had charmed -rings to secure victory over her enemies. - -The ancient physicians and empirics employed numerous charms for the cure -of diseases, and the practice was common among the medical professors of -the middle and lower Roman empire. Marcellus, a physician who lived in the -reign of Marcus Aurelius, directs the patient who is afflicted with a pain -in the side to wear a ring of pure gold, inscribed with some Greek -letters, on a Thursday, at the decrease of the moon. It was to be worn on -the right hand if the pain was on the left side, and _vice versa_. -Trallian, another physician, living in the fourth century, cured the colic -and all bilious complaints by means of an octangular ring of iron, on -which eight words were to be engraved, commanding the bile to take -possession of a lark! A magic diagram was to be added. He tells us that he -had great experience in this remedy, and had considered it extremely -foolish to omit recording so valuable a treasure, but he particularly -enjoined keeping it a secret from the profane vulgar, according to an -admonition of Hippocrates, that sacred things are for sacred persons only. -He recommends also a cure for the stone by wearing a copper ring with the -figure of a lion, a crescent, and a star, to be placed on the fourth -finger; and for the colic in general a ring with Hercules strangling the -Nemaean lion. - -Michaelis, a physician of Leipsic, had a ring made of a sea-horse's tooth, -which he applied to all diseases indiscriminately,[39] but jasper was the -favourite substance employed when a particular disorder was in question. - -[Illustration: Rings with Mottoes, worn as Medicaments.] - -Galen mentions a green jasper amulet belonging to the Egyptian King -Nechepsus, who lived 630 years before the Christian era. It was cut in the -form of a dragon surrounded with rays, and worn to strengthen the organs -of digestion. - -The numerous magical properties of the jasper made it a favourite among -the Gnostic or Basilidian gems. - -At a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries in March 1875 Mr. Robert -Ferguson, M.P., &c., exhibited among other rings, one of yellow metal, -with Anglo-Saxon runes;[40] diameter 1-1/10 inch. It bears an inscription -similar to the Cumberland specimen now in the British Museum. The ring is -said to have belonged to a Major Macdonald, in 1745, and was obtained by -Mr. Ferguson from his descendant. Mr. Ferguson has since presented this -ring to the British Museum. - -A somewhat similar ring, the property of the Earl of Aberdeen, is -described in the 'Archaeological Journal' (vol. xxi. p. 256) bearing the -Runic inscription, 'whether in fever or leprosy, the patient be happy and -confident in the hope of recovery.' - -[Illustration: Runic.] - -The accompanying illustration represents a Dano-Saxon ring worn as a charm -against the plague, and bearing an inscription thus rendered:-- - - Raise us from dust we pray to thee; - From pestilence O set us free, - Although the grave unwilling be. - -[Illustration: Dano-Saxon Runic ring.] - -At the proceedings of the Royal Society of Antiquaries at Copenhagen, in -1838, a gold ring with a Runic inscription, found in Fionia, was -exhibited. The words _roed eg lagd alaga_ may be rendered 'I guide the -chain of destiny,' and show that its Scandinavian possessor considered it -an amulet. - -Rings of lead, mixed with quicksilver, were used against headaches and -other complaints. - -In the 'Recueil des Historiens de France' we read that Passavant, Bishop -of Mans, possessed a ring which had belonged to Gulpherius de Lastour, -during the Crusades, which was very precious, and cured a great number of -sick persons. - -A gold ring of the fourteenth century, in the Londesborough Collection, -has an inscription which, freely translated, is 'May you be preserved from -the evil eye!' - -In the Shrewsbury Museum is a small iron ring, with an intaglio -representing a fawn springing out of a nautilus-shell. It was discovered -at Wroxeter. This and similar devices the Rev. C. W. King ascribes as -probable charms against the 'evil eye.' - -This superstition still prevails extensively in the East, and is also -entertained in many parts of Europe. That it was well known to Romans we -have the authority of Virgil: 'Nescio quis teneros oculus mihi fascinat -agnos' (_Ecl._ iii.). - -The following engraving (from the Collection Chabouillet) represents a -Greek amulet ring, adopted by the Etruscans and Romans, and which offers, -by the stone and setting, the figure of an eye. These rings were movable, -and turned on the axis. - -[Illustration: Amulet against the 'evil eye.'] - -The great preservative against this was the wearing of a ring, with the -figure of a cockatrice, supposed to proceed from a cock's egg under -various planetary and talismanic influences. The Londesborough thumb-ring -has two cockatrices cut in high relief upon an agate. - -[Illustration: Amulets against the 'evil eye.'] - -The deadly power of the cockatrice is alluded to by Shakspeare in 'Twelfth -Night' and in 'Romeo and Juliet'-- - - Say thou but _I_, - And that base vowel _I_ shall poison more - Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice. - -So Dryden says:-- - - Mischiefs are like the cockatrice's eye; - If they see first, they kill; if seen, they die-- - -alluding to the counter-action, that if the creature was seen by a person -first, without being perceived by it, the cockatrice died from the effect -of the human eye. The figure of the bird merely gave security against the -evil eye; it had no other effect, and for this purpose various engraved -stones were used. Thus a ring in the Londesborough Collection has in its -centre a Gnostic gem with cabalistic figures, believed able to avert the -dreadful glance. - -In the same collection is a massive thumb-ring, having the tooth of some -animal as its principal gem, supposed to have mystic power over the -fortunes of its possessor. It is set all round with precious stones of -talismanic virtues. - -A dove, with a branch of olive in its mouth, engraved in pyrites, and -mounted in a silver ring, ensured the wearer the utmost hospitality -wherever he went, possessing the power of fascination. A fair head, well -combed, with a handsome face, engraved on a gem, secured joy, reverence, -and honour. - -Rings made of the bones of an ostrich were assumed to be of rare virtue. - -[Illustration: Charm-ring.] - -Annexed is a representation of a silver charm-ring in the South Kensington -Museum; the hoop is spirally fluted, widening towards the bezel, which is -set with a tooth; the shoulder of the ring is pierced in floriated German -work of the eighteenth century. - -In the Waterton Collection are several rings of hoof--probably that of an -ass--enclosed in gold, and considered a remedy for epilepsy. From Cardan -(de Venenis) we learn, among other means for a physician to find out -whether a patient is 'fascinated,' that of a ring made of the hoof of an -ass, put on his finger, growing too large for him after a few days' -wearing. It seems that among the Indians and Norwegians the hoof of the -elk is regarded as a sovereign cure for the same malady. The person -afflicted applies it to his heart, holding it in his left hand, and -rubbing his ear with it. - -Brand, in his 'Popular Antiquities,' states that in Berkshire a ring made -from a piece of silver collected at the Communion is supposed to be a cure -for convulsions and fits of every kind. If collected on Easter Sunday its -efficacy is greatly increased. Silver is not considered necessary in -Devonshire, where a ring is preferred made out of three nails or screws -that have been used to fasten a coffin, and that have been dug out of the -churchyard. It is curious to notice that, according to Pliny, the ancients -believed that a nail drawn out of a sepulchre and placed on the threshold -of a bed-chamber door would drive away phantoms in the night. - -In Lucian's 'Philopseudes' one of the interlocutors states 'that since an -Arabian had presented him with a ring made of iron taken from the gallows, -together with a written charm, he had ceased to be afraid of the -demoniacs, who had been healed by a Syrian in Palestine.' - -In the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for 1794 we are told that a silver ring will -cure fits when it is made from five sixpences collected from as many -bachelors, to be conveyed by the hands of a bachelor to a smith that is a -bachelor. None of the persons who gave the sixpences were to know for what -purpose, or to whom they gave them. The 'London Medical and Physical -Journal' for 1815 notices a charm _successfully_ employed in the cure of -epilepsy, after the failure of various medical means. It consisted of a -silver ring contributed by twelve young women, and was to be constantly -worn on one of the fingers of the patient. - -In 'Notes and Queries' (vol. i. 2nd series, p. 331) we find a -Gloucestershire ring prescription for epilepsy, which shows the -persistence of credulity even in the present enlightened period. 'The -curate of Hasfield, going into the house of a parishioner whose daughter -was afflicted with epileptic fits, was accosted by the mother of the -damsel in a most joyous tone: "Oh! sir, Emma has got her ring." The good -curate, fearing that the poor girl might have stooped to folly, and that -this was an intimation that her swain intended to make an honest woman of -her, sought an explanation, which was afforded in the following -prescription:--"Why, you see, sir, our Emma has been long troubled with -the fits, and she went to the church door, and asked a penny from every -unmarried man that went in, till she got twenty-four. She then took them -to a silversmith in Gloucester, who promised to get them changed for -'Sacrament' money (which he said he could easily do, as he knew one of the -cathedral clergy). And with that money, sir, he made her a silver ring, -and Emma is wearing it, and has not had a fit since."' - -In Somersetshire it is a popular belief that the ring-finger, stroked -along any sore or wound, will soon heal it. All the other fingers would -poison the finger instead of healing it. It is still an article of belief -in some persons that there is virtue enough in a gold ring to remove a -stye from the eye, if it be rubbed with it. - -Although silver appears to be the happy medium chiefly in these wonderful -cures, yet we are told that Paracelsus had a ring made of a variety of -metallic substances, which he called electrum, and which not only cured -epilepsy, but almost every other complaint. - -At the meeting of the 'Society of Antiquaries' (June 12, 1873) a very -interesting collection of so-called Tau (T) rings were exhibited by -Octavius Morgan, Esq., F.R.S., F.S.A. These, bearing the mystical emblem -of the T (tau), are by no means of frequent occurrence, and it is not -likely that so many were ever brought together before. The tau was early -esteemed a sacred symbol, and was considered to be the mark placed on the -forehead, as mentioned in the Bible. 'I have,' remarks Mr. Morgan, 'in my -collection a champleve enamel of the thirteenth century, where the "man in -the linen garment," as mentioned in Ezekiel ix., is represented marking -the T on the forehead of the faithful children of Israel. A mystical -virtue was attached to this T, and, in company with the word -ANANIZAPTA--which, being faithfully translated from the Chaldee, according -to the Rev. C. W. King, means, "Have mercy on us, O Judge"--was thought a -most powerful prophylactic against epilepsy.' - -A description of these curious rings will be found in the 'Proceedings of -the Society' (vol. vi. No. 1, pp. 51, 53). - -A toadstone ring (the fossil palatal tooth of a species of Ray) was -supposed to protect new-born children and their mothers from the power of -the fairies; and this continued a late-day superstition, for Joanna -Baillie, in a letter to Sir Walter Scott, mentions one having been -repeatedly borrowed from her mother for that purpose. It was believed also -to be a specific in cases of diseased kidney, when immersed in water which -was drunk by the patient. - -In the inventory of the Duke de Berry is mentioned 'une crapaudine assize -en un annel d'or;' also, in the inventory of the Duke of Burgundy, we find -'deux crapaudines, l'une en ung anneau d'or, l'autre en ung anneau -d'argent.' These were highly esteemed for their magical properties, as I -have remarked, and were probably also worn to prevent the administration -of poison, being supposed to indicate its presence by perspiring and -changing colour. Fenton, who wrote in 1569, says, 'Being used in rings -they give forewarning of venom.' In Ben Jonson's 'Fox' (ii. 5) it is thus -alluded to:-- - - Were you enamoured on his copper rings, - His saffron jewel, with the toadstone in't? - -Lupton, in his 'Thousand Notable Things,' says that the stone (which, -according to Fenton, was most commonly found in the head of a he-toad) was -not easily attained, for the toad 'envieth so much that man should have -that stone. To know whether the stone called _crapaudina_ be the right or -perfect stone or not, hold the stone before a toad so that he may see it, -and, if it be a right and true stone, the toad will leap towards it, and -make as though he would snatch it from you.' - -[Illustration: Silver toadstone ring (fifteenth century).] - -An ingenious method of obtaining the stone is given by the same writer: -'Put a great or overgrown toad (first bruised in divers places) into an -earthen pot; put the same into an ant's hillock, and cover the same with -earth, which toad at length the ants will eat, so that the bones of the -toad and stone will be left in the pot.' A mediaeval author, however, -states that the stone should be obtained while the toad is living, and -this may be done by simply placing upon him a piece of scarlet cloth, -'wherewithal they are much delighted, so that, while they stretch out -themselves as it were in sport upon that cloth, they cast out the stone of -their head, but instantly they sup it up again, unless it be taken from -them through some secret hole in the same cloth.' - -The scarlet, however did not always perform this miracle, for Boethius -relates how he watched a whole night an old toad he had laid on a red -cloth to see him cast forth the stone, but the toad was stubborn, and left -him nothing to 'gratify the great pangs of his whole night's -restlessness.' - -The Londesborough Collection contains two remarkable specimens of rings -connected with toad superstition, thus described by Mr. Fairholt: 'The -first is of mixed metal, gilt, having upon it the figure of a toad -swallowing a serpent. There is a mediaeval story of a necromancer -introducing himself to another professor of magic by showing him a -serpent-ring, upon which the latter, who did not desire anyone to -interfere with his practice, produced his toadstone ring, observing that -the toad might swallow the serpent, thereby intimating his power to -overcome him. The second ring is curious, not only as containing the true -toad-stone, but the stone is embossed with the figure of a toad, according -to the description of Albertus Magnus, who describes the most valuable -variety of this coveted gem as having the figure of the reptile engraved -on it.' - -[Illustration: Toadstone rings.] - -Praetorius mentions that a member of the German house of Alveschleben -received a ring from a 'Nixe' to which the future fortunes of his line -were to be attached. - -The turquoise ring of Shylock, which he would not have given for a -'wilderness of monkeys' ('Merchant of Venice,' scene i.), was probably -more esteemed for its secret virtues than from any commercial value, the -turquoise, turkise, or turkey-stone having, from remote periods, been -supposed to possess talismanic properties. Fenton, in his 'Secret Wonders -of Nature' (1569), thus describes the stone: 'The turkeys doth move when -there is any peril prepared to him that weareth it.' - -Dr. Donne alludes to - - A compassionate turquoise, that doth tell, - By looking pale, the wearer is not well. - -Among the virtues of the turquoise is one which would spare us the shame -of a divorce-court, as it was believed to take away all enmity, and to -reconcile man and wife. Holinshed, speaking of the death of King John, -says: 'And when the king suspected them (the pears) to be poisoned indeed, -by reason of such precious stones as he had about him cast forth a certain -_sweat_, as it were bewraeing the poison, &c.' The turquoise was a -supposed monitor of poison from this circumstance. - -'With the Germans the turquoise is still the gem appropriated to the ring, -the "gage d'amour," presented by the lover on the acceptance of his suit, -the permanence of its colour being believed to depend upon the constancy -of his affection. Inasmuch as this stone is almost as liable to change, -and as capriciously as the heart itself, the omen it gives is verified -with sufficient frequency to maintain its reputation for infallibility' -(The Rev. C. W. King, on 'Precious Stones,' &c.). - -Camillus Leonardus, in the 'Mirror of Stones,' describes the _carbuncle_ -as 'brandishing its fiery rays on every side, and in the dark appearing -like a fiery coal. It is esteemed the first among burning gems.' - -The ancients supposed this stone to give out a native light without -reflection, and they ranked it fifth in order, after diamonds, emeralds, -opals, and pearls. The virtue of the carbuncle was to drive away poisonous -air, repress luxury, and preserve the health of the body. The wonderful -light emitted from the stone is one of the most prolific resources of -romance among old writers. - -Shakspeare alludes to the superstition in 'Titus Andronicus' (Act ii. sc. -4). - - _Martius._ Lord Bassianus lies embrued here - All on a heap, like to a slaughtered lamb, - In this detested, dark, blood-drinking pit. - _Quintus._ If it be dark, how dost thou know 'tis he? - _Martius._ Upon his bloody finger he doth wear - A precious ring that lightens all the hole, - Which, like a taper in some monument, - Doth shine upon the dead man's earthy cheeks, - And shows the rugged entrails of the pit. - -Ben Jonson and Drayton also refer to the same superstition. - -The change of colours[41] in stones, portent of evil, was a deep-set -superstition in most parts of the world. In the Scotch ballad of 'Hynd -Horn' we find:-- - - And she gave to me a gay gold ring - With a hey lillelu and a how lo lau, - With three shining diamonds set therein, - And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie. - - * * * * * - - What if these diamonds lose their hue, - With a hey lillelu and a how lo lau, - Just when my love begins for to rew, - And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie. - - For when your ring turns pale and wan - With a hey lillelu and a how lo lau, - Then I'm in love with another man, - And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie. - - * * * * * - - Seven long years he has been on the sea, - With a hey lillelu and a how lo lau, - And Hynd Horn has looked how his ring may be, - And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie. - - But when he looked this ring upon, - With a hey lillelu and a how lo lau, - The shining diamonds were pale and wan, - And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie. - - Oh! the ring it was both black and blue, - With a hey lillelu and a how lo lau, - And she's either dead or she's married, - And the birk and the brume blooms bonnie. - -A curious passage occurs in a letter addressed by Lord Chancellor Hatton -to Sir Thomas Smith, preserved among the Harleian MSS., relating to an -epidemic then prevailing: 'I am likewise bold to commend my humble duty to -our dear mistress (Queen Elizabeth) by this letter and ring, which hath -the virtue to expel infectious airs, and is (as it letteth me) to be worn -between the sweet duggs, the chaste nest of pure constancy (!). I trust, -sir, when the virtue is known it shall not be refused for the value.' - -'Medijcinable' rings for the cure of the falling sickness and the cramp -are mentioned in the Household Books of Henry IV. and Edward IV.; the -metal they were composed of was what formed the King's offering to the -Cross on Good Friday, that day being appointed for the blessing of the -rings. - -The following entry occurs in the account of the seventh and eighth years -of Henry IV. (1406). 'In oblacionibus domini regis factis adorando crucem -in capella infra manerium suum de Eltham, die parasceves, in precio trium -nobilium auri, et v. solidorum sterlyng, xxv. s.' - -'In denariis solutis pro eisdem oblacionibus reassumptis, pro annulis -medicinalibus inde faciendis, xxv. s.' - -A ring considered to possess some healing or talismanic virtues was also -termed, in mediaeval Latin, _vertuosus_. Thus Thomas de Hoton, rector of -Kyrkebymisperton, 1351, bequeathed to his chaplain 'j. zonam de serico, j. -bonam bursam, j. firmaculum, et j. anulum vertuosum. Item, domino Thome de -Bouthum, j. par de bedes de corall, j. annulum vertuosum.' - -Andrew Boorde, who lived in the reign of Henry VIII., alluding to the -cramp-rings, says, in his 'Introduction to Knowledge,' the 'Kynges of -England doth halow every yere crampe rynges, ye whych rynges worn on one's -finger doth helpe them whych have the crampe.' And, again, in his -'Breviary of Health' (1557), he writes: 'The kynge's majesty hath a great -helpe in this matter in halowynge crampe rings, and so given without money -or petition, ye which rynges worne on one's finger doth helpe them,' &c. -This ceremonial was practised by previous sovereigns. Hospinian gives an -account of the proceedings, and states that they took place on Good -Friday, and originated from the famous 'pilgrim' ring of King Edward the -Confessor. According to tradition the sapphire in the British crown came -from this ring, the possession of which gave English sovereigns the power -of procuring an efficacious blessing to the cramp-rings. Gardiner, in -1529, received a number of cramp-rings to distribute among the English -embassage to the Pope, 'the royal fingers pouring such virtue into the -metal that no disorder could resist it.'[42] - -[Illustration: Silver Cramp-ring.] - -The superstitious belief in the efficacy of cramp-rings was by no means, -as we have seen, confined to the ignorant and uneducated classes; even -Lord Berners, ambassador to the Emperor Charles V., writing to 'my Lord -Chancellor's Grace' from Saragossa (June 30, 1518), says, 'If your Grace -remember me with some crampe-ryngs, ye shall doe a thing muche looked for, -and I trust to bestowe theym well, with Goddes grace, who evermore -preserve and increase your most reverent estate.' - -The late Cardinal Wiseman ('Notes and Queries,' vol. vii., 1st series, p. -89) had in his possession a manuscript containing both the ceremony for -the blessing of the cramp-rings, and that for the touching for the King's -evil. At the commencement of the manuscript are emblazoned the arms of -Philip and Mary. The first ceremony is headed 'Certain Prayers to be used -by the Quene's Heignes in the Consecration of the Crampe-rynges.' -Accompanying it is an illumination, representing the queen kneeling, with -a dish containing the rings to be blessed on each side of her. The second -Ceremony is entitled 'The ceremonye for ye Heling of them that be diseased -with the Kynge's Evill.' This manuscript was exhibited at a meeting of the -Archaeological Institute, June 6, 1851. - -In Burnet (vol. ii. p. 266 of 'Records') there is the whole Latin formula -of the consecration of the cramp-rings. It commences with the psalm 'Deus -misereatur nostri.' Then follows a prayer invoking the aid of the Holy -Spirit: the rings then lying in one basin or more, a prayer was said over -them, from which we learn that the rings were made of metal, and were to -expel all living venom of serpents. The rings were then blessed with an -invocation to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and signed frequently -with the cross. In the last benediction the prayer is made 'that the rings -may restore contracted nerves.' A psalm of benediction follows, and a -prayer against the frauds of devils. 'The Queen's Highness then rubbeth -the rings between her hands, saying the prayer implying that as her hands -rub the rings, the virtue of the holy oil wherewith she was anointed might -be infused into their metal, and, by the grace of God, might be -efficacious.' The remainder of the curious ceremony concluded with holy -water being poured into the basin with further prayers. This ceremonial -was practised by previous sovereigns, and discontinued by Edward VI. Queen -Mary intended to revive it, and, in all probability, did so, from the -manuscript to which I have alluded as having belonged to the late Cardinal -Wiseman.[43] - -The annexed cut represents a cramp-ring of lead, simply cast in a mould, -and sold cheap for the use of the commonalty. It belongs to the fourteenth -century. - -[Illustration: Lead Cramp-ring.] - -A curious remnant or corruption of the use of cramp-rings at the present -time is noticed by Mr. Rokewode, who says that in Suffolk the use of -cramp-rings as a preventive against fits is not entirely abandoned: -'Instances occur where young men of a parish each subscribe a crooked -sixpence to be moulded into a ring for a young woman afflicted with that -malady.' - -The use of galvanic rings for the cure of rheumatism belongs to our own -time, and is by no means extinct; however, we have no right to class this -practice among our superstitions. After all, faith works wonders! - -Particular rings were worn on certain days from superstitious motives; -thus in the inventory of Charles V., in 1379, a ring with a cameo -representing a Christian subject is thus described:--'annel des vendredis, -lequel est neelle et y est la croix double noire de chacun coste, ou il y -a ung crucifix d'un camayeux, Saint Jean et Notre-Dame, et deux angeloz -sur les bras de la croix, et le porte le roy continuellement les -vendredis.' - -Evil portents with regard to rings prevailed in the reign of Elizabeth. -The queen's coronation-ring, which she had worn constantly since her -inauguration, having grown into her finger, necessitated the ring being -filed off, and this was regarded as an unfavourable augury by many, who, -doubtless, attributed any untoward event that occurred at this period to -an omen. Few were more credulous in such matters than the strong-minded -(in most respects) queen herself, who was a firm believer in the still -popular superstition of 'good luck.' - -Long after this period, however, there were not wanting believers in the -supernatural efficacy of charmed rings; there was even a charge against -the Puritans of having contributed to foster the popular delusion. In the -'Scourge,' a series of weekly papers which appeared between 1717 and 1718, -alluding to May 29, the writer says of the Roundheads: 'Yet these priests -of Baal had so poisoned the minds of the populace with such delusive -enchantments that from rings, bodkins, and thimbles, like the Israelitish -calf of gold, would start up a troop of horse to reinforce the saints.' - -Even to a comparatively late period the belief in the Gnostic amulets was -current in our own country. Immediately after the battle of Culloden the -baggage of Prince Charles Edward fell into the hands of the Duke of -Cumberland's army, and many private and curious articles came into the -possession of General Belford--amongst others a stone set in silver -attached to a ring, which probably the superstitious Prince may have -obtained on the Continent as a charm, and carried it as a protection in -the hazardous enterprise in which he was engaged. It was a ruby -blood-stone, having on one face the figure of Mars, with the inscription -beside it, I A _w_. On the other face was a female naked figure, probably -Isis, with the inscription, A T I T A. - -The ancient superstition of securing the favour of the great by wearing -certain precious stones appears in the East by the aid of a talismanic -ring--simply, however, of silver, without the assistance of a jewel. In -Herbelot's 'Customs of the Mussulmans of India' a formula is given for the -making of these rings: 'Should anyone desire to make princes and grandees -subject and obedient to his will he must have a silver ring made, with a -small square tablet fixed on it, upon which is to be engraved the number -that the letters composing the _ism_ represent, which in this case is -2.613. This number by itself, or added to that of its two demons, 286 and -112, and its genius, 1,811--amounting in all to 4,822--must be formed into -a magic square of the _solacee_ or _robace_ kind, and engraved. When the -ring is thus finished, he is, for a week, to place it before him, and -daily, in the morning and in the evening, to repeat the _ism_ five -thousand times, and blow on it. When the whole is concluded he is to wear -the ring on the little finger of the right hand.' - -The losing of a ring given as a pledge of affection was considered in -former times, as it is not unfrequently now, to be an omen of mishap. The -widow of Viscount Dundee, the famous Claverhouse, was met and wooed at -Colzium House, in Stirlingshire, by William Livingstone (afterwards -Viscount Kilsyth). As a pledge of his love he presented her with a ring, -which she lost, next day, in the garden; and this giving rise to sad -presentiments, a large reward was offered for its finding and restoration. -Strange it may seem, but Lady Kilsyth was killed in Holland with her -infant, by the fall of a house, and their bodies were brought to Scotland -and interred at Kilsyth. In 1796 the tenant of the garden in which the -ring was lost discovered it, when digging for potatoes, in a clod of -earth. At first he regarded it as a bauble, but the moment the inscription -became apparent the tradition came fresh to his recollection, and he found -it was the identical ring of Lady Kilsyth. It was of gold and about the -value of ten shillings; nearly the breadth of a straw, and without any -stone. The external surface is ornamented with a wreath of myrtle, and on -the internal surface is the legend: 'Zovrs onlly & euver.' This ring came -into the possession of the Edmonstone family. - -In Sir John Bramstone's autobiography (1631) it is related that his -stepmother dropped her wedding-ring off her finger into the sea, near the -shore, when she pulled off her glove. She would not go home without the -ring, 'it being the most unfortunate that could befall anyone to lose the -wedding ring.' Happily for her comfort, the ring was found. - -Rings _bursting_ on the fingers, as an ill-omen, is thus alluded to in the -Scotch ballad of 'Lammilsin': - - * * * - - The Lord sat in England - A drinking the wine. - - I wish a may be weel - Wi' my lady at hame; - For the rings of my fingers - They're now burst in twain. - -In the 'State Trials' (vol. xiv., Case of Mary Norkott and John Okeman) is -a curious instance of superstition connected with the marriage-ring. It -was a case of murder, and the victim, at the touch of the person accused -of the crime, 'thrust out the ring or marriage-finger three times, and -pulled it in again, and the finger dropped blood upon the grass.' Sir -Nicholas Hyde said to the witness: 'Who saw this beside you?' The answer -was: 'I cannot swear what others saw; but, my Lord, I do believe the whole -company saw it, and if it had been thought a doubt, proof would have been -made of it, and many would have attested with me.' - -The breaking of a ring was of ominous import. Atkinson, in his 'Memoirs of -the Queen of Prussia,' says: 'The betrothal of the young couple (Frederic -and Sophia Charlotte, first King and Queen of Prussia) speedily followed. -I believe it was during the festivities attendant upon this occasion that -a ring worn by Frederic, in memory of his deceased wife, with the device -of clasped hands, and the motto "_a jamais_," suddenly broke, which was -looked upon as an omen that this union, likewise, was to be of short -duration.' - -The breaking of a wedding-ring is still regarded in some parts of England -as an import that its wearer will soon be a widow. A correspondent of -'Notes and Queries' found this superstition current in Essex a few years -ago. A man had been murdered in that county, and his widow said: 'I -thought I should soon lose him, for I broke my wedding-ring the other day, -and my sister lost her husband after breaking her ring. It is a sure -sign'! - -It was an olden superstition that the bending of the leaves to the right -or to the left of the orpine plants, or _Mid-summer men_, as they were -called (_Telephium_), would never fail to tell whether a lover was true or -false. In an old poem, the 'Cottage Girl,' we find:-- - - Oft on the shrub she casts her eye, - That spoke her true love's secret sigh; - Or else, alas, too plainly told - Her true love's faithless heart was cold. - -In 1801 a small gold ring was exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries -(found in a ploughed field near Cawood, in Yorkshire) which had for a -device two orpine plants joined by a true-love knot, with a motto above: -'_ma fiance velt_,' my sweetheart wills, or is desirous. The stalks of the -plants were bent to each other, in token that the parties represented by -them were to come together in marriage. The motto under the ring was: -'_Joye l'amour feu_.' From the form of the letters it appeared to have -been a ring of the fifteenth century. - -The ring conferring divination powers on the wedding-cake is thus alluded -to in the 'St. James's Chronicle' (1799):-- - - Enlivening source of Hymeneal mirth, - All hail the blest receipt that gave thee birth! - Though Flora culls the fairest of her bowers, - And strews the path of Hymen with her flowers, - Nor half the raptures give her scatter'd sweets, - The _Cake_ far kinder gratulation meets. - The bridesmaid's eyes with sparkling glances beam, - She views the cake, and greets the promised dream; - For, when endowed with necromantic spell, - She knows what wondrous things the cake will tell. - When from the altar comes the pensive bride, - With downcast looks, her partner at her side, - Soon from the ground these thoughtful looks arise - To meet the cake that gayer thoughts supplies. - With her own hands she charms each destined slice, - _And through the ring repeats the trebled thrice_. - The hallow'd ring, infusing magic power, - Bids Hymen's visions wait the midnight hour; - The mystic treasure placed beneath her head - Will tell the fair if haply she will wed. - These mysteries portentous lie conceal'd - Till Morpheus calls and bids them stand reveal'd; - The future husband that night's dream will bring, - Whether a parson, soldier, beggar, king, - As partner of her life the fair must take, - Irrevocable doom of Bridal-cake. - -Rowe, in his 'Happy Village' (1796), says 'the wedding-cake now through -the ring was led.' - -The connection between the bride-cake and wedding-ring is strongly marked -in the following custom, still retained in Yorkshire, where the former is -cut into little square pieces, thrown over the bridegroom and bride's -head, and then put through the ring. - -In the North slices of the bride-cake are put through the wedding-ring, -and they are afterwards laid under the pillows at night to cause young -persons to dream of their lovers. Douce's manuscript notes say: 'This is -not peculiar to the north of England, but seems to prevail generally; the -pieces of cake must be drawn nine times through the wedding-ring.' - -In Brand's 'Popular Antiquities' we read: 'Many married women are so -rigid, not to say superstitious, in their notions concerning their -wedding-rings, that neither when they wash their hands, nor at any other -time, will they take the ring off the finger; extending, it should seem, -the expression of "till death do us part" even to this golden circlet, the -token and pledge of matrimony.' There is an old proverb on the subject of -wedding-rings, which has, no doubt, been many a time quoted for the -purpose of encouraging and hastening the consent of a diffident or -timorous mistress:-- - - As your wedding-ring wears, - Your cares will wear away. - -A charm-divination on October 6, St. Faith's day, is still in use in the -north of England. A cake of flour, spring water, salt, and sugar, is made -by three girls, each having an equal hand in the composition. It is then -baked in a Dutch oven, silence being strictly preserved, and turned thrice -by each person. When it is well baked it must be divided into three equal -parts, and each girl must cut her share into nine pieces, drawing every -piece through a wedding-ring which has been borrowed from a woman who has -been married seven years. Each girl must eat her pieces of cake while she -is undressing, and repeat the following verses:-- - - O good St. Faith, be kind to-night, - And bring to me my heart's delight; - Let me my future husband view, - And be my visions chaste and true. - -All three must then get into one bed, with the ring suspended by a string -to the head of the couch. They will then dream of their future husbands. - -A very singular divination practised at the period of the harvest-moon is -thus described in an old chap-book: 'When you go to bed place under your -pillow a Prayer-book open at the part of the Matrimonial Service, "With -this ring I thee wed;" place on it a key, a _ring_, a flower, and a sprig -of willow, a small heart-cake, a crust of bread, and the following cards: -the ten of clubs, nine of hearts, ace of spades, and the ace of diamonds. -Wrap all these in a thin handkerchief of gauze or muslin, and on getting -into bed cross your hands and say:-- - - Luna, every woman's friend, - To me thy goodness condescend; - Let me this night in visions see - Emblems of my destiny. - -If you dream of storms, trouble will betide you; if the storm ends in a -fine calm, so will your fate; if of a _ring_, or the ace of diamonds, -marriage; bread, an industrious life; cake, a prosperous life; flowers, -joy; willow, treachery in love; spades, death; diamonds, money; clubs, a -foreign land; hearts, base children; keys, that you will rise to great -trust and power, and never know want; birds, that you will have many -children; and geese, that you will marry more than once.' - -There is an old superstition on the colours of stones in 'keepsake' -rings:-- - - Oh, green is forsaken - And yellow's forsworn, - But blue is the prettiest colour that's worn. - -A correspondent of 'Notes and Queries' observes that in the district about -Burnley it is common to put the wedding-ring into the posset, and, after -serving it out, the unmarried person whose cup contains the ring will be -the first of the company to be married. - -In Ireland it is a popular belief that finding the ring in a piece of -Michaelmas pie would ensure the maiden possessor an early marriage. - -The following notice of an advertisement is extracted from an Oxford paper -of 1860, and republished in 'Notes and Queries' (3rd series, vol. x. p. -19): 'IMPORTANT NOTICE!--The largest cake ever made in Oxford, weighing -upward of 1,000 pounds, and containing 30 gold wedding and other rings, in -value from 7_s._ 6_d._ to Two Guineas each! To be seen for sale at No. 1 -Queen Street, Oxford, from Thursday, December 27th, until Saturday, -January 5th, 1861, when it will be cut out at the low price of 1_s._ 2_d._ -per pound (this quality frequently sold for wedding-cake). Persons at a -distance desirous of purchasing may rely upon prompt attention being given -to their favours. - -'N.B.--J. Boffin will feel obliged if persons obtaining the gold rings -will favour him with their names.' - -A wide-spread superstition or fancy prevails with regard to the use of a -gold ring at weddings. Mr. Wood, in his 'Wedding Day in all Ages and -Countries,' observes 'that the Irish peasantry have a general impression -that a marriage without the use of a gold ring is not legal. At a town in -the south-east of Ireland, a person kept a few gold wedding-rings for -hire, and when parties who were too poor to purchase a ring of the -necessary precious metal were about to be married, they obtained the loan -of one, and paid a small fee for the same, the ring being returned to the -owner immediately after the ceremony. In some places it is common for the -same ring to be used for many marriages, which ring remains in the custody -of the priest.' - -Mr. Jeaffreson says: 'I have known labourers of the eastern counties of -England express their faith in the mystic efficacy of the golden arrabo in -language that in the seventeenth century would have stirred Puritan -auditors to denounce the Satanic bauble and its worshippers with godly -fervour.' - -Pegge, in his 'Curialia,' alludes to the superstition that a wedding-ring -of gold rubbed on a stye upon the eyelid was a sovereign remedy, but it -required to be rubbed _nine_ times. - -Mr. W. R. S. Ralston, in his 'Songs of the Russians,' mentions some -curious superstitions in connexion with rings in that country. - -A custom exists in Russia of catching rain that falls during a -thunderstorm in a basin, at the bottom of which rain has been placed. In -the Riazan Government, water that has been dropped through a wedding-ring -is supposed to have certain merits as a lotion; and at a Little-Russian -marriage the bride is bound to give the bridegroom to drink from a cup of -wine in which a ring has been put. From the mention of a ring made in the -'Dodola Songs,' and in others referring to storm and rain, it is supposed -that a golden ring, in mythical language, is to be taken as a -representation of the lightning's heavenly gold. - -In the olden time the celestial divinities were supposed to be protectors -and favourers of marriage, and the first nuptial crown was attributed to -that heavenly framer of all manner of implements who forged the first -plough for man. And so, in some of the songs, a prayer is offered up to a -mysterious smith, beseeching him to construct a golden nuptial crown, and -out of the fragments of it to make a wedding-ring, and a pin with which to -fasten the bridal veil. - - There comes a Smith from the Forge, _Glory!_ - The Smith carries three hammers, _Glory!_ - Smith, Smith, forge me a crown, _Glory!_ - Forge me a crown both golden and new, _Glory!_ - Forge from the remnants a golden ring, _Glory!_ - And from the chips a pin, _Glory!_ - In that crown will I be wedded, _Glory!_ - With that ring will I be betrothed, _Glory!_ - With that pin will I fasten the nuptial kerchief, _Glory!_ - -When a lover leaves his mistress for a time, he gives her a golden ring -(_persten'_, a signet-ring, or one set with gems--from _perst_, a finger) -and receives from her a gold ring in exchange (_Kol' tse_, a plain circlet -like our own wedding-ring, from _Kolo_, a circle). - - It is not a falcon flying across the sky, - It is not a falcon scattering blue feathers, - But a brave youth galloping along the road, - Forth from his bright eyes pouring bitter tears. - He has parted from his own, - The Lower River track, through which, - In all her beauty, Mother Volga flows. - He has parted from the maiden fair, - And with her as a token left - A costly diamond ring; - And from her has he taken in exchange - A plighting ring of gold. - And while exchanging gifts thus has he spoken: - 'Forget me not, my dear one, - Forget me not, my loved companion. - Often, often gaze upon my ring; - Often, often will I kiss thy circlet, - Pressing it to my beating heart, - Remembering thee, my own. - _If ever I think of another love, - The golden circlet will unclasp; - Shouldst thou to another suitor yield, - From the ring the diamond will fall._' - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -SECULAR INVESTITURE BY THE RING. - - -The investiture of our English sovereigns _per annulum_, or by the ring, -is an important part of our present coronation ceremonial. On this august -occasion the master of the Jewel-House delivers the ring (which is of -plain gold, with a large table ruby, on which the cross of St. George is -engraved), to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who places it on the fourth -finger of the sovereign's right hand, saying: 'Receive this ring, the -ensign of kingly dignity and of defence of the catholic faith, that as you -are this day consecrated head of the kingdom and people, so, rich in -faith, and abounding in good works, you may reign with Him who is King of -kings, to whom be glory and honour for ever and ever, Amen.' - -Of the intrinsic value ascribed to the coronation ring we have an instance -recorded in the life of James II. He was detained by the fishermen of -Sheerness in his first attempt to escape from England in 1688; the -particulars are related in his 'Memoirs:' 'The King kept the diamond -bodkin which he had of the queen's, and the _coronation ring_, which, for -more security, he put into his drawers. The captain, it appeared, was well -acquainted with the dispositions of his crew one of whom cried out "It is -Father Petre--I know him by his lantern jaws;" a second called him an old -"hatchet-faced Jesuit;" and a third, "a cunning old rogue, he would -warrant him!"; for, some time after he was gone, and, probably by his -order, several seamen entered the King's cabin, saying they must search -him and the gentlemen, believing that they had not given up all their -money. The King and his companions told them that they were at liberty to -do so, thinking that their readiness would induce them not to persist; but -they were mistaken; the sailors began their search with a roughness and -rudeness which proved they were accustomed to the employment. At last one -of them, feeling about the King's knee, got hold of the diamond bodkin, -and cried out, with the usual oath, he had found a prize; but the King -boldly declared he was mistaken. He had, indeed, scissors, a tooth-pick -case, and little keys in his pocket, and what was felt was undoubtedly one -of these articles. The man still seemed incredulous, and rudely thrust his -hand into the King's pocket; but in his haste he lost hold of the diamond -bodkin, and, finding the things the King mentioned, remained satisfied it -was so; by this means the bodkin and ring were preserved.' - -The ring is said to have been a favourite one of the unfortunate Mary, -Queen of Scots, and was sent by her, at her death, to James I., through -whom it came into the possession of Charles I., and on his execution was -transmitted by Bishop Juxon to his son. It afterwards came into the hands -of George IV., with other relics belonging to Cardinal York. - -This ring is mentioned in the 'Inventory of the Goods and Chattels -belonging to King James the Second,' taken July 22, 1703: 'one ruby ring, -having a cross engraved on it, with which the late king was crowned,' and -is valued at 1,500_l._ In Leland's 'Collectanea,' in describing the -ceremonies made use of at the coronation of the mother of Henry VIII., it -states that the archbishop 'next _blest_ her ring, and sprinkled on it -holy water.' - -In the coronation of the kings of France the ring was first blessed by the -officiating archbishop, who, seated with the mitre on his head, placed it -on the fourth finger of the right hand of the monarch, using a nearly -similar form of benediction to that practised at the coronations of our -own sovereigns.[44] - -In the curious account of the coronation of Louis XIII. of France, -preserved in a chronicle of his reign, it mentions: 'The royal ring being -blessed by the Cardinal de Joyeuse (who officiated for the Archbishop of -Rheims), a symbol of love, whereby the King was wedded to his realm, he -placed it on the fourth finger of His Majesty's right hand, for a mark of -the sovereign power.' - -Kirchmann states that at the coronation of Ferdinand III. at Ratisbon, in -1616, a few years before he wrote, the Archbishop and Elector of Maintz, -having received from the altar a very precious ring, placed it on the -finger of the Emperor, with these words: 'Accipe regiae dignitatis annulum, -et per hoc Catholicae fidei cognosce signaculum, et ud hodie ordinaris -caput et princeps regni et populi, ita perseverabilis auctor et stabilitor -Christianitatis et Christianae fidei fias, ut feliciter in opere cum Rege -regum glorioris per eum, cui est honor et gloria, per infinita secula -seculorum.--Amen.' - -The typical meaning of the royal investiture by the ring is the union of -the sovereign with his people, whom he is supposed to espouse at this -solemnity, and in this sense some older writers have called it 'the -wedding ring of England.' - -The ring worn by the queen-consorts of Great Britain at their coronation -was of gold with a large table ruby set therein, and small rubies set -round about the ring, of which those next the setting were the largest, -the rest diminishing in proportion. Queen Mary Beatrice, consort of James -the II., wore a ring of this description to her dying day, and nothing -during her misfortune could ever induce her to part with it.[45] - -That the ring was considered an indication of sovereign will from the -earliest times, we have proofs, as I have mentioned, in the Holy -Scriptures. So Alexander the Great, on his death-bed, on being asked to -whom he would leave the kingdom, answered, to the most worthy, and gave -his ring, when speechless, to Perdiccas. The Emperor Tiberius, on the -point of death, took his ring from his finger, and held it a short time, -as though intending to give it to some one, as his successor; he however, -put it on again, and became insensible. Recovering at length, he found -that his ring had been taken from him, and demanded it, upon which his -attendants smothered him with the cushions. - -The Emperor Valerian gave a ring with two precious stones to his successor -Claudius. The knights of ancient Rome were permitted to wear, as the -insignia of their rank, golden rings and collars. They were presented at -the public expense with a horse and gold ring. Offa, king of the East -Angles, is recorded to have appointed Edmund, the son of a kinsman, his -successor, by sending him the ring which he received at his own -coronation. The 'pilgrim-ring' of Edward the Confessor, to which I have -alluded in the chapter on 'Ring Superstitions,' was in after times -preserved with great care at his shrine in Westminster Abbey, and was used -at the investiture of subsequent sovereigns. - -The investiture of Prince Edmund, second son of King Henry III., as King -of Sicily, which took place in 1255, was performed at London by the Bishop -of Bononia, in the presence of the King, and a numerous assembly, by the -symbol of a ring, which the Pope had sent for that purpose. Henry is said -to have wept for joy, and sent the Pontiff immediately afterwards fifty -thousand marks, but this event led to the association of the barons -against the King and other great changes. - -In 1469, Charles of France having renounced the possession of the duchy of -Normandy, for which he received in exchange Guyenne, his ducal ring was -sent by Louis XI. to the exchequer at Rouen, where it was broken in two -pieces at a solemn assembly held for that purpose in the castle of -Bouvreuil, in the presence of the Constable of France, Louis de -Luxembourg. - -A papal investiture, by a ring, of a sovereign of England is recorded by -John of Salisbury, contemporary with Pope Adrian VIII., and who states -that the Pontiff ceded and gave to Henry II. the island of Ireland, in -hereditary succession, claiming, as his right to do so, the grant of -Constantine by which all islands belonged to the See of Rome. The Pope -sent a large gold ring, set with a fine emerald, as a mark of investiture, -and which, together with the bull, were deposited in the archives at -Winchester. Richard II. resigned the crown to Henry IV. by transferring to -him his ring. - -In subsequent ages, and within a few centuries of our time, we find the -royal power displayed significantly in the ring, which, in the instance I -mention, was truly a messenger of grace. Two Scotch burgesses in the -stormy days of Queen Mary had been condemned to death, but were reprieved -at the foot of the gallows by her Majesty. The messenger was sent in great -haste by the Earl of Bothwell, 'and presented the Queen's ring to the -provost's inspection for the safety of their lives.' This was considered a -sufficient indication of the royal clemency, and 'the revival' (observes -Knox, in his 'History of the Reformation in Scotland') 'of an ancient -custom practised by Scottish monarchs before the date of the earliest -sign-manual on record, when everything in Church and State were -represented in types and symbols.' - -Another interesting incident in connection with Mary, Queen of Scots, is -the ring with which she invested Darnley with the Dukedom of Albany. An -engraving and description of this ring will be found in the chapter on -'Remarkable Rings.' The infant James, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, was, a -few days after his baptism, invested with the ring and other insignia, as -Prince of Scotland, Duke of Rothsay, Earl of Carrick and Cunningham, and -Baron of Renfrew. The royal child sat in his mother's lap while a gold -ring was placed on his tiny finger. - -Among the insignia connected with the investiture of the Princes of Wales -is a ring. The earliest charter of creation known by Selden is that of -Edward III. to his son and heir-apparent, Edward, Duke of Cornwall, some -years after he was made Duke. This charter contains the particulars of the -ceremony of investiture with the coronal, the ring of gold, and the rod of -silver. In the letters patent issued by George I. (Sept. 22, 1714), -declaring his son George Augustus, Duke of Brunswick Lunenburgh, 'Prince -of Wales and Earl of Chester,' the investiture is thus described: -'Likewise, we invest him, the said Prince, with the aforesaid principality -and county, which he may continue to govern and protect; and we confirm -him in the same by these ensigns of honour--the girding of a sword, the -delivering of a cap and placing it on his head, _with a ring on his -finger_, and a golden staff in his hand, _according to custom_, to be -possessed by him and his heirs, Kings of Great Britain.'[46] - -The practice now is that the Prince of Wales is invested with the Earldom -of Chester by special patent, while he enjoys by a sort of hereditary -prescription certain other titular distinctions. In the patent of creation -of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (dated Dec. 8th, 1841), the Queen, in -the patent, states: 'We do ennoble (our most dear son) and invest with the -said principality and earldom, by girting him with a sword, by putting a -coronet on his head, and a gold ring on his finger, and also by delivering -a gold rod into his hand,' &c. - -According to French writers it was formerly a custom in that country to -give a marquis, on his elevation to that dignity, a ring set with the -ruby; a count received a diamond ring. - -The royal signet-ring in Anglo-Saxon times served as an authority in -law-suits about land. In the Cottonian MSS. (Aug. 2, p. 15), one charter -states that 'Wynfleth, to prove a gift of land by Alfrith, led witnesses -to the King, who sent a writ to Leofwin, and desired that men should be -summoned to the shire-gemot to try the case, and as an authority sent his -signet-ring to this gemot by an abbot and greeted all the witan.' - -The charters given by our early kings received the royal confirmation by -the ring: thus Richard Coeur-de-Lion, in a charter relating to the -exchange of Andeli, in Normandy, belonging to the clergy of Rouen, for -other properties, much to the advantage of the ecclesiastics, passed his -ring, in sign of investiture, in the silk threads suspended to the -parchment. This ring was still attached to the charter in 1666, as appears -in the 'Histoires des Archevesques de Rouen' (p. 424), but has since -disappeared. M. Achille Deville, in his 'Histoire du Chateau-Gaillard,' -observes: 'Il n'est pas de fois que j'aye touche la charte de ce monarque -celebre (et je l'ai eue souvent entre les mains), que la perte de ce -precieux anneau ne m'ait cause de cuisants regrets'--a regret which all -lovers of historic relics will fully share. - -'The ninth, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries,' says Willemin, 'offer -rings attached to diplomas, but it is questionable whether they served to -hold the place of the seal, or were simply marks of investiture; we know -that anciently the purchaser and recipient of a gift were put into -possession by a ring.' Dugdale states that 'Osbert de Camera, some time in -the twelfth century, being visited with great sickness, granted unto the -canons of St. Paul in pure alms for the health of his soul certain lands -and houses lying near Haggelane, in the parish of St. Benedict, giving -possession of them _with his gold ring_, wherein was set a ruby, -appointing that the said gold ring, together with his seal, should for -ever be fixed to the charter whereby he so disposed them.' From the same -source we are told that 'William de Belmers gave certain lands to St. -Paul's Cathedral, and at the same time directed that his gold ring, set -with a ruby, should, together with the seal, be affixed to the charter for -ever.' - -At a meeting of the Archaeological Institute, in March 1850, Mr. W. Foulkes -exhibited a gold signet-ring, preserved by the family of J. Jones, Esq., -of Llanerchrwgog Hall, impressions of which are appended to deeds -concerning that property from the middle of the thirteenth century. The -impress is a monogram, meaning I and M (Iesus and Maria?), placed under a -crown. It has been supposed to be the ring of Madoc, one of the last -princes of Powis, and to have descended as a heir-loom, with lands granted -by them to the ancestors of Mr. Jones. - -A ruby ring is described as the 'Charter of Poynings,' in the will of Sir -Michael de Poynings, in 1386. Poynings, in the neighbourhood of Brighton, -was the seat of this ancient family from a period soon after the Conquest -till the year 1446, when the barony, owing to the marriage of the heiress, -merged into the earldom of Northumberland, and became extinct in 1679. -Michael de Poynings, a banneret under Edward III. at the battle of Crecy, -amongst other grants, left to his heir the ruby ring 'which is the -charter of my heritage of Poynings.' This ruby ring of inheritance, the -charter of the 'Sires of Ponynges,' came into possession of his son -Thomas, and then to his second son Richard. According to tradition the -famous Isabella de Fortibus, Countess of Devon, in the reign of Henry -III., settled the boundaries of certain disputed parishes by flinging her -ring into a marsh, hence called 'Ring in the Mire.' - -So late as the sixteenth century the conveyance of property by means of a -ring may be remarked in the following passage or item in the will of Anne -Barrett, of Bury, dated 1504, 'My maryeng ryng wt. all thynggs thereon.' -It is worthy of note that among the numerous kinds of evidence allowed in -courts of law to establish a pedigree, engravings on rings are admitted -upon the presumption that a person would not wear a ring with an error -upon it.[47] - -John O'Molony, Bishop of Limerick in 1687, who, after the siege of that -city, followed James II. to Paris, where he assisted in the foundation of -a University for the education of Irish priests, left a gold ring at his -death, which was to be sent to, and to denote, the head branch of the -family. This conferred the privilege to have any of the name of Molony -brought up as priests at the University, free of expense. - -The custom of serjeants presenting rings on taking the coif, has formed -the subject of some interesting notices in that valuable work 'Notes and -Queries.' Mr. Serjeant Wynne in his observations touching the antiquity -and dignity of serjeants-at-law (1765) remarks: 'The first introduction of -rings themselves on this occasion of making serjeants is as doubtful as -that of mottoes. They are taken notice of by Fortescue in the time of -Henry VI., and in the several regulations for general calls, in Henry -VIII. and Queen Elizabeth's time. Whatever is the antiquity of these -rings, that of mottoes seems to fall short of them at least a century. -That in the 19th and 20th Elizabeth (1576-77) may perhaps be the first, -because till that time they are no more mentioned. When Dugdale speaks of -the posies that were usual, he must be understood to speak of the usages -of his own time.' The motto which Serjeant Wynne notices as of the -earliest occurrence in 19th and 20th Elizabeth was 'Lex regis -praesidium.'[48] - -In the 'Diary of a Resident in London' (Henry Machyn, Camden Society) we -find that on October 17, 1552, 'was made vii serjants of the coyffe, who -gayf to (the judges) and the old serjants, and men of the law, rynges of -gold, every serjant gayf lyke rynges.' - -In the inventory of the effects of Henry Howard, K.G., Earl of Northampton -(1614), (Archaeologia, vol. ii., part ii., page 350) we find 'v serjeantis -ringes waighinge one ounce, three quarters, four graines.' These were -presentations to him in his official capacity of Lord Privy Seal. - -Serjeant Wynne brings his list of the serjeants called down to the year -1765, and gives, in most cases, the mottoes, which were not confined, it -seems, to individuals, but adopted by the whole call. He remarks that in -late years they have been strictly classical in their phrase, and often -elegant in their application--whether in expressing the just idea of regal -liberty--in a wish for the preservation of the family, or in a happy -allusion to some public event, and, at the same time, a kind of prophetic -declaration of its success. In the same work will be found an account of -the expense and weight of the rings--that these matters were important -appears from an extract in 1 Modern Reports, case 30: 'Seventeen serjeants -being made the 14th day of November (1669?), a daye or two after, Serjeant -Powis, the junior of them all, coming to the King's Bench Bar, Lord Chief -Justice Kelynge told him 'that he had something to say to him,' viz., that -the rings which he and the rest of the serjeants had given weighed but -eighteen shillings apiece; whereas Fortescue, in his book "De Laudibus -Legum Angliae," says "the rings given to the Chief Justices and to the -Chief Baron ought to weigh twenty shillings apiece," and that he spoke not -this expecting a recompense, but that it might not be drawn into a -precedent, and that the young gentlemen there might take notice of it.' - -With regard to the cost of the serjeants' rings, and the parties to whom -they are presented, Mr. Mackenzie Walcott, M.A., writes in 'Notes and -Queries' that on June 8, 1705, fifteen serjeants-at-law took the customary -oaths at the Chancery Bar, and delivered to the Lord Keeper a ring for the -Queen, and another to H.R.H. Prince George of Denmark, each ring being -worth 6_l._ 13_s._ 4_d._ The Lord Keeper, and the Lord Treasurer, Lord -Steward, Lord Privy Seal, Lord High Chamberlain, Master of the Household, -Lord Chamberlain, and the two Chief Justices, each received a ring of the -value of 18_s._; the Lord Chief Baron, the Master of the Rolls, the -Justices of either Bench, and two Chief Secretaries, each, one worth -16_s._; the Chief Steward and Comptroller, each a ring valued at 1_l._; -the Marshal, Warden of the Fleet, every Serjeant-at-law, the -Attorney-General and Solicitor-General, each a ring worth 12_s._; the -three Barons of Exchequer, one each of 10_s._; the two Clerks of the -Crown, the three Prothonotaries, the Clerks of the Warrants, the -Prothonotary of Queen's Bench, and the Chirographer, each a ring worth -5_s._; each Filazer and Exigenter, the Clerk of the Council, and the -Custom Brevium, each a ring that cost 2_s._ 6_d._ The motto on the rings -was 'Moribus, armis, legibus.' - -On the admission of fourteen serjeants in 1737, 1,409 rings were given -away, at a cost of 773_l._, and besides this number, others were made for -each serjeant's own account, to be given to friends at the bar, which came -to more than all the rest of the expense. - -There are some quaint old customs still adhering to the making of a -serjeant. He is presented to the Lord Chancellor by some brother barrister -(styled his 'colt'), and he kneels while the Chancellor attaches to the -top of his wig the little, round, black patch that now does duty for the -'coif,' which is the special badge of the Serjeant. The new Serjeant -presents a massive gold ring to the Chancellor, another to his 'colt,' one -to the Sovereign, and each of the Masters of the Court of Common Pleas. -These rings used also to be given to all the Judges, but of late years the -Judges have refused to receive them, thus diminishing a somewhat heavy -tax. - -It would be curious to know whether this custom is derived from the -Romans. Juvenal alludes to the practice of lawyers exhibiting their rings -when pleading:-- - - Ideo conducta Paulus agebat - Sardonyche et que ideo plurisquam Cossus agebat - Quam Basilus. Rara in tenui facundia panno. - -The reader will find a list of mottoes, and much information on the -subject of serjeants' rings, in 'Notes and Queries' (1st Series, vol. v. -pp. 110, 139, 181, 563; 2nd Series, vol. i. p. 249). The most recent -instance (January 1872) of the presentation of a serjeant's ring is that -of Mr. J. R. Quain, who chose for his motto 'Dare, facere, praestare.' - -At the Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South -Kensington Museum, in 1872, a serjeant's gold ring, inscribed [Maltese -Cross] LEX X REGIS X PRAESIDIUM, was shown--the property of Mr. John -Evans--as the earliest known, the date being 1576-77. The small size of -the ring would assume that it was merely complimentary. - -Some barristers that Lord Brougham did not think much of, wishing to be -made serjeants, he suggested that the most appropriate motto that could be -found for their rings would be the old legal word 'scilicet.' - -[Illustration: Serjeants' ring.] - -This illustration represents a serjeant's ring, supposed to be of the -seventeenth century--a plain band of gold, engraved with 'Imperio regit -unus aequo' (Horace, lib. iii., Ode iv.). - -In the collection of Mr. J. W. Singer is a very fine serjeant's ring, -which that gentleman attributes as of very early manufacture. It is a rare -type of rings of this description, which have not been much noticed. The -inscription reads: 'Legis executo regis pservatio.' - -In France, Italy, and Germany, a forensic order of knighthood was -frequently conferred on the successful practitioner at the bar. Bartoli, -the oracle of the law in the fourteenth century, asserted that at the end -of the tenth year of successful professional exertion, the _avocat_ -belonging to the denomination of _l'Ordre des Avocats_ became _ipso facto_ -a knight. - -When the distinction was applied for, the King commissioned some ancient -Knight of the Forensic Order to admit the postulant into it. The _avocat_ -knelt before the Knight-commissary and said: 'I pray you, my lord and -protector, to dress me with the sword, belt, golden spurs, golden collar, -_golden ring_, and all the other ornaments of a true knight. I will not -use the advantages of knighthood for profane purposes; I will use them -only for the purposes of religion, for the Church, and the holy Christian -faith, in the _warfare of the science_ to which I am devoted.' The -postulant then rose; and being fully equipped, and girded with the sword, -he became, for all purposes, a member of the order of knighthood. - -In the Memoirs of the Marechal de Vieilleville, who died in 1571, such -knights are mentioned as very common. - -In 1795 the Order of _Avocats_ was suppressed, after 427 years of a -brilliant existence. - -Doctors, as indicative of their position, wore formerly a ring on the -third finger of the right hand. - -A ring formed part of the investiture of three poets-laureate by the -Chancellor of the University of Strasburg in 1621, who at their -installation pronounced these words: 'I create you, being placed in a -chair of state, crowned with laurel and ivy, and wearing _a ring of gold_, -and the same do pronounce and constitute poets-laureate in the name of -the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.' - -Gower, in his 'Confessio Amantis,' mentions a statue of Apollo, adorned -with a ring:-- - - Forth ryghte he straighte his finger oute, - Upon the which he had a ringe, - To seen it was a ryche thynge, - A fyne carbuncle for the nones, - Most precious of all stones. - -In the early Saxon times, we read that Gumlaughr, the scald, presented to -King Ethelred a heroic poem which he had composed on the royal virtues, -and received in return 'a purple tunic lined with the richest furs,' also -'a gold ring of the weight of seven ounces.' - -In ancient Wales the Judge of the King's palace had as ensign of his -office a gold ring from the Queen. It was his duty at his own cost to -reward the successful competitor in the musical contests of the bards with -a silver chair as 'Pen Cerdd' (chief of song), and who in return presented -him with a gold ring, a drinking-horn, and a cushion. The royal minstrel -received on his appointment a harp from the King, and a ring from the -queen. - -'Merchant Marks' (to which I have alluded in the first chapter of this -work) originated from the guild or mayor's rings, which were used as -personal signets, by such as were not entitled to bear arms. They were -worn on the thumb for constant use in sealing. A fine ring of this kind is -engraved in the 'Journal of the Archaeological Institute.' It was found in -the bed of the Severn, near Upton, and is, probably, a work of the -fifteenth century; it is of silver and has been strongly gilt. The hoop is -spirally grooved, and upon the circular face is a large H surrounded by -branches. - -In the custody of the Mayor of Winchester is a signet-ring with the arms -of the city and initials E. W., probably Edward White, Mayor in 1613 and -1621. - -In late times we have the ring adopted as a club badge by the famous -Beef-Steak Club, of convivial notoriety. The members wore a blue coat, -with red cape and cuffs, buttons with the initials B. S., and behind the -President's chair was placed the Society's halbert, which, with the -gridiron, was found among the rubbish after the Covent Garden fire in -1808. - -[Illustration: Ring of Beef-Steak Club.] - -Ashmole, in his 'History of the Most Noble Order of the Garter,' mentions -that gold rings have been cast into the figures of garters, 'the ground on -the outside enamelled with a deep blue, through which the golden letters -of the motto appearing, set them off with an admirable beauty. And it -seems such rings were in vogue, since the preface to the black book of the -Order makes mention of wearing the garter on the leg and shoulder, and -sometimes subjoins the thumb, _interdum pollice gestare_, by which we may -naturally conclude that gold rings were formed into the fashion of -garters, and bestowed by some new-installed knights upon their relations -and friends to wear in memorial of so great an honour conferred upon -them.' - -In the collection of the Rev. W. B. Hawkins is a gold official ring of the -Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Malta), with bezel -oval, glazed, with skeleton, hour-glass, and scythe, in enamel on a black -ground; on the shoulders of the ring is a death's head with cross-bones. - -At the meeting of the Archaeological Institute at Norwich in July 1847, a -ring formed like a strap or garter, buckled, was exhibited, bearing the -inscription 'Mater Dei memento mei,' found at Necton, date about 1450. -Rings of this fashion were in use from the close of the fourteenth -century, shortly after the institution of the Order of the Garter. Other -specimens are to be seen in the British Museum, and in the collection of -the Archaeological Institute. - -A cap and a _ring_ are conferred with the degree of Doctor of Civil Laws -in Belgium. - -In the 'Biographia Britannica' (Article 'Crichton') we read of the -bestowal of a ring on a college disputant. This was in the case of the -'Admirable Crichton,' who, when he was only twenty years of age, entered -the academic lists with anyone who would compete with him in Hebrew, -Syriac, Arabic, Greek, Latin, Spanish, French, Italian, English, Dutch, -Flemish, and Sclavonian, besides every kind of courtly accomplishment. -This he maintained in the College of Navarre, and the president, after -many compliments on his vast acquirements, gave him a diamond ring and a -purse of money. - -At the ceremonies observed on the inauguration of a king-at-arms the crown -and ring were generally bestowed by the hand of the monarch himself, as in -the case of Sir David Lindsay, Lord Lion, King-at-arms: - - Whom royal James himself had crowned, - And on his temples placed the round - Of Scotland's ancient diadem; - And wet his brow with hallow'd wine, - And on his finger given to shine - The emblematic gem. - -Among the insignia of the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem is -a ring bearing the Cross. - -In the 'Dublin Penny Journal' we read of the signet-ring of the famous -Turlough Lynnoch, which was found at Charlemont, in the county of Armagh. -It bears the bloody hand of the O'Neils, and initials T. O. The signet -part of the ring is circular, and the whole of it is silver. James the -First made this bloody hand the distinguishing badge of a new order of -baronets, and they were created to aid, by service or money for forces, in -subduing the O'Neils. - -In 1780 a large gold ring, supposed to have belonged to one of the knights -hospitallers of Winckbourne, some of whom are believed to have been buried -at Southwell, was found by the sexton of Southwell church while digging a -grave. It is six-eighths of an inch in diameter, and three-eighths of an -inch in breadth. The following motto is deeply cut on the inside: '+ MIEV -+ MORI + QVE + CHANGE + MA + FOI +' (better to die than change my faith). - -I have already mentioned how, from the earliest times, the ring was -considered to denote peculiar distinction, and was the emblem of nobility; -and so, amidst many divergences, it still continued to a later period to -be considered as a badge of honourable birth. Thus Rabelais alludes to the -rings that Gargantua wore because his father desired him 'to renew that -ancient mark of nobility.' On the forefinger of his left hand he had a -gold ring set with a large carbuncle, and on the middle finger one of -mixed metal, then usually made by alchemists. On the middle finger of the -right hand he had 'a ring made spire-wise, wherein was set a perfect balew -ruby, a pointed diamond, and a Physon emerald of inestimable value.' - -The French expression _une bague au doigt_ means a sinecure--pay without -the work. - -In former times the victor in a wrestling match received a ram and a ring. -In the Coke's 'Tale of Gamelyn,' ascribed to Chaucer, we read:-- - - There happed to be there beside - Tryed a wrestling; - And therefore there was y setten, - A ram and als a ring. - -And in the 'Litil Geste of Robin Hood':-- - - By a bridge was a wrestling, - And there tayred was he; - And there was all the best yemen - Of all the west countrey. - A full fayre game there was set up, - A white bull up yspight, - A great courser with saddle and brydle, - With gold burnished full bryght; - A payre of gloves, a red golde ringe, - A pipe of wine, good fay; - What man bereth him best, I wis, - The prize shall bear away. - -So Sir Walter Scott, in the 'Lady of the Lake':-- - - Prize of the wrestling-match, the King - To Douglas gave a golden ring. - -In the 'Gulistan,' or rose-garden of Sadi, is a pretty story in connection -with a prize-ring for shooting. A certain King of Persia had a very -precious stone in a ring. One day he went out with some of his favourite -courtiers, to amuse himself, to the mosque near Shiraz, called Musalla; -and commanded that they should suspend the ring over the dome of Azad, -saying that the ring should be the property of him who could send an arrow -through it. It so befell that four hundred archers, who plied their bows -in his service, shot at the ring, and all missed. A stripling at play was -shooting arrows at random from a monastery, when the morning breeze -carried his shaft through the circle of the ring. The prize was bestowed -upon him, and he was loaded with gifts beyond calculation. The boy, after -this, burned his bow and arrows. They asked him why he did so; he -replied: 'That my first glory may remain unchanged.' - -At the tournaments held in the reign of Henry VII. (1494) a proclamation -was put forth 'that hoo soo ever justith best in the justys roiall schall -have a ryng of gold, with a ruby of the value of a m{l} scuttes or under; -and hoo soo ever torneyeth the best, and fairyst accumplishit his strokkis -schall have a ryng of gold, with a diamant of like value.' - -On November 9 (1494) John Peche received from the Ladie Margerete 'the -kyngis oldeste doughter, a ryng of gold with a ruby.' - -On the 11th, the Earl of Suffolk, Thomas Brandon, received as a reward for -his prowess in the lists 'a ryng of gold with a rubee.' - -On the third tournament (November 13) Sir Edward A. Borough, as victor, -received 'a ryng of gold with a dyamant.' - -The Earl of Essex, for his valour in this tournament, received 'a ryng of -gold with an emerauld.' - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -RINGS IN CONNECTION WITH ECCLESIASTICAL USAGES. - - -The ring has, for many ages, formed a part of ecclesiastical insignia. It -appears to have had a twofold purpose and signification, the one as a mark -of dignity and authority, the other symbolic of the mystical union between -the priesthood and the Church. - -To commence with the head of the Romish hierarchy: that distinguished -authority on antiquarian topics, Mr. Octavius Morgan, M.A., F.R.S., -F.S.A., &c., has contributed to the 'Archaeologia' (vol. xl. p. 392) a very -interesting account of 'Episcopal and other Rings of Investiture;' and, -since the publication of that paper, has kindly informed me that Mr. -Waterton states, from his own knowledge, that the 'Fisherman's Ring' is -the Pope's ring of investiture, and is placed on his finger immediately -after his election, before it is engraved. But if, as it sometimes -happens, the Pope-elect is not a bishop, he is consecrated prior to his -coronation as Supreme Pontiff, and receives the ring with the usual -formula, except that the consecrating cardinal kisses his hand after -investing him with the ring. 'There is a ring which the Pontiff wears on -state occasions--the stone of which is an exquisitely fine cameo, cut in -bloodstone, of the head of Our Saviour--which is known to be more than -three hundred years old, and is, probably, a fine cinque-cento gem. This -descends from one Pope to another. - -'What is called the _Annulus Piscatoris_, or the "Fisherman's Ring," is -the Pope's lesser seal, or signet, used for documents of minor -consequence, and the impression is usually made on red wax or stamped on -the paper; the Bulla being what may be termed the great seal, employed for -giving validity to instruments of greater importance, and the impression -of it is always on lead. The origin of the Fisherman's Ring is obscure, -but it derives its name from a representation of St. Peter in a -fisherman's boat of ancient form, which is engraved on it, and not from -any tradition that it ever belonged to St. Peter, as, from its English -name, is not uncommonly supposed. The Germans call it _Der Fischer-ring_, -which is "the Fisherman Ring," whereas we, probably in our translation of -_Annulus Piscatoris_, have termed it the "Fisherman's Ring," seeming to -imply thereby that it had once belonged to "the Fisherman." The figure of -St. Peter forms the centre.' - -[Illustration: The Fisherman's Ring.] - -After the reign of Pope Calixtus the Third, the Ring of the Fisherman was -no longer used as the private seal of the Popes, but was always attached -to briefs. - -On the death of Innocent the Tenth the name was cut out of the ring or -erased. At the decease of Pius the Sixth the usual ceremonies were not -observed, and the ring was not broken, as was the practice at the -elevation of each pontiff. Aimon, in his 'Tableau de la Cour de Rome,' -says that after the Pope's death 'le Cardinal Camerlingue vient en habit -violet, accompagne des clercs de la chambre en habits noirs, reconnoitre -le corps du Pape. Il l'appelle trois fois par son nom de bapteme, et comme -il ne lui donne ni reponse, ni signe de vie, il fait dresser un acte sur -sa mort par les Protonotaires Apostoliques. Il prend du Maitre de la -Chambre Apostolique, _l'anneau_ du Pecheur, qui est le sceau du Pape, -_d'or_ massif, et du prix de cent ecus. Il le fait mettre en pieces et -donne ces pieces aux Maitres des Ceremonies a qui elles appartiennent. Le -Dataire et les Secretaires qui ont les autres sceaux du Pape defunt, sont -obliges de les porter au Cardinal Camerlingue, qui les fait rompre en -presence de l'Auditeur de la Chambre du Tresorier, et des Clercs -Apostoliques, et il n'est permis a aucun autre des Cardinaux d'assister a -cette fonction.' - -When it was decided by the French in 1798 that the Pope was to be removed -to France, on February 18 in that year the Republican Haller, son of the -celebrated Swiss physician of that name, chose the moment when the Pontiff -was at dinner in the Vatican to announce to him the resolution of the -French Republic. He entered the apartment rudely, and, advancing to the -Pope, announced the object of his visit, and demanded the instant -surrender of the Papal treasures. - -'We have already given up all we possessed,' replied the Pope calmly. - -'Not _all_,' returned Haller, 'you still wear two very rich rings; let me -have them.' - -The Pope drew one from his finger: 'I can give you,' he said, 'this one, -for it is indeed my own; take it: but the other is the Ring of the -Fisherman, and must descend to my successor.' - -'It will pass first to me, holy father,' exclaimed Haller, 'and if you do -not surrender it quietly it will be taken from you by force.' - -To escape further insult the Fisherman's Ring was given up, but as it was -found to be intrinsically of no value it was soon afterwards restored to -the Pontiff. - -The ring of Pius the Ninth is of plain gold, weighing one and a half -ounces, and it was made from the gold which composed the Ring of the -Fisherman of Pope Gregory the Sixteenth.[49] - -The Fisherman's Ring is always in the custody of the Grand Papal -Chamberlain. It is taken to the Conclave, or Council of the Cardinals, -with the space left blank for the name; and as soon as a successful -scrutiny of votes for a new Pope has taken place, the newly-elected -Pontiff is declared, and conducted to the throne of St. Peter, where, -before the cardinals have rendered homage to their chief, the Grand -Chamberlain approaches, and, placing the Papal ring on the finger of the -new Pope, asks him what name he will take. On the reply of the Pontiff, -the ring is given to the first Master of the Ceremonies to have the name -engraved on it that has been assumed. The announcement of the pontifical -election is then made to the people from the balcony of the Papal palace. - -Kissing the Pope's ring as an act of reverent homage is a custom which has -descended to our own times. One of the important ceremonies at the opening -of the great Oecumenical Council at Rome (December 8, 1869) was that -every single primate, patriarch, bishop, and mitred abbot, who were -present on this solemn occasion at St. Peter's, and who were to take part -in the Council, paused before Pius the Ninth, and, in an attitude of -profound reverence, kissed his ring. As high dignitaries they were -exempted from kissing the Pope's toe, a condescension reserved for the -laity and lower clergy. - -In Bishop Bale's 'Image of Both Churches' occurs a curious passage on the -subject of episcopal rings: 'Neyther regarde they to knele any more doune, -and to kisse their pontifical ryngs, which are of the same metall' (_i.e._ -fine gold). - -It would seem that the Popes were formerly buried in their pontifical -habits and ornaments. In the 'Journal' of Burcard, Master of the -Ceremonies in the Pope's chapel from Sixtus the Fourth to Julius the -Second, he mentions as having, by virtue of his office, thus clothed the -body of Sixtus the Fourth, and amongst other things a sapphire ring of the -value of three hundred ducats was placed on his finger, and so little -trust was placed in the honesty of those who came to see the body that -guards were placed to prevent the ring and other ornaments from being -stolen.[50] - -In 1482 Cardinal d'Estouteville, Archbishop of Rouen, was buried with -great magnificence at Rome, where he died. The body of the prelate was -arrayed in the richest robes of cloth of gold, and his fingers were -covered with rings of the greatest rarity and beauty. The brilliancy of -the jewels (observes Dom Pommeraye in his 'Lives of the Archbishops of -Rouen') excited the cupidity of the canons of St. Mary Major at Rome, -where he was interred, insomuch that they threw themselves on the body, -and struggled with each other to get at the rings. The monks of St. -Augustine, who also attended on this occasion, pretended to be highly -scandalized at this profanation--'peut-etre,' however, 'pour avoir part au -butin'--and attempted on their part to seize the rings. In this unclerical -skirmish the body of the archbishop was entirely stripped of its gorgeous -trappings, and left naked, a piteous spectacle. - -Matthew Paris informs us that archbishops, bishops, and abbots, with other -principals of the clergy, were buried in their pontificalibus; thus 'they -prepared the body of Hubert, Archbishop of Canterbury, for the burial, -closing him in his robes, with his face uncovered, and a mitre put on his -head, with gloves upon his hands, _a ring on his finger_, and all the -other ornaments belonging to his office.' - -In describing the finger-ring found in the grave of the Venerable Bede, -the writer of a brief account of Durham Cathedral adds: 'No priest during -the reign of Catholicity was buried or enshrined without his ring.' The -practice may have prevailed generally, as many instances of rings -recovered from the graves of ecclesiastics show, but it was more -particularly the usage of prelates. Martene ('De Antiquis Ecclesiae -Ritibus') remarks: 'Episcopus debet habere annulum, quia sponsus est. -Caeteri sacerdotes non, quia sponsi non sunt, sed amici sponsi, vel -vicarii.' - -The bones of St. Dunstan were discovered in the time of William, fortieth -abbot of Glastonbury: a ring was on the finger-bone of this saint. - -William, the twenty-second abbot of St. Alban's Abbey, who died in 1235, -was buried in pontifical habits 'with a ring on his finger.' - -Richard de Gerbery, forty-fifth Bishop of Amiens, in the thirteenth -century, died in 1210, and was buried in the cathedral, in pontificalibus, -with mitre, ring, and ivory cross. - -When the body of St. John of Beverley (died 721) was translated into a new -shrine, about the year 1037, a ring, among other articles, was found in -his coffin. We have a much earlier instance cited by Aringhi, that the -ring of St Caius (283-296) was found in his tomb: 'intra sepulchrum tria -Diocletiani Imperatoris numismata, sub quo coronatus fuerat, et -Sanctissimi Pontificis annulus adinventatus est.' - -A gold ring was found in the tomb of St. Birinus, Bishop of Dorchester, -who died in 640. - -Mr. E. Waterton mentions a remarkable ring, set with fine opal, preserved -at Mayence Cathedral, where it was found with an enamelled crosier in the -tomb, as was supposed, of Archbishop Sigfroi III. (1249). - -[Illustration: Ring of Thierry, Bishop of Verdun.] - -In the Londesborough Collection is the ring of Thierry, Bishop of Verdun -(who died in 1165), found in his tomb in 1829. It is of gold, with a -sapphire, an irregular oval with five capsular marks on the face; the -shank, two winged dragons, between the heads of which is the inscription -AVE MARIA GRATIA. This ring was procured in exchange from the collection -of M. Failly, Inspector of Customs, at Lyons in 1848. - -Mr. Octavius Morgan remarks: 'It is difficult to reconcile the practice of -returning the ring to the Emperor' (to which I have in this chapter -alluded) 'with that of interring the bishop with his ring on his finger; -but it is probable that, when in the twelfth century the Emperor ceded to -the Popes the right of investiture by the ring the sending back the ring -was dispensed with; and, being the property of the Church, and not of the -Emperor, the bishop was allowed to be interred with his ring as an emblem -of his dignity.' - -The Rev. C. W. King remarks that the custom of burying ecclesiastics with -all their official insignia appears to have lasted far down into the -Middle Ages; for, amongst the amusing adventures of Andreuccio da Perugia, -related by Boccaccio, he, when reduced to despair, joins some thieves in -plundering the tomb of the Archbishop of Naples, interred the previous day -in all his precious vestments, and with a ring on his finger valued at -five hundred scudi. Two parties of plunderers, headed by a priest of the -cathedral, visit the tomb in succession, and almost at the same time; to -which circumstance Andreuccio owes his escape from a horrible death, and -returns home in possession of the ring, which more than makes up for all -his losses. - -The Rev. C. W. King considers it probable that this common practice of -plundering the tombs, gave origin to the huge rings of gilt metal, which -bear the titles, or coats of arms, of some pope or bishop. - -On the subject of pontifical rings of an ordinary character, I may observe -that they are found in several collections, usually of brass or copper -gilt. - -Benvenuto Cellini, in his 'Memoirs,' mentions a magnificent diamond as -having been presented to Pope Paul the Third by the Emperor Charles the -Fifth on his entry into Rome (1536), for which he was desired to make a -ring, and succeeded in giving the diamond a tint which surpassed anything -yet done. - -[Illustration: Ring of Pope Pius II.] - -In the collection of Thomas Windus, Esq., F.S.A., is a ring bearing the -arms of Pope Pius II. of the family of Piccolomini, the Papal tiara, and -inscription, 'Papa Pio.' The ring is of brass, thickly gilt; the stone -topaz: on the sides are the four beasts of the 'Revelation.' - -In the Braybrooke Collection is the ring of Pope Boniface, from whose tomb -it was taken during the popular insurrection at Rome, 1849. It is large -and of gilt bronze, set with a large amethyst, cut into facets. It is of -the usual type of Papal rings, and massive; on one side of the broad shank -is engraved the triple crown, with bands for tying it, extending until -they are met by the cords attached to the keys, which appear on the other -side. The sides of the box-setting are square for an inch below the stone, -and on them are the emblems of the four Evangelists in high relief: all -these are winged. - -In the Waterton Collection at the South Kensington Museum are some -remarkably fine specimens of bronze-gilt Papal rings of the fifteenth -century, very massive and in excellent condition. Most of these have the -symbols of the four Evangelists, the triple crown, and crossed keys. - -At a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries in November, 1858, Octavius -Morgan, Esq., F.R.S., F.S.A., exhibited a Papal ring of great interest, -massive, and of copper-gilt, set with blue glass. At the angles were the -symbols of the four Evangelists in relief; on the hoop was inscribed -PAVLVS PP SECNDVS (Paulus Papa Secundus). At the sides were two shields; -one of them bearing three fleurs-de-lys, and ensigned with an open crown, -probably the arms of France; the other charged with a lion debruised by a -bend, being the arms of the family of Barbo of Venice, to which Paul II. -belonged. In the upper part of this shield was a small Papal tiara, which -might have been placed there for want of room above, or might have been -adopted by the Pope's relation, Marco Barbo, made by him a cardinal in -1464, and who died 1490. - -Mr. Morgan had received this interesting addition to his collection from -Venice. - -[Illustration: Papal Rings (Gorlaeus).] - -In the Londesborough Collection is a fine specimen of a Papal ring. The -crossed keys surmount a coat of arms on one side of the ring; the keys -alone appear on the opposite side; foliated ornament fills the space -above the circlet on either side. This ring is set with a large crystal. - -[Illustration: Papal Ring.] - -At the suppression of the monasteries there were found in Worcester -Cathedral 'four pontifical rings of gold, with precious stones' At the -same period, amongst the plate and jewels in Winchester Cathedral was a -'pontyfycall ryng of silvare and gilt, with counterfeitt stones.' At St. -Augustine's Church at Canterbury were three pontifical rings with precious -stones, and one of silver gilt; at St. Swithin's Church at Winchester, -four pontifical rings with precious stones. - -The earliest document with a certain date in which mention is made of a -bishop's ring is that usually cited in the 28th canon of the Council of -Toledo, held in 633. The ring was of gold and jewelled, but at this -Council it was ordained that the ring of a prelate reinstated in his -diocese, after an unjust deposition, should be delivered to him, which was -merely confirming a ceremony already ancient in the confirmation of -bishops, which may be traced to the fourth century. - -In the consecration of bishops in the Anglo-Saxon Church, the hands and -head were anointed with oil, the crosier delivered into his hands, and the -ring placed on his finger; each ceremony being accompanied with a prayer. -'There is, however,' remarks Mr. Octavius Morgan ('Archaeologia,' vol. -xxxvi. part ii. p. 373), 'another authority, at least contemporary with -the Toledo Council, if not of earlier date. St. Isidor, Bishop of Seville, -who died A.D. 636, in his work 'De Ecclesiasticis Officines' (lib. ii. -cap. 5), when writing on the episcopal dignity, informs us that the staff -and ring were given to the bishop on his consecration, and mentions the -twofold purpose and signification of the ring, but does not tell us from -what source these insignia were derived.'[51] - -That the episcopal ring, from the earliest times, was considered a symbol -of sacerdotal authority, we have many instances. In the 'Continuation of -the History of Simeon of Durham' we are told that Bishop Ralph (1099) -having been inveigled into a boat and his life in danger, he drew the ring -which he wore from off his finger, and his notary took his seal, and they -cast them into the river, being apprehensive that, as these were well -known everywhere throughout England, the enemy would prepare deceitful -writs by their means. - -The same bishop, a month before his decease in 1128, directed that he -should be carried into the church, opposite the altar, there to make -confession of his sins. Placing a ring upon the altar he thereby restored -to the church everything of which he had deprived it, and this restitution -he confirmed by charter and seal, which are still preserved in the -treasury of the Dean and Chapter of Durham. To the charter was also -attached the episcopal gold ring (which is no longer there). The charter -states that 'he has surrendered to the Lord St. Cuthbert and his monks -whatsoever he had taken from them after he came to the bishopric,' &c., -'restoring them by (placing) a ring upon the altar,' &c. - -Thomas a Becket, when at Rome in 1166, during his quarrel with Henry II., -solemnly resigned, in the presence of the Papal Court, his episcopal ring -into the hands of Pope Alexander, whom he exhorted to name a fitting -successor. - -In the History of the Archbishops of Canterbury, by Gervase, we read that -in 1179, Godfrey, Bishop-elect of St. Asaph's, resigned his bishopric by -surrendering his ring. - -An ancient custom in the Archbishopric of Rouen was that the body of the -deceased prelate, before being interred in the cathedral, was carried to -the church of St. Ouen (at Rouen), where it remained exposed a whole day. -The dean of the cathedral, in committing the body to the charge of the -Abbot of St. Ouen, said 'Ecce,' to which the latter replied 'Est hic.' -Then the dean gave the Archbishop's ring to the abbot, at the same time -placing his hand in the coffin of the defunct, and saying: 'You gave it to -him living; behold he is dead,' alluding to the custom of the Archbishops -of Rouen being consecrated in the church of St. Ouen. - -Mr. Waterton remarks 'that in 511, the Council of Orleans makes mention of -the rescript of Clodovicus, wherein he promises to leave certain captives -at the disposition of the Gallican bishops, "si vestras epistolas de -_annulo vestro_ signatas sic ad nos dirigatis."' The same eminent -antiquarian states that 'prior to the eleventh century, many, if not all, -of the episcopal rings were signets; for before that time large official -seals were not in general use. Each bishop seems to have chosen the -subject to be engraved on his ring, at pleasure. St. Augustine, in one of -his letters, mentions that he sealed it with his ring, "qui exprimit -faciem hominis attendentis in latus." In writing to Apollinaris, Bishop of -Valence, Clodovicus begs him to send the seal, or signet (_signatorum_), -which he had promised, made in such a way "ut annulo ferreo et admodum -tenui, velut concurrentibus in se delphinulis concludendo, sigili duplicis -forma geminis cardinalis inseratur." And, referring to the subject to be -engraved on the bezel, he adds, "si quaeras quid insculpendum sigillo, -signo monogrammatis mei per gyram scripti nominis legatur indicio."' - -In the early days of Christianity bishops sealed with their rings the -profession of faith which the neophytes made in writing. They also sealed -their pastoral letters. Ebregislaus, Bishop of Meaux, in 660, wore on his -ring an intaglio, representing St. Paul, the first hermit, on his knees -before the crucifix, and above his head, a crow, by which he was -miraculously fed. - -In conformity with a decree of St. Sergius I. (687-701), the bishops of -France and Spain used to seal up the baptismal fonts with their rings from -the beginning of Lent to Holy Saturday. - -From ancient documents it would appear that bishops sometimes called their -rings 'annuli ecclesiae.' David, Bishop of Benevento, in the time of -Charlemagne, issued a mandate, ending as follows: 'annulo sanctae nostrae -ecclesiae firmavivus roborandum.' In 862, Rathbodus, Bishop of Treves, -writes thus: 'Hanc epistolam Graecis litteris, hinc, inde, munire -decrevimus, et annulo ecclesiae nostrae bullare censuimus.' In 985 Pope John -XVI. sealed with his ring the confirmation of the decree made by the -Council of Mayence, in favour of the monks of Corvey, in Saxony. - -These quotations are sufficient to prove that until the 11th century the -bishops used their rings as signets; but we must not infer that every -episcopal ring was a signet. It is probable that each bishop had a large -jewelled ring to use when pontificating. - -Of the importance attached to the possession of the episcopal ring we are -told that Gundulf, the good Bishop of Rochester, in his last days -distributed all his goods to the poor, even to his shoes, and bequeathed -his rich vestments to the cathedral. There was only one ornament with -which he could not part, that was the episcopal ring, and he confided this -to the care of his attendants, intending, probably, that it should be -delivered to his successor. Ralph, who had lately been elected Abbot of -Battle, had formerly been Prior of Rochester, and had been deservedly -popular. The monks were anxious that he should be the successor of -Gundulf, and were prepared to elect him, if they could obtain the consent -of the archbishop. If to the Abbot of Battle Gundulf bequeathed or -resigned the episcopal ring, it might be produced as an indication of -Gundulf's wish that Ralph, of Battle Abbey, should succeed him. A -suggestion to this effect was made to the old bishop, who said curtly: 'He -is a monk, what has he to do with an episcopal ring?' He was, probably, -offended at the ambition of the ex-prior of Rochester, who ought to have -been contented with his newly-acquired dignity at Battle Abbey. Soon -after this, another Ralph made his appearance at the priory, Ralph of -Seez, who afterwards became Archbishop of Canterbury. Having been ejected -from his monastery by violence, he came to England, and was received -everywhere with hearty regard, on account of his virtues and -accomplishments. Hearing of Gundulf's illness, he hastened to Rochester, -to console his old friend on the bed of sickness. Ralph was obliged to -leave Rochester after a short visit, but on quitting his friend he was -recalled, and Gundulf, demanding of his attendant the episcopal ring, -placed it as a parting gift in the hand of Ralph of Seez, who suggested it -might be better disposed of to one of Gundulf's episcopal friends, since -it did not pertain to an abbot to wear a ring. He reminded the bishop -that, though not living a monk, still a monk he was. 'Take it, -nevertheless,' said the bishop, 'you may want it some day.' - -The possession of this ring reconciled the monks to the appointment of -Ralph of Seez as successor of Gundulf to the bishopric of Rochester, as -they regarded the donation in the light of a prophecy. - -'Before,' says Mr. Waterton, 'receiving the pastoral staff and mitre, the -bishop-elect is invested by the consecrating bishop with the pontifical -ring. The formula seems to have varied at different times, the most -ancient one, contained in the Sacramental of St. Gregory, 590, is this: -"Accipe annulum discretionis et honoris, fidei signum, et quae signanda -sunt signes, et quae aperienda sunt prodas, quae liganda sunt liges, quae -solvenda sunt solvas, atque credentibus per fidem baptismatis, lapsis -autem sed poenitentibus per mysterium reconciliationis januas regni -coelestis aperias; cunctis vero de thesauro dominico ad aeternam salutem -hominibus, consolatus gratia Domini nostri Jesu Christi." - -'Another form, of a later date, has the above, with the following -addition:--"Memor sponsionis et desponsationis ecclesiasticae et -dilectionis Domini Dei tui, in die qua assecutus es hunc honorem, cave ne -obliviscaris illius." - -'The ancient Ordo Romanus contains a formula couched in more elegant -words: "Accipe annulum pontificalis honoris, ut sis fidei integritate ante -omnia munitus, misericordiae operibus insistens, infirmis compatiens, -benevolentibus congaudens, aliena damna propria deputans, de alienis -gaudiis tanquam de propriis exultans." - -'The formula,' continues Mr. E. Waterton, 'seems to have varied at -different times; that contained in the pontifical of Ecgberht, Archbishop -of York, is as follows: "Accipe annulum pontificalis honoris ut sis fidei -integritate munitus." The Anglo-Saxon pontifical at Rouen, and that of St. -Dunstan at Paris, both give the following: "Accipe ergo annulum -discretionis et honoris, fidei signum, et quae signanda sunt signes, et quae -aperienda sunt prodas."' - -In the eleventh and twelfth centuries the ring, as a part of -ecclesiastical investiture, was a fruitful subject of discord between the -Emperors and the Popes, until 1123, the Emperor Henry the Fifth, alarmed -by the threats of the Pontiff, ceded the right to Calixtus II., from which -time the rings were sent to the bishops-elect from the Pope--a practice -continued in the Roman Catholic hierarchy to the present time. In -preceding ages, however, monarchs were not so yielding. In the romance of -'King Athelstan,' the sovereign says to an offending archbishop:-- - - Lay down thy cross and thy staff, - The myter and the ryng that I to thee gaff, - Out of my land thou flee. - -Cardinals on their creation receive a ring in which is usually a -sapphire. Wolsey was raised to this dignity in 1515, the Pope having -forwarded with the hat (an unusual thing to be sent out of Rome) a ring of -more than ordinary value. - -Cardinals wear their rings at all times, but on Good Friday they lay them -aside, as a sign of the mourning in which the Church is placed for her -Spouse. At the recent installation of cardinals (September 1875) the -venerable Pontiff presented each dignitary with a gold ring set with a -sapphire. - -In 1191 the fashion of the episcopal ring was definitively settled by -Innocent III., who ordained that it should be of gold, solid, and set with -a precious stone, on which nothing was to be cut; previous to this, -bishops' rings were not restricted to any special material or design. 'In -the thirteenth century,' remarks Mr. E. Waterton, 'many of the episcopal -rings were of very rude fashion, frequently in almost literal conformity -with the rescript of Innocent III., without regard to shape or elegance. -The stone was set just as it was found, merely having the surface -polished, and the shape of the bezel was adapted to the gem. There are -proofs that cameos were worn in episcopal rings. In the list of rings and -precious stones collected by Henry III. for the shrine of St. Edward, in -Westminster Abbey, there is enumerated: "j _chamah_ in uno annulo -pontificali." We know that during the Middle Ages the glyptic art had -declined very much, and that from their fancied assimilation antique gems -were occasionally used for devout subjects. Thus the monks of Durham -converted an antique intaglio of Jupiter Tonans into the 'caput Sancti -Oswaldi.' - -During the latter part of the thirteenth century the large episcopal rings -were enriched by the addition of previous stones, which were set around -the principal one. Thus, in the 'Wardrobe Book' there is the following -entry: 'Annulus auri cum quatuor rubettis magnis qui fuit Fratris J. de -Peccham, nuper Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi. He died in 1292.' - -Episcopal rings were usually set with sapphires, probably from a popular -belief that this precious stone had the power of cooling love; owing, -perhaps, to the coldness of its touch, due to its density. The Rev. C. W. -King, however, gives as a reason for the choice of the sapphire that, -besides its supposed sympathy with the heavens, mentioned by Solinus, and -its connexion with the god of day, Apollo, the violet colour agrees with -the vestments appropriated to the priestly office. - -An episcopal ring, with gold and a sapphire, said to have belonged to St. -Loup, is in the treasury of the Cathedral of Sens, and is, probably, of -the Carlovingian period. - -[Illustration: Episcopal ring.] - -'Mention occurs,' remarks Mr. E. Waterton, 'of episcopal rings being set -with the balass-ruby, the emerald, the topaz, the turquoise, the -chalcedony, and, as accessories, pearls and garnets. Sometimes these gems -were of great value.' The Rev. C. W. King thinks it probable that when -mediaeval rings occur, set with a ruby instead of a sapphire, they belong -to bishops who were at the same time cardinals. At the disgraceful seizure -of Archbishop Cranmer's effects, in 1553, we find mentioned, among the -articles of considerable value taken from his house at Battersea: 'six or -seven rings of fine gold, with stones in them, whereof were three fine -blue sapphires of the best; an emerald, very fine; a good turquoise and a -diamond.' - -At the degradation of a bishop in former times, the reasons were given in -a solemn assembly, and judgment pronounced, the mitre was removed from his -head, and the pontifical ring drawn off his finger, as having outraged the -Church. - -With regard to the finger on which the episcopal ring is worn, a -correspondent of 'Notes and Queries' (vol. v., first series, p. 114), -remarks that 'all who wear rings, _ex officio_, wear them on the third -finger of the right hand. Cardinals, bishops, abbots, doctors, &c., do -this for the reason that it is the first vacant finger. The thumb and the -first two fingers have always been reserved as symbols of the Three -Persons of the Holy Trinity. When a bishop gives his blessing he blesses -with the thumb and two first fingers. Our brasses, with sepulchral slabs, -bear witness to this fact.' - -A French writer observes that formerly the episcopal ring was worn on the -fore-finger, but as, for the celebration of the holy mysteries, bishops -were obliged to place it on the _fourth_ finger, the custom prevailed of -carrying it thus. - -Mr. E. Waterton gives his explanation thus, and there could be no better -authority: 'It appears that bishops formerly wore their rings on the index -of their right hand, being the middle one of the three fingers which they -extend when they are giving their blessing, but when celebrating mass they -passed the ring on to the annular. They wore it on the index as the -fore-finger was indicative of silence, that they ought to communicate the -divine mysteries only to the worthy. Gregory IV., in 827, ordered that the -episcopal ring should not be worn on the left, but on the right hand, as -it was more distinguished (_nobile_) and was the hand with which the -blessing was imparted.'[52] - -[Illustration: Episcopal Thumb-ring.] - -The episcopal ring is now always worn on the annular finger of the right -hand, and bishops never wear more than one. In the pictures of the early -Italian masters, however, and on sepulchral effigies, bishops are -represented with many rings, some of which are not unfrequently on the -second joint of the fingers. A thumb-ring is often seen; one is -represented (p. 219) belonging to a late Dean of St. Patrick's, the sketch -of which was made by the late Mr. Fairholt, when it was in the possession -of Mr. Huxtable, F.S.A., in 1847. It is of bronze, thickly gilt, and set -with a crystal. In Raffaelle's portrait of Julius II. the Pope is -represented as wearing six rings. Certain it is, as late as the year 1516, -the Popes occasionally wore two or more rings. - -As the large pontifical ring was of a size sufficient to enable the bishop -to pass it over the silk glove which he wears when pontificating, a -smaller, or guard ring, was used to keep it on the finger. - -In the Waterton Collection is a very pale gold episcopal ring, with oblong -hexagonal bezel, set with a pale cabochon sapphire, and the hoop divided -into square compartments chased with rosettes, and finished on the -shoulders with monsters' heads. French, of the early part of the fifteenth -century. - -In the Anglo-Saxon annals, an archbishop bequeaths a ring in his will, and -a king sends a golden ring, enriched with a precious stone, as a present -to a bishop. So great was the extravagance among the clergy for these -ornaments that Elfric, in his 'canons,' found it necessary to exhort the -ecclesiastics 'not to be proud with their rings.' In the mediaeval romances -we are told that at the marriage of Sir Degrevant, there came - - Erchebyschopbz with ryng - Mo than fiftene. - -In the effigy of Bishop Oldham (died 1519), in Exeter Cathedral, the -uplifted hands of the recumbent figure, which are pressed together, are -adorned with no less than seven large rings on the fingers, three being on -the right, and four on the left hand. In addition to these, a single -signet-ring of extraordinary size is represented as worn over both the -thumbs. - -But the number of these rings is exceeded by far in the case of the arm of -St. Blaize, exhibited in the Cathedral of Brunswick, on the fingers of -which are no less than _fourteen_ rings. This relic was brought from -Palestine by Henry the Lion in the eleventh century, and is encased in -silver. - -In a miniature in the 'Heures d'Anne de Bretagne' (1500), representing St. -Nicholas and the miracle of the three children, the bishop is represented -with one hand extended in the act of blessing, with a large ring over two -fingers. A ring is on one of the fingers of the other hand. In paintings -of the early bishops of the Church they are figured with gloves having the -ruby on the back of the hand, and the official ring on the fore-finger of -the right hand sometimes, but not always, introduced. - -Dart, in his 'History of Canterbury,' gives an inventory of the _Ornamenta -Ecclesiastica_ taken in 1315. One of the _annuli pontificales_ was of -elaborate character, and is thus described: 'Annulus quadratus magnus cum -smaragdine oblongo, et quatuor pramis, et quatuor garnettis.' The others -had sapphires surrounded by smaller gems. One of these rings was set 'cum -sapphiro nigro in quatuor cramponibus ex omne parte discoperto.' - -In the 'Archaeological Journal' (vol. ii., 1854) is an interesting account -by the late Mr. Albert Way, of the ecclesiastical mortuary or -corse-present: 'Whether this was originally a composition for offerings -omitted, or in the nature of a payment for sepulture, frequently -consisted, amongst other things of a ring. Thus in the archdeaconry of -Chester, on the death of every priest, his best signet, or ring, with -various other objects belonging to the bishop as being the archdeacon.' - -The King, in like manner, on the death of every archbishop and bishop, was -entitled to a gold ring with other things. On the death of some abbots the -King claimed the like. These rights existed in the reign of Edward I. and -probably earlier. In the province of Canterbury the second-best ring of -the bishop accompanied the seals, which, there is reason to think, were -given up to their metropolitans. In 1310, on the death of Robert Orford, -Bishop of Ely, his pontifical ring not having been delivered up in due -course, a mandate was issued by Archbishop Winchelsey, directed to Richard -de Oteringham, then administering the spiritualities of the vacant see, to -obtain possession of the ring, which appeared to have been kept back by -two of the monks of Ely. The mandate recites all the circumstances which -had occurred, describing the ring as 'annulum qui pontificalis vulgariter -appellatur, qui de jure et consuetudine nostre ecclesie Cantuariensis ad -nos dignoscitur pertinere.' It was alleged by the monks of Ely that the -deceased prelate had made a gift of this ring in his lifetime to the Prior -and Convent, but that, having no other pontifical ring, he had retained it -for his own use until his death. The Prior and Convent then had possession -of the ring, which they forthwith caused to be affixed to the shrine of -St. Ealburga. The two monks incurred the penalty of excommunication; the -Archbishop forthwith cited the Prior and Convent to appear before him, and -there can be little doubt that the ring was ultimately delivered up. The -details of this curious transaction are related in Archbishop -Winchelsey's Register, and may be seen in Wilkins's 'Concilia,' vol. ii. -p. 403. - -In regard to two of the sees in Wales, St. Asaph and Bangor, the claim -extended to the palfry with bridle and saddle, the _capa pluvialis_, or -riding-cloak, and the hat used by the deceased prelate. The seals and best -ring were likewise demanded, as in the case of the other bishops of the -Principality, and of the province of Canterbury in general. On the decease -of Anian, Bishop of Bangor, in 1327, the metropolitan see being at that -time vacant, the Prior of Christ Church claimed the ring, seals, and other -effects, which had not been rendered up to him in due course. The -following entry appears on this occasion: 'De annulo et sigilis Episcopi -Bangorensis restituendis.--Magister Kenewricus Canonicus Assavensis, -officialis noster sede Bangorensi vacante, habet literam de annulo secundo -meliori et omnibus sigillis bone memorie domini Aniani Episcopi -Bangorensis, ac etiam de aliis bonis nobis et ecclesie nostre Cantuarien -de jure et consuetudine antiqua et approbata debitis post mortem -cujuslibet Episcopi Bangorensis, que de Magistro Madoco Archidiacono -Angles' executore testimenti dicti domini Aniani recepit, nobis absque -more majoris dispendio apud Cantuariam transmittendis necnon de omnibus -aliis bonis que ad manus suas sede Bangorensi vacante vel plena -devenerunt; et ad certificandum nos infra xx dies post recepcionem -presentium quod super premissis duxerit faciendis. Dated at Canterbury, -July 15, 1328.' - -These instructions from the Prior to his official seem to have produced no -effect. A letter is found subsequently in the same register (K. 12, f. -158, v{o}), addressed from Mayfield by Simon Mepham, Archbishop of -Canterbury, to Henry Gower, Bishop of St. David's, stating the demand of -the Prior had not been satisfied, and requiring him to obtain restitution -of the seals and ring which had belonged to the deceased prelate. The -matter appears accordingly to have been adjusted without delay, since a -formal acquittance is found in the same volume, dated at Canterbury, -February 3, 1328. - -A similar occurrence is recorded in the register on the decease of David -Martyn, Bishop of St. David's, March 9, 1328. His executors had delivered -the seals and ring to Master Edmund de Mepham, who had departed this life; -and a letter is found from Henry de Eastry, Prior of Christ Church, to -Robert Leveye, Edmund's executor, requesting him to render up these -objects to which the Prior was entitled. - -The Wardrobe Books and other records would doubtless show that the rights -of the Crown were constantly enforced on the decease of archbishops and -bishops with no less jealous vigilance than those of the Church of -Canterbury. In the Wardrobe Book of 28th Edward I., for instance, amongst -various articles mention is made of the gold ring of William de Hothum, -Archbishop of Dublin, who died in 1298, set with a sapphire, as also of -many silver _ciphi_ and gold rings set with various gems, delivered to the -King on the decease of several other prelates at that period. In the same -record are to be found the gold rings of the abbots of Glastonbury, St. -Alban's, and Abingdon, lately deceased, in custody of the King's wardrobe. - -It is deserving of remark that at an earlier period no claim, as regarded -the pontifical ring, appears to have been acknowledged by the Bishops of -Rochester. - -Mr. Edmund Waterton, in the 'Archaeological Journal' (vol. xx. pp. 235 _et -seq._), gives a list of a few of the authentic episcopal rings now in -existence in England. - -The ring of Seffrid, Bishop of Winchester, who died in 1151. This is most -curious, for it is set with a gnostic gem, representing the figure with -the head of a cock. It is a strange subject for the ring of a bishop. - -A massive gold ring set with a sapphire, found in a tomb on the thumb of -the skeleton of a bishop, supposed to be Hilary, Bishop of Chichester, who -died in 1169, together with a silver chalice, and paten, and a pastoral -staff. - -A gold ring with an octagonal sapphire, set _a griffes_, and with four -small emeralds in the corners. This was found in a stone coffin on which -was inscribed EPISCOPUS, and which also contained some remains of -vestments, and a pastoral staff. - -These three rings belong to the Dean and Chapter of Chichester. - -Gold ring set with a ruby, and found in York Minster in the tomb of -Archbishop Sewall, who died 1258. - -A gold ring, also set with a ruby, found in the tomb of Archbishop -Greenfield, who died 1315. - -[Illustration: Ring of Archbishop Sewall.] - -[Illustration: Ring of Archbishop Greenfield.] - -A gold ring, the stone of which has fallen out and which bears on the -inside the _chancon_ 'xhonnorxetxjoyex,' found in the tomb of Archbishop -Bowett, who died in 1423. - -The three last rings are preserved in York Minster. - -A large gold ring set with an irregular oval sapphire secured by four -grips in the form of fleurs-de-lys. The stone is pierced longitudinally. -This was found in Winchester Cathedral, and may be assigned to the -thirteenth century. - -[Illustration: Episcopal ring (thirteenth century).] - -The ring of William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, died 1404. A massive -plain gold ring, set with a sapphire. By his will he bequeathed to his -successor in the Bishopric of Winchester, his best book, _De Officio -Pontificali_, his best missal, and his larger gold pontifical ring, set -with a sapphire, and surrounded with four balass-rubies. - -A gold ring found in the tomb of Bishop Gardiner, in Winchester Cathedral -(died 1555). It is set with an oval _plasma_ intaglio of the head of -Minerva; on the shoulders of the hoop are two square facetted ornaments, -each set with five small rubies _en cabochon_. - -These rings belong to the Dean and Chapter of Winchester Cathedral. - -[Illustration: Ring of Bishop Stanbery.] - -A massive gold ring set with a sapphire. The shoulders are ornamented with -flowers, and inside is the _chancon_ 'en : bon : an.' Found in the tomb -of John Stanbery, Bishop of Hereford, 1452. - -A gold ring set with an uncut ruby, and which has on either shoulder a Tau -cross, filled in with green enamel, and a bell appended. Within is the -inscription enamelled 'Ave Maria.' Found in the tomb of Richard Mayhew, or -Mayo, Bishop of Hereford, 1504. - -These rings were found in Hereford Cathedral. They are figured in the -'Archaeologia' (vol. xxxi. p. 249). - -A massive gold ring set with a sapphire, _en cabochon_. This was found on -one of the fingers of St. Cuthbert, when his coffin was opened by the -visitors in 1537. It came into the possession of Thomas Watson, the -Catholic Dean appointed on the dismissal of Robert Horne, the Protestant -Dean, in 1553. Dean Watson gave the ring to Sir Thomas Hare, who gave it -to Antony Brown, created Viscount Montague, by Queen Mary, in 1554. He -gave it to Dr. Richard Smith, Bishop of Calcedon, _in partibus_, and Vicar -Apostolic of the Northern District, whom he had for a long time sheltered -from the persecution. Bishop Smith gave the ring to the monastery of the -English Canonesses of St. Augustine at Paris; and it is now preserved at -St. Cuthbert's College, Ushaw, near Durham. The ring is evidently not one -worn by the sainted bishop during his lifetime. It does not appear to have -been of an earlier date than the fourteenth century; and a gold ring, set -with a sapphire, and almost its counterpart, which was found at Flodden, -is now in the British Museum. Probably the ring had belonged to one of the -bishops of Durham, and had been offered to the shrine of St. Cuthbert, and -placed on a finger of the corpse on some occasion when the shrine was -opened. The authentication of the ring simply states the fact that it was -found on the hand of St. Cuthbert in 1537. - -The ring of Arnulphus, consecrated Bishop of Metz in 614, is stated to be -preserved in the treasury of the cathedral of that city. It is believed to -be of an earlier date than the fourth century, and it is set with an -opaque milk-white cornelian, engraved with the sacred symbol of the fish. - -In addition to these examples are two other French episcopal rings. One is -that of Gerard, Bishop of Limoges, who died in 1022. Didron thus describes -it: 'Cet anneau est en or massif; il pese 14 gram. 193 m.; aucune -pierrerie ne le decore. La tete de l'anneau, ou chaton, est formee de -quatre fleurs trilobees opposees par la base sur lesquelles courent de -legers filets d'email bleu.' - -In August 1763 the remains of Thomas de Bitton, Bishop of Exeter from 1293 -to 1307 were discovered in the cathedral of that city. The skeleton was -nearly entire, and among the dust in the coffin a gold ring was found and -a large sapphire set in it. This ring and a chalice recovered at the same -time are preserved within a case in the chapter-house of the cathedral. - -The following extracts from the Wardrobe Book of 28th Edward I. (A.D. -1299-1360), relating to episcopal rings, are of interest:-- - -'Jocalia remanencia in fine anni 27. - -'Annulus auri cum sapphiro qui fuit fratris Willelmi quondam Dublin' -archiepiscopi defuncti. - -'Jocalia remanencia in fine anni 27 de jocalibus Regi datis, et post -decessum praelatorum Regis restitutis anno 25. - -'Annulus auri cum sapphiro crescenti qui fuit N. quondam Sarum episcopi -defuncti. - -'Annulus, auri cum rubetto perforato qui fuit Roberti Coventr' et -Lichfield' episcopi defuncti. - -'Jocalia remanencia in fine anni 27 de jocalibus Regi datis et post -decessum praelatorum Regis restitutis. Annulus auri cum sapphiro qui fuit -J. Ebor' archiepiscopi defuncti anno 24. - -'Jocalia remanencia in fine anni, 27 de jocalibus receptis de venerabili -Patre Will' Bathon' et Wellen' episcopo. - -'Tres annuli auri cum rubettis. - -'Unus annulus auri cum amerauda. - -'Unus annulus auri cum topacio (chrysolite). - -'Unus annulus auri cum pereditis (topaz).' - -The _Jocalia Sancti Thomae_, which is given by Dart in his history of -Canterbury Cathedral, are as follows:-- - -'Annulus pontificalis magnus cum rubino rotundo in medio: - -'_Item._ Annulus magnus cum sapphiro nigro qui vocatur lup. - -'_Item._ Annulus cum parvo sapphiro nigro qui vocatur lup. - -'_Item._ Annulus cum sapphiro quadrato aquoso. - -'_Item._ Annulus cum lapide oblongo qui vocatur turkoyse. - -'_Item._ Annulus unus cum viridi cornelino sculpto rotundo. - -'_Item._ Annulus parvus cum smaragdine triangulato. - -'_Item._ Annulus unus cum chalcedonio oblongo.' - -The term _lup_ may signify _en cabochon_, uncut. - -In 1867 Mr. Binns exhibited a gold episcopal ring, at a meeting of the -Society of Antiquaries, which he obtained at the shop of a jeweller at -Worcester, and supposed to be the ring of Walter de Cantilupe, who -presided over the see of Worcester from 1236 to 1266. In the -'Archaeologia' (vol. xx. p. 556) is figured an amethyst ring, which was -discovered at Evesham Abbey, on the finger of the skeleton of Henry of -Worcester, abbot of that house, 1256-1263. - -In the possession of the Dean and Chapter of Wells is a fine massive -episcopal ring of gold, the date supposed to be the commencement of the -twelfth century. It has a solid projecting bezel, set with an -irregularly-shaped ruby, polished on the surface and pierced -longitudinally--an oriental stone which has been used as a pendant. - -At the Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South -Kensington Museum, in 1872, Mr. R. H. Soden Smith contributed, amongst his -fine collection of 140 finger-rings, a series of seven gold episcopal -rings of the pointed or stirrup-shaped type; these are mostly set with -sapphires, rudely shaped and polished. Date from the 13th and 14th -centuries. - -This engraving represents a gold episcopal ring, in the Londesborough -Collection, with sapphire. French work of the thirteenth century. - -[Illustration: French Episcopal ring.] - -In the Royal Irish Academy is a large episcopal ring, but, of -comparatively modern date. It is the largest ring in the collection, and -had originally held a very fine amethyst, which was removed by Dean -Dawson, when the ring was in his possession, and a piece of glass inserted -in its stead. - -[Illustration: Episcopal ring.] - -In the Waterton Collection is one of the finest of mediaeval gold episcopal -rings, obtained at Milan. It has been reset with an amethyst, the -original stone, stated to have been a valuable sapphire, having been -removed. No date is assigned to it. - -[Illustration: Episcopal ring.] - -Abbots were invested with the ring. Lawrence, seventeenth Abbot of -Westminster, is said to have been the first of that dignity who obtained -from the Pope (Alexander III.) the privilege of using the mitre, ring, and -gloves. He died in 1167, and was represented on his monument with a mitre, -ring, and staff. In 1048, Wulgate, twelfth Abbot of Croyland, received the -crosier and _ring_ from the _king_. The consecration of an abbot was -similar, in most respects, to the episcopal ceremony. The abbot received -from the bishop, or whoever was appointed to officiate, the insignia of -his ecclesiastical dignity. - -The privilege of the mitre, pontifical ring, &c., was conceded to the -abbots of St. Denis, in France, about the year 1177 by Alexander III. - -Jocelyn of Brakelond, in his 'Chronicles of St. Edmundsbury' (twelfth -century), informs us that Sampson was inaugurated abbot of that monastery -in 1182, by the Bishop of Winchester, who placed the mitre on his head, -and the ring on his finger, saying: 'This is the dignity of the abbots of -St. Edmund; my experience early taught me this.' - - * * * * * - -In the reception of novices into the Roman Catholic sisterhood, one of the -ceremonies performed was the presentation of a ring blessed by the bishop, -usually of gold with a sapphire. After the benediction of the veil, the -ring, and the crown, the novices receive the first as a mark of renouncing -the world; the ring, by which they are married to the Son of God, and the -crown, as a type of that prepared for them in heaven. The origin of this -custom of espousals to Christ dates from a very remote period. 'We meet,' -remarks Lingard, in his 'History and Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon -Church,' 'for more than a thousand years after the first preaching of -Christianity, with females who, to speak the language of our ancestors, -had wedded themselves to God.' - -On one of four rings of St. Eloy (6th century), preserved before the -Revolution of 1793 in the treasury of the church at Noyon, in France, was -inscribed:-- - - Annulus Eligii fuit aureus iste beati, - Quo Christo sanctam desponsavit Godebertam. - -(This gold ring of the ever-blessed St. Eloy was that with which he -married St. Godiberte to Christ.) - -John Alcock, Bishop of Ely (1486), gives 'an exhortacyon made to relygyous -systers in the tyme of theyr consecracyon by him: "I aske the banes betwyx -the hyghe and moost myghty Prynce, Kyng of all kynges, Sone of Almyghty -God, and the Virgyn Mary, in humanyte Cryste Jesu of Nazareth, of the one -partye, and A. B. of the thother partye, that yf ony or woman can shewe -any lawfull impedymente other by any precontracte made on corrupcyon of -body or soule of the sayd A. B. that she ought not to be maryed this daye -unto the sayd mighty Prynce Jesu, that they wolde accordynge unto the lawe -shewe it."' - -There is no doubt that these 'espousals to Christ' were in connection with -the spiritual marriage of the bishop with the Church implied by the -sanctity of the episcopal ring. 'The mystical signification,' observes Mr. -E. Waterton, 'attached to this ring has been set forth by various -ecclesiastical writers. "Datur et annulus episcopo," observes St. Isidore, -of Seville, in the 16th century, "propter signum pontificalis honoris, vel -signaculum secretorum." In 1191 Innocent III. wrote that "annulus episcopi -perfectionem donorum Spiritus Sancti in Christo significat." Durandus, who -lived in the 13th century, enlarges upon the subject in his "Rationale." -"The ring," he says, "is the badge of fidelity with which Christ betrothed -the Church, his holy Bride, so that she can say: 'My Lord betrothed me -with his ring.' Her guardians are the bishops, who wear the ring for a -mark and a testimony of it; of whom the Bride speaks in the Canticles: -'The watchmen who kept the city found me.' The father gave a ring to the -prodigal son, according to the text, 'put a ring on his finger.' A -bishop's ring, therefore, signifies _integritatum fidei_; that is to say, -he should love as himself the Church of God committed to him as his -Bride, and that he should keep it sober and chaste for the heavenly -Bridegroom, according to the words, 'I have espoused you to one Husband, -that I my present you as a chaste virgin to Christ,' and that he should -remember he is not the lord, but the shepherd."' - -It was the custom in former ages for the high dignitaries of the Church, -at the time of their elevation to episcopal rank, to celebrate such event -with pompous ceremonies. We find recorded, among others, the marriage of -prelates, especially in Italy. In 1519, Antonio Pucci was elected Bishop -of Pistoja, and made his solemn entree with a brilliant cortege. On -reaching a nunnery called San Pier Maggiore, 'he descended from his -horse,' says Michel-Ange Salvi, 'and entered the church, which was richly -decorated. After praying, he went towards the wall which separated the -church from the convent, where an opening had been made, and, in an -apartment there, wedded the abbess, placing on her finger a sumptuous -ring. After this he went to the cathedral, and with various ceremonies was -inducted into his bishopric.' - -At Florence, when an archbishop was elected, he proceeded to a convent -dedicated to St. Peter, and was married to the abbess. A platform was -erected, surmounted by a rich baldequin, near the high altar; a golden -ring was brought to the prelate, which he placed on the finger of the -abbess, whose hand was sustained by the oldest priest of the parish. The -archbishop slept one night at the convent, and the next day was enthroned, -with great ceremony, in the cathedral. - -The same usages were practised at the installation of the archbishops of -Milan, the Bishops of Bergamo, Modena, &c. - -Aimon, in his 'Tableau de la Cour de Rome,' describing the ceremonies -attending the consecration of cardinals, says: 'Le Pape leur fait alors -une exhortation, et leur assigne des titres; leur met au doigt annulaire -de la main droite, un anneau d'or, dans lequel est enchasse un saphir, qui -coute a chaque Eminence cinq cents ducats. Cet anneau est donne au nouveau -Cardinal pour lui apprendre _qu'il a l'Eglise pour epouse_, et qu'il ne le -doit jamais abandonner.' - -During the ceremony of consecrating the Bishop of Limoges at Notre Dame in -Paris (1628), in presence of the Queen and the Duke of Orleans, the former -sent the Bishop a rich diamond ring, which she took from her finger, in -token of the spiritual marriage which he was contracting with the Church. - -M. Thiers, in his 'Traite des Superstitions,' gives a curious instance of -these espousals to Christ: a Carmelite, in his assumed quality of -'Secretary of Jesus,' had persuaded some of his devotees to sign contracts -of marriage with the Saviour. A translation of one of these I now give: -'I, Jesus, son of the living God, the husband of my faithful, take my -daughter, Madelaine Gasselin, for my wife; and promise her fidelity, and -not to abandon her, and to give her, for advantage and possession, my -grace in this life, promising her my glory in the other, and a portion of -the inheritance of my Father. In faith of which I have signed the -irrevocable contract by the hand of my secretary. Done in the presence of -the Father Eternal, of my love, of my very worthy mother Mary, of my -father St. Joseph, and of all my celestial court, in the year of grace -1650, day of my father St. Joseph. - - 'JESUS, the husband of faithful souls. - -'Mary, mother of God. Joseph, husband of Mary. The guardian angel -Madelaine, the dear lover of Jesus. - -'This contract has been ratified by the Holy Trinity, the day of the -glorious St. Joseph, in the same year. - -'Brother Arnoux, of St. John the Baptist, Carmelite. Dechausse, unworthy -secretary of Jesus.' - -'I, Madelaine Gasselin, unworthy servant of Jesus, take my amiable Jesus -for my husband, and promise him fidelity, and that I never have any other -but Him, and I give Him, as a proof of my truth, my heart, and all that I -shall ever be, through life unto death doing all that is required of me, -and to serve Him with all my heart throughout eternity. In faith of which -I have signed with my own hand the irrevocable contract, in the presence -of the ever-adorable Trinity, of the holy Virgin, Mary, mother of God, my -glorious father St. Joseph, my guardian angel, and all the celestial -court, the year of grace 1650, day of my glorious father St. Joseph. - - 'JESUS, lover of hearts. - -'Mary, mother of God. Joseph, husband of Mary. The guardian angel -Madelaine, the dearly-beloved of Jesus. - -'This contract has been ratified by the ever-adorable Trinity the same day -of the glorious St. Joseph, in the same year. - - 'Brother Arnoux, of St. John the Baptist.' - -A curious legend of a ring of espousals received from our Saviour by a -pious maiden, is recorded by Nider, in his treatise 'In Formicario,' and -is referred to by Kirchmann ('De Annulis'). He writes in praise of -celibacy, and describes a certain maiden who, rejecting all earthly loves, -is filled with sincere affection for Christ only. After praying for some -token of Divine acceptance: 'orti locello quo nunc oculis corporeis visum -dirigo. Et ecce in eodem momento et locello vidit tres or duos circiter -violarum amenos flosculos.... Violas manu collegit propria et conservavit -solliciter, ut exinde amor et spes artius ad suum sponsum grate -succrescerent.' - -After enforcing the miraculous character of the event by reminding his -readers that it was not the season of flowers, but somewhere about the -feast of St. Martin, he continues:--'In sequenti anno iterum in orto suo -laboraret quodam die, et ibidem in locum certum intuitum dirigeret, -optando ex imo cordis desiderio quatenus ibi reperiret in signum -Christifere desponsationis annulum aliquem, si divinae voluntatis id esset: -et en altera vice non sprevit Deus preces humilis virginis sed reperit -materialem quemdam annulum quem vidi postmodum. Erat autem coloris albi, -de minera qua nescio, argento mundo videbatur similior. Et in clausura ubi -jungebatur in circulum due manus artificiose insculpte extiterunt.... Hunc -annulum virgo gratissime servavit in posterum, et altissimo suo sponso -deinceps ut antea in labore manuum suarum vivere studuit.' _Vide_ J. -Nider, _In Formicario_, Cologne, 1473 (?) ['Notes and Queries']. - -This mystical union by the ring was exemplified in a singular manner in -the instance of Edmund Rich, who was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury -in 1234. When a young man he made a vow of celibacy, and, that he might be -able to keep it, he wedded himself to the mother of our Lord. He had two -rings made with 'Ave Maria' engraved on each. One he placed on the finger -of an image of the Virgin, which stood in a church at Oxford, and the -other he wore on his own finger, considering himself espoused in this -manner to the Virgin. He cherished the remembrance of this transaction to -his death, and at his funeral the ring was observed on his finger.[53] - -In the legends of the saints there are frequent allusions to the espousals -with Christ, in which the ring is prominently mentioned; thus of St. -Catherine of Alexandria, it is said that, as she slept upon her bed, 'the -blessed Virgin appeared to her again, accompanied by her divine Son, and -with them a noble company of saints and angels. And Mary again presented -Catherine to the Lord of Glory, saying, "Lo, she hath been baptized, and I -myself have been her godmother!" Then the Lord smiled upon her, and held -out his hand, and plighted his troth to her, putting a ring upon her -finger. When Catherine awoke, remembering her dream, she looked, _and saw -the ring upon her finger_; and, henceforth regarding herself as the -betrothed of Christ, she despised the world, and all the pomp of earthly -sovereignty, thinking only of the day which should reunite her with her -celestial and espoused Lord.' - -In a painting by Ghirlandago, St. Catherine is represented with a ring -conspicuous on her finger, in allusion to her mystical espousals. - -Mrs. Jameson, in her 'Sacred and Legendary Art,' mentions an engraving of -the marriage of St. Catherine by one of the earliest artists of the -genuine German school, the anonymous engraver known only as 'Le Graveur de -1466,' 'the scene is Paradise; and the Virgin-Mother, seated on a flowery -throne, is in the act of twining a wreath, for which St. Dorothea presents -the roses; in front of the Virgin kneels St. Catherine, and beside her -stands the Infant Christ (here a child about five or six years old), and -presents the ring,' &c. - -In Titian's 'Marriage of St. Catherine,' 'the Infant Christ is seated on a -kind of pedestal, and sustained by the arms of the Virgin. St. Catherine -kneels before him, and St. Anna, the mother of the Virgin, gives St. -Catherine away, presenting her hand to receive the ring; St. Joseph is -standing on the other side; two angels behind the saint, look on with an -expression of celestial sympathy.' - -St. Agnes, in the old legend, when tempted to marry the son of Sempronius, -the prefect of Rome, by rich presents, rejects them with scorn, 'being -already betrothed to a lover who is greater and fairer than any earthly -suitor.' - -In Hone's 'Everyday Book' (vol. i. p. 141) there is a curious story -connected with St. Agnes, 'who,' says Butler, 'has always been looked upon -as a special patroness of purity, with the immaculate mother of God.' It -seems that a priest who officiated in a church dedicated to that saint was -very desirous of being married. He prayed the Pope's licence, who gave it -him, together with an emerald ring, and commanded him to pay his addresses -to the image of St. Agnes in his own church. The priest did so, and the -image put forth her finger and he put the ring thereon; whereupon the -image drew her finger again, and kept the ring fast, and the priest was -contented to remain a bachelor, 'and yet, as it is sayd, the rynge is on -the fynger of the ymage.' - -Mrs. Jameson remarks, on a painting representing in one compartment of the -picture the Espousal of St. Francis of Assisi with the Lady Poverty, that -she is attended by Hope and Charity as bridesmaids, being thus substituted -for Faith. St. Francis places the ring upon her finger, while our Saviour, -standing between them, at once gives away the bride and bestows the -nuptial benediction. - -St. Herman of Cologne, in the thirteenth century, is said to have had an -ecstatic dream, in which the Virgin descended from heaven, and, putting a -ring on his finger, declared him her espoused. Hence he received from the -brotherhood with which he was connected the name of Joseph. He died in -1236. - -In Hone's 'Everyday Book' it is remarked that the meeting of St. Anne and -St. Joachim at the Golden Gate was a popular theme. The nuns of St. Anne, -at Rome, showed a rude silver ring as the wedding one of the two saints. - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a thick, gold, nun's ring, with a conical -surface to the band of the hoop, and an inscription of the fourteenth -century, in Longobardic characters, 'x O (for _avec_) cest (for _cet_) -_anel seu_ (for _je suis_) _espose de Jheusu Crist_.' In the Waterton -Collection at the South Kensington Museum is also a nun's ring of the same -date, inscribed 'God with Maria.' - -In former times complaints were made in the 'Constitutions' of nuns -wearing several rings. In the 'Ancren Riwle, or Regulae Inclusarum' (Camden -Society) nuns are forbidden to have brooch or _ring_, or studded girdle:-- - - Ring ne broche nabbe ye; ne gurdel i-membred. - -'Espousals to God' were not confined to the religious portion of the -community. - -Eleanora, third daughter of John, King of England, on the death of her -husband, the Earl of Pembroke, in 1231, in the first transports of her -grief, made in public a solemn vow, in presence of Edmund, Archbishop of -Canterbury, that she would never again become a wife, but remain a true -spouse of Christ, and received the ring in confirmation, which vows she, -however, subsequently broke, to the indignation of a strong party of the -laity and clergy of England, by her marriage with Simon de Montfort, Earl -of Leicester. At the head of the clergy was one William de Avendon, a -Dominican friar, who quoted a tractate on vows, by one 'Master Peter,' -from which it appears that a sacred plight-ring was considered almost as -impassable a barrier as the veil itself, against the marriage of the -wearer. - -Mary, sixth daughter of Edward I., took the veil at Amesbury, thirteen -young ladies being selected as her companions. The spousal rings placed on -their fingers were of gold, adorned with a sapphire, and were provided at -the expense of the King. - -In a very interesting paper by Mr. Harrod, F.S.A., in the 'Archaeologia' -(vol. xl. part 2) we have particulars of the custom, which prevailed in -the Middle Ages, of widows taking a vow of chastity, and receiving a -particular robe and ring. Sir Harris Nicolas printed in the 'Testamenta -Vetusta' an abstract of the will of Lady Alice West, of Hinton Marcel, -widow of Sir Thomas West, dated in 1395, and proved in the Prerogative -Court of Canterbury. There is a bequest to her son Thomas, amongst other -things of 'a ring with which I was yspoused to God.' - -Sir Harris rightly says that this could not have been her marriage-ring, -and it was certain she had not entered a convent. This is still more -clearly made out by a reference to the transcript of the will in the -registers of the Prerogative Court. - -Gough, in his 'Sepulchral Monuments,' quotes a story, from Matthew Paris, -of one Cecily Sandford, a lady of condition, who, on her deathbed, having -passed through the usual forms with her confessor, and he ordering her -attendants to take off a gold ring he observed on her finger, although -just expiring, recovered herself enough to tell them she would never part -with it, as she intended carrying it to heaven with her into the presence -of her celestial spouse, in testimony of her constant observance of her -vow, and to receive the promised reward. She had, it appears, made a vow -of perpetual widowhood, and with her _wedding_-ring assumed the russet -habit, the usual sign of such a resolution. - -'In the "Colchester Chronicle," portions of which are printed in -Cromwell's "History of Colchester," one entry appears to confirm the -conjecture that the whole was composed in the fourteenth or fifteenth -century, "Anno Dni ccciij. Helena mortuo Constancio perpetuam vovit -viduitatem." - -'By the testament of Katharine Rippelingham, dated February 8, 1473, who -calls herself "advowes," she desires to be buried in the church of -Baynardes Castell of London, where she was a parishioner; and by her will, -in which she gives herself the title of "widow advowes," she shows herself -in the full exercise of her rights of property, devising estates, carrying -out awards, and adjusting family differences, and in an undated codicil -she bequeaths to her daughter's daughter, Alice Saint John, "_her gold -ring_ with a diamante sette therein, _wherewith she was 'sacred.'_"' - -'Sir Gilbert Denys, Knight of Syston, 1422: "If Margaret my wife will -after my death vow a vow of chastity, I give her all my moveable goods, -she paying my debts and providing for my children; and, if she will not -vow a vow of chastity, I desire that my goods may be distributed, or -divided into three equal parts, &c." - -'John Brakenbury, in 1487, leaves his mother certain real estate, "with -that condicion that she never mary, _the which she promised afore the -parson and the parish of Thymmylbe_, and if she kepe not that promise, I -will she be content with that which was my fader's will, which she had -every peny." - -'William Herbert, knight, Lord Pembroke, in his will dated July 27, 1469, -thus appeals to his wife: "And, wife, that you remember your promise to -take the order of widowhood, so ye may be the better maistres of your -owen, to perform my will, and to help my children, as I love and trust -you." - -'William Edlington, esquire, of Castle Carlton, on June 11, 1466, states -in his will: "I make Christian, my wife, my executor on this condicion, -that she take the _mantle and the ring_ soon after my decease; and, if -case be that she will not take the mantle and the ring, I will that -William, my son (and other persons therein named) be my executors, and she -to have a third part of all my goods moveable." - -'Lady Joan Danvers in 1453, gives the ring of her profession of widowhood -to the image of the crucifix, near the north door of St. Paul's. - -'Lady Margaret Davy, widow, in 1489, leaves her profession-ring to "Our -Lady of Walsingham."' - -Gough prints the Act of Court from the Ely Registers, on the taking the -vow by Isabella, Countess of Suffolk, in 1382. This took place at the -priory of Campsey, in the presence of the Earl of Warwick, the Lords -Willoughby, Scales, and others. The vow was as follows: 'Jeo Isabella, -jadys la femme William de Ufford, Count de Suffolk, vowe a Dieu, &c., en -presence de tres reverentz piers en Dieu evesques de Ely et de Norwiz, qe -jeo doi estre chaste d'ors en avant ma vie durante.' And the Bishop of -Ely, with authority of the Bishop of Norwich (in whose diocese Campsey -was) received and admitted the same, 'et mantellum sive clamidem ac -annulum dicte voventis solempniter benedixit et imposuit super eam.' - -Catherine, sixth daughter of Henry the Fourth, married to William -Courtenay, Earl of Devon, on the death of her husband, took the vow of -perpetual widowhood in 1511. - -Dugdale, in his 'History of Warwickshire' and in his 'Baronage,' prints a -licence from John, Bishop of Lichfield, to one N. N. to administer the vow -of chastity to Margery, wife of Richard Middlemore, who died 15th of Henry -the Seventh, which contains this passage: 'In signum hujusmodi continentiae -et castitatis promisso perpetuo servando eandem Margeriam velandam seu -peplandam habitumque viduitatis hujusmodi viduis, ut praefertur, ad -castitatis professionem dari et uti consuetum cum unico annulo -assignandum.' - - * * * * * - -Legacies and gifts of rings for religious purposes were frequent in former -times; thus, amongst other rich gifts to the Cathedral of Canterbury, -Archbishop Hubert, in 1205, presented four gold rings adorned with -precious stones. Henry the Third, while on a visit to St. Alban's Abbey, -made some costly presents, including bracelets and rings, and five years -afterwards gave similar gifts at another visit to the same abbey. - -The same monarch, among other gifts to Salisbury Cathedral, 'offered one -gold ring with a precious stone called a ruby.' After hearing mass he told -the dean that he would have the stone and the gold applied to adorn a -sumptuous gold 'text' (a Bible for the use of the altar) enriched with -precious stones given by Hubert de Burgh. - -Dugdale mentions in a list of jewels formerly in the treasury of York -Cathedral 'a small mitre, set with stones, for the bishop of the boys, or, -as he was anciently called, the barne bishop; also a pastoral staff and -_ring_ for the same.' - -The Bishop of Ardfert, in Ireland, gave to St. Alban's 'three noble rings; -one set with an oriental sapphire, the second with a sapphire that -possessed some _medicinal_ quality, and was formed like a shield, and the -other with a sapphire of less size.' - -Henry de Blois presented to the same abbey a large ring set with jewels; -the middle one was a sapphire of a faint colour, and in the circuit four -pearls and four garnets. - -John of St. Alban's, a knight, left as a legacy to the monks of the abbey -'a number of rings containing many precious stones.' - -At the death of Walter, Abbot of Peterborough, among his effects, -containing many rich articles, were no less than thirty gold rings, the -offerings of the faithful. - -Thomas Chillenden, fortieth Abbot of Canterbury, gave several pontifical -rings to the abbey. - -Thomas de la Chesnaye (died 1517) left, for the shrine of the Virgin at -Rouen Cathedral, a ring garnished with a costly precious stone. Eustace -Grossier, canon of the same cathedral, bequeathed, in 1534, his -signet-ring to the shrine of St. Romain. Two years afterwards Jean de -Lieur, another canon, left four rings to the shrine of the Virgin, 'ou il -y a en une, une petite esmaraude; en laultre une petite turquoise, en -laultre ung petit saphir, et en laultre ung petit rubi.' In 1544 Etienne -Burnel leaves to Our Lady a gold ring with a ruby enchased, and a pendant -pearl; and to the shrine of St. Romain a gold ring with a diamond. - -Charles the Third (? Naples) took from his finger a ring of great value to -adorn the golden canopy, enriched with precious stones, for the Host, in -the church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. - -Lady Morgan, in her 'Italy,' mentions the miraculous statue of the Virgin -and Child at Loretto: 'The Bambino holds up his hand as if to sport a -superb diamond ring on his finger, presented to him by Cardinal Antonelli: -it is a single diamond and weighs thirty grains.' - -In the 'Annals of Ireland' we read that in 1421 Richard O'Hedian, -Archbishop of Cashel, was accused, among other crimes, of taking a ring -away from the image of St. Patrick (which the Earl of Desmond had offered) -and giving it to his mistress. - -Louis VII., of France, laid the first stone of the porch and two towers of -the abbey church of St. Denis, in 1140. When the officiating minister -pronounced the words 'lapides pretiosi omnes muri tui et turres, -Jerusalem, gemmis aedificabunter,' the King took a costly ring from his -finger, and threw it into the foundations. Several of the other persons -present followed the example. - -Saint Honore, eighth Bishop of Amiens, in the sixteenth century, left his -pastoral ring to the treasury of the cathedral, but it was sold by one of -his successors, Bishop Gervain. It was afterwards repurchased and replaced -in the treasury by Bishop Godefroy. - -We read in the account of the spoliation of the shrine of St. Thomas a -Becket, at Canterbury (temp. Henry VIII.), of a stone 'with an Angell of -gold poynting thereunto, offered there by a King of France' (which King -Henry put) 'into a ring, and wore it on his thumb.' The shrine blazed with -gold and jewels; the wooden sides were plated with gold, and damasked with -gold wire: cramped together on this gold ground were innumerable jewels, -pearls, sapphires, balasses, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, and also 'in -the midst of the gold, rings, or cameos of sculptured agates, cornelians, -and onyx stones.' - -The stone that the rapacious Henry took was said to be as large as a hen's -egg, or a thumb-nail, and was commonly called the 'Regale of France' -offered to the shrine by Louis VII. of France, when on a pilgrimage -there.[54] - -At the meeting of the Archaeological Institute at Norwich in 1847 Sir -Thomas Beevor exhibited a silver ring, with a zigzag tooling and the word -'[Maltese cross]Dancas[Maltese cross]' signifying a token of thanks, or -acknowledgment of services received, or, possibly, an _ex voto_, in -accordance with the common usage of suspending such ornaments near the -shrines of saints, as appears in the inventories of St. Cuthbert's shrine, -&c. - -Adam Sodbury, fifty-third Abbot of Glastonbury, gave to the abbey, among -other precious gifts, 'a gold ring with a stone called Peritot, which was -on the finger of St. Thomas the Martyr, when he fell by the swords of -wicked men.' - - * * * * * - -Among what may be called 'religious' rings, I would notice those which are -termed 'decade,' 'reliquary,' 'pilgrims,' &c., some of which are highly -interesting, and serve to show how, in past ages, the zeal of our -forefathers was animated by these rings, or, as some would call them, -these _aids_ to superstition. In olden wills they are frequently mentioned -as heir-looms of great value. - -What are termed DECADE-rings, having ten projections at intervals all -round the hoop, were common in former times, and were used as beads for -repeating _Aves_. In the Braybrooke Collection a ring is mentioned with -eleven knobs, the last being larger than the others, indicating ten _Aves_ -and one _Paternoster_. Each of the knobs is separated by three small -beaded dots across the hoop from its neighbour, probably symbolic of the -Trinity. At a meeting of the Archaeological Institute at Norwich, in 1847, -a curious ring was exhibited dating from the reign of Henry VI., found at -St. Faith's, near Norwich. It is engrailed, presenting ten cusps, and may -be placed in the class of decade-rings. On the facet is engraved the -figure of St. Mary Magdalen (or St. Barbara?), and on the outer circle 'de -bon cver' ('de bon coeur'). - -Another ring of the same date is of a more delicate workmanship, and bears -on the facet, St. Christopher, the hoop engrailed like the last, and has -the legend 'en. bo. n. ane' ('en bon an'). - -At the same exhibition of antiquities among the rings of latten or -base-metal was shown one engraved with the figure of a female saint, -probably St. Catherine; the hoop formed with eleven bosses, date about -1450. A similar brass ring bearing the same figure, found near British and -Roman weapons in the bed of the Thames, at Kingston, engraved in Jesse's -'Gleanings in Natural History,' is here represented. This ring has eleven -bosses, and, although found in the immediate vicinity of vestiges of an -earlier date, may be regarded as of mediaeval date, having been -accidentally thrown together in the alluvial deposit. - -[Illustration: Latten ring, with figure of St. Catherine (?).] - -[Illustration: Thumb-ring.] - -Two decade-rings of the fifteenth century were also exhibited at the -Norwich meeting, bearing the monogram I.H.S. one found in Norwich Castle, -and the other at Heigham. - -A gold ring with ten knobs, was found in 1846, at Denbigh, in pulling down -an old house. Its weight is a quarter of an ounce. A similar ring of base -metal, discovered in a tomb in York Minster, is preserved in the treasury -of that church; and another example, in silver, of precisely similar form, -was found in Whitby Abbey, Yorkshire. - -Mr. Edward Hoare, of Cork, writing to the editor of the 'Archaeological -Journal,' observes that, as far as he has been able to obtain information -about decade-rings, they were worn by some classes of religious during the -hours of repose, so that on awaking during the night they might repeat a -certain number of prayers, marking them by the beads or knobs of the -rings. If worn on any finger except the thumb, at other periods of time -than those of repose, it must have been as a sort of penance, and perhaps -these rings were sometimes so used. The addition of a twelfth boss marked -the repetition of a creed. - -[Illustration: Silver Decade-ring. (In the possession of E. Hoare, Esq.)] - -The following illustration is from the 'Gentleman's Magazine' (1792), of a -ring found near Croydon, concerning which a correspondent of that work -wrote that he remembered a similar ring in the possession of a man -advanced in years, who had passed his youth at sea. 'The ring,' he said, -'was a _dicket_ (a corruption of "Decade"), to be placed, successively, on -each of the fingers, and turned with the thumb; the cross and larger boss -for the _Paternoster_; the ten smaller ones for _Ave Maria_, and that he -used to say his prayers with it on board ship without being noticed by the -sailors, in the hurry and confusion of a man of war.' - -[Illustration: Decade-ring, found near Croydon.] - -In the rich collection of E. Hoare, Esq., is a curious decade signet-ring, -of which the following is a representation from the 'Archaeological -Journal' (vol. ii. p. 198). It was discovered near Cork in 1844, and is -thus described: 'The hoop is composed of nine knobs or bosses, which may -have served instead of beads in numbering prayers, whilst the central -portion which forms the signet supplied the place of the _gaude_.' Some -persons (as Mr. Hoare remarked) have considered this ring as very ancient; -Mr. Lindsay supposed it to have been of earlier date than the ninth -century, regarding the device as representing an arm, issuing from the -clouds, holding a cross with a crown, or an ecclesiastical cap, beneath -it. Sir William Betham expressed the following opinion respecting this -relic: 'There can be little doubt but your ring is a decade ring, as there -are ten knobs or balls about it. The globe surmounted by a cross is a -Christian emblem of sovereignty; the ring and cross, of a bishop; the cap -looks like a crown, and, only that the ring is too old, it might be -considered the ciulid or barred crown of a sovereign prince. It certainly -is of considerable antiquity, and Mr. Lindsay is not far out in his -estimation.' - -[Illustration: Decade signet-ring.] - -[Illustration: Decade-ring.] - -In the Londesborough Collection is a 'religious' ring, apparently a work -of the fourteenth century. It has a heart in the centre, from which -springs a double flower. On the upper edge of the ring are five -protuberances in each side: they were used to mark a certain number of -prayers said by the wearer, who turned his ring as he said them, and so -completed the series in the darkness of the night. - -[Illustration: Decade rings.] - -It has been stated by French antiquaries that metal rings formed with ten -bosses, and one of as early date as the reign of St. Louis, have been -found in France. It was at that period that the use of the _chapelet_ in -honour of the Blessed Virgin is supposed to have been devised by Peter the -Hermit. - -A decade silver ring found at Exton, in Rutlandshire, in the possession of -Mrs. Baker, of Stamford, has also a central projection engraved with a -cross. - -In Mr. Hoare's collection is a silver decade-ring found in 1848 in Surrey. -The hoop has ten projections resembling the cogs of a wheel, and on the -circular facet is the monogram I.H.S. surmounted by a cross, with a heart -pierced by three nails. - -In the Londesborough Collection is a ring of Delhi workmanship which has -been referred to as a decade. The face is convex, circular, and of -turquoise, engraved and inlaid with Oriental characters in gold, -surrounded by ten cup-shaped bosses of rubies. The sides of the bosses are -enamelled green, and the backs red and white like leaflets. The back of -the face is richly enamelled with flowers having red blossoms and green -leaves, among which, upon the shank, are intermingled some pale-blue -blossoms, and within the centre, where the shank is attached to the back -of the face, are small golden stars upon an enamelled ground, and on each -side leaves of green enamel. The inscription reads 'Jan (John) Kaptani.' - -[Illustration: Ring of Delhi work.] - -Mr. Edmund Waterton, at a meeting of the Archaeological Institute -(December, 1862), gave the following notice of some rings of a peculiar -class, of which he sent several specimens for inspection: 'On a former -occasion I exhibited, at one of the meetings, some of the so-called--and -wrongly--rosary-rings, one of which had seven, the other eleven, and the -third, thirteen knobs or bosses. I stated my opinion that we ought to -consider these examples as belonging to a form of ring prevalent about the -fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and described in wills and inventories -as rings with "knoppes or bulionys." I had never met with a proper rosary, -or, more properly, decade, ring of a date anterior to the sixteenth -century. But a remarkable specimen has lately been added to my collection -which I send for exhibition. It is of ivory; there are ten knobs or bosses -for the _Aves_, and an eleventh of larger size and different form, for the -_Pater_. There are holes around the hoop, probably merely for ornament. I -am inclined to ascribe it to the fourteenth century, and think it not -unlikely it is of Irish origin. I am induced to form this opinion from the -peculiar fashion of the eleventh boss, which presents a type found in -rings discovered only in Ireland. This ring was found many years ago in an -old tomb in Merston churchyard, in Holderness. I also send another -decade-ring, of silver, and of a later date and type. This ring was -formerly in the possession of the Reverend Mother Anne More, Lady Abbess -of the English Augustinian Nuns at Bruges, and sister of Father More, of -the Society of Jesus, the last male descendant of Sir Thomas More. He gave -the More relics to Stonyhurst College.' - -[Illustration: Trinity ring.] - -Among other examples of 'religious' rings, I may mention a beautiful one -of gold, of fifteenth-century work, found at Orford Castle in Suffolk, and -the property of the Rev. S. Blois Turner. On the facet is engraved a -representation of the Trinity, the Supreme Being supporting a crucifix; on -the flanges are St. Anne instructing the Virgin Mary, and the _Mater -Dolorosa_. These designs were probably enamelled. - -A representation is here given of a gold triple ring, brought from Rome, -and, possibly, emblematic of the Trinity. It is an Early Christian ring, -dating, probably, from the end of the third or beginning of the fourth -century. - -[Illustration: Religious rings.] - -At the meeting of the Archaeological Institute in March 1850 an exquisite -gold 'religious' ring of the fifteenth century was exhibited, found -within the precincts of Lewes Priory. It is delicately chased with the -following subjects: on the facet, the Virgin and child; on one side, the -Emperor Domitian; on the other, St. Pancras; on the flanges are -represented the Holy Trinity, and St. John with the Holy Lamb. The work -was originally enriched with transparent enamel. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -In the Londesborough Collection is a gold 'religious' ring, enamelled with -a diamond in the centre, and six rubies, arranged like a sacred cross, -around it. The scrolls are enriched with white, blue, and green enamel. - -At Barnard Castle, in 1811, a gold ring was found of eight globules, in -weight equal to three guineas and a half. On the second is S; on the -fourth, US; on the sixth, JH; on the eighth, S, the abbreviation of -Sanctus Jesus; on the first, is the Saviour on the cross in the arms of -God; on the third, the Saviour triumphing over death; on the fifth, the -Saviour scourged; on the seventh, Judas, the traitor. - -The accompanying illustration represents a 'religious' ring, found in the -eighteenth century near Loughborough, and described in the 'Gentleman's -Magazine' for 1802. The figures are those of the Virgin Mary, Child, and -St. Michael. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -A ring of a curious form is described in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for -1811, as having been found in the parish of Stonham-Aspal, Suffolk. The -gold seemed pure, but the workmanship was rude, and the gem which it -enclosed was supposed to be a virgin sapphire. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -The following represents a large and curious ring found about 1750 at the -hermitage on the River Itchen, at Southampton, which is noticed in Sir -Henry Englefield's 'Walk Round Southampton,' and is mentioned in the -'Gentleman's Magazine' for 1802. The bezel is little broader than the -hoop. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -In the collection of Mr. Octavius Morgan, F.R.S., F.S.A., is a Jewish ring -enamelled with figures in relief, representing the Creation, the -Temptation, and the Fall of Adam and Eve; date, sixteenth century. - -[Illustration: 'Paradise' rings.] - -In the cathedral library at Chichester is an ancient gem having the -Gnostic equivalent of the blessed name Jehovah. This was used by Seffrid, -Bishop of Chichester (died 1159), as his episcopal signet. - -[Illustration: Reliquary ring.] - -In the Gerente Collection is a reliquary ring of silver-gilt elaborately -ornamented. - -The Bessborough Collection has a ring with a frog or toad cut in a -magnificent almandine, of Roman work--a favourite device in the later -Imperial times, the animal typifying a new birth by its total changes of -form and habits, and hence adopted into the list of Christian symbols. - -The Rev. C. W. King notices in his 'Antique Gems,' among some 'highly -curious and undoubted Christian subjects engraved on gems, one of the most -interesting--a red jasper set in an elegant antique gold ring, the shank -formed of a corded pattern, in wire, of a novel and beautiful design. The -stone bears, in neatly-formed letters: [Greek: IESOUS-THEOU-UIOS-TERE], -"Jesus, Son of God, keep us." Another, of equal interest and of the -earliest period of our religion, a fish cut on a fine emerald (quarter of -an inch square), is set in an exquisitely-moulded six-sided ring, with -fluted and knotted shank, imitating a bent reed, very similar to a bronze -one figured in Caylus.' - -The first of the annexed illustrations represents an early Christian ring -with the symbol of an anchor. - -[Illustration: Early Christian rings.] - -The other engraving is from Gorlaeus, of an early Christian ring with the -sacred emblems, found in the Catacombs at Rome. - -The following illustration represents a key-ring, with sacred monogram. - -[Illustration: Early Christian.] - -In the Waterton 'Dactyliotheca' is an early Christian ring having 'the -Holy Church represented by a pillar, on which are figured twelve dots, -which denote the twelve apostles. Three steps, thrice repeated, lead to -the pillar, symbolising the _lavacrum regenerationis_, which was formerly -received by three immersions, and three interrogations, and three replies -given by those who were being baptised.' - -In the treasuries of various continental churches are 'religious' rings, -to which a high value is attached. In the church of St. Ursula, at -Cologne, is one called the ring of that saint, and is, certainly, of very -early date. - -Mr. J. W. Singer informs me that he has seen in the treasury of the -cathedral of Liege, a large shrine, far above the size of life, in -silver-gilt, the bust of St. Lambert, the patron of the cathedral. One -hand has a crosier, and the other holds a book. On the right hand are six -rings, and on the left are three, of the seventeenth and eighteenth -century style; the shrine being late fifteenth or early sixteenth century. -The rings are on very different parts of the fingers, some being on the -first joint. - -These rings may have been votive offerings; one is a ruby ring having a -stone weighing ten carats. - -In a catalogue (kindly lent to me by Mr. Singer), 'Des Bijoux de la Tres -Sainte Vierge del Pilar de Saragosse' of offerings by the pious to the -sacred treasury for many centuries, and which were sold in 1870 to defray -the expenses of repairs and embellishments to the Holy Chapel, numerous -costly rings are included among other precious objects. - -With a few instances of 'religious' rings, including pilgrims' rings, &c., -now in the possession of several eminent collectors, and exhibited at -various meetings of the Archaeological Society, I must conclude the present -chapter. - -In the curious catalogue of Dr. Bargrave's Museum (Camden Society) is -mentioned 'a small gold Salerno ring, written on the outside--not like a -posey, in the inside, but on the out--_Bene scripsisti de Me, Thoma_. The -story of it is, that Thomas Aquinas, being at Salerno, and in earnest in a -church before a certain image there of the Blessed Virgin Mary, his -devotion carried him so far as to ask her whether she liked all that he -had writ of her, as being free from original sin, the Queen of Heaven, -&c., and entreated her to give him some token of her acceptance of his -endeavours in the writing of so much in her behalf; upon which the image -opened its lipps and said, _Bene scripsisti de Me, Thoma_. - -[Illustration: Religious seal-ring.] - -'Salerno layeth a little beyond Naples on the Mediterranean Sea; and the -goldsmiths of that place, for their profit, make thousands of these rings, -and then have them touch that image which spake. And no merchant or -stranger that cometh thither but buyeth of these rings for presents and -tokens.' - -A seal-ring, considered to belong to the fifteenth century, was discovered -at Cuddesden in 1814, by some workmen, in front of the gate of the -episcopal palace. It is of brass; the impress is an oblong octagon; the -device is the word _pax_, with a crown above, and a heart and -palm-branches below. - -In the collection of the Hon. Richard Neville is a ring of silver-gilt -(time, Henry VII.), with bevelled facets, engraved with figures of saints, -found at the Borough Field, Chesterford; also a latten ring found in the -Thames (1846), the impress being the Virgin and Child; and the ring of -latten--=ihc=--discovered in repairing Weston Church, Suffolk; within is -inscribed, =in deo salus=. - -A gold ring in the possession of Mrs. Baker, of Stamford, stated to have -been found in the tomb of an ecclesiastic, in a stone coffin, near -Winchester, bears a representation of St. Christopher. - -A ring found at Loughborough, in 1802, represents the Virgin and St. -Michael, with motto. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -A silver ring found at Carlisle, in 1788, bears an inscription below, -which has been suggested for 'Mary, Jesus.' The bezel of this ring is a -rude representation of joined hands, surmounted by a crown, and a portion -of the hoop is decorated with lozenge-shaped spaces, filled with a row of -quatrefoils. A correspondent to the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for 1788, in -allusion to this ring, mentions that the hands joined together exactly -resemble one found at Shaf Abbey, with the motto 'iheu.' Or, he suggests, -'it may be a wedding-ring, and to be read, _Marith_ (marrieth) _us_.' - -A similar ring, with the hands joined, and inscribed _Jesus Nazarenus_, is -represented in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' (vol. liv. p. 734, and vol. lv. -p. 333). - -[Illustration: Inscription on a supposed religious ring, found at -Carlisle.] - -The annexed engraving represents a ring found, about 1790, in Stretly -Park, near Nottingham. The figure is that of St. Edith, and the ring -probably belonged to the abbess of some religious house in the -neighbourhood. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -The following illustration represents a ring discovered, in 1812, while -harrowing near Froxfield, Hants; weight 4 dwt. 7 grs. It is supposed to -have been worn by a warrior in the Crusades. The bezel part exhibits on -the dexter side a knight with a shield, charged with a cross, thrusting a -lance down the throat of a dragon--probably meant for St. George. The -figure on the corresponding side varies in having a cross on the right -side of his mantle, and appears to be in a boat, or wading through water; -and it may be conjectured to be intended for St. Christopher. - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -Representation of a ring with a crowned I over a pillar, supposed to be -the initial of our Saviour's name as King of the Jews: - -[Illustration: Religious ring.] - -Mr. Davis, of Hempton, Oxfordshire, possesses a brass ring found there, in -the form of a strap and buckle, or of a garter, so contrived as to admit -of being contracted or enlarged, to suit the wearer's finger; the end of -the strap being formed with little knobs, upon which the buckle catches, -and keeps the ring adjusted to the proper size. The hoop is inscribed in -relief, MATER DEI MEMENTO. - -In the Waterton Collection is an ecclesiastical ring, silver-gilt, with -circular bezel set with a cabochon crystal, the shoulders ornamented with -cherubs' heads in full relief, supported by brackets; on the reverse of -the bezel is engraved the figure of Christ on the Cross; sixteenth -century; diameter two and a half inches. - -[Illustration: Ecclesiastical ring.] - -A singular silver ring, of which a representation is given in the -'Archaeological Journal' (vol. iii. p. 78) was exhibited at a meeting of -the Institute in 1846 by Mr. Talbot. The interlaced plated work resembles -some ornaments of the Saxon period, but is remarkable for having the -impress of two feet, which may, probably, be regarded as one of the -emblems of the Passion, or as a memorial of the pilgrimage to the Mount of -Olives, where the print of the feet of the Saviour which miraculously -marked the scene of His Ascension, was visited by the pilgrims with the -greatest veneration. - -[Illustration: Pilgrim ring.] - -In the collection of Mr. Octavius Morgan, F.R.S., F.S.A., is a gold ring, -probably one of those obtained at Jerusalem, as tokens of pilgrimage to -the Holy City. On the head, which is circular, is engraved the Jerusalem -Cross, and around the hoop the first words of Numbers vi. 24: 'The Lord -bless thee and keep thee,' in Hebrew characters. - -At a meeting of the Archaeological Institute (Feb. 1855), Mr. Gough Nichols -exhibited impressions from two signet-rings, also bearing as a device the -'Jerusalem Cross,' or cross potent between four crosslets, the insignia of -the Kingdom of Jerusalem, worn likewise on the mantles of the Knights of -the Holy Sepulchre. This device is regarded as emblematic of the five -wounds of our Lord. On one of these rings, of gold, purchased at Brighton, -the cross appears between two olive-branches, with the word 'Jerusalem' in -Hebrew characters beneath; on the other the branches alone are introduced. -The ring last mentioned, which is of silver, is in the possession of Mr. -Thompson, of Leicester. These are supposed to be memorial rings brought as -tokens of pilgrimage to the Holy City. - -A gold ring of most beautiful workmanship was exhibited at the Lincoln -meeting of the Archaeological Institute, by the Rev. S. Blois Turner, -bearing the device of the bear and _baton ragule_, with the motto -inscribed above, 'Soulement une' (only one). Around the hoop are the -words, 'be goddis fayre foot'. This very singular legend has been supposed -to have reference to the miraculous impress of the Saviour's feet on the -Mount of Olives, which was regarded by pilgrims with extreme reverence, -and, like the five wounds, was probably used as a symbol of talismanic -virtue. This ring, formerly in the possession of George IV., now belongs -to General Johnson. Weight 230 grains. - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a brass ring strongly gilt, with a long, -oval, flat signet, engraved with Hebrew characters, 'Pray for the peace -of Jerusalem,' from Psalm cxxii., supposed to be one of the rings given to -tourists to the holy city, as a certificate of their visit, and called in -the East 'hadji' or pilgrims' rings. - -In the same collection is a slight silver ring, with narrow and flat band -to hoop, surmounted by a circular signet; on the hoop is this inscription, -in relief, between lines raised along each edge, headed and ended by small -flowers, 'M S D MONSERRATA.' On the signet, also in relief, appears a -double-handled stone-mason's saw (_serra_), the Latin for which furnished -the key to this monkish riddle; it reads thus, 'Mater Sancta de -Monserrata,' or Holy Mother of Monserrat, in Spain, where there was a -chapel dedicated to the Virgin, and this is, probably, the ring of a -pilgrim to that shrine. - -At the meeting of the Archaeological Institute at Norwich in 1847 some -curious examples of religious rings (of silver) were exhibited, connected, -most probably, with charms and superstitions. A ring dating about the -period of Henry VI. is engraved with the figure of a female saint, and the -symbols of the five wounds. Another, of the same age, found at Fransham, -has the hoop swaged or twisted; on the angular facets had been engraved -figures of saints. The engraving on another ring was '+Maria+Anna+Ih'us.' - -Amongst the rich collection of rings lent by Mr. R. H. Soden Smith to the -Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South Kensington -Museum in 1872, were six rings, gold and silver, of the iconographic type, -having for the most part figures of saints engraved on the bezel, one -inscribed within, in Gothic letters, 'yspartir+canc+dec+' (_partir sans -desir_). - -In the 'Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall' (Sept. 1875) is a -note on an ancient signet-ring found at Penryn by Mr. W. H. Tregelles: -'This ring was found a few years since in a field near Budock church, by a -watchmaker of the neighbourhood, of whom I bought it for Mr. Octavius -Morgan, F.S.A., late M.P. for Monmouthshire. It has been the subject of -much interesting discussion, the result of which, with a description of -the ring, and three impressions in hard wax, I have deposited in the -Museum of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, at Truro. - -'It is an oriental ring of silver, set with an oblong sard, engraved; it -appears at one time to have been gilt, and the loop and back of the bezel -were ornamented with a small pattern in niello, now almost obliterated by -long wear. - -'In the middle of the device is a cartouche, or escutcheon, terminating at -the top in a Greek cross potent. In the lower part of the escutcheon is -engraved a paschal lamb, and in the upper part are some oriental -characters, which have not been deciphered with certainty. On either side -of the escutcheon is some ornamental scroll-work, having in the middle the -Jerusalem cross potent. - -'It was submitted to Mr. Albert Way and Mr. C. W. King; and the latter -gentleman, who took much pains to make out the inscription, considered -that the characters were Servian, and that they represent the name of some -ecclesiastic of the Greek Church to whom it once belonged. - -'It was evidently an ecclesiastical ring, and M. Castellane stated that he -has seen several Armenian priests at Rome wearing similar rings. It may, -perhaps, date from the early part of the last century. - -'The most probable conjecture as to the reason of such an object being -found in Cornwall is that it may have been brought over by some traveller, -and, having been lost by him or the person to whom he gave it, was -mislaid among rubbish, and carted out with manure.' - - * * * * * - -In the first chapter of this work I have alluded to rings of the early -Christians, a subject of great interest, to which I again refer in these -notices of 'religious' rings, with additional illustrations from the -'Archaeological Journal.' - -The following cut represents a portion of a ring of dark-green jasper, -from Rome, dating, probably, from the second or third century. On the oval -bezel a symbol is engraved in intaglio, viz. a boat, on which is a cock, -carrying a branch of palm. - -[Illustration] - -A bronze ring, probably Christian, of the third or fourth century, of an -oval octagonal form, set with red jasper, engraved in intaglio with the -subject of a shepherd. From Rome. - -[Illustration] - -The ring here represented is of bronze, engraved with a ship, the emblem -of the Church, between the letters _chi_ and _rho_. This ring was obtained -at Rome. - -[Illustration] - -The accompanying illustrations are of small gold rings, in workmanship -and form dating from the third or fourth century. - -[Illustration] - -Annexed (probable date about 440) is a signet-ring, the subject incised -upon the gold apparently a matrimonial or love-ring. - -[Illustration] - -To the same period may be ascribed a bronze ring, of coarse workmanship, -taken from the Roman catacombs. A circular hoop is surmounted by a flat -circular bezel, on which is engraved an ear of corn between two fishes, -emblem of the bread of life, and those who live in faith of it. - -[Illustration] - -Another bronze ring is engraved with the sacred symbol, the united _chi_ -and _rho_ between the _alpha_ and _omega_ above, and two sheep below. -Probable date, the middle of the fourth century. Found at Rome. - -[Illustration] - -To the same class of rings belongs the last of the above engravings. It is -of bronze, having a simple convex hoop; the device, a draped male figure -with nimbus, and standing before a cross appearing to spring from a bunch -of grapes. It was brought from Athens, and is probably Byzantine, of the -sixth or seventh century. - -The following engraving represents a ring of duplex form, of solid gold, -weighing 5-1/2 dwts. It has engraved - - D - FILINAN - A - -and - - Vivas - in Deo*. - -The ring probably dates from the latter part of the third, or beginning of -the fourth, century. It was discovered in the neighbourhood of Masignano, -a small township of Fermo. - -[Illustration] - -Early Christian rings of silver are unusual; that now represented is of -duplex form. On one oval is engraved the name FAVSTVS, and on the other is -a palm-branch. The date is, probably, of the latter half of the fourth -century. - -[Illustration] - -A bronze ring, intended for a signet. On the bezel is a monogram deeply -cut in reverse, which has been rendered by Rossi, _Deus dona vivas in -Deo_. From Rome, and of the fourth century. - -[Illustration] - -A bronze ring with circular hoop, the bezel engraved with the sacred -monogram. This ring is said to have been found in the neighbourhood of the -house of Pudens. - -[Illustration] - -A bronze ring of coarse workmanship and angular form. The device, two -doves and a fish. - -[Illustration] - -The shoulders of the following bronze ring are engraved as palm branches. -The bezel is raised by four steps or tables, and engraved with a monogram. -From Rome. - -[Illustration] - -A bronze ring with high, projecting bezel. On the square face the subject -of Abraham's sacrifice is deeply engraved. The execution may be -attributed, perhaps, to the latter end of the third century, but, more -probably, to the fourth. Brought from Viterbo. - -[Illustration] - -Bronze ring, formed as a circle of half-round metal, engraved with a -double-fluked anchor, crossed by one of a single fluke, and surrounded by -a pearl border. From the catacombs at Rome. - -[Illustration] - -Bronze ring, with plain rounded hoop. Device, a draped female standing -between two birds. On either side is the Christian monogram. Found, it is -believed, in the catacombs of St. Calixtus; date, fourth century of our -era. - -[Illustration] - -An iron ring of octagonal form, the bezel engraved with two human figures -and the sacred monogram. A human figure is represented on each face of the -octagon. This is a remarkable ring of its class. - -[Illustration] - -Bronze ring, with bezel shaped as the sole of a shoe, and incised with the -legend IN DEO, in the collection of C. D. E. Fortnum, Esq., F.S.A.: - -[Illustration] - -In Montfaucon's 'L'Antiquite Expliquee' are several illustrations of Roman -rings with the bezels representing a human foot. One seems to have been a -Christian seal, the inscription on which, DEDONAO, is there, perhaps, put -for DEI DONA. Montfaucon mentions one in his own cabinet, inscribed, -between two crosses, DEI DONA. - -A bronze stamp, formed as the sole of a shoe, is preserved in the -Christian Museum of the Vatican. Inscription reversed, SPES IN DEO. - -[Illustration] - -A child's ring of gold. A simple hoop, flattened out on the bezel, which -is engraved with the palm-branch. This ring was found in a child's tomb in -the neighbourhood of Rome. - -[Illustration] - -Bronze ring, the bezel engraved with the sacred monogram, round which is -placed the inscription, COSME VIVAS. This was discovered in one of the -catacombs on the Via Appia. - -[Illustration] - -A small iron ring, on which is engraved the lion of St. Mark, dating, -probably, from the sixth century. Found in a Coptic grave near the temple -of 'Medinet Aboo,' at Thebes. - -[Illustration] - -Mr. Hodder M. Westropp, in his 'Handbook of Archaeology,' remarks that -Christian inscriptions 'are all funeral, and are, for the most part, found -in the Catacombs, or subterranean cemeteries of the early Christians in -Rome. They are characterised by symbols and formulae, peculiar to the -Christian creed; the idea of another life--a life beyond the -grave--usually prevails in them. The symbols found in connection with the -funeral inscriptions are of three kinds; the larger proportion of these -refer to the profession of Christianity, its doctrines and its graces. A -second class, of a partly secular description, only indicate the trades of -the deceased, and the remainder represent proper names; thus a lion must -be named as a proper name, _Leo_; _Onager_, an ass; a dragon, -_Dracontius_. Of the first kind the most usually met with is the monogram -of Christ. The other symbols generally in use are the ship, the emblem of -the church; the fish, the emblem of Christ; the palm, the symbol of -martyrdom; the anchor, representing hope in immortality; the dove, peace; -the stag, reminding the faithful of the pious aspiration of the Psalmist; -the horse was the emblem of strength in the faith; the hunted hare, of -persecution; the peacock and the phoenix stood for signs of the -resurrection; Christ, as the good pastor, and the [Greek: A-O] of the -Apocalypse, was also introduced in the epitaphs. Even personages of the -pagan mythology were introduced, which the Christians employed in a -concealed sense, as Orpheus, enchanting the wild beasts with the music of -his lyre was the secret symbol of Christ, as the civilizer of men, leading -all nations to the faith. Ulysses, fastened to the mast of his ship, was -supposed to present some faint resemblance to the Crucifixion.' - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -BETROTHAL AND WEDDING RINGS. - - -It would be difficult to find a subject more interesting in all its -associations than a wedding-ring. From the most remote times it has had a -mystical signification, appealing to our most cherished feelings, hopes -and wishes. The circular form of the ring was accepted in days by-gone, as -a symbol of eternity, thus indicative of the stability of affection. We -find some of our noted divines echoing the sentiments of old enthusiasts -on the figurative virtues of a ring. Thus Dean Comber and Wheatley express -themselves: 'The matter of which this ring is made is gold, signifying how -noble and durable our affection is; the form is round, to imply that our -respect (or regards) shall never have an end; the place of it is on the -fourth finger of the left hand, where the ancients thought there was a -vein that came directly from the heart, and where it may be always in -view; and, being a finger least used, where it may be least subject to be -worn out; but the main end is to be a visible and lasting token of the -covenant which must never be forgotten.' - -Jeremy Taylor, in his sermon on a 'Wedding-ring for the Finger,' conveys, -in quaint and forcible language, the duties and responsibilities of -married life.[55] - -In an old Latin work, ascribing the invention of the ring to Tubal Cain, -we find: 'The form of the ring being circular, that is, round, and without -end, importeth thus much, that mutual love and hearty affection should -roundly flow from one to the other, as in a circle, and that continually -and for ever.' - -Herrick has versified this conceit:-- - - Julia, I bring - To thee this ring, - Made for thy finger fit; - To show by this - That our love is, - Or should be, like to it. - - Close though it be, - The joint is free; - So, when love's yoke is on, - It must not gall, - Nor fret at all - With hard oppression. - - But it must play - Still either way, - And be, too, such a yoke - As not, too wide, - To overslide, - Or be so straight to choke. - - So we who bear - This beam, must rear - Ourselves to such a height - As that the stay - Of either may - Create the burthen light. - - _And as this round - Is nowhere found - To flaw, or else to sever, - So let our love - As endless prove_, - And pure as gold for ever. - -The same idea is conveyed in some lines by Woodward (1730) 'to Phoebe, -presenting her with a ring:'-- - - Accept, fair maid, _this earnest of my love_, - _Be this the type_, let this my passion prove; - Thus may our joy in endless circles run, - Fresh as the light, and restless as the sun; - Thus may our lives _be one perpetual round_, - Nor care nor sorrow ever shall be found. - -In modern poetry we have many sweet and tender allusions to the -wedding-ring. Thus Byron writes:-- - - In that one act may every grace - And every blessing have their place, - And give to future hours of bliss - The charm of life derived from this: - And when e'en love no more supplies, - When weary nature sinks to rest, - May brighter, steadier light arise - And make the parting moment blest! - -In a collection of poems printed in Dublin (1801) we find some touching -lines to 'S. D., with a ring:'-- - - Emblem of happiness, not bought nor sold, - Accept this modest ring of virgin gold. - Love in the small but perfect circle trace, - And duty in its soft yet strict embrace. - Plain, precious, pure, as best becomes the wife; - Yet firm to bear the frequent rubs of life. - Connubial love disdains a fragile toy, - Which rust can tarnish, or a touch destroy, - Nor much admires what courts the gen'ral gaze, - The dazzling diamond's meretricious blaze, - That hides with glare the anguish of a heart, - By nature hard, tho' polish'd bright by art. - More to thy taste the ornament that shows - Domestic bliss, and, without glaring, glows; - Whose gentle pressure serves to keep the mind - To all correct, to one discreetly kind; - Of simple elegance th' unconscious charm, - The only amulet to keep from harm, - To guard at once and consecrate the shrine; - Take this dear pledge--it makes and keeps thee mine. - -The most painful ordeal for 'Patient' Grisild (in Chaucer's 'Clerk's -Tale') is the surrender of what she most valued to her imperious lord, the -Marquis, the wedding-ring with which she had espoused him. This, in her -sore affliction, she returns to him:-- - - Here again your clothing I restore, - And eke your wedding-ring for evermore. - -The celebrated Sanscrit drama, which Kalidasa wrote upon the beautiful -Sakuntala, turns upon Dushyanta's recognition of his wife by means of a -ring which he had given to her. - -The tender and affectionate faith derived from the wedding-ring is -illustrated in the legend of Guy, Earl of Warwick. The doughty knight, -when in a moment of temptation he is about to marry the beautiful Loret, -daughter of the Emperor Ernis, is recalled to his duty at the sight of the -wedding-ring, and remembers his fair Felice, who is far distant, pining at -his absence:-- - - The wedding-ring was forth brought; - Guy, then, on fair Felice thought, - He had her nigh forgotten clean. - 'Alas,' he said, 'Felice, the sheen!' - And thought in his heart anon-- - ''Gainst thee now have I misdone!' - Guy said, 'penance I crave, - None other maid my love shall have.' - -We see also the tenderness that a wedding-ring can inspire in the instance -of Louis IX. of France, who in his youth was married to Marguerite of -Provence, the victim of a cruel jealousy on the part of Blanche of -Castile, the King's mother. The young Prince, who loved his wife dearly, -constantly wore a ring ornamented with a garland of lilies and daisies, in -allusion to his spouse and himself. A magnificent sapphire bore the image -of a crucifix, and the inscription 'hors cet annel pourrions nous trouver -amour.' - -In the German ballad of 'The Noble Moringer,' translated by Sir Walter -Scott, the hero, after some years' absence on a pilgrimage, returns -disguised as a palmer to his castle, on the eve of his wife's nuptials -with another knight. The lady - - ------Bade her gallant cup-bearer a golden beaker take, - And bear it to the palmer poor to quaff it for her sake. - - It was the noble Moringer, that dropp'd amid the wine - A bridal-ring of burning gold, so costly and so fine. - Now listen, gentles, to my song, it tells you but the sooth, - 'Twas with that very ring of gold he pledged his bridal troth. - - Then to the cup-bearer he said, 'Do me one kindly deed, - And, should my better days return, full rich shall be thy meed. - Bear back the golden cup again to yonder bride so gay, - And crave her of her courtesy to pledge the palmer grey.' - - The cup-bearer was courtly bred, nor was the boon denied, - The golden cup he took again, and bore it to the bride. - 'Lady,' he said, 'your reverend guest sends this and bids me pray - That, in thy noble courtesy, thou pledge the palmer grey.' - - The ring hath caught the lady's eye, she views it close and near, - Then might you hear her shriek aloud, 'The Moringer is here!' - Then might you see her start from seat, while tears in torrents fell, - But whether 'twas for joy or woe, the ladies best can tell. - -The veneration for a wedding-ring is shown in the instance of the great -lexicographer, Dr. Samuel Johnson. He writes, under date March 28, 1753: -'I kept this day as the anniversary of my Letty's death, with prayers and -tears in the morning. In the evening I prayed for her conditionally, if -it was lawful.' Her wedding-ring was preserved by him, as long as he -lived, with an affectionate care, in a little round wooden box, and in the -inside of which was a slip of paper inscribed: 'Eheu! Eliz. Johnson, nupta -Jul. 9, 1736; mortua, eheu! Mart. 17, 1752.' - -According to the 'London Press,' Mr. John Lomax, bookseller, of Lichfield, -who died lately at the age of eighty-nine, possessed, among many other -Johnsonian relics, this wedding-ring of Mrs. Johnson. - -The poet Moore, in his 'Diary,' mentions the gift of his mother, of her -wedding-ring. He writes: 'Have been preparing my dear mother for my -leaving her, now that I see her so much better. She is quite reconciled to -my going, and said this morning: "Now, my dear Tom, don't let yourself be -again alarmed about me in this manner, nor hurried away from your house -and business." She then said she must, before I left her this morning, -give me her wedding-ring as her last gift; and accordingly, sending for -the little trinket-box in which she kept it, she herself put the ring on -my finger.' - -The value, even to death, attached to wedding-rings has been frequently -shown. In a testamentary document made at Edinburgh Castle by Mary, Queen -of Scots, before the birth of her son James, and when under the impression -that she would die in childbed, among numerous bequests, she enumerates -her rings, of which she had a large number. Among them was a diamond ring, -enamelled red, recorded by the Queen herself as that with which 'she was -espoused.' On the other side is written 'For the King who gave it me.' -This is presumed to be the ring with which Darnley wedded Mary in the -privacy of Rizzio's chamber at Stirling, for at the public solemnity of -their nuptials in the Chapel Royal of Holyrood three rings of surpassing -richness were used. - -The ring with which James, Duke of York (afterwards King James the -Second), married Mary of Modena, had a small ruby set in gold. The Queen -showed it to the nuns of Chaillot, with whom she resided chiefly in the -days of her sorrowful widowhood, exile, and poverty. Although obliged to -part with most of her jewels, she would never give up this ring, which she -valued above everything. Even William of Orange, remarkable for his stern -and taciturn disposition, felt sensibly the tender feelings which a -marriage-ring can nourish after the death of a beloved object. On his -decease a ribbon was found tied to his left arm, with a gold ring appended -to it, containing some hair of the Queen. The Londesborough Collection -contained a royal ring, which is supposed to have been the same given by -the Prince of Orange to the Princess Mary. It is of gold, the strap and -buckle set with diamonds, and is enamelled black. Engraved in letters in -relief is the motto of the Order of the Garter. The following words are -engraved within: 'I'll win and wear thee if I can.' 'This posy' (as the -late Crofton Croker observed) 'has a double construction; whether -addressed to the princess before marriage or after is doubtful, with -reference to William's design to contest the crown of England with her -father.' - -Baron Rosen was sent a captive to Siberia, in consequence of political -tumults which occurred on the accession of the Emperor Nicholas to the -throne of Russia. On his arrival he was searched, and some family trinkets -taken from him. He was then required to give up a gold ring which he wore -on his finger. He replied: 'It is my wedding-ring, and you can only have -it by taking the finger also.' Fortunately the ring was spared. - -However, like everything, humanly speaking, the wedding-ring has had its -vicissitudes, and, from being the emblem of all that is pure and holy in -life, has been desecrated to the vilest and most impious of usages. -Nothing can be more humiliating to good faith and rectitude than to read -the accounts of what took place not many years ago concerning the 'Fleet -Marriages.' In Burns' 'Registers' of these mock celebrations we read sad -cases of this abominable system, which prevailed in the last century, of -clandestine marriages. A case is there mentioned of a young lady who had -been inveigled into the trap of a marrying parson (?), and, finding -herself unable to escape without money or a pledge, told her persecutors, -who wanted to force a marriage upon her, that she liked the gentleman who -desired to marry her so well that she would meet him on the next night. -She gave them a ring as a pledge, which she said was her mother's ring, -who enjoined her that if she should marry it was to be her wedding-ring. -By this contrivance 'she got rid of the black doctor and his tawny crew.' - -Great was the disgust of the respectable portion of the community for -these disgraceful alliances. It is recorded in the 'Daily Post' for 1742, -of a gentleman possessed of a considerable fortune, that he bequeathed it -in the hands of trustees for his wife, with the proviso that if she -married an Irishman they were to pay her ten guineas for a 'Fleet' -marriage, a dinner, and ring; the remainder, about eight thousand pounds, -to devolve on his nephew. On a trial for bigamy in 1731, Samuel Pickering -deposed: 'The prisoner was married at my house in the "Fleet." I gave her -away, and saw the ring put upon her hand, and broke the biscuit over her -head.' - -On the suppression of the Fleet marriages in the middle of the last -century commenced the scandalous Gretna Green marriages--the name derived -from that of a farmstead in the vicinity of the village of Springfield, in -the parish of Graitney, Dumfriesshire. The official who performed these -irregular marriages was of different vocations--sometimes a blacksmith. In -the report of a late Court of Probate case at Westminster, an -agriculturist, Thomas Blythe, admitted that he did a small stroke of -business in the 'joining' line as well; and in reply to counsel's question -'how the marriage ceremony was performed' he replied: 'I first asked them -if they were single persons. They said they were. I then asked the man, -"Do you take this woman for your wife?" He said, "Yes." I then asked the -woman, "Do you take this man for your lawful husband?" She said, "Yes." I -then said, "Put on the ring," and added, "the thing is done, the marriage -is complete."' - -A ring sent as a love-pledge, or token, was in frequent use in former -times. Philip de Comines relates in his 'Memoirs' that, a marriage between -the Princess of Burgundy and the Duke of Austria (1477) being determined -upon, a letter was written by the young lady at her father's command -signifying her consent to the alliance, and a diamond ring of considerable -value was sent as a pledge or token of it. At the time arranged for the -ceremony the Princess was at Ghent, and, in the presence of ambassadors -sent on that occasion, she was asked whether she designed to make good her -promise. The Princess at once replied 'that she had written the letter and -sent the ring in obedience to her father's command, and freely owned the -contents of it.' - -The engagement by a ring is also historically exemplified in late times by -the notorious intimacy of George the Fourth, when Prince Regent, with Mrs. -Fitzherbert. In order to overcome her scruples to a private marriage (the -Royal Marriage Act having been a bar), the Prince caused himself one day -to be bled, and put on an appearance of having attempted his own life, and -sent some friends to bring her to him. She was then induced to allow him -to engage her with a ring in the presence of witnesses, but she afterwards -broke the engagement, went abroad, and for a long time resisted all the -efforts made to induce her to return. It is singular that one of the chief -instruments in bringing about the union of this ill-assorted pair was the -notorious Philippe Egalite, Duke of Orleans. - -In old times rings made of rushes were used for immoral purposes, not only -in England, but in France. Douce refers Shakspeare's 'Tib's rush for Tom's -forefinger' to this custom ('All's Well that Ends Well,' act ii. sc. 2). -In D'Avenant's 'Rivals' we find:-- - - I'll crown thee with a garland of straw, then, - And I'll marry thee with a rush ring. - -The 'crack'd' ring (alluded to in Beaumont and Fletcher's 'Captain') -applied metaphorically to female frailty:-- - - Come to be married to my lady's woman, - After she's crack'd in the ring. - -The abuse of the rush ring led to the practice being strictly prohibited -by the constitutions of Richard Poore, Bishop of Salisbury, in 1217; but -it had a long continuance. Quarles, in 'Shepheard's Oracles' (1646), -writes:-- - - And while they sport and dance, the love-sick swains - Compose rush rings and myrtleberry chains. - -In Greene's 'Menaphon' we find:--''Twas a good world when such simplicitie -was used, saye the olde women of our time, when a ring of a rush would tye -as much love together as a gimmon of gold.' - -The practice of the rush ring in France prevailed for a considerable -period. - -Another equivocal pretence for engagement was the ring of St. Martin,[56] -so named from the extensive franchises and immunities granted to the -inhabitants of the precincts of the Collegiate Church of St. -Martin's-le-Grand. In a rare tract, entitled 'The Compter's Commonwealth' -(1617), is an allusion to these rings, which shows their import: 'This -kindnesse is but like alchimie, or _Saint Martin's rings_, that are faire -to the eye and have a rich outside, but if a man should break them asunder -and looke into them, they are nothing but brasse and copper.' - -In 'Whimsies, or a New Cast of Character' (1631), mention is made of St. -Martin's rings and counterfeit bracelets as 'commodities of infinite -consequence. They will passe for current at a May-pole, and purchase a -favour from their May-Marian.' - -So also in 'Plaine Percevall, the Peace-maker of England': 'I doubt -whether all be gold that glistereth, sith St. Martin's rings be but copper -within, though they be gilt without, sayes the goldsmith.' - -The materials of which wedding-rings have been made are numerous; besides -the various metals, we have an instance of a leather ring made on the spur -of the moment out of a piece of kid cut from the bride's glove. As a -substitute for the usual ring, the church key has been put into -requisition. Horace Walpole, in a letter to Mr. (afterwards Sir Robert) -Mann, dated July 27, 1752, alludes to the use of a curtain-ring for this -purpose: 'The event which has made most noise since my last is the -extensive wedding of the youngest of the two Gunnings,' and he then -describes an assembly at Lord Chesterfield's, when the Duke of Hamilton -made love to Miss Gunning, and two nights after sent for a parson to -perform the marriage ceremony. The Doctor refused to act without a licence -and a ring. 'The Duke swore he would send for the Archbishop; at last they -were married with a ring of the bed-curtain, at half-an-hour past twelve -at night, at May Fair Chapel.' - -In 'Notes and Queries' (2nd series, vol. x.) we find an editorial note on -this subject. A parish clerk recollected an instance of a party that came -to the church, and requested to be married with the church key. It was -what is called a 'parish wedding,' and the parochial authorities, though -willing to pay the church fees, because 'they were glad to get rid of the -girl,' had not felt disposed to furnish the wedding-ring. The clerk -stated, however, that, feeling some hesitation as to the substitution of -the church key in his _own_ church, he stepped into the great house hard -by, and there borrowed an old _curtain-ring_, with which the marriage was -solemnised. - -Sir John Suckling, in his ballad on a 'Wedding,' has this conceit on a -ring:-- - - Her fingers were so small, the ring - Would not stay on which they did bring, - It was too wide a peck: - And to say truth, for out it must, - It look'd like the great collar, just - About our young colt's neck. - -Perhaps one of the smallest wedding-rings on record is that which is -mentioned in the _fiancailles_ of the Princess Mary, daughter of Henry -VIII., to the Dauphin of France, son of King Francis I. The _fiance_ was -represented on that occasion by Admiral Bonnivet, the French Ambassador. -The dauphin was born February 28, 1518, and the event of his birth was -made a matter of State policy, for a more intimate alliance with France. -On October 5, in the same year, the bridal ceremonies took place at -Greenwich with great pomp. King Henry took his station in front of the -throne; on one side stood Marie of France, and Queen Katherine; in front -of her mother was the Princess Marie, just _two_ years old, dressed in -cloth of gold, with a cap of black velvet on her head, blazing with -jewels. On the other side stood the two legates, Wolsey and Campeggio. -After a speech by Dr. Tunstal, the Princess was taken in arms; the consent -of the King and Queen was demanded, and Wolsey approached with a -diminutive ring of gold, fitted to the young lady's finger, in which was a -valuable diamond. Admiral Bonnivet, as proxy for the baby bridegroom, -passed it over the second joint. The bride was blessed, and mass performed -by Wolsey, the King and the whole Court attending it. - -The blessing of the wedding-ring is of ancient origin. The form prescribed -for the 'halowing' is given in 'The Doctrine of the Masse Booke from -Wottonberge, by Nicholas Dorcaster,' 1554: 'Thou Maker and Conserver of -mankinde, Gever of Spiritual Grace, and Grauntor of Eternal Salvation, -Lord, _send thy + blessing upon this ring_, that she which shall weare it -maye be armed wyth the virtue of heavenly defence, and that it may profit -her to eternal salvation, thorowe Christ,' etc. A prayer followed this: '+ -halow Thou, Lord, this ring which we blesse in Thy holye Name, that what -woman soever shall weare it, may stand fast in Thy peace, and continue in -Thy wyll, and live, and grow, and wax old in Thy love, and be multiplied -into the length of daies, thorow our Lord,' etc. - -Rings were formerly placed on the missal book, with money at marriages; -thus in the 'Wardrobe Book,' roll 18, of Edward the First, there is an -entry of 'money given to place upon the missal book, along with the ring -with which she was married, 40_s._' - -A similar entry occurs on the marriage of Margaret, fourth daughter of the -same monarch, when the King gave sixty shillings to be placed on the -missal with the spousal ring. - -The 'heathenish origin,' as it was termed, of the wedding-ring, led during -the Commonwealth to the abolition of its use during weddings, and is thus -referred to in Butler's 'Hudibras:'-- - - Others were for abolishing - That tool of matrimony, a ring, - With which the unsanctified bridegroom - Is marry'd only to a thumb[57] - (As wise as ringing of a pig, - That's used to break up ground and dig), - The bride to nothing but her will - That nulls the after-marriage still. - -This 'heathenish' origin may have been derived from the supposition that -the ring was regarded as a kind of phylactery, or charm, and to have been -introduced in imitation of the ring worn by bishops. - -'Though the Puritans,' remarks Mr. Jeaffreson, in his 'Brides and -Bridals,' 'prohibited and preached against the ring, to the injury of -goldsmiths, and the wrath of ring-wearing matrons, they did not succeed in -abolishing the tool, or even in putting it so much out of fashion as some -people imagined. Even Stephen Marshall, the Presbyterian minister of -Finchingfield, Essex, when his party was most prosperous, married one of -his lightly-trained daughters with the Book of Common Prayer and a ring; -and gave this for a reason, that the statute establishing the Liturgy was -not repealed, and he was loth to have his daughter turned back upon him -for want of a legal marriage.' - -The Rev. George Bull, subsequently Bishop of St. David's, also in these -Presbyterian times, who married a Miss Gregory, in defiance of tyrannical -enactments used a wedding-ring with the motto: 'Bene parere, parere, -parare det mihi Deus.' (See chapter on 'Posy, Motto, and Inscription -Rings.') - -The Puritan scruples against the wedding-ring were much criticised at the -time:-- - - Because the wedding-ring's a fashion old, - And signifies, by the purity of gold, - The purity required i' the married pair, - And by the rotundity the union fair, - Which ought to be between them endless, for - No other reason, we that use abhor. - _A Long-winded Lay-lecture_ (published 1674). - - They will not hear of wedding-rings - For to be us'd in their marriage; - But say they're superstitious things, - And do religion much disparage: - They are but vain, and things profane; - Wherefore, now, no wit bespeaks them, - So to be tyed unto the bride, - But do it as the spirit moves them. - _A Curtain-lecture_ ('Loyal Songs,' vol. i No. 15). - -The objections of the Dissenters to the ring in marriage were answered by -Dr. Comber, ('Office of Matrimony,' &c., folio edition, part 4,) by Dr. -Nicholls upon the Office of Matrimony, and Wheatley in his 'Rational -Illustration.' - -In the ancient ritual of marriage the ring was placed by the husband on -the top of the thumb of the left hand, with the words, 'In the name of the -Father;' he then removed it to the forefinger, saying, 'and of the Son,' -then to the middle finger, adding, 'and of the Holy Ghost;' finally he -left it on the fourth finger, with the closing word 'Amen.' - -The English 'Book of Common Prayer' orders that the ring should be placed -on the fourth finger of the woman's left hand. The spousal manuals of York -and Salisbury assign this practical reason for the selection of this -finger: 'quia in illo digito est quaedam vena procedens usque ad cor.'[58] -Other reasons than its connection with the heart are assigned by -Macrobius. The author of the 'Vulgar Errors' had entirely overthrown the -anatomical fiction. - -On the subject of ring-fingers, a 'Polyglot Dictionary' by John Minshew -(1625) says: 'Vetus versiculus singulis digitis Annulum tribuens, Miles, -Mercator, Stultus, Maritus, Amator. Pollici adscribitur Militi, seu -Doctori; Mercatorum, a pollice secundum; Stultorum, tertium; Nuptorum vel -Studiosorum, quartinum; Amatorum, ultimum.' - -Amongst the Hebrews, the finger of God denoted his power, and it was the -forefingers of the gods of Greece and Italy which wore the ring, the -emblem of divine supremacy. - -Why the ring is worn on the left hand is said to signify the subjection of -the wife to the husband; the right hand signifies power, independence, -authority, the left dependence or subjection.[59] Columbiere remarks: -'Some of the ancients made the ring to denote servitude, alleging that -the bridegroom was to give it to his bride, to denote to her that she is -to be subject to him, which Pythagoras seemed to confirm when he suggested -wearing a straight ring, that is, not to submit to over-rigid servitude.' - -It is very observable that none of the Hereford, York, and Salisbury -missals mention the hand, whether right or left, on which the ring is to -be put. - -In the 'British Apollo' (vol. i. page 127, edit. MDCCXXVI.) a question is -asked: 'Why is it that the person to be married is enjoined to put a ring -upon the fourth finger of his spouse's left hand?' The answer is: 'There -is nothing more in this than that the custom was handed down to the -present age, from the practice of our ancestors, who found the left hand -more convenient for such ornaments than the right, in that 'tis ever less -employed; for the same reason they chose the fourth finger, which is not -only less used than either of the rest, but is more capable of preserving -a ring from bruises, having this one quality peculiar to itself, that it -cannot be extended but in company with some other finger, whereas the rest -may be singly stretched to their full length and straightened. Some of the -ancients' opinions in the matter, viz. that the ring was so worn because -to that finger, and to that only, comes an artery from the heart; but, the -politer knowledge of our modern anatomists having clearly demonstrated the -absurdity of that notion, we are rather inclined the continuance of the -custom owing to the reason above mentioned.' - -These explanations, given in the curious and entertaining miscellany, from -which I have quoted, are from the writings of Macrobius, to which I have -alluded. These appear to settle the contention as to the proper finger for -the wedding-ring. - -'Rings in modern times,' remarks Madame de Barrera, 'have been made in -some countries Love's telegraph. If a gentleman wants a wife, he wears a -ring on the first finger of the left hand; if he be engaged, he wears it -on the second finger; if married, on the third; and on the fourth if he -never intends to be married. When a lady is not engaged she wears a hoop -or diamond on her first finger; if engaged, on her second; if married, on -the third; and on the fourth, if she intends to die a maid. As no rules -are given for widows, it is presumed that the ornamenting of the right -hand, and the little finger of the left, is exclusively their -prerogative.' - -'This English fashion is, perhaps, too open a proclamation of intentions -to suit such as do not choose to own themselves as mortgaged property.' - -The Greek Church directs that the ring be put on the right hand, and such -may have been the practice in England, since Rastell, in his -counter-challenge to Bishop Jewell, notes it as a novelty of the -Reformation 'that the man should put the wedding-ring on the fourth finger -in the left hand of the woman, and not in the right hand as hath been many -hundreds of years continued.' - -With the bridal ring, formerly, were delivered the keys of the house. This -is of ancient origin, as I have noticed in mentioning the rings of the -Romans. We read in Photius that Theosebius says to his wife: 'I formerly -gave to thee the ring of union; now of temperance to aid thee in the -seemly custody of my house.' He advisedly speaks of that custody, for the -lady of the house in Plautus says:-- - - Obsignate cellas, referte annulum ad me, - Ego huc transes. - -Some Roman keys attached to rings, so as to be worn on the fingers, and -which are well known to antiquaries, were recently found at Water Newton, -in digging for gravel, close to the road from Stamford to Peterborough. -These were of brass and bronze, and of the size used by the Roman ladies, -who were accustomed to carry their casket-keys in this manner. - -[Illustration: Roman Key-rings.] - -Mr. Waterton suggests that the key-rings found on Roman sites may have -been worn by slaves or by the confidential _servi_ who had care of the -wardrobes, cabinets, &c., of their masters. - -Among the old Northmen, the keys of the store-room were occasionally -deputed to the wife on the wedding-day, and were carried at her side as a -sign of housewifely dignity. - -In the Saxon formula of matrimony, the father of the bride said: 'I give -thee my daughter to be thy honour and thy wife, to keep thy keys, and to -share with thee in thy bed and goods, in the name of the Father, Son, and -Holy Ghost.' - -Leybard, the famous saint of Tours, in the sixth century, being persuaded -in his youth to marry, gave his betrothed a ring, a kiss, and a pair of -shoes--the latter being a sign of his great subjection to her and to bind -his feet, the ring binding his hands. - -A MS. in the Harleian library, quoted by Strutt, states that 'by the civil -law, whatsoever is given _ex sponsalitia largitate_, betwixt them that are -promised in marriage, hath a condition (for the most part silent) that it -may be had again if marriage ensue not, but if the man should have had a -kiss for his money, he should lose one half of that which he gave. Yet -with the woman it is otherwise, for, kissing or not kissing, whatsoever -she gave, she may ask and have it again.' However, this extends only to -gloves, _rings_, bracelets, and such like small wares. - -Plain gold wedding-rings which are at present used as a visible pledge of -matrimony, seem to have descended to us in the mere course of traditionary -practice from the times of the Saxons, without any impulse from written -authority or rubric. At the marriage of Queen Mary with Philip of Spain in -1554 the wedding-ring was laid in the Bible to be hallowed. Some -discussion had previously taken place in the Council about this ring, -which the Queen decided by declaring that she would not have it adorned -with gems, 'for she chose to be wedded with a plain hoop of gold, like -other maidens.'[60] - -Plain gold rings appear to have been given away at weddings in great -numbers at this period; thus Anthony Wood writes that 'Killey (in 1589) at -Trebona was equally profuse beyond the limits of a sober philosopher, and -did give away in gold-wire rings (twisted), at the marriage of one of his -maid-servants to the value of four thousand pounds.' - -The Prince Regent, on the celebration of his unhappy marriage with -Caroline of Brunswick, presented a number of rings to the members of his -family and friends. These gifts, with other accounts, being in the list -for settlement by Parliament later, gave rise to the undignified Jeffreys -scandal. - -At the marriage of Queen Victoria, rings were distributed having the royal -likeness in profile in gold; the legend being 'Victoria Regina.' The whole -was less than a quarter of an inch in diameter, but with the aid of a -powerful magnifying-glass the features were disclosed, beautifully -delineated. The Queen was so pleased with this microscopic work of art -that she ordered six dozen impressions to be struck and set by the court -jewellers, Rundle and Bridges, in gold rings for distribution among -distinguished personages.[61] - -At the marriage of the Princess Royal of England, in 1858, to the heir of -the now German Empire, the wedding-rings used were of Silesian gold, -manufactured at Breslau. The maker of these, who has a large gold-refining -establishment in that town, had the two rings mounted on a skin of -parchment, on which was engrossed a short history of his gold-works at -Richenstein, from which we learn that in former days Silesia was a -California on a small scale, gold not only being obtained by mining, but -by washing the sands of certain rivers. In the form of a heading to an -historical document, the two gold wedding-rings were presented to the -Prince. - -To give an idea of the immense number of plain gold wedding-rings required -in the present day, it is stated that no less than thirty thousand have -passed through the Birmingham Assay Office in one year. - - * * * * * - -As pledges of betrothal, or wedding gifts, rings are of very ancient -origin. They were worn by the Jews prior to Christian times, and -constitute, even at present, an important feature in their marriage -ceremonials. Wheatley says: 'The reason why a ring was pitched upon for -the pledge, rather than anything else, was because anciently the ring was -a seal, by which all orders were signed, and things of value secured, and -therefore the delivery of it was a sign that the person to whom it was -given was admitted into the highest friendship and trust. For which reason -it was adopted as a ceremony in marriage to denote that the wife, in -consideration of being espoused to the man, was admitted as a sharer in -her husband's counsels, and a joint partner in his honour and estate, and -therefore we find that not only the _ring_, but the _keys_, were, in -former times delivered to her at the marriage.' - -A passage in Ruth (chap. iv. verse 7) gives some reason to suppose that -the ring was used by the Jews, as a covenant, in making agreements, -grants, &c., whence the wedding engagement by a ring may have been -derived. Leo Modena, in his 'History of the Rites, Customs, and Manner of -Life of the Present Jews throughout the World' (translated by Edm. -Chilmead, 8vo.; London, 1650), alluding to the Jewish manner of marrying, -states that 'before the bride's dowry is produced and read, the bridegroom -putteth a ring upon her finger, in the presence of two witnesses, which -commonly used to be the Rabbines, saying, withal, unto her: "Behold thou -art my espoused wife, according to the custom of Moses and of Israel."' - -Selden says that rings were first given in lieu of dowry-money,[62] and -that the wedding-ring came into general use by the Jews _after_ they saw -it was everywhere prevalent. These Jewish rings were, in past ages, -generally of large size and elaborate workmanship. Some curious examples -are mentioned in the Londesborough Collection Catalogue. One ring, -formerly belonging to the late Crofton Croker, is of German or Flemish -work of the seventeenth century. It is of brass, with three points, or -bosses, and belongs to a class of ring called Mazul-touv (pronounced -_Mussul-taub_), or, freely translated, 'Joy be with you,' or 'Good luck to -you.' In the same collection is a Jewish 'tower' betrothal ring, enamelled -blue, of the sixteenth century. Another betrothal ring belongs to the same -class and date, called 'temple,' or 'tower,' from the figure of the sacred -temple placed on their summit. In one of the Londesborough specimens it -takes the form of a sexagonal building with a domed roof of an Eastern -character; in another it is square, with a deeply-pitched roof, having -movable vanes at the angles, and is probably the work of some German -goldsmith. On the former of these rings the inscription is in enamelled -letters, 'Joy be with you;' and the same words are in more -richly-designed letters on the curve of the latter ring. - -[Illustration: Hebrew Marriage Rings.] - -A ring of gold, enamelled and decorated with five blue enamelled rosettes -and five filigree bosses. The roof only of the temple surmounts the ring; -it is decorated with light-green enamel, it opens on a hinge, and exhibits -beneath the letters [Hebrew]. From the Londesborough Collection. - -[Illustration: Hebrew Betrothal Ring.] - -A remarkably fine example of these rings is in the Braybrooke Collection. -It has five filigree bosses equidistant along the broad exterior, which is -also ornamented with filagree scroll-work, filled with blue and white -enamel; the summit of the hoop is surmounted by a pyramid-shaped tower -opening upon a hinge, but without any inscription, which is often covered -by it. In this case the word or words are engraved on the inside of the -ring, and are probably _Mazul-touv_ or _Mussul-taub_ ('Joy be with you'). -The tower is to represent the ark of the covenant; the bosses or points -are sometimes supposed to represent the number of witnesses at the -ceremony required by law of the Jews. The points or bosses consist of -rosettes with six leaves, each of blue, and six leaves of white, enamel. -The pyramidical ark has the sides filled with blue enamel only; on the two -narrow sides there is a small perforation to represent the window, in -allusion to the dove. - -A large silver-gilt Hebrew wedding-ring, in the same collection, is of a -remarkable form. The hoop is three-quarters of an inch wide, with raised -edges, and plain surface between the five elevations on its upper portion. -The centre one of these is a hexagonal tower, with pent-house roof sloping -on each side to the course of the hoop; the gables and sides of these are -pierced with fourteen holes for windows, and the roof is scored to imitate -tiles; on each side of this is a smaller bell-shaped tower, equidistant -from it, with four circular holes in them; and on each side of these last -is a still smaller tower of the same shape, and at an equal distance, but -without any windows. There is not the usual inscription on any part of -this ring. - -[Illustration: Jewish.] - -[Illustration: Jewish.] - -The annexed illustrations, from rings in the Bailewski Collection, -represent a gold Jewish ring of the thirteenth century, and one of the -fourteenth century. - -In the collection of the late Lady Fellows was a fine Jewish betrothal -ring of gold decorated with filigree and enamel. Instead of any setting, -the head is formed with a steep ridge, like the roof a house, opening on -hinges; within is a cavity, closed by a lid, and probably intended to -contain a charm or pastille. On the inner side of the hoop are engraved -two Hebrew words signifying good fortune. - -In a communication from Mr. Singer (whose unique collection of -wedding-rings with inscriptions I have noticed in the chapter on 'Posy, -Inscription, and Motto Rings') he informs me that he has a fine Hebrew -ring of sixteenth-century work--'a _real_ old one, as most of those now -about are forgeries. This has the Hebrew word "mussul taub" in a short -Hebrew character, meaning "We wish you good luck," engraved on the -inside.' - -According to Jewish law in modern times, it is necessary that the ring -should be of a certain value. It is therefore examined and certified by -the officiating Rabbi and the chief officers of the synagogue, when it is -received by the bridegroom. When absolute property it must not be obtained -by credit or by gift. When this is properly certified the ring is returned -to him, and he places it on the bride's finger, calling attention to the -fact that she is by these means, consecrated to him. So completely binding -is this action that, should the marriage be no further consecrated, no -other could be contracted by either party, without a legal divorce. - -The Rev. C. W. King, in 'Antique Gems,' remarks that huge gold rings -adorned with filigree-work and surmounted by a small temple, with Hebrew -inscriptions on the interior of the shank, puzzle the beholders as to -their use, being much too large for the finger. They were made for the -use of the synagogue, and are placed on the finger of the couple at a -certain part of the marriage rites. - -Mr. Singer, in describing the Hebrew wedding-ring in his collection, adds: -'The Hebrews married on the first finger, as to the ring. This is done -now, but even the Jews change a little, and after the ceremony the Jewish -ladies take off their ring, and place it on the third finger, the same as -we do, for now they wear the ordinary ring.' - -The following illustrations represent the marriage-rings of the German -Jews, the workmanship of the sixteenth century, and very fine specimens of -art. Both are of gold; the larger one is richly ornamented in filigree -with enamels of light and dark green. It is crowned by a house; the roof, -which is covered with enamelled tiles, opens by means of a key, and the -space within serves for perfumes or some souvenir. Four small crowns of -gold are suspended from the ring. - -[Illustration: Jewish Wedding-rings (from the Fould Collection).] - -The other, smaller in size, is also richly decorated, but is crowned with -only the roof of a house, enamelled white and red. The enamels which -decorate the other parts of the ring are white. - -The wedding-rings of the Romans were generally of iron, called -'Pronubum,'[63] symbolical of the lasting character of the engagement, and -probably springing out of another Roman custom, the giving of a ring as -earnest, upon the conclusion of a bargain. - -It was the custom to betroth before marriage, as it is at this day. They -that acted between the two parties were called 'Proxenetae,' 'Auspices,' -and 'Pronubi,' which last name was very much in use. When the -marriage-maker was a woman she was called 'Pronuba'; and it was a -condition that such a one was to have had but one husband. They arranged -about the portion, and other marriage articles, which conditions were -afterwards written on tablets, and sealed with the ring called _annulus -signatorius_. - -The ring was used in marriage among Christians as early as 860. Pronubal -or pledge rings passed between the contracting parties among the Romans. -When the marriage settlement had been properly sealed, rings, bearing the -names of the newly-married couple, were handed round to the guests. - -There were others, also, of pure gold and a plain circle (_linea -infinita_) to symbolise conjugal fidelity, and to act as a reminder that -the love of married people should be infinite. Kirchmann asserts that in -Rome the custom was to place in the hand of the newly-made bride a ring of -pure gold, at the same moment in which a ring of iron was sent to the -house of her parents, a remembrance of modesty and domestic frugality. - -In the possession of A. W. Franks, Esq., M.A., F.R.S., F.S.A., is a gold -ring, remarkable for the amount of the ornamentation with which it is -covered. This fine Byzantine _bicephalic_ ring was, doubtless, used as a -signet, and was, possibly, a matrimonial or betrothal gift. It has been -suggested that the heads resemble those of the Emperor Leo I. and Verina -(A.D. 457-74), but it is doubtful whether they are imperial portraits. It -is presumed that this ring was found in Egypt, where it had been preserved -in the Demetrio Collection ('Arch. Journal,' vol. xxix. page 305). - -[Illustration: Byzantine.] - -A loadstone sometimes was set instead of a jewel, indicative of love's -attractions. - -Later, however, Tertullian and Isidore, Bishop of Seville, mention the -'annulus nuptialis sponsalitius,' as being of gold. Sometimes there were -inscriptions on the rings, such as 'May you live long!' 'I bring you good -fortune!' Frequently a stone was inserted upon which was engraved an -intaglio, such as a hand pulling the lobe of an ear, and the words -'Remember me' above it. - -Among the old Northmen, the exchanging of rings between the betrothed did -not form, so far as can be ascertained from the ancient sagas and laws, -any essential part in the wedding ceremonial, neither in pagan, nor in -Christian times. Mention is, however, made of an exchange of rings, but -this was only done as a kind of memorial gift, and no importance was -attached to it. The custom of the betrothal ring was first introduced into -Norway at a much later period, in imitation of that in vogue in southern -countries. - -In the 'Sword,' Tyrfing, in the 'Hervarer-Saga,' the Princess Ingburgo, -who is betrothed to Hialmar, says to the latter, as he is leaving for -battle: 'I swear by Varra,' presenting to him her ring in pledge, 'that to -whomever Uller gives victory, I am the bride but of one.' - -Viga Glum's 'Saga' we read of the Scandinavian use of a ring. In the midst -of a wedding-party Glum calls upon Thorarin, his accuser, to hear his -oath, and, taking in his hand a silver ring which had been dipped in -sacrificial blood, he cites two witnesses to testify to his oath on the -ring. 'In Iceland' (remarks Mr. Wood, in his 'Wedding-days in all -Countries') 'a large ring was used for the ratification of all -engagements; it was variously formed of bone, jet, stone, gold, and -silver. Sometimes it was so large as to allow the palm of the hand to be -passed through it. So in the solemnisation of a betrothing contract the -bridegroom passed four fingers and his palm through one of these rings, -and in this manner he received the hand of his bride. Sometimes these -rings for confirming mutual contracts were placed upon the altar and there -used. We may, perhaps, trace this custom in the old form of marriage in -the Orkneys, where the contracting parties join their hands through a -perforation, or ring, in a stone pillar.' - -Among the Anglo-Saxons, at the betrothal of a young couple, after the -taking of hands, an exchange of presents was made. Amongst those given by -the bridegroom was a ring, which, after being blessed by the priest with a -prayer, was placed on the maiden's right hand, and was to be worn so until -the time of marriage. On this event, if espousals had previously taken -place (for they were not necessary), the ring was removed by the -bridegroom to the bride's left hand, and was placed on the first finger, -having been blessed by the priest with a prayer. - -Betrothal rings sometimes bore the name and title of the Saviour in full; -one in the Londesborough Collection represents two hands clasped in front, -so that it was, most probably, a gift, or betrothal ring. It is of silver, -somewhat rudely fashioned. The inscription is in uncial characters, and, -shorn of its somewhat awkward abbreviation, reads: 'Jesus Nazareneus Rex.' - -Mr. H. T. Wake, of Cockermouth, gives the following account of a curious -betrothal ring in 'Notes and Queries' (Series v. vol. ii. p. 528): 'In a -small shrubbery, adjoining a house at Mosser, near Cockermouth, has -recently been found a massive finger-ring, of fine gold. When discovered, -it was lying on the surface, but is supposed to have been removed, along -with some mould, from a garden at the back of the house, a short time -previously. It is plain inside, without any hall-mark, but the exterior is -polygonal in shape, having the following inscription engraved in large -capitals on thirteen facets, viz.:-- - - x | 10 | sv | 1 : s | ig | n | e : | de | am | is | t | e : | a - -'The posy seems to be: "Josui signe de amis te," and to mean "Joshua's -token of love to thee," the A following being the initial of the young -woman to whom it was presented. I take it to be a betrothal ring of the -eleventh or twelfth century; and from the admixture of the Roman and -Gothic E in the inscription, which peculiarly appears also in the great -seal of William the Conqueror, in the word "EVNDE," as well also from its -being in French, it is probably as old as the Norman period. I bought it -of the farmer's wife who found it.' - -A betrothal ring, in the collection of the Rev. James Beck, has two hearts -surmounted by a crown--denoting the sovereignty of love over the -heart--set with marcasites. - -A silver ring of a similar import, found at Carlisle, is here represented, -and from the clasped hands, crowned, was evidently a betrothal ring. - -[Illustration: Betrothal ring.] - -In the Middle Ages, solemn betrothal by means of the ring often preceded -matrimony. - -Henry, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, married Matilda, eldest daughter of -Henry the Second, King of England, in 1168. A picture of this event was -painted at the time, and afterwards hung up in the church of St. Blosius, -at Brunswick, which is engraved by Scheidius in his 'Origines Guelficae,' -Matilda is represented as holding the plight-ring, a golden hoop, adorned -in the centre with a magnificent brilliant, but she seems much at a loss -to know what to do with it. - -In 1235 an embassy was sent to make a formal petition for the hand of -Isabella, second daughter of King John of England, from the Emperor -Frederick of Germany. She was presented with a plight-ring, and as the -chief of the embassy, Peter de Vinea, placed it on her finger, he formally -declared her the empress of the whole Roman empire. Isabella, on her part, -sent a ring to the Emperor in token of her acceptance of his troth. - -In the 'Dutch Courtezan,' an old play, a pair of lovers are introduced -plighting their troth. Beatrice says to Freeville: 'I give you faith, and -prethee, since, poore soule, I am so easie to believe thee, make it much -more pitty to deceive me. Weare this sleight favour in my remembrance.' -(Throweth down a ring to him.) - - _Freeville._ 'Which when I part from, - Hope, the best of life, ever part from me! - Graceful mistresse, our nuptiall day holds.' - _Beatrice._ 'With happy constancye a wished day.' - -In the 'Merchant of Venice' Bassanio and Gratiano give the rings received -from Portia and Nerissa to the young doctor and his clerk, after the -discomfiture of Shylock, although Portia had said:-- - - This house, these servants, and this same myself, - Are yours, my lord; I give them with this ring: - Which, when you part from, lose, or give away, - Let it presage the ruin of your love, - And be my vantage to exclaim on you. - -Bassanio answers:-- - - When this ring - Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence; - O, then be bold to say, Bassanio's dead. - -Solemn betrothal was sometimes adopted by lovers, who were about to -separate for long periods. Thus Chaucer, in 'Troilus and Cressida,' -describes the heroine as giving her lover a ring, and receiving one from -him in return:-- - - Soon after this they spake of sundry things, - As fell to purpose of this aventure, - And, playing, interchangeden their rings, - Of which I cannot tellen no scripture. - -[Illustration: Half of broken betrothal ring.] - -Shakspeare has more than one allusion to this custom, which is absolutely -enacted in the 'Two Gentlemen of Verona,' when Julia gives Proteus a ring, -saying: 'Keep you this remembrance for thy Julia's sake,' and he replies: -'Why, then we'll make exchange:--here, take you this.' A ritual of -Bordeaux (1596) gives a form of betrothal by public ceremony, when rings -were interchanged. Kleist, in his 'Kate of Heilbron,' makes Frederick -say:-- - - To tally close, - As joints of rings dissever'd, - -alluding to the custom sometimes practised by lovers, among the common -people, plighting a faith, when a ring is broken in two, one half of which -was kept by each party, that if from time to time, or at the day of -marriage, the two pieces agree with each other, proof may be thus afforded -that they have not been transferred, and consequently that both bride and -bridegroom remain still of the same mind; otherwise, the engagement is -annulled. - - A ring of pure gold she from her finger took, - And just in the middle the same then she broke; - Quoth she: 'As a token of love you this take, - And this, as a pledge, I will keep for your sake.' - ('Exeter Garland.') - -De Laet, writing in 1647, states that he remembers when it was the custom -(and an ancient one) for the gentleman to present the lady on their -betrothal with two rings, the one set with a diamond, the other with a -ruby table-cut. This gift went by the French name 'Mariage.' - -Among the Germans at the present day the interchange of rings is practised -at the publication of the banns among the Lutherans; the minister joins -the hands of the couple, and rings are interchanged. - -'The Italians,' observes Mr. Wood, 'in the fifteenth and sixteenth -centuries used betrothing rings, which were generally made of silver, -inlaid with niello. The bezel was either oval or circular, and the -shoulders of the hoop were shaped so as to form sleeves, from each of -which issued a right hand. The hands were clasped together in the Fede. -Some of these rings were of a large size, and were worn by men. The -diamond was long esteemed by the mediaeval Italians as the favourite stone -for setting in espousal rings, and it was called "pietra della -reconciliazione," from its supposed power to maintain concord between man -and wife.' - -It was also usual, at the periods mentioned, for the Italian ladies to -give their lovers rings which contained their portraits. Lovers wore these -rings on holidays, as was the practice in England, as we find in -'England's Helicon' (1600):-- - - My songs they be of Cinthia's prayse, - I weare her rings on holly-dayes. - -When a noble Venetian married in the seventeenth century, a day was -appointed for giving the bride a ring, and the ceremony was performed in -her house, in the presence of relations and friends. The ring-giving was -followed by the usual sacrament in church. - -In modern Greece, two rings, one of gold and the other of silver, are -interchanged at the betrothal, which takes place as follows:--The priest, -remaining in the sacrarium, delivers to the persons to be betrothed, and -who are standing without the sacred doors, lighted candles into the hands -of each, and then returns with them into the body of the church. Here, -after prayers have been said, two rings are brought out, of gold and -silver respectively, which had previously been placed upon the altar to be -dedicated and consecrated, and the priest gives the gold ring to the man, -and the silver ring to the woman, repeating three times this form of -words: 'The servant of God, M., espouses the handmaid of God, N., in the -name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, -and to endless ages, Amen.' - -After a threefold repetition of the same words to the woman, the rings are -put on the right-hand finger, and are taken off, and interchanged by the -bridegroom's man, both in order that the woman may not take too deeply to -heart her inferiority, which the less costly material of the ring seems to -hint at, as also to confirm the mutual right and possession of property, -either present or future. - -The ring ceremony in Russian marriages differs materially from that of -English usage. In the first place, there are two rings, and these are -changed three times. The man places the ring first on the woman's finger, -then the priest changes the man's ring, and places it on her finger, and -then again the priest and the man join and place the ring where it is to -remain for life. - -Have these _three_ changes anything in connection with a peculiarity in -Russian legends of the ever-predominating number 'three'? Thus fathers are -said usually to have three sons, the heroes and knights-errant ride -through three times nine empires; the bravest are always thirty-three -years old; they achieve their deeds only on the third attempt. Or, are the -three changes emblematic of the Trinity? - -At the Russian marriages of the Imperial family the rings are exchanged by -a third person. At the wedding of the Duke of Edinburgh and the Grand -Duchess Marie Alexandrovna, daughter of the Emperor of Russia (January 23, -1874), the master of the ceremonies carried the marriage rings on plates -of gold, and placed them on the altar. The confessor of the Emperor and -Empress then received the rings from the Archipretres of the court, and, -whilst a prayer was being said, placed them upon the fingers of the bride -and bridegroom, when the Metropolitan began the office. - -In Spain the gift of a ring is looked upon as a promise of marriage, and -is considered sufficient proof to enable a maiden to claim her husband. - -Among the Armenians (observes Madame de Barrera) children are betrothed -from their earliest youth, sometimes when only three years old, sometimes -as soon as born. When the mothers on both sides have agreed to marry their -son and daughter, they propose the union to their husbands, who always -sanction the choice of the wives. The mother of the boy then goes to the -friends of the girl, with two old women and a priest, and presents to the -infant maiden a ring from the future bridegroom. The boy is then brought, -and the priest reads a portion of the Scripture, and blesses the parties. -The parents of the girl make the priest a present, in accordance with -their means; refreshments are partaken of by the company, and this -constitutes the ceremonies of the betrothals. Should the betrothals take -place during the infancy of the contracting parties, and even should -twenty years elapse before the boy can claim his bride, he must every -year, from the day he gives the ring, send his mistress at Easter a new -dress, &c. - -The olden matrimonial Gemmel, or Gemmow, ring was a kind of double ring, -curiously made. There were links within each other, and though generally -double, they were, by a further refinement, made triple, or even more -complicated; thus Herrick writes:-- - - Thou sent'st to me a true love-knot, but I - Return a ring of jimmals, to imply - Thy love had one knot, mine a triple tye. - -Ray, among his north-country words, explains 'jimmers' as 'jointed -hinges,' and adds, 'in other parts called wing-hinges.' - -At a meeting of the Archaeological Institute, in November 1851, the Rev. W. -C. Bingham exhibited a silver gemmel-ring of singular fashion, date -fourteenth century, found in Dorsetshire, the hoop formed in two portions, -so that a moiety of the letters composing the legend, [Maltese cross] AVE -MARI, appears on each, and it only becomes legible when they are brought -together side by side. Each demi-hoop is surmounted by a projecting neck -and a small globular knob, so that the ring appears to have a bifid head. -The two portions of this ring are not intertwined, and as no adjustment -now appears by which they might be kept together in proper juxtaposition, -it is possible that in this instance it was intended that each of the -affianced parties should retain a moiety of the gemmel. - -There is an allusion to the 'joint' ring in Dryden's play of 'Don -Sebastian':-- - - A curious artist wrought 'em, - With joynts so close as not to be perceived; - Yet are they both each other's counterpart. - (Her part had Juan inscribed, and his, had Zayda-- - You know those names were theirs:) and in the midst - A heart divided in two halves was placed. - Now if the rivets of those rings, inclos'd, - Fit not each other, I have forged this lye, - But if they join, you must for ever part. - -A ring in the Londesborough Collection illustrates this passage. It parts -into three hoops, secured on a pivot; the toothed edge of the central hoop -forming an ornamental centre to the hoop of the ring, and having two -hearts in the middle; a hand is affixed to the side of the upper and lower -hoop; the fingers slightly raised, so that when the hoops are brought -together they link in each other, and close over the hearts, securing all -firmly. - -[Illustration: Jointed betrothal ring.] - -The late Mr. Crofton Croker, in his privately-printed catalogue of Lady -Londesborough's Collection, gives the following account of the use to -which the ring has been put: 'There can be little doubt, from the -specimens that have come under observation, that it had been used as a -betrothing ring by an officer of the King's German Legion with some Irish -lady, and that the notched ring was retained by some confidential female -friend, who was present as a witness at the betrothal ceremony--usually -one of the most solemn and private character--and at which, over the Holy -Bible, placed before the witness, both the man and the woman broke away -the upper and lower rings from the centre one, which was held by the -intermediate person. It would appear that the parties were subsequently -married, when it was usual, as a proof that their pledge had been -fulfilled, to return to the witness or witnesses to the contract the two -rings which the betrothed had respectively worn until married; and thus -the three rings, which had been separated, became reunited, as in the -present instance.' - -A gemmel-ring, of which a representation is given (page 316), was dug up -in 1800, at Horselydown, Surrey, found among some Roman and English -remains and skeletons of human bodies, about nine feet below the surface. -The ring is constructed in twin or double hoops, one side being flat, the -other convex. On the lower hand is represented a heart. On the flat side -of the hoops are engraved in Roman capitals, 'Use de Vertu.' This ring is -probably not later than Queen Elizabeth's reign. - -A plain gemmel wedding-ring, with an inscription inside each hoop, which -the Prince Regent, afterwards George IV., had given to Mrs. Fitzherbert, -was exhibited, with the lady's miniature, at the Loan Collection of -precious objects at the South Kensington Museum in 1872. - -[Illustration: Gemmel-ring, found at Horselydown.] - -This practice of dividing the betrothal rings has its origin from ancient -times, and reminds us of the practice among the Franks of breaking the -_sou d'or_ in two pieces, in sign of a sacred engagement. Thus we read of -Childeric, King of France, when in exile, wishing to know when he might -return to his country, dividing the _sou d'or_, keeping one part, and -giving the other to a trusty friend, who tells him: 'When I send to you -this half, and you find that it unites with the other, you will understand -that you can return.' The propitious moment having arrived, Childeric -received the token, and, returning, was re-established in his -dominions.[64] - -From other passages in 'Don Sebastian,' it appears that one of the two -rings was worn by Sebastian's father, the other by Almeyda's mother, as -pledges of love. Sebastian takes off his ring, which had been placed on -his finger by his dying father; Almeyda does the same with hers, which had -been given to her by her mother at parting, and Alvarez unscrews both the -rings and fits one half to the other. - -In Sir Henry Ellis's 'Original Letters Illustrative of English History' -(series ii. vol. ii. page 290) we have a curious anecdote in connection -with linked rings. Lady Catherine Grey (a sister of Lady Jane Grey) -married the Earl of Hertford, much to the displeasure of Queen Elizabeth, -who sent the bridegroom to the Tower, and subjected the countess to great -hardships. They were both exposed to an ordeal of examination to prove the -validity of the marriage, and amongst other evidence Lady Catherine -exhibited a ring which she declared had been used at the marriage -ceremony. - -It was of gold, and consisted of five links, on four of which were -engraved as many verses of the Earl's composition, expressing the -assurance of his lasting faith and love, and the ring could, apparently, -have been prepared for no other purpose than that of serving as their -marriage-ring. - -The judgment of the commissioners appointed to examine into the marriage -was to dissolve it, and it was so pronounced in the Bishop of London's -palace in 1562. Lady Hertford sank under this cruel conduct of the Queen, -and on her dying bed called to her attendants to bring her the box in -which her wedding-ring was. She first took from it a ring with a pointed -diamond in it, and said to Sir Owen Hopton (at whose house, Cockfield -Hall, Suffolk, she had been staying): 'Here, Sir Owen, deliver this unto -my lord; it is the ring that I received of him, and gave myself unto him, -and gave him my faith.' - -'What say you, madam,' answered Sir Owen, 'was this your wedding-ring?' - -'No, Sir Owen, this is the ring of my assurance unto my lord, and there is -my wedding-ring,' taking another ring of gold out of the box. This -consisted of five links, having engraved in it the verses of the Earl's -composition, which she had exhibited to the commissioners of inquiry. (See -chapter on 'Posy, Inscription, and Motto Rings.') - -'Deliver this,' she said, 'unto my lord, and pray him, as I have been a -faithful and true wife, that he would be a loving and natural father unto -my children, to whom I give the same blessing that God gave unto Abraham, -Isaac, and Jacob.' (See chapter on 'Remarkable Rings.') - -[Illustration: Ring with representation of Lucretia.] - -A gemmel-ring of the fifteenth century, in the Londesborough Collection, -bears an engraved head of Lucretia, the same kind as that mentioned by -Shakspeare ('Twelfth Night,' act ii. sc. v.) where Malvolio, breaking open -the letter, purporting to be in the handwriting of his mistress, says:-- - - By your leave, wax. Soft! and the impressure her Lucrece, with which - she uses to seal. - -Lucretia is seen grasping her dagger. The clasped hands, adopted on the -gemmel-rings, became a frequent emblem on the solid wedding-ring. - -[Illustration: Wedding-ring of Sir Thomas Gresham.] - -The betrothal or wedding ring of Sir Thomas Gresham (1544) engraved in -Burgon's life of that eminent merchant prince, opens horizontally, thus -forming a double ring of gold, linked together in the form of a gemmel; in -one half is set a white stone, in the other a red; in the interior of each -half is a cavity, in one of which is a small figure of a child in gold, -enamelled; 'QVOD DEVS CONIVNSIT' is engraved on one half, and 'HOMO NON -SEPARET' on the other. - -This interesting relic was formerly in the possession of the Thruston -family, at Weston Hall, Suffolk, and was exhibited at the Society of -Antiquaries (April 1862) by Granville Leveson Gower, Esq. - -A gemmel-ring of the sixteenth century, found in the Thames, is in the -Londesborough Collection. Originally gilt, it is of silver: two hands are -clasped; on the opposite side two quatrefoils spring from a heart -engraved: 'Help God!' or 'God help!' - -[Illustration: Gemmel-ring.] - -A remarkably fine gemmel-ring (Londesborough) is here engraved. It is set -with sapphire and amethyst, the elaborate and beautiful design enriched by -coloured enamels. The lower figure in the representation of this ring -shows it parted, displaying the inscription on the flat side of each -section, which is also enriched by engraving and _niello_. - -The clasped hands (originating from the ancient Romans), adopted on the -gemmel-rings, we are told in Chambers's 'Book of Days,' are still the -fashion, and in constant use in that curious local community of fishermen -inhabiting the Claddugh at Galway on the western coast. They number with -their families between five and six thousand, and are particularly -exclusive in their tastes and habits; rarely intermarrying with others -than their own people. The wedding-ring is an heirloom in the family; it -is regularly transferred from the mother to the daughter who is first -married, and so passes to her descendants. Many of these gemmel-rings, -still worn there, are very old. - -[Illustration: 'Claddugh' ring.] - -Mr. Mackenzie E. C. Walcot, F.S.A., etc., in 'Notes and Queries,' writes: -'A ring of gold, about the time of the thirteenth century, was found at -Burbage, near Marlborough, and, apparently, from the clasped hands on the -lower side, a gemmel or betrothal ring, has a sapphire uncut, held by four -bent cramps, and on the circle the following letters in two lines, divided -by punctuation in the form of x. The letters, of course, are of the -period:-- - - AV NI MA IA - x x x - IE AU AL HN - -I have alluded to sacred inscriptions on some betrothal rings. The -following engraving refers to one in the Londesborough Collection, -described in page 306. - -[Illustration: Betrothal ring with sacred inscription.] - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a splendid gold gemmel ring, with -enamelled and jewelled twin or double hoops, which play one within -another, like the links of a chain. Each hoop has one of its sides convex, -the other flat, and each is set with a stone, one a fine ruby, the other -an aquamarine, or beryl, so that, upon bringing together the flat surfaces -of the hoops the latter immediately unite in one ring, and as they close, -the stones slide into contact, forming a head to the whole. The inside -flat surfaces are inscribed with the words 'Quod Deus conjunxit, homo non -separet,' part on one hoop, part on the other, so as to be legible when -these are opened, but entirely concealed when they are reunited in one -ring. This seems to be an exception to the general rule, with respect to -rings of the same denomination, since the hoops cannot be dissevered -according to the usual custom at betrothals. Nares, in his 'Glossary,' -observes that the name 'gimmal' was preserved to rings made triple, or -even more complimentary. This splendid specimen is of Italian workmanship, -dating about the end of the fifteenth or the beginning of the sixteenth -century. - -At a meeting of the Archaeological Institute in March 1863 the Rev. John -Beck exhibited some curious specimens of linked or 'puzzle-rings.' One of -gold consists of seven slender rings linked together, which, when properly -adjusted, combine in a knot. Another, of silver, consists of four slight -rings, set with a blue stone, and ornamented with flowers of -forget-me-not. A third, also of silver, has nine rings, which, when -intertwined, unite so as to present a _fede_ as the head of the ring. - -The French term for the hooped rings is _foi_, _alliance_, which last word -in the 'Dictionnaire de Trevoux' is defined to be a ring 'que l'accorde -donne a son accordee, ou il y a un fil d'or et un fil d'argent.' - -[Illustration: Devices on Wedding-rings.] - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -TOKEN RINGS. - - -Rings as 'tokens' date from very early times. We are told that Clovis, -King of the Franks, in the latter part of the fifth century, wishing to -marry Clotilde, niece of Gondebauld, King of Burgundy, deputed Aurelianus, -in whom he had perfect confidence, to ascertain whether the maiden had any -predilection for him. The messenger travelled in very humble guise, and -arrived at the castle in Burgundy where Clotilde resided. The princess, -however, knew beforehand his mission, and was prepared to receive him. She -concealed this knowledge, however, and treated him as an ordinary -mendicant, receiving him hospitably, and, according to the custom of those -times, even washing his feet. While this operation was being performed, -Aurelianus said: 'Princess, if you will permit me, I will tell you of -strange things.' - -'Speak,' replied Clotilde. - -'Clovis, King of the Franks, has sent me to announce his wish to marry -you. Is it your desire that I should ask permission from your father?' - -'What proof can you give me of the truth of your mission?' - -'The ring of my Sovereign, which he entrusted me with for this object.' - -'But,' said Clotilde, 'I am a Christian, and I cannot marry a pagan. If, -however, it is the will of God that I should become the wife of Clovis, I -am content.' - -Thus saying, she received the ring, and gave Aurelianus her own ring in -return, and after some difficulties with Gondebauld were overcome, -Aurelianus married Clotilde in the name of King Clovis, by the gift of -'one sou and one denier,' as the price of her liberty, according to the -custom of that period. - -If the old historians are to be credited, this is the earliest instance of -a marriage by proxy. - -Edward the First, in 1297, presented Margaret, his fourth daughter, with a -golden pyx, in which he deposited a ring, the token of his unfailing love. -He placed it in her hands with a solemn benediction, when she bade him -farewell, preparatory to rejoining her husband at Brussels. - -Hardyng, in his 'Chronicles,' relates a pretty story of Oswald, King of -Northumberland (seventh century), and Kineburg, his consort. A hermit, of -extraordinary sanctity, desirous of ascertaining whether any person -surpassed himself in purity of life, was, in answer to his meditation, -told by revelation 'that King Oswald was more holy, though he had wedded a -wife.' The pious hermit accordingly repaired to the king, with holy zeal, -to be informed concerning his course of life. On which Oswald, in the true -spirit of that love and confidence which reposed on the purity and virtue -of his beloved wife, referred the hermit to her, _bidding him carry to her -his ring_, with his command that she should entertain him (the hermit) as -though he were her own royal spouse. The Queen, who had the greatest -veneration for her husband, failed not to obey his instructions, but, -while she shared with the holy man the regal repast, showed him that it -consisted only of bread and water, no other food being permitted to him; -thus exhibiting an example of that self-denial by which purity of life is -alone attainable. When night came, the hermit was more surprised than ever -when the queen ordered him to be put into a cold-water bath, according to -the custom of the King whom he wished to imitate. Gladly, and yet right -early in the morning, did the venerable man take leave of the queen; and, -having restored to King Oswald his ring, frankly acknowledged that his -whole entire life was not so holy as one of the King's days and nights. I -must observe, however, that, with this rigid observance of sobriety and -virtue, King Oswald is the first prince of our Saxon rulers who is -recorded to have been served in silver dishes. We can easily understand a -hermit's repugnance to bathing of any kind. - -Some other instances of rings as tokens are related by mediaeval -historians. We are told by Matthew Paris that Pope Innocent, desiring to -gain King John over to favour his plans, and knowing that he was covetous, -and a diligent seeker after costly jewels, sent him four gold rings -adorned with precious stones, in token that the rotundity of the rings -signified eternity; 'therefore your royal discretion may be led by the -form of them to pray for a passage from earthly to heavenly, from temporal -to eternal things. The number of four, which is a square number, denotes -the firmness of mind which is neither depressed in adversity nor elated in -prosperity; which will then be fulfilled, when it is based on the four -principal virtues, namely--justice, fortitude, prudence, and virtue.... -Moreover, the greenness of the emerald denotes faith; the clearness of the -sapphire, hope; the redness of the pomegranate denotes charity, and the -purity of the topaz, good works.... In the emerald, therefore, you have -what to believe; in the sapphire, what to hope for; in the pomegranate, -what to love; and in the topaz, what to practise; that you ascend from one -virtue to another, until you see the Lord in Zion.' - -Henry the Fourth, Emperor of Germany, was cruelly treated by his son, who -conspired against him, and forced him to abdicate the throne. The degraded -emperor is said to have been reduced by famine to such extremities that he -ate the leather of his boots for hunger. He sent his ring and sword as his -last token of forgiveness to his rebel son, with the simple and touching -message: 'If thou hadst left me more, I would have sent more to thee.' - -Thomas Chester, a writer for the minstrels in the reign of Henry the -Sixth, and who is stated to have translated the 'Erle of Tolouse,' a -metrical romance, relates that an Earl of this house, disguised in -pilgrim's weeds, asked alms of the empress, consort of Diocletian, Emperor -of Germany, to whom his secret is known, and who gives him forty florins -and a ring. He receives the latter present with the greatest satisfaction, -and, although obliged to return home, comforts himself with this -reflection:-- - - Well is me I have thy grace - Of the to hav thys thyng, - If ever I hav grace of the - That any love between us be - This may be a tokenyng. - -The empress, on the false accusation of two knights, is thrown into -prison. The Earl of Toulouse, disguised as a monk, obtains permission to -act as her confessor; the empress, not knowing him in his present -disguise, confesses that she once gave a ring to the 'Erle.' On this he -challenges the two knights, and, of course, overcomes them in combat. On -the death of the emperor he marries the empress. - -This story reminds us of the lines in 'Marmion,' by Sir Walter Scott:-- - - The fair Queen of France - Sent him a turquoise ring and glove, - And charged him as her knight and love - For her to break a lance: - -a fatal gift, as Flodden Field proved.[65] - -In the 'Lays' of Marie, the Princess Guilliadun, having fallen in love -with Sir Eliduc, sends him as tokens a ring and a rich girdle. - -In the 'Lyfe of Ipomydon,' the manuscript of which is in the Harleian -Collection at the British Museum, the queen gives her son a ring-token:-- - - It befell upon a day, - The queen to her son gan say, - In privitie and in counsail, - 'Thou hast a brother withouten fail, - Privily gotten me upon, - Ere I was wedded to any mon. - But hastily he was done fro me, - I ne wot if he alive be, - And he me sent, this ender (last) year, - A rich ring of gold full clear; - An ever he any brother had, - That I should give it him, he bade; - That where he come, among high or low, - By that ring he should him know. - Than take this ring, my son, of me: - In what country that he be, - Who that knoweth this ilke ring, - He is thy brother without lesing.' - -Ipomydon accepts the ring, and promises to spare no pains in searching for -its original proprietor, who, after various adventures, is found in the -person of Sir Campanys, with whom he has an encounter, during which the -latter discovers his mother's ring on the finger of Ipomydon. - -In the romance of 'Sir Isumbras,' when he and his wife and child are taken -prisoners by the 'Soudan,' the lady, before her separation from her -husband and child-- - - ------callyd hir lorde to hir agayne, - A rynge was thaire takynnynge. - -The mother of Sir Perceval of Galles gives him a ring-token:-- - - His moder gaffe hym a ryng, - And bad he solde agayne it bryng; - 'Sonne, this salle be oure takynnynge, - For here I salle the byde.' - -The knight sets forth on his travels, and soon changes the ring for -another:-- - - Thofe he were of no pryde - Forthirmore ganne he glyde - Tille a chambir ther besyde, - Moo sellys to see; - Riche clothes faude he sprede - A lady slepuned on a bedde - He said, 'forsothe a tokyne to wedde - Salle thou lefe with mee;' - Ther he kyste that swete thynge, - Of hir fynger he tuke a rynge, - His aweune moder takynnynge - He lefte with that fre. - -In the very pretty poem of 'Lay le Fraine,' by Marie, the lady of a -knight, 'a proud dame and malicious,' having twins, consigns the charge of -one of them to a confidential servant, to be taken away and left to the -mercy of anyone who might find it. At the same time, that the child might -be known to have been born of noble parents, she took a rich mantle lined -with fur-- - - And lapped the little maiden therein, - And took a ring of gold fine, - And on her right arm it knit - With a lace of silk in plit. - -The child is placed in a hollow ash-tree, near a nunnery, by the maid, and -on being discovered by the porter is taken to the abbess, by whom she is -reared and becomes an accomplished and beautiful maiden. A rich knight -falls in love with her and persuades her to live with him in his castle, -to which she repairs, and - - With her took she no thing - But her pel, and her ring. - -The lord, however, is induced to marry her sister, taking Le Fraine with -him to the wedding, who places on her bed in her room the magnificent -'pel,' or mantle, by which and the ring she is discovered by her mother. - -In the romance of the 'Seven Wise Masters' (Cotton MSS.) is a story, 'The -Two Dreams,' in which a ring displays a prominent feature. - -In the ballad of the 'Lass of Lochroyan' ('Minstrelsy of the Scottish -Border') Lord Gregory says:-- - - 'Gin thou be Annie of Lochroyan - (As I trow thou binna she), - Now tell me some of the love-token - That passed between thee and me. - - 'O dinna ye mind, Lord Gregory, - As we sat at the wine, - We changed the rings from our fingers, - And I can show thee thine? - - 'O yours was gude and gude enough, - But aye the best was mine; - For yours was of the gude red gowd, - But mine o' the diamond fine.' - -In the ballad of 'Cospatrick' (the designation of the Earl of Dunbar in -the days of Wallace and Bruce) we have:-- - - 'He gae to me a gay gowd ring, - And bade me keep it abune a' thing.' - - 'And what did you wi' the gay gowd ring - I bade you keep abune a' thing?' - - 'I gae them to a ladye gay - I met in greenwood on a day.' - -In the ballad of 'Prince Robert,' - - Prince Robert has wedded a gay ladye - He has wedded her with a ring, - Prince Robert has wedded a gay ladye, - But he darna bring her hame. - -The Prince is poisoned, and his lady-love arrives just after the funeral, -and is told:-- - - 'Ye'se get nane o' his gowd, ye'se get nane o' his gear, - Ye'se get nothing frae me. - Ye'se no get an inch o' his good braid land, - Though your heart suld burst in three.' - - 'I want nane o' his gowd, I want nane o' his gear, - I want nae land frae thee: - But I'll hae the rings that's on his finger, - For them he did promise to me.' - - 'Ye'se no get the rings that's on his finger, - Ye'se no get them frae me; - Ye'se no get the rings that's on his finger, - An your heart suld burst in three.' - -In the ballad of 'Broomfield Hill' a witch-woman says to 'a lady bright:' - - Take ye the rings off your fingers, - Put them on his right hand, - To let him know when he doth wake, - His love was at his command. - -The Child of Elle receives from the page of his lady-love, the 'fayre -Emmeline,' some tokens of her affection to him in her 'woe-begone' -state:-- - - And here she sends thee a ring of golde, - The last boone thou mayst have, - And biddes thee weare it for her sake, - When she is layde in grave. - -The famous Guy, Earl of Warwick, after marvellous adventures abroad, -returns to his own country, and becomes a hermit at Guy's Cliff, near -Warwick Castle. Falling sick, he sends a ring-token to the fair Felice. He -came to his rocky dwelling, - - Like pilgrim poore, and was not knowne; - And there I lived a hermit's life, - A mile and more out of the towne, - And dayle came to beg my bread - Of Pheliss, att my castle-gate, - Not known unto my loved wiffe, - Who dayle mourned for her mate: - Till, at the last, I fell sore sicke, - Yea, sicke soe sore that I must dye; - I sent to her a ringe of golde, - By which she knew me presentlye. - -In the romance of 'Floire and Blanceflor,' the young hero, on his way to -Babylon, arrives at a bridge, the keeper of which has a brother in the -city, to whose hospitality he wishes to recommend Floire, and for that -purpose he gives him his ring. 'Take this ring to him,' he says, 'and tell -him from me to receive you in his best manner.' The message was attended -with complete success. - -King John is said to have made use of a ring to aid his criminal designs -upon the beautiful wife of the brave Eustace de Vesci, one of the -twenty-five barons appointed to enforce the observance of Magna Charta. -The tyrant, hearing that Eustace de Vesci had a very beautiful wife, but -far distant from court, and studying how to accomplish his licentious -designs towards her, sitting at table with her husband and seeing a ring -on his finger, he laid hold of it and told him that he had such another -stone, which he resolved to set in gold in that very form. And having thus -got the ring, he presently sent it to her in her husband's name; by that -token conjuring her, if ever she expected to see him alive, to come -speedily to him. She, therefore, upon sight of the ring, gave credit to -the messenger and came with all expedition. But it so happened that her -husband, casually riding out, met her on the road, and, marvelling much to -see her there, asked what the matter was; and when he understood how they -were both deluded he resolved to find a wanton, and put her in apparel to -personate his lady. - -The King afterwards boasting to the injured husband himself, Eustace had -the pleasure to undeceive him. - -When Richard III. brings his rapid wooing to a conclusion he gives the -Lady Anne a ring, saying:-- - - Look, how this ring encompasseth thy finger, - Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart; - Wear both of them, for both of them are thine. - -Passionate words, but too noble for a man both faithless and cruel. - -Margaret, eldest daughter of Henry VII., married to James IV. of Scotland, -when requiring money, sent to her royal husband, not only letters, but a -token, as is seen in the Treasurer's accounts: 'June 30 (1504): Given to -the Queen to give away, when she sent Master Livesay, Englishman, with a -ring in token--18_s._' So we have later: 'Luke of the wardrobe carried -letters, with a ring, to Stirling to the Queen's grace.' - -In 1515, while under the tyranny of the Duke of Albany at Edinburgh, -Margaret endeavoured to escape to Blackater, a fortress within a few miles -of Berwick. She sent a faithful clerk, Robin Carr, to Lord Dacre, who had -proposed her flight, and a ring was to be Carr's credential to King Henry -the Eighth, whom he was to see afterwards. The King, however, did not -recognise the token, though it was one that his sister had worn in her -girlish days. - -In 'Cymbeline' (act i. sc. ii.) Imogen gives Posthumus a ring when they -part, and he gives her a bracelet in exchange:-- - - '------Look here, love; - This diamond was my mother's; take it, heart; - But keep it till you woo another wife, - When Imogen is dead.' - _Posthumus._--'How! how! another? - You gentle gods give me but this I have, - And sear up my embracements from a next - With bonds of death! Remain thou here, - (_Putting on the ring_) - While sense can keep it on.' - -Yet he afterwards gives it up to Iachimo--upon a false representation, -however--to test his wife's honour:-- - - ------Here, take this too; - It is a basilisk unto my eye, - Kills me to look on't. - -A diamond ring was sent by Henry the Eighth in 1542 to Sir Arthur -Plantagenet (Lord Lisle, natural son of Edward the Fourth) in token of -forgiveness, and accompanying an order for his release from the Tower, but -the unfortunate prisoner, in his excess of joy, died. - -In Shakspeare's 'Henry the Eighth' (Act v. sc. i.) a ring is delivered by -the King to Cranmer, in token of royal confidence and esteem:-- - - Be of good cheer, - They shall no more prevail than we give way to. - Keep comfort to you; and this morning see - You do appear before them; if they shall chance, - In charging you with matters, to commit you, - The best persuasions to the contrary - Fail not to use, and with what vehemency - The occasion shall instruct you: if entreaties - Will render you no remedy, _this ring_ - _Deliver them_, and your appeal to us - There make before them. - -The sequel of this incident is related in Foxe's 'Acts and Monuments of -the Christian Martyrs,' printed in 1563:--'Anon the Archbishop was called -into the council-chamber, to whom was alleged as before is rehearsed. The -Archbishop answered in like sort as the King had advised him; and in the -end, when he perceived that no manner of persuasion or entreaty could -serve, he delivered them the King's ring, revoking his cause into the -King's hands. The whole council being thereat somewhat amazed, the Earl of -Bedford, with a loud voice, confirming his words with a solemn oath, said: -"When you first began the matter, my Lords, I told you what would become -of it. Do you think the King would suffer this man's finger to ache? Much -more, I warrant you, will he defend his life against brabling varlets. You -do but cumber yourselves to hear tales and fables against him." And, -incontinently, upon the receipt of the _King's token_, they all rose, and -carried to the King his ring, surrendering that matter, as the order and -use was, into his own hands.' - -By the same capricious monarch a turquoise ring was sent to Cardinal -Wolsey, in his last troubles at Esher, by Sir John Russel, as a 'token' -from His Majesty, with the assurance that 'he loved him as well as ever he -did, and was sorry for his trouble.' On hearing subsequently from Dr. -Buttes of the serious illness of his discarded favourite, he sent a -valuable ring to him, and Mistress Anne Boleyn, then at the King's side, -at her royal lover's request, took a gold tablet from her girdle, and gave -it with a speech expressing sympathy and commendation--false gifts and -hollow words! - -In after years, when a deputation was sent by the council of King Edward -the Sixth to reduce the recusant Princess Mary to conformity with the -Protestant religion, she, on her knees, delivered _a ring as a token_ to -the King, saying 'she would die his true subject and sister, and obey him -in all things, except in matters of religion.' - -When, as Queen, Mary lay on her deathbed, King Philip, her husband, who -did not revisit England after his return to Spain, sent a message and a -_ring-token_ to his consort, a ruby set in gold, which she bequeathed to -him among other jewels. - -One of the most interesting episodes of ring-tokens is that which Queen -Elizabeth is said to have given to the Earl of Essex 'in token of esteem,' -with the intimation that if ever he forfeited her favour, and it should be -sent back to her, the sight of it would ensure his forgiveness. The chief -authorities for the story appear to be the 'Relation of M. Aubrey de -Maurier,' printed in 1688, and the account given at the same period by -Lady Elizabeth Spelman. The particulars of this occurrence are related in -the memoirs of Robert Carey. When Essex lay under sentence of death, he -determined to try the virtue of the Queen's ring by sending it to her and -claiming the benefit of her promise. Knowing, however, that he was -surrounded by the creatures of those who were bent on taking his life, he -was fearful of trusting to any of his attendants. At length, looking out -of his window, he saw, early one morning, a boy whose countenance pleased -him, and he induced him by a bribe to carry the ring, which he threw down -from above, to the Lady Scroop, his cousin, who had taken so friendly an -interest in his fate. The boy, by mistake, took the ring to the Countess -of Nottingham, the cruel sister of the fair and gentle Scroop, and, as -both these ladies belonged to the royal bed-chamber, the mistake might -easily occur. The Countess carried the ring to the Lord Admiral, who was a -deadly foe of Essex, and told him the message, but he bade her suppress -both. The Queen, unconscious of the incident, waited in the painful -suspense of an angry lover for the expected token to arrive, but, not -receiving it, she concluded that he was too proud to make the last appeal -to her tenderness, and, after having once revoked the warrant, she ordered -the execution to take place. - -The romantic story of the Queen visiting the Countess of Nottingham, who -had kept back the ring; of her shaking her on her death-bed, and crying -out bitterly 'that God might forgive, but she could not,' is somewhat -credited as documents come to light. In Birch's 'Memoirs of the Peers of -England during the Reign of James the First,' this story is given, as -having been repeatedly told by Lady Elizabeth Spelman, great-granddaughter -of Sir Robert Carey. The Queen is said to have been so hurt by this -revelation of Lady Nottingham that she never went to bed, nor took any -sustenance from that period. 'In confirmation of the time of the -Countess's death,' says Birch, 'it appears from the parish register of -Chelsea that she died at Arundel House, London, February 25, and was -buried the 28th, 1603. Her funeral was kept at Chelsea, March 21st -following, and Queen Elizabeth died three days afterwards.' - -The celebrated ring on which the life of the Earl of Essex is thus said to -have depended has been claimed by various persons. In 'Old England' (vol. -ii. p. 74) a story is told that when, in 1564, Mary, Queen of Scots, -married Darnley, she sent to her fair cousin of England a diamond-ring in -the form of a heart, in token of the event and her own affection. The ring -was accompanied by some Latin verses by Buchanan, thus translated:-- - - This gem behold, the emblem of my heart, - From which my cousin's image ne'er shall part; - Clear in its lustre, spotless does it shine, - 'Tis clear and spotless as this heart of mine. - What though the stone a greater hardness wears, - Superior firmness still the figure bears. - -'According' (observes the editor of 'Old England') 'to information which -has been communicated to us, with an implicit faith on the part of our -informants, that was the ring presented by Elizabeth to Essex, as being -the most precious it was in her power to give him.' - -Another account says that Mr. Thomas Penning, of the Exchequer, had, in -1781, a purse and ring by bequest from Mr. Sotheby, whose sister he -married, and who was related to the late Mrs. Cooke, by long succession -and inheritance from Sir Anthony Cooke, of Giddy Hall, Essex, preceptor of -Edward the Sixth, and to whose family, according to tradition, these -precious objects were given by Queen Elizabeth. The ring was of gold, with -the Queen's bust in bas-relief on a garnet, dressed as in her sixpenny and -threepenny pieces of 1574, with the same features round it in the garter -with the motto, and fastened with a buckle composed of two diamonds, and -the strap turned by another. Over the bust was the crown, composed of -twelve diamonds, and on each side the collet three diamonds. On the inner -surface, immediately under the bust, was the union rose. - -[Illustration: The 'Devereux' Ring.] - -Perhaps the strongest claim to the possession of the real ring of Essex is -that which was exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries, March 1858, by the -Rev. Lord John Thynne. It is of gold, slightly made, and ornamented on the -inside with blue enamel. On the face is set a cameo cut in sardonyx, -representing Queen Elizabeth in a high ruff. The workmanship is good, and -shows considerable skill in the adaptation of the layers of the stone to -the details of the dress. It seems to have been originally made for a very -small finger, and to have been subsequently enlarged. The ring is said to -have been the property of Lady Frances Devereux, daughter of the Earl of -Essex, and afterwards Duchess of Somerset, and to have passed from mother -to daughter until it came to Louisa, daughter of John, Earl of Granville, -who married Thomas Thynne, second Viscount Weymouth, great-grandfather of -the present owner. It has been stated by Captain Devereux that no mention -of the ring in question is made in the elaborate will of the Duchess of -Somerset. She may, however, have given it to her daughter in her lifetime. -The ring appears to have been made for a female finger, and as it is not -very likely that the Queen would have worn her own portrait in a ring, it -is more probable that this ring was intended for one of the ladies of her -court, and it may have been enlarged for some subsequent owner. It is -undoubtedly a remarkable work of art of the period of Elizabeth. - -It may be noticed that the Hon. Captain Devereux, in his 'Lives and -Letters of the Devereux, Earls of Essex,' seems to believe in the story of -the ring, but the evidence he adduces is not sufficient to justify his -faith. - -Another ring, which is in the possession of C. W. Warner, Esq. (and is, -together with that noticed, engraved in the 'Lives and Letters of the -Devereux, Earls of Essex'), sets forth a rival claim to be the identical -ring given to Essex, of which, however, it shows no internal evidence, -being a slight ring, without any device, and has an enamelled hoop, set -with a pear-shaped diamond. - -In 'Manningham's Diary,' 1602-1603 (Camden Society), is the following -entry: 'Dr. Parry told me the Countess Kildare assured him that the -Queene caused the ring wherewith shee was wedded to the crowne to be cutt -from hir finger, some six weekes before her death, but wore a ring which -the Earl of Essex gave her unto the day of hir death.'[66] - -The interchange of rings as royal tokens between Queen Elizabeth and Mary, -Queen of Scots, was frequent; whether genuine in the feelings that -prompted their transmission (at least, as regards the former) may be -questioned. On the baptism of the son of the Scottish Queen (afterwards -James the Sixth) we are informed that the Duke of Bedford, besides a gold -font, the present of Queen Elizabeth, sent 'ane ring with ane stane to be -delivered to the said woman who should occupy the place of the Queen's -Grace of England at the said baptism.' Mary is mentioned by the English -ambassador to the Scottish court as wearing, on the celebration of Twelfth -Day in 1562, no jewels or gold, but a ring sent to her by Elizabeth. It -may have been that which, a prisoner at Lochleven Castle, she wished to -obtain from the royal jewels which had been kept back from her by the Earl -of Moray.[67] It had been sent to her as a token of friendship, and the -promise that if it were returned to the donor in any period of misfortune -she would do her best to assist her. - -Miss Strickland informs us that Mary, in a letter to Elizabeth, though -unable, as she mentions, to send back the ring, reminds Elizabeth of her -promise. This interesting letter is still preserved at Hatfield House. 'It -will please you to remember,' she writes, 'you have told me several times -that on receiving the ring you gave me you would assist me in my time of -trouble. You know that Moray has seized all that I have, and those who had -the keeping of some of these things have been ordered not to deliver any -of them to me. Robert Melville, at any rate, to whom I have secretly sent -for this ring, as my most precious jewel, says "he dare not let me have -it." Therefore I implore you, on receiving this letter, to have compassion -on your good sister and cousin, and believe that you have not a more -affectionate relative in the world,' etc. etc., 'dated from my prison this -1st of May' (1568). - -On the escape of Mary from her 'prison,' Sir Robert Melville, anticipating -a counter-revolution from the general feeling in favour of the Queen, was -one of the first who came to her at Hamilton Castle to renew his homage, -bringing with him as a peace-offering the precious ring so often demanded -in vain. - -'On leaving Scotland,' says Miss Strickland, 'after her fatal resolution -of throwing herself on the protection of Queen Elizabeth, Mary sent the -ring as an _avant-courier_, with a letter. This romantic toy, which she -regarded in the same light as one of the fairy talismans in eastern love, -was actually the lure which tempted her in this desperate crisis of her -fortunes to enter England, under the fond idea that its donor could not -refuse to keep her promise. She concludes an affecting letter to Queen -Elizabeth (dated from Dundrennan) thus: "To remind you of the reasons I -have to depend on England, _I send back to the Queen the token of her -promised friendship and assistance_."' - -This memorable ring is described by Aubrey, to have been a delicate piece -of mechanism, consisting of several joints, which, when united, formed the -quaint device of two right hands supporting a heart between them. This -heart was composed of two separate diamonds, held together by a central -spring, which, when opened, would allow either of the hearts to be -detached. - -'Queen Elizabeth,' says Aubrey, 'kept one moietie, and sent the other as a -"token" of her constant friendship to Mary, Queen of Scots, but she cut -off her head for all that.' - -[Illustration: Essex ring (?).] - -The circumstance of the ring is further verified beyond dispute by Mary -herself, in a subsequent letter to Elizabeth, in which she bitterly -reproaches her with her perfidious conduct. 'After I escaped from -Lochleven,' she says, 'and was nearly taken in battle by my rebellious -subjects, I sent you by a trusty messenger the diamond you had given me as -a token of affection and demanded your assistance. I believed that the -jewel I received as a pledge of your friendship would remind you that when -you gave it me I was not only flattered with great promise of assistance -from you, but you bound yourself on your royal word to advance over the -border to my succour, and to come in person to meet me, and that if I -made the journey into your realm that I might confide in your honour.' -Elizabeth, as is well known, took no notice either of the pledge or -allusions to her former professions. - -The illustration on the preceding page represents the ring mentioned (p. -339) as the property of the Warner family. Sir Thomas Warner, to whom it -was presented by James the First, placed it on his shield of arms, with -the motto, 'I hold from the King.' - -During the Duke of Norfolk's imprisonment in the Tower he sent two diamond -rings, as _love-tokens_ to Mary, Queen of Scots, while she was at -Coventry. - -In the metrical chronicle of the 'Life of Sir Nicholas Throgmorton' we -find that when Elizabeth heard rumours of the death of her sister, Queen -Mary, to be really sure, she sent Sir Nicholas Throgmorton to the palace -to request one of the ladies of the bed-chamber, who was in her -confidence, 'if the queen were really dead, to send her as a _token_ the -black enamelled ring which Her Majesty wore night and day':-- - - She said (since nought exceedeth woman's fears, - Who still do dread some baits of subtlety): - 'Sir Nicholas, know a ring my sister wears - Enamell'd black--a pledge of loyalty-- - The which the King of Spain in spousals gave. - If aught fall out amiss, 'tis that I crave. - - 'But hark! ope not your lips to anyone - In hope us to obtain of courtesy, - Unless you know my sister first be gone, - For grudging minds will still coyne (coin) treachery. - So shall thyself be safe, and us be sure. - Who takes no hurt shall need no care of cure.' - -Elizabeth's meaning seems to have been that the ring should not be sought -for until Mary's death. - -A ring 'token' was also the announcement of Queen Elizabeth's death. Lady -Scroope, it seems, gave the first intelligence of the event by dropping -from the window of the palace a sapphire ring to her brother, Sir Robert -Carey, who was lurking beneath the chamber of death at Richmond. He -departed with this ring at his utmost speed to announce the tidings to the -Scottish monarch. - -The sapphire in this ring is in the possession of the Countess of Cork, -and was exhibited at the Loan Exhibition of Jewellery at South Kensington -in 1872. A statement in the catalogue records the incident related. The -ring is mentioned in Robertson's 'History of Scotland' and Banks' 'Peerage -Books.' It was afterwards given to John, Earl of Orrery, by the Duchess of -Buckingham, natural daughter of James the Second. - -I may here remark that Camden relates a romantic incident, that while -Queen Elizabeth was celebrating the anniversary of her coronation, Henry -of Anjou, one of her royal suitors, in a fit of gallantry, took from her -finger a ring in token of betrothal, and put it on his own in presence of -the Court; but as this story is entirely refuted by history I forbear the -details. - -An incident in connection with ring-tokens is related in the life of that -distinguished knight and courtier, Sir John Perrot, which has additional -interest from having formed the subject of a poem by the late Mrs. Maclean -('L. E. L.'). The ballad, which appeared some years ago in one of the -'annuals,' is so charming and characteristic that I have ventured to -reproduce it:-- - - The evening tide is on the turn; so calm the waters flow, - There seems to be one heav'n above, another heav'n below; - The blue skies broken by white clouds, the river by white foam, - The stars reflect themselves, and seem to have another home. - - A shade upon the elements; 'tis of a gallant bark, - Her stately sides fling on the waves an outline dim and dark; - The difference this by things of earth, and things of heav'n made, - The things of heav'n are trac'd in light, and those of earth in shade. - - Wrapt in his cloak a noble knight stept to and fro that deck, - Revolving all those gentler thoughts the busier day-hours check; - A thousand sad, sweet influences in truth and beauty lie - Within the quiet atmosphere of a lone starry sky. - - A shower of glittering sparkles fell from off the dashing oar, - As a little boat shot rapidly from an old oak on shore; - His eye and pulse grew quick, the knight's, his heart kept no true time - In his unsteady breathing, with the light oar's measur'd chime. - - 'Thou hast loiter'd--so, in sooth, should I--thy errand be thy plea, - And now, what of my lady bright, what guerdon sent she me? - Or sat she lonely in her bower, or lovely in the hall? - How look'd she when she took my gift? sir page, now tell me all.' - - 'I found her with a pallid cheek, and with a drooping head; - I left her, and the summer rose wears not a gladder red. - And she murmur'd something like the tones a lute has in its chords; - So very sweet the whisper was, I have forgot the words.' - - 'A health to thee, my lady love, a health in Spanish wine, - To-night I'll pledge no other health, I'll name no name but thine.' - The young page hid his laugh, then dropp'd in rev'rence on his knee: - 'In sooth, good master, that I think to-night may scarcely be. - - 'While kneeling at your lady's feet another dame passed by, - The lion in her haughty step, the eagle in her eye: - "And doth the good knight barter gems? God's truth, we'll do the same," - A pleasant meaning lit the smile that to her proud eyes came. - - 'She took the fairest of the gems upon her glittering hand, - With her own fingers fasten'd it upon a silken band, - And held it to the lamp, then said: "Like this stone's spotless flame - So tell your master that I hold his high and knightly fame."' - - Low on his bended knee the knight received that precious stone, - And bold and proud the spirit now that in his dark eyes shone: - 'Up from your sleep, my mariners, for ere the break of day, - And even now the stars are pale, I must be miles away.' - - The spray fell from the oars in showers, as in some fairy hall - They say in melting diamonds the charmed fountains fall; - And though, as set the weary stars, the darker grew the night, - Yet far behind the vessel left a track of silver light. - - They saw again that self-same shore which they that morn had pass'd, - On which they look'd as those who know such look may be the last-- - Then out he spoke, the helmsman old: 'I marvel we should go, - Just like a lady's messenger, on the same path to and fro.' - - 'And 'tis to see a lady's face this homeward task we ply. - I wot the proudest of us all were proud to catch her eye. - A royal gift our queen hath sent, and it were sore disgrace - If that I first put on her gem, and not before her face!' - - On the terrace by the river-side there stood a gallant band, - The very flower of knight and dame were there of English land; - The morning wind toss'd ostrich plume, and stirr'd the silken train, - The morning light from gold and gem was mirror'd back again. - - There walk'd the Queen Elizabeth; you knew her from the rest - More by the royal step and eye than by the royal vest; - There flashed, though now the step was staid, the falcon eye was still, - The fiery blood of Lancaster, the haughty Tudor's will. - - A lady by the balustrade, a little way apart, - Lean'd languidly, indulging in the solitude of heart - Which is Love's empire tenanted by visions of his own-- - Such solitude is soon disturb'd, such visions soon are flown. - - Love's pleasant time is with her now, for she hath hope and faith, - Which think not what the lover doth, but what the lover saith. - Upon her hand there is a ring, within her heart a vow; - No voice is whispering at her side--what doth she blush for now? - - A noble galley valiantly comes on before the wind; - Her sails are dyed by the red sky she's leaving fast behind. - None other mark'd the ship that swept so eagerly along; - The lady knew the flag, and when hath lover's eye been wrong? - - The lonely lady watch'd; meantime went on the converse gay. - It was as if the spirits caught the freshness of the day. - 'Good omen such a morn as this,' her Grace of England said, - 'What progress down our noble Thames hath Sir John Perrot made?' - - Then spoke Sir Walter Raleigh, with a soft and silvery smile, - And an earnest gaze that seem'd to catch the Queen's least look the - while, - 'Methinks that ev'ry wind in heav'n will crowd his sails to fill, - For goeth he not forth to do his gracious Sovereign's will?' - - With that the bark came bounding up, then staid her in her flight; - And right beneath the terrace she moor'd her in their sight. - 'Now, by my troth,' exclaimed the Queen, 'it is our captain's bark. - What brings the loiterer back again?'--her eye and brow grew dark. - - 'Fair Queen,' replied a voice below, 'I pay a vow of mine, - And never yet was voyage delayed by worship at a shrine.' - He took the jewel in his hand, and bent him on his knee, - Then flung the scarf around his neck, where all the gem might see. - - His white plumes swept the very deck, yet once he glanc'd above; - The courtesy was for the Queen, the glance was for his love. - 'Now fare-thee-well,' then said the Queen, 'for thou art a true knight.' - But even as she spoke the ship was flitting from the sight. - - Woe to the Spaniards and their gold amid the Indian seas, - When rolled the thunder of that deck upon the southern breeze, - For bravely Sir John Perrot bore our flag across the main, - And England's bells for victory rang when he came home again. - -In the will of Thomas Sackville, Duke of Dorset (Lord High Treasurer in -the times of Elizabeth and James I.), given in Collins's 'Baronage,' is a -mention of a token ring. It is described as 'of gold and enamelled black, -and set round with diamonds to the number of twenty; whereof, five, being -placed in the upper part of the said ring, do represent the fashion of a -cross.' It is further mentioned as to be a heirloom. 'And to the intent -that they may knowe howe just and great cause bothe they and I have to -hould the sayed Rynge, with twentie Diamonds, in so highe esteeme, yt is -most requisite that I doe here set downe the whole course and -circumstance, howe and from whome the same rynge did come to my -possession, which was thus: In the Begynning of the monethe of June, one -thousand sixe hundred and seaven, this rynge thus set with twenty -Diamonds, as is aforesayed, was sent unto me from my most gracious -soveraigne, King James, by that honourable personage, the Lord Haye, one -of the gentlemen of His Highnes Bedchamber, the Courte then beying at -Whitehall in London, and I at that tyme remayning at Horsley House in -Surrey, twentie myles from London, where I laye in suche extremetye of -sickness as yt was a common and a constant reporte all over London that I -was dead, and the same confidentlie affirmed even unto the Kinge's Highnes -himselfe; upon which occasion it pleased his most excellent majestie, in -token of his gracious goodness and great favour towards me, to send the -saied Lord Hay with the saied Ringe, and this Royal message unto me, -namelie, that his Highness wished a speedie and a perfect recoverye of my -healthe, with all happie and good successe unto me, and that I might live -as long as the diamondes of that Rynge (which therewithall he delivered -unto me) did endure, and in token thereof, required me to weare yt and -keepe yt for his sake.' - -Among other token rings, under affecting circumstances, I may also mention -those given on the eve of his execution (1651) by James Stanley, Earl of -Derby, Governor of the Isle of Man--'a man,' observes Lodge, 'of great -honour and clear courage.' A minute narrative of the circumstances of his -final hours was penned with touching simplicity by a Mr. Bagaley, one of -his gentlemen, who was allowed to attend him to the last, and the -manuscript has been carefully preserved in the family. A transcript of the -most part of it may be found in Collins's 'Peerage.' He wrote letters to -his wife, daughter, and sons, and sent a servant to purchase all the rings -he could get. These were wrapped in separate papers, and Bagaley, under -the Earl's instructions, directed them to his children and servants, and -the unfortunate nobleman said: 'As to them I can say nothing; silence and -your own looks will best tell your message.' - -Rings, as 'tokens,' or pledges, for the repayment of loans were made for -Queen Henrietta Maria, the consort of Charles the First, while she was in -Holland, endeavouring to raise money and troops for her unfortunate -husband. To such as gave her pecuniary assistance she was accustomed to -show her gratitude by the gift of a ring, or some other trinket from her -own cabinet; but when the increasing exigencies of the King's affairs -compelled her to sell or pawn in Holland the whole of her plate and most -of her jewels for his use, she adopted an ingenious device by which she -was enabled, at a small expense, to continue her gifts to her friends, and -in a form that rendered them more precious to the recipient parties, -because they had immediate reference to herself. She had a great many -rings, lockets, and bracelet clasps made with her cipher, the letters 'H. -M. R.,' Henrietta Maria Regina, in very delicate filagree of gold, -entwined in a monogram, laid on a ground of crimson velvet, covered with -thick crystal, cut like a table-diamond and set in gold. These were called -the King's pledges, or 'tokens,' and presented by her to any person who -had lent her money, or had rendered her any particular service, with an -understanding that if presented to Her Majesty at any future time, when -fortune smiled on the royal cause, it would command, either repayment of -the money advanced, or some favour from the Queen as an equivalent. - -'Many of these interesting testimonials are still in existence' (observes -Miss Strickland), 'and, in families where the tradition has been -forgotten, have been regarded as amulets which were to secure good -fortune to the wearer.' One of these royal pledges, Miss Strickland -informs us, has been preserved as an heirloom in her family, and there is -a ring with the same device, in possession of Philip Darrell, Esq., of -Cales Hill, Kent, which was presented to his immediate ancestor by that -queen. - -It was in the reign of Charles the First that a fearful incident occurred -in Scotland (1630) at the Castle of Frendraught--a fire breaking out at -midnight in a sudden manner, 'yea, in ane clap,' says Spalding, involving -the whole of the inmates in destruction, excepting three persons. Viscount -Melgum, son of the Marquis of Huntly, only twenty-four years of age, who -was a guest of the Laird of Frendraught at the time, perished, leaving a -widow and child. A popular ballad of the day speaks of his being called on -to leap from the window:-- - - 'How can I leap, how can I win, - How can I leap to thee? - My head's fast in the wire-window, - My feet burning from me.' - He's ta'en the rings from aff his hands, - And thrown them o'er the wall; - Saying, 'Give them to my lady fair, - Where she sits in the hall.' - -A pledge or token ring of remarkable interest was exhibited by Mr. J. W. -Singer at the Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery, South -Kensington Museum, in 1872. This ring (of silver, set with a yellow topaz, -diamonds, and a small ruby of English manufacture) has been preserved in -the Penderell family, as that given by King Charles II. as a token of -gratitude for the fidelity which saved him in the oak-tree at Boscobel, -after the battle of Worcester. At the King's Restoration the five -brothers Penderell attended at Whitehall, 'when his Majesty was pleased -to own their faithful service, and graciously dismissed them with a -princely reward' ('Boscobel Tracts'). - -This ring now belongs to Mrs. Whiteby, of Beckington, Somerset, fifth in -descent from Penderell. A yearly pension of one hundred pounds for _ever_ -was conferred upon the family, a portion of which (forty pounds) is now -only received by a male relative. - -A ring-token, of sinister omen, is mentioned of the same monarch. This ill -bestowal of a ring from royalty is exemplified in the case of that hideous -judicial monster Jeffreys. With thorough want of judgment, Charles II., in -a fit of imprudency, habitual to him, gave the infamous judge a ring from -his own finger. This was popularly termed _Jeffreys's blood-stone_, as he -obtained it soon after the execution of Sir Thomas Armstrong. Roger North -says: 'The King was persuaded to present him with a ring, publicly taken -from his own finger, in token of his Majesty's acceptance of his most -eminent services; and this, by way of precursor, being blazoned in the -Gazette, his Lordship went down into the country as from the King, -_legatus a latere_.' And a mission of blood and brutality it was! - -A ring-token or present is mentioned in the 'True Remembrances' of Richard -Boyle, the great Earl of Cork, who says: 'When first I arrived in Ireland, -June 23, 1588, all my wealth then was twenty-seven pounds three shillings -in money, and two _tokens_ which my mother had given me, viz. a diamond -ring, which I have ever since and still do wear, and a bracelet of gold -worth about ten pounds.' - -Many other instances of ring-tokens might be mentioned, but the limits to -which this work is confined prevent me from enlarging on the subject. I -will merely allude as a memorable instance in modern times, to the -ring-token presented to George III. on his birthday in 1764 by his Queen. -It was a ring splendidly ornamented with brilliants, and contained an -enamel in which were the portraits, exquisitely represented, of their -children. - -I will conclude these notices of token rings with a very stirring ballad -by Mr. Planche, entitled 'The Three Rings':-- - - 'Good morrow, lovely lady! Is thy noble lord with thee?' - 'Sir knight, since to the wars he went, full moons have wasted three; - Three weary moons have wax'd and waned since he sail'd o'er the main, - And little wist I when these eyes shall see my lord again.' - - 'Forget him, lovely lady, as by him thou art forgot.' - 'Thou dost him wrong, sir knight; by him forgotten I am not: - I hold within my arms a pledge for his true love to me, - This new-born babe--his child and mine--which he hath yet to see.' - - 'Oh, let me be thy servant, lady--I will love thee dear--' - 'Sir knight, I am a wedded wife, such words I may not hear--' - 'None else can hear them, lady. What witnesses are nigh?' - 'This heart, which is Hernando's, and God who sits on high.' - - 'Sweet lady, yet a boon, upon my bended knee, I crave--' - 'Sir knight, if one which I can grant with honour, ask and have.' - 'Oh, give me these three golden rings that on thy fingers shine.' - 'Sir knight, with life alone I part with these three rings of mine!' - - 'Oh, lend them but a day--an hour--to wear them for thy sake--' - 'It may not be, such act my lord would proof of falsehood make.' - 'Enough, enough, unkind one! Then I may nought obtain?' - 'When thou would'st aught that I may grant, sir knight, demand again.' - - The knight hath mounted his steed and away--his love is changed to hate. - At the nearest town he lighted down before a goldsmith's gate: - He hath bought three rings of plain red gold, like those by Clara worn, - 'O bitterly thy slight of me, proud lady, shalt thou mourn!' - - He hath mounted again his coal-black barb before the break of day. - And who is he, the warrior bold, who meets him on the way? - It is the brave Hernando, who, the Soldan's city won, - Now pants to hold within his arms his wife and new-born son. - - 'What news? what news? thou noble knight; good friend, thy tidings tell-- - How fare my wife and infant child--say, are they safe and well?' - 'Thy wife is well, and eke the boy'--'Thy speech is brief and cold; - Clara is true?'--'For answer, look on these three rings of gold.' - - One instant, and his vizor's clos'd, his lance is in the rest-- - 'Defend thee now, thou felon knight! Foul shame be on thy crest!' - One charge--one shock. The traitor's corse is from the saddle cast, - Through plate, and chain, and gambeson, Hernando's spear hath pass'd. - - He buries in his courser's flank his bloody spears again; - Away! away! he scales the hill--he thunders o'er the plain! - 'Up, Clara, up!' her mother cries; 'Hernando comes! I see - The well-known blazon on his shield. 'Tis he, my child, 'tis he!' - - 'Oh, mother! rides he fast as one who to his true-love hies? - Canst see his face, dear mother? Looks joy from out his eyes?' - 'His helmet, child, is open, and he rideth fast enow, - But his cheek is pale, and bent, as if in anger, seems his brow.' - - The tramp of armed feet is heard upon the turret stair; - Forth springs to meet her lord's embrace that lady fond and fair. - By the silken locks, in which his hands have oft been fondly twined, - He hath seized and dragged her from her bower with jealous fury blind. - - He hath bound her at his horse's heels--nor shriek nor prayer he heeds; - O'er rugged rock, through bush and briar, the goaded courser speeds; - Her flesh is rent by every thorn, her blood stains every stone,-- - Now, Jesu sweet, have mercy! for her cruel lord hath none! - - And lo! the sharp edge of a flint hath shorn the cord in twain; - Down leaps the vengeful lord to make his victim fast again. - 'What have I done.? Before I die, my crime, Hernando, say?' - 'The golden rings I charged thee keep, thou false one, where are they?' - - 'Oh where, but on the hand which, with my heart, I gave to thee! - Draw off my glove--I cannot--for my strength is failing me!' - 'Oh curses on my frantic rage!--my wrong'd--my murder'd wife-- - Come forth, my sword! Then, Clara, shall life atone for life!' - - She staggered up, love gave her strength, the sword afar she hurl'd, - 'Thou know'st my innocence! Oh, live to prove it to the world! - Weep not for Clara--loved by thee, contented she expires! - Live for our child--the boy whose fame shall emulate his sire's!' - - 'Our child!--the child my fury hath made motherless to-day! - And when he for his mother asks--O God--what shall I say?' - 'Say that her name was Clara--that _thy_ love was her pride-- - That, blessing him and thee, she smiled, as in thy arms she died!' - -Mr. Planche has borrowed the subject of his admirable poem from a legend -still popular in Normandy. It is that of Marianson, the wife of a French -noble. An evil spirit instigates a false knight to borrow the three golden -token-rings of the lady during the absence of her lord. He takes them to a -jeweller, who is ordered to prepare three others exactly similar, and then -returns the lady her own rings. On his way he meets the husband, whose -wife he declares has been unfaithful, and in proof of his assertion he -shows the three surreptitious rings. The result of this is the fearful -death of Marianson, being tied to the tail of a wild horse, and torn to -pieces, and the after-discovery of the three rings in her drawer by the -jealous husband. - -A somewhat similar legend is related of the Lady of Toggenburg, who lived -in a castle near the Lake of Zurich. Her 'token' ring was stolen by a -crow, who dropped it in the park, where it was found by a young squire, -who placed it on his finger. The Count of Toggenburg, passing at the time, -saw the ring, and, inflamed by jealous fury, without asking any questions, -rushed into the castle, and hurled his wife from the battlements into the -lake. The young squire was torn to pieces by wild horses. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -MEMORIAL AND MORTUARY RINGS. - - -Bequests of rings are frequently mentioned in wills of the middle and -later ages. In the reign of Henry the Third, two rings were bequeathed to -that monarch by a bishop of Chichester, one adorned with an emerald, the -other with a ruby. These jewels were taken out and employed to decorate an -image of the Virgin at Westminster, and were placed on her forehead. - -In the will of Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford and Essex (1319), among -various bequests is 'un anel d'or avec un ruby qe ma femme me devisa, qe -ad tout pleni de coups, et est en un petit forcer en une graunte husche au -bout de la basse gardrobe' (the gold ring with a ruby which his wife -devised to him, and which is all covered with bruises, and is in a little -casket in a great box at the end of the lower wardrobe). This is probably -the same ring mentioned in an inventory of effects as an 'anel d'or ove j -Rubie.' - -Thomas de Hoton, rector of Kyrkebymisperton (1351), bequeathed to his -chaplain, amongst other objects, 'j annulum vertuosum.' Another is to -'Domine Thome de Bouthum.' These were supposed to possess some healing, or -talismanic properties, such rings being termed, in mediaeval Latin, -_vertuosus_. - -In the 'Bury Wills and Inventories' (Camden Society) are various bequests -of rings. Some of these entries are very curious. John Baret (1463) leaves -to 'Elizabet Drury, my wyf, a ryng of gold with an ymage of the Trinitie.' -To Dame Margarete Spurdaunce 'a doubyl ryng departyed of gold, with a ruby -and a turkeys, with a scripture wrety with jnne, for a rememberaunce of -oold love vertuously set at all times to the pleseer of God.' To his -nephew, Thomas Drury, 'my best ryng of gold next my signet, therein is -wretyn _Grace me governe_, with letteris of I and B, accordyng to my name -innamelid.' To his niece Katerine, 'for a tookne of rememberaunce, a gold -ryng, wretyn with jnne the gold ryng, _In noi e Ih'u signo me signo tab_.' -To William Clopton, 'the jemews and the rynges of sylvir, therin wretyn -_Grace me governe_, for a tookne he vowchesaf in tyme comyng to shewe his -good maistershepe to my wil.' To 'Thomais Brews, esquiyer, my crampe ryng, -with blak innamel and a part sylvir and gilt.' - -Anne of Cleves, who survived Henry VIII., left by her will several -mourning-rings of various values for distribution among her friends and -dependents. - -In the 'Wills from Doctors' Commons, 1495 to 1695' (Camden Society), -Cecily, Duchess of York (1495), gives to John Metcalfe and Alice his wife -'all the ringes that I have, except such as hang by my bedes and Agnus, -and also except my signet.' - -Anne Barett (1504) bequeaths to Our Lady of Walsingham 'my maryeng ryng, -with all thyngys hangyng theron.' - -Agnes Hals (1554) leaves to her son 'a rynge with the Passion of gold,' -and to her niece 'my ringe with the wepinge eie;' to another son 'my rynge -with the dead manes head.' - -Jasper Despotin, M.D. (1648), wills and appoints 'ten rings of gold to be -made of the value of twenty shillings a peece sterling, with a death's -head vpon some of them, within one moneth after my depture, and to be -disposed of amongst my friends as my executrices shall thinke meet.' To -Mr. Gibbon, 'fortie shillings sterling to buy him a ring for a memoriall -of me.' - -Lady Anne Drury (1621) bequeaths 'tenne pounds a peece to all my brothers -to buy them ringes, and twentie pounds to be bestowed in ringes of tenne -shillinges amongest my freinds whom they shall thinke fitte.' - -Edmund Lee (1535) mentions in his will 'my ij wrethed rynge of gold, whych -I ware on my thombe;' also 'my gold ryng wt a turkes, and a crampe ryng of -gold wt all.' - -Dame Maude Parr (1529), amongst other bequests of rings, mentions one -'with a table diamontt sett with blacke aniell, meate for my little -finger.' - -Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester (1557), bequeaths, 'to my Lord -Legate's Grace (Cardinal Pole) a ring with a dyamounte, not so bigge as he -is wourthie to have, but such as his poore orator is able to geve.' - -Speaker Lenthall (1682) appoints his executor 'to give my friends Sir John -Lenthall, his lady and children, and other my cozens and nephews, 50 gold -rings with this motto, "Oritur non Moritur."' In a codicil he adds: 'I -also desire that my son will weare his mother's wedding-ring about his -arme in remembrance of her.' - -William Prynne (1699) bequeaths 'to my deare brother, Mr. Thomas Prynne, -my best gold ring with my father's armes.' To Katheryne Clerke, 'my best -serjeant's ring.' To her husband, 'one of my gold rings. Item. I give to -every one of their sonnes and daughters who shal be living at the tyme of -my decease one gold ring, and one hundred pounds a peece.' - -In the will of Sir Richard Gresham (died 1548), father of the founder of -the Exchange, he bequeathed a ring to the Protector, Duke of Somerset, and -another to the profligate Duchess of Somerset, each of the value of five -pounds, and he also left rings to all his friends. - -John Meres, an 'Esquire Beadle' of Corpus Christi College, left, in 1558, -to the Vice-Chancellor of the College a ring weighing a royal (valued at -ten shillings): to Dr. Hutcher, a ring worth fifteen shillings, and a gold -ring set with a cornelian to each of the 'supervisors.' Meres had a patent -for being gauger in 1550. - -Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, gave by will (1575) a gold ring -with a round sapphire to Edmund Grindal, Archbishop of York, who succeeded -him in the see of Canterbury. - -In Collins's 'Baronage' is the curious will of Thomas Sackville, Earl of -Dorset (Lord High Treasurer in the times of Elizabeth and James I.), in -which several rings are mentioned (see chapter on 'Token-Rings'). Amongst -others 'a ring of gold enamelled black, wherein is set a great table -diamonde, beying perfect and pure, and of much worth.' This ring, with -other jewels, was given to him by the King of Spain. During the minority -of his descendants, these were to be consigned, as heirlooms, 'in a strong -chest of iron, under two several keys,' to the custody of the Warden, and -a senior fellow of New College, Oxford. - -Sir Philip Sidney (1586) desires that 'three gold rings, set with large -diamonds, might be fashioned exactly alike, for his aunt, the Countess of -Sussex; another aunt's husband, the Earl of Huntingdon; and his -brother-in-law, the Earl of Pembroke.' - -Thomas Wentworth, one of the chiefs of that great house, who died in 1587, -bequeathed to his son and heir, William, besides other valuables, his gold -ring, 'whereon is engraved his crest, badge, and cognizance.' - -Among the Rokeby family papers, in the will of Sir Ralph Rokeby (1600), is -the bequest of several rings, 'gratuities to kynsfolkes.' - -Thomas Sutton, founder of the Charter House, bequeaths (in 1611) ten -pounds to Mr. Thomas Brown, 'to make him a ring.' - -Our great national dramatist, Shakspeare, in his will (dated 1616) -mentions certain moneys for the purchase of rings by several of his -friends. Five are mentioned: two are his townsmen, Hamlet (_Hamnet_) -Sadler, and William Reynolds, who have each twenty-six shillings and -eightpence left them 'to buy them ringes,' the other three being the -actors ('my fellows,' as he affectionately terms them), John Hemynge, -Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell, each of whom has a similar sum. - -In the testament of Richard Burgess, vicar of Witney (1632), he gives to -his eldest son, John, the ring which he usually wore on his left hand, and -also 'twenty shillings to each of the two overseers of his last will, to -purchase rings.' - -Sir Henry Wotton, in 1637, leaves to each of the Fellows at Eton College -'a plain gold ring, enamelled black, all save the verge, with this motto -within, "Amor unit omnia."' - -In a will, dated 1648, occurs this clause: 'I do will and appoint ten -rings of gold to be made, of the value of twenty shillings a piece, -sterling, with a death's-head upon some of them.' - -The stock of rings described in the Duke of Newcastle's play, 'The -Varietie' (1649), as the treasure of an old country lady, is suggestive of -past legacies or memorials as well as the tastes of the yeomanry at that -period: 'A toadstone, two Turkies (turquoises), six thumb-rings, three -alderman's seals, five gemmals, and foure death's-head,' The enumeration -concludes with the uncomplimentary observation, 'these are alehouse -ornaments' (Fairholt). - -There are numerous varieties of mourning rings left by bequest in former -times. The accompanying illustration represents one that would appeal to -the feelings of the survivors in the simple and affecting inscription -which it bears: 'When this you see, remember me.' The ring is of silver, -jet, and gold. - -[Illustration: Old Mourning ring.] - -Miss Agnes Strickland, in her 'Lives of the Four Princesses of the Royal -House of Stuart,' mentions a circumstance in the life of the Princess -Henrietta Anne (1670), that, 'as Bossuet was kneeling by her bedside, she -suddenly turned to one of her ladies and spoke to her in English, which -the Bishop did not understand, to tell her that when she should have -entered into her rest, she was to give Bossuet the emerald ring which had -been ordered to be made for him as a memorial of her.' - -Izaak Walton added a codicil to his will (1683) for the distribution of -memorial rings to several of his relations and friends, with the motto, 'A -friend's farewell. I. W., obiit;' the value of the rings to be thirteen -shillings and fourpence each. In the will itself he gives to his -son-in-law, Dr. Hawkins, 'whom I love as my own son;' to his daughter, his -wife, and his son Izaak, a ring to each of them, with the motto, 'Love my -memory. I. W., obiit.' To the Lord Bishop of Winchester a ring, with the -motto, 'A mite for a million. I. W., obiit.' - -In a codicil of the last testament of Nell Gwyn (1687) she requests that -Lady Fairborne may have fifty pounds given to her to buy a ring. - -Dr. John Spencer, Master of Corpus Christi College, in his will (1693) -left twenty shillings to each of the Fellows of his college for a funeral -ring. - -Queen Elizabeth, eldest daughter to James the First, wore to the day of -her death a mourning ring, in which was a lock of her brother's hair, -brought over to Bohemia by a faithful servant, with the device of a crown -over a skull and cross-bones, and the letters 'C. R.' After her death, in -1662, it was much prized by her descendants, and was long a heirloom among -them. - -On the eve of the death of Henrietta Anne, the daughter of Charles the -First, she sent most tender messages to her brothers King Charles the -Second, and James, Duke of York; and, drawing from her finger a ring, she -expressed a wish that it might be sent to the former, as a memorial of her -dying love. - -A remarkable interest is attached to the bequest of a ring by Sir Charles -Cotterell, master of the ceremonies, who died in 1700. The particulars are -given in the 'Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries' (January 30, -1862). 'I bequeath to my constantly obliging Friend, S{r} Stephen Fox, a -ring w{th} a figure cut in an onyx, which was given by King Charles y{e} -first, from his Finger to S{r} Philip Warwick, at y{e} Treaty in the Isle -of Wight, to seal letters he there writt for him, and wh{ch} S{r} Philip -left to me for a Legacy, and w{ch} I cannot leave to anybody that has been -a greater Honourer of that Excellent Prince's Memory, nor a Worthier -Friend to us both, and who for these reasons I know will value it.' To -this has been added, by Sir Stephen Fox, 'which I leave to my son Stephen -and his Heirs, enjoining him to keep it in remembrance of the excellent -King that gave it off his Finger to S{r} Philip Warwick, who died in -August 1684, and his son Philip at New Market a month after, and excellent -S{r} Charles Cotterell died in the year 1700, and after this was left to -my good son Charles, who died in September 1713. Ste(phen) Fox.' - -At the commencement of the first of these memoranda, and (observes Mr. -Franks, by whom these particulars were given to the Society) at the -conclusion of the last are much-mutilated impressions from a very small -antique gem, which, there can be no doubt, is the onyx set in the ring in -question. The figure is of fine workmanship, and represents a -partially-draped young man standing in profile to the right. It is, -possibly, a representation of Mercury, and resembles somewhat in attitude -the bronze statue found at Huis, in the south of France, and known as the -Payne Knight Mercury. - -Mr. Franks corrects an error of Sir Stephen Fox as to the date of the -death of Sir Philip Warwick, which took place January 15, 1682-3. - -The subsequent history of this remarkable ring is contained in a short -note written on the envelope enclosing the above memoranda, by the Earl of -Ilchester, son of Sir Stephen Fox. 'Memorandum: I am much concerned for -the loss of the ring which was given by King Charles I. to Sir Philip -Warwick, as mentioned in the enclosed paper. This ring was stolen when my -house in Burlington Street was broken open by rogues in January 1722.' - -'With these papers' (remarks Mr. Franks) 'is preserved a long letter -giving an account of the burglary, which took place during the absence of -the family, and was of a very cool and daring character. It is sadly to be -feared that the gold setting of the ring has found its way to the -melting-pot; the onyx, however, may have been preserved, and may, -probably, be hereafter identified by the mutilated impressions in the Earl -of Ilchester's possession.' - -In the Appendix to Pepys's 'Diary' is a list of all the persons to whom -rings and mourning were presented upon the occasion of his death (May 26, -1703) and funeral, by which it appears that forty-six rings of the value -of twenty shillings, sixty-two at fifteen shillings, and twenty at ten -shillings were distributed among friends on that occasion. - -In a codicil to the will of Bishop Burnet (died 1715) a long list of -legacies occurs to his children; some of these were afterwards erased, and -amongst them the bequest of 'my pointed diamond' to Gilbert, his second -son. The ring was given to the late Sir John Sewell of Doctors' Commons, -by a descendant from Bishop Burnet. This ring is in the possession of Mr. -C. Desborough, Bedford. In the collection of the Duke of Richmond is a -memorial ring, gold, set with diamond, hoop enamelled in white, and -inscribed 'E. S. Dux Buckingensis,' divided by a ducal coronet on a black -ground. English work of the middle of the seventeenth century. Made in -memory of Edmund Sheffield, second Duke of Buckingham, who died a minor in -1735. - -That great man, George Washington, in his will, thus bequeaths 'to my -sisters-in-law Hannah Washington and Mildred Washington, to my friends -Eleanor Stuart, Hannah Washington, of Fairfield, and Elizabeth Washington, -of Hayfield, I give each a mourning-ring of the value of one hundred -dollars. These bequests are not made for the intrinsic value of them, but -as mementos of my esteem and regard.' - -In a few loving words addressed by a Lady Palmerston, when dying, to her -husband, after mentioning the wealth at her disposal, which she gave to -him, she mentions two chocolate-cups formed of mourning-rings, which were -used daily by Lady Palmerston in memory of departed friends; these she -wished her husband to look upon as a remembrance of death, and also of the -fondest and most faithful friend he ever had. - -A very long list might be added of bequests of rings by distinguished -persons, but I must be content to notice how the practice has been -continued at intervals to the present time. A notable item occurs in the -will of Charlotte Augusta Matilda, eldest daughter of George III., and -Queen of Wurtemberg, in which she bequeaths to the Princess Augusta, among -other costly objects, a ring containing a watch, set with brilliants. - -Rings were formerly given to attendants at funerals; an extract from the -books of the Ironmongers' Company, dated 1719, states: 'The master -acquainted the court that one John Turney, an undertaker for funerals, had -lately buried one Mrs. Mason for the Hall, but had refused the master, -wardens, and clerk each a ring, &c., according to his agreement, the -persons invited being served with gloves, hat-bands, and rings. Ordered: -the said undertaker be compelled to perform his agreement as the master -and wardens shall direct.' The practice of offering rings at funerals is -introduced as an incident in 'Sir Amadace.' - -In former days widows wore their ring on the thumb as an emblem of -widowhood, and the following 'trick' in connection with it is mentioned -in the 'Spectator:'--'It is common enough for a stale virgin to set up a -shop in a place where the large thumb-ring, supposed to be given her by -her husband, quickly recommends her to some wealthy neighbour, who takes a -liking to the jolly widow that would have overlooked the veritable -spinster.' - -Among the most touching episodes in connection with memorial rings is that -exhibited in the closing hours of the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots, at -Fotheringay Castle, just previous to her execution. She distributed the -jewels that remained to her among her faithful attendants as tokens of her -affection and regard. Among other sad memorials, she desired that a -sapphire ring, which she took from her finger, might be conveyed as a mark -of grateful acknowledgment to her brave kinsman Lord Claude Hamilton. -Concerning this ring, Bishop Burnet says, 'it is carefully preserved as -one of the most precious heirlooms of that illustrious family.' Miss -Strickland informs us that it is now in the possession of Lord Claude's -accomplished representative, the present Duke of Hamilton, 'by whom it was -courteously shown to me at Hamilton Palace in 1857. It is a large square -sapphire of peculiar beauty, rose-cut in several diamond-points, and set -in gold enamelled blue in the curious cinque-cento work of that period.' - -In the 'Times' (January 2, 1857) is an account of another memorial ring of -the last sad hours of Queen Mary at Fotheringay. The letter is signed 'A -Constant Reader.' 'There is a lady residing at Broadstairs who is in -possession of the identical ring which was worn by Mary, previous to her -execution, and given by her to one of her maids of honour as a token of -remembrance, and who was afterwards so reduced as to be compelled to sell -it for the value of the gold. The engraving is on amber, the usual -material for such purposes at that period, and, as you may see from the -enclosed impression, is much worn by time. It is supposed that the seal in -the late Earl of Buchan's collection was copied from it. This valuable -antique was purchased many years ago by a member of the present -possessor's family, at the sale of the celebrated antiquary John M'Gowan, -of Edinburgh, who considered it a most valuable gem.' - -A ring memorial was sent by the Countess of Hertford (the great -granddaughter of Henry VII., and one of the victims of Queen Elizabeth's -jealousy) on her dying bed by the hands of Sir Owen Hopton, of Cockfield -Hall, Suffolk: 'This shall be the last token unto my lord that ever I -shall send him. It is the picture of myself.' The ring bore a death's head -with an inscription around it: 'while I live--yours.' - -[Illustration: Memorial rings, Charles I.] - -The Londesborough Collection contains two memorial rings of King Charles -I., one of gold, with a table-faced diamond, and two smaller diamonds on -each side. On the shank is engraved an elongated skeleton, with -cross-bones above the skull, and a spade and pickaxe at the feet upon -black enamel. Within is engraved 'C. R., January 30, 1649, Martyr.' - -The other ring is also of gold, with a square table-faced diamond on an -oval face, which opens and reveals beneath a portrait of Charles in -enamel. The face of the ring, the back and side portions of the shank are -engraved with scroll-work, filled in with black enamel. - -[Illustration: Memorial ring, Charles I.] - -In the fifteenth day's sale (May 11, 1842) at Strawberry Hill (lot 59), 'a -truly interesting relic,' as the ring was termed, is recorded to have been -bought by Mr. Harvey, of Regent Street, for fifteen guineas. In Horace -Walpole's catalogue it is described as one of the _only seven_ -mourning-rings given at the burial of Charles I. It has the King's head in -miniature behind a death's-head between the letters 'C. R.' The motto is -'Prepared be to follow me.' A present to Horace Walpole from Lady Murray -Elliott. - -'A long and minute account of a ring,' remarks the late Crofton Croker, -'with a miniature of Charles I., appeared in the "Gentleman's Magazine" -for July 1823. It was then in the possession of the late Captain I. Toup -Nicholas, R.N., and he inherited it from the Giffard family. This ring had -four diamonds on the top, on lifting up which, a head of King Charles, -enamelled on a turquoise, presented itself. The size of the painting does -not exceed the fourth part of an inch; the execution is particularly fine, -and the likeness excessively faithful. The small part of his Majesty's -dress which is visible, appears similar to that in which he is usually -represented; and a piece of the ribbon to which the "George" is suspended -is discernible; on closing the lid the portrait becomes perfectly hid. -Although miniatures of Charles I. are not uncommon, this is particularly -valuable from the portrait being concealed, and also from its being -supposed to be the smallest of him.' - -At page 152 of Hulbert's 'History of Salop' is an account of a ring in the -possession of the Misses Pigott, of Upton Magna, said to be one of the -four presented by Charles I., prior to his execution. It bears a small but -beautiful miniature of the royal martyr. Inside the ring and reverse of -the portrait is inscribed over a death's-head 'January 30, 1649,' inside -of the ring is engraved 'Martyr Populi.' - -A similar ring to this is in the possession of Mrs. Henderson (formerly -Miss Adolphus), of London; and is said to have come to her in the female -line, through her mother's family. Charles presented it to Sir Lionel -Walden on the morning in which he lost his life. It bears a miniature -likeness of the King, set in small brilliants. Inside the ring are the -words 'Sic transit gloria mundi.' A ring bearing the same inscription and -a miniature of King Charles is in the collection of John Evans, Esq., -F.R.S., Vice-President of the Antiquarian Society. - -In the family of Rogers, of Lota, a ring is still preserved as a heirloom -which was presented to an ancestor by King Charles I. during his -misfortunes. In the will of Robert Rogers, which was registered in the -Record-office, Dublin, occurs the following paragraph: 'And I also -bequeath to Noblett Rogers the miniature portrait-ring of the martyr -Charles I., given by that monarch to my ancestor, previous to his -execution, and I particularly desire that it may be preserved in the name -and family.' The miniature, which is beautifully painted in enamel, and -said to be by Vandyck, has been re-set in a very tasteful and appropriate -style: the original settings and inscriptions exactly correspond with -those on the ring in the possession of the Misses Pigott, as previously -mentioned. The correspondent of 'Notes and Queries,' from whom I have -derived this information, adds: 'I have lately seen a ring with a portrait -of Charles on ivory in a coarse and very inferior style, and in a plain -gold setting. It is in the possession of a gentleman, in whose family it -has remained for several generations.' - -Another memorial ring of Charles I. is described in the 'Gentleman's -Magazine' (September 1823) as having belonged to a lady named Heanaud, who -died at Chelsea in 1809. 'The ring itself was of pure gold, and without -jewellery or ornament of any kind. On the top of it was an oval of white -enamel, not more than half an inch in longitudinal diameter, and -apparently about an eighth of an inch in thickness. The surface was -slightly convexed, and divided into four compartments, in each of which -was painted one of the four cardinal virtues, which, although so minute as -to be scarcely perceptible to the clearest sight, by the application of a -glass appeared perfectly distinct, each figure being well proportioned, -and having its appropriate attitude. By touching a secret spring the case -opened and exposed to view a very beautifully-painted miniature of the -unfortunate Charles, with the pointed beard, mustachios, etc., as he is -usually portrayed, and, from its resemblance to the portraits generally -seen of the monarch, having every appearance of being a strong likeness. -Within the lid of this little box (for box, in fact, it was) were -enamelled, on a dark ground, a skull and cross-bones.' - -Mr. Howe, master-gunner at the castle of Carisbrooke, had a little son, -who was a great favourite of the unfortunate Charles. One day, seeing him -with a sword at his side, the King asked him what he intended doing with -it. 'To defend your Majesty from your Majesty's enemies,' was the reply, -which so pleased the King that he gave the child the signet-ring he was -wearing. It has descended to Mr. Wallace, of Southsea, a kinsman of Mr. -Cooke, of Newport, who belonged to the Howe family. - -[Illustration: Royalist memorial ring.] - -In Lockhart's 'Life of Scott' it is stated that Sir Henry Halford gave Sir -Walter Scott a lock of the hair of Charles I., when the royal martyr's -remains were discovered at Windsor, April 1813. Sir John Malcolm gave him -some Indian coins to supply virgin gold for the setting of this relic, -and, for some years, Sir Walter constantly wore this ring, which had the -word 'Remember' embossed upon it. - -[Illustration: Memorial ring of Charles I.] - -Miss Gerard is in possession of a memorial gold ring which is stated to -have been given to Bishop Juxon by Charles I., on the scaffold, since -which period it has been preserved as an heirloom in the family of the -present owner. The ring appears to resemble those of the period of Henry -VIII. It is described and engraved in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for -October 1797. The bezel is hexagonal, with death's-head in white enamel on -black ground, surrounded by the legend 'BEHOLD . THE . ENDE;' round the -edge is the motto 'RATHER . DEATH . THEN . FALS . FAITH.' At the back the -initials 'M' and 'L' tied with a mourning ribbon. - -This interesting 'memorial' was exhibited at the Loan Exhibition of -Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South Kensington Museum in 1872. - -In the Braybrooke Collection is one of the Royalist mourning-rings, of -gold, with slight hoop beautifully inlaid with black enamel, the top -surmounted by an oval box three quarters of an inch long, the sides of -which are ornamented with perpendicular ovals of black and white enamel -alternately. The inside or under part of the box is inlaid with fifteen -longer ovals in a similar manner, round a black centre, in imitation of a -sun-flower. The box contains a large and beautifully-painted portrait of -Charles I. on blue enamel ground, over a surface as large as half an -acorn. The base of this is bound by a narrow band of plain gold. Lord -Braybrooke described this ring as one of the most beautiful he had seen, -and, besides the superiority of the workmanship, the likeness is well -preserved. - -In the same collection is a Royalist gold mourning-ring with black enamel -inlaid upon the shoulders of the hoop and also upon the circular box on -the top, which contains a sort of love-knot, or possibly intended for the -royal cipher, below a cut crystal setting. - -After the execution of Dr. John Hewett, chaplain to Charles I., and the -object of Cromwell's vindictive cruelty, a mourning-ring inscribed -'Herodes necuit Johannem,' was worn by the Royalists. - -The mourning-ring for King Charles II. bore the inscription 'Chs. Rex. -Remem.--obiit--ber.: 6th Feb. 1685.' - -In the Waterton Collection at the South Kensington Museum is a memorial -gold ring, with oval bezel set with crystal, beneath which is a crown with -the initials 'C. R. K. B.' in gold, over hair (Charles II. and Catharine -of Braganza). English. Date about 1685. Diameter, nine-tenths of an inch. - -Devices illustrative of death have frequently formed the subjects of -mourning-rings. Among some antiquities found in Sussex, and exhibited at -the Society of Antiquaries in March 1866, was the fragment of a -mourning-ring set with a coffin-shaped crystal, on which was delicately -engraved a skeleton. - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a gold ring of about the end of the -sixteenth or beginning of the seventeenth century, with a hexagonal -tablet, which is inlaid with a white stone engraved with a death's-head; -round it on the gold are engraved the words 'Dye to Live.'[68] - -In the same collection is a 'memento mori' ring, of bronze, with a tablet -on the hoop, half an inch square, and edges serrated; a death's-head is -engraved upon it with the above inscription. Rings with the same device -and words are alluded to by Beaumont and Fletcher in the 'Chances:' - - I'll keep it as they keep death's-heads in rings, - To cry 'memento' to me. - -Rings engraved with skulls and skeletons were not, however, necessarily -mourning-rings, but were worn also by persons who affected gravity. Luther -wore a gold ring with a small death's-head in enamel, which is now -preserved in Dresden (see 'Remarkable Rings'). Biron, in 'Love's Labour's -Lost,' refers to 'a death's face in a ring.' - -Mr. Fairholt describes a ring on which two figures of skeletons surround -the finger and support a small sarcophagus. The ring is of gold, -enamelled, the skeletons being made still more hideous by a covering of -white enamel. The lid of the sarcophagus is also enamelled, with a Maltese -cross in red on a black ground studded with gilt hearts. This lid is made -to slide off and display a very minute skeleton lying within -(Londesborough Collection). - -In the 'Recueil des Ouvrages d'Orfevrerie,' by Gilles l'Egare, published -in the early part of the reign of Louis XIV., is an unusually good design -for a mourning-ring with skull decorations. - -In the Londesborough Collection is a fine specimen of a mourning-ring of -the early part of the last century. - -[Illustration: Memorial and mortuary rings.] - -In digging a grave in or near Ripon some years ago a sexton discovered an -ancient signet-ring, on which was engraved a dormouse coiled up in sleep, -with an inscription around it, in black-letter characters, 'Wake me no -man.' A similar ring is said to have been turned up in a churchyard near -Scarborough. - -At a meeting of the Royal Archaeological Institute in April 1875, Mr. -Fortnum, F.S.A., exhibited a mourning-ring of Queen Anne, the bezel of -which is formed as a coffin, containing a mat of the Queen's hair, over -which are the crowned initials A. R., and a death's-head and cross-bones -beneath a piece of crystal. The hoop is enamelled black, with the -inscription 'ANNA . REGINA . PIA . FELIX,' in letters of gold; inside is -engraved, 'Nat. 5 Feb. 1664. Inaug. 8 March 1702. Obt. 1 August 1714.' - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a small and delicate lady's gold -mourning-ring, in memory of Queen Mary, wife of William III. The hoop, -which is very slight, is inlaid upon the shoulders with black enamel and -surmounted by a square box for setting, ornamented with perpendicular -lines of the same down the sides. The box contains a tress of the deceased -Queen's hair, plaited, with 'M. R.' and a crown in small gold ciphers laid -over it. A crystal, cut into facets, encloses them. The under side of the -box has a death's-head and cross-bones inlaid in black enamel. - -In the same collection is a gold mourning-ring, inscribed, in letters of -gold on black enamel, 'Gulielmus III. Rex., 1702.' After the 'Rex.' is a -death's-head of gold. It is a slight gold hoop with a silver frame on the -summit, set round with six small pearls, and made to imitate a buckle with -a gold tongue across it, so that the band of it, visible below, resembles -the garter. - -In the collection of the late Lady Fellows was an ivory patch-box, with -figure-subject carved in relief, formerly belonging to the unfortunate -Queen Marie Antoinette, and containing a small gold ring, given by her to -one of her attendants. - -Pope bequeathed sums of five pounds to friends, who were to lay them out -in rings; and Gray, the poet, in his will, gives an amount of stock to -Richard Stonehewer, adding: 'And I beg his acceptance of one of my -diamond rings.' The same bequest is given to Dr. Thomas Warton of a -diamond ring and five hundred pounds. To his cousins he leaves his -watches, rings, etc. - -A touching instance of 'memorial' rings occurs in late times. The Princess -Amelia, before her death, in 1810, had the sad satisfaction of placing on -the finger of her royal father, George III., a ring made by her own -directions for the express purpose, containing a small lock of her hair -enclosed under a crystal tablet, set round with a few sparks of diamonds. -This memorial of affection, given almost on her death-bed, hastened the -attack of the mental disorder from which the King had suffered so much -about twenty years before. The circumstances attending this gift were very -affecting; she held the ring in her hand at the time of her father's -accustomed visit, and, while placing it on his finger, said, 'Take this in -remembrance of me.' - -This affecting incident was commemorated by Dr. Wolcot in some elegant -lines, very different to his usual compositions:-- - - With all the virtues blest, and every grace - To charm the world and dignify the race, - Life's taper losing fast its feeble fire, - The fair Amelia thus bespoke her sire: - 'Faint on the bed of sickness lying, - My spirit from its mansion flying. - Not long the light these languid eyes will see, - My friend, my father, and my king, - Receive the token and remember me!' - -Lord Eldon wore a mourning-ring in memory of his wife, and desired in his -will that it might be buried with him. - -A very interesting memorial ring in connection with the death of Nelson is -mentioned in a communication to 'Notes and Queries' (vol. vii. 1st -series, p. 305). Mr. Nicholls, of Pelsall, Staffordshire, writes: 'I am in -possession of a ring which in place of a stone has a metal basso-relievo -representation of Nelson (half-bust). The inscription inside the ring is -as follows: "A gift to T. Moon from G. L. Stoppleberg, 1815." The late Mr. -Thomas Moon was an eminent merchant of Leeds, and the writer has always -understood that the ring referred to, is one of three or half a dozen -which were made subsequently to Nelson's death. The metal (blackish in -appearance) forming the basso-relievo, set in them, being in reality -portions of the ball which gave the late lamented and immortal admiral his -fatal wound at Trafalgar.' - -Another memorial ring of the greatest of our naval commanders is described -in 'Notes and Queries' (4th series, vol. x. p. 292) as belonging to a lady -whose husband's father's aunt married Earl Nelson (a clergyman), and whose -husband inherited the ring. 'It is of gold; on the bezel, a broad oblong -with rounded corners, is a black enamelled field, surrounded by a white -border. In coloured enamel on the field appear two coronets, one that of a -viscount, with the velvet cap, but showing, however, only seven pearls, -the letter "N," in Old English character, appearing underneath. The second -coronet is a British ducal one, without the cap, and has under it the -letter "B" in old English. Beneath the above runs in Roman capitals the -word "Trafalgar." Round the broad hoop of the ring is incised, in Roman -capitals, "Palmam qui meruit ferat," the hero's motto, and inside the -bezel, in English cursive characters, "Lost to his country 21 Oct 1805. -Aged 47."' - -Of course, the coronets and letters 'N' and 'B' refer to the titles Nelson -and Bronte, but the heraldic insignia were evidently not executed by an -adept. The case in which this ring is lodged appears to be the original -one, and has on a printed oval label 'Sa' (the rest wanting, probably -'ms'), 'Jew' (rest, of course, 'eller'), 'Silversmith, and Cutleer, 35, -Strand.' - -On the subject of Nelson memorial rings, the Rev. Dr. Gatty, in 'Notes and -Queries' (4th series, vol. x. p. 356), says: 'I do not think these rings -can be very uncommon, and I have no doubt that Sir Thomas Hardy and other -officers serving under Lord Nelson received one. My wife, who is a -daughter of the Rev. A. J. Scott, D.D., Nelson's chaplain and foreign -secretary on the "Victory," has one in her possession, which was sent to -her father, and to whom Lord Nelson left a legacy of 200_l._ Our friend -Mrs. Mirehouse, a daughter of the late Bishop Fisher of Salisbury, has -also a similar ring. We have always thought they were given, after the old -fashion of "mourning" rings. The pattern is certainly handsome and -tasteful.' - -Mr. H. S. Williams, F.R.H.S., writing to the editor of 'Notes and Queries' -(4th series, vol. x. p. 441), remarks that rings (with the Viscount's -coronet with 'N' beneath it for the title Viscount Nelson, the ducal -coronet, that of Sicily, for the Bronte estate and dukedom) of this -description were made in 1806 by Lord Nelson's private friend Salter, -jeweller in the Strand, and by the order of Dr. William Nelson, who was -then Earl Nelson. There were fully a hundred of these rings originally -made, as every admiral and post captain, then living, who was present at -the Battle of Trafalgar had one, as well as every member of the Nelson, -Bolton, and Matcham families. - -The custom of decorating the dead with their jewellery (including rings) -has been traced in a remarkable manner to the earliest periods of the -world's history. In Genesis xli. 56, 57, we read: 'The famine was over all -the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold -unto all the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. -And _all countries_ came into Egypt for to buy corn, because that the -famine was so sore in all lands.' - -But Joseph could not empty the storehouses of Egypt to satisfy the -cravings of all lands, nor sell away the bread of Egypt at any price when -money became less precious than bread. - -Such was the state of things when an Arabian princess in Yemen wrote, or -when in her name were written, to be inscribed on her sepulchre, some -impressive lines. Ebn Hesham relates that a flood of rain had laid bare a -sepulchre in Yemen, in which lay a woman having on her neck seven collars -of pearls, and on her hands and feet bracelets and armlets, and -ankle-rings, seven on each, _and on every finger a ring in which was set a -jewel of great price_, and at her head a coffer filled with treasure, and -a tablet with an inscription thus translated by Mr. Forster:-- - - In thy name, O God, the God of Himyar, - I, Tajah, the daughter of Dzu Shefar, sent my servant to Joseph, - And he delaying to return to me, I sent my handmaid, - With a measure of silver, to bring me back a measure of flour: - And not being able to procure it, I sent her with a measure of gold: - And not being able to procure it, I commanded them to the ground: - And finding no profit in them, I am shut up here. - Whosoever may hear of it, let him commiserate me; - And should any woman adorn herself with an ornament - From my ornaments, may she die with no other than my death. - -Inexorable with the Arabian princess, severe with his own brethren, proof -against the blandishments of Potiphar's wife, yet susceptible of every -pure and generous affection, this saviour of Egypt was ever consistent -with himself.[69] - -This Biblical monument confirms in a remarkable manner the truth of the -Old Testament history. - -In opening ancient sepulchral barrows plain or jewelled rings have in many -instances been found, which, perhaps, a widowed wife or widower took from -their fingers, and flung, in the intensity of their grief, into the graves -of those they mourned. A modern instance of this is given in the 'Times' -of October 28, 1865, when, at the funeral of Lord Palmerston in -Westminster Abbey, the chief mourner, the Rev. Mr. Sullivan, as 'a -precious offering to the dead,' threw into the grave several diamond and -gold rings. Small rings are frequently met with on the breasts of mummies. -At the excavations at Veii and Praeneste, by Padre Raffaele Garucchi, a -great quantity of tiny rings of yellow and blue enamel were found, of a -similar character to those mentioned. - -It was customary among the Anglo-Saxons to place rings and other ornaments -in the grave: an early Anglo-Saxon poem, recounting the adventures of the -chieftain Beowulf and his burial, states 'they put into the mound rings -and bright gems.' - -The custom of burying corpses with a ring on the finger continued for -ages, as I have remarked in several chapters of this work. Annexed is an -illustration, from the 'Archaeologia' (vol. ii. p. 32, 1773), of a ring -with seventy-five table-diamonds, set in gold, found in 1748 in a grave at -Carne, seven miles west of Mullinghar, in the county of Westmeath, -Ireland. - -[Illustration: Squared-work diamond ring found in Ireland.] - -In the antiquarian researches in the Ionian Isles in 1812 ('Archaeologia,' -vol. xxxiii.) some rings were discovered in tombs at Samo and Ithaca. One -of these appears to have been a silver finger-ring, or signet, bearing on -the upper part an elliptic piece of glass or crystal, in a state of -decomposition, turning on the wire that passes through it. - -The other is a gold ring of solid fabric, having for device the figure of -a female with a bare head; one arm is enveloped in the folds of her dress, -while the other hand is pouring incense on a slender altar. A zigzag -garland surrounds the verge of the field. The locality would suggest that -it may represent Penelope sacrificing to some tutelar deity, and invoking -it to conduct Ulysses home in safety--a conceit which might hold good, -even were the work decided to be Roman. - -There are some remarkably fine specimens of rings in the Royal Danish -Museum, which have been discovered in Scandinavian graves, and some of -which are represented in the chapter on 'Rings from the Earliest Period' -(p. 68). - -On the opening of some barrows on the wolds of Yorkshire in 1815, 1816, -and 1817, among other disinterments was the skeleton of a female, and some -of her ornaments; amongst others, a ring of red amber, in exterior -diameter 1-5/8 in., in interior diameter half an inch. Also a small ring -scarcely one inch in diameter, and a ring of very nearly standard gold, -weighing 3 dwts. 21 grs. In front this ring is clasped in a kind of rose, -or quatrefoil, and it is an ornament by no means of despicable -workmanship. The era of this interment is supposed to be prior to a -general extension of Christianity in Britain. - -Stukeley (Abury, p. 45) records the finding of a flat gold ring in a -barrow at Yatesbury. Douglas, in his discoveries of a later date ('Nenia -Brit.' p. 117), says 'rings to the finger seldom occur of any ponderous -metal, like the Roman ones of gold, silver, and bronze.' - -In the museum at Mayence (the Roman Maguntiacum, or Mogontiacum), so -exceedingly rich in antiquarian remains, there are some fine specimens of -finger-rings found in Franconian graves. The following illustration -represents a gold ring, set with a coin, which is probably the copy of a -Roman one:-- - -[Illustration: Mortuary ring at Mayence.] - -In the second cut the inscription of the reverse, excepting a few letters, -is erased in the process of fastening the ring to it, by the melting of -the metal. - -[Illustration: Mortuary ring at Mayence.] - -A metal ring with inscription translated 'In Dei nomine, Amen.' - -A gold finger-ring with a figure in the centre of the shield; the -ornaments of dragons on the outer panels are inlaid with dark blue -enamel:-- - -[Illustration: Mortuary ring at Mayence.] - -In ancient times rings were burnt with the corpse. When Cynthia's shade -appears to Propertius, he remarks: 'Et solitam digito adederat ignis;' 'a -fact (remarks the Rev. C. W. King) which fully accounts for the number of -fine intagli partly or wholly calcined which every collector meets with -not unfrequently, and often with the greatest regret at the destruction of -some matchless specimen of the skill of the engraver.' - -At the burial of Caesar we are told that, among the tokens of grief -exhibited by the Romans, the matrons burned on his funeral pyre their -personal ornaments, the robes and even the rings of their sons. - -'The Greeks and Romans,' observes Mr. Fairholt, 'literally revelled in -rings of all styles and sizes. Nothing can be more beautiful in design and -exquisite in finish than Greek jewellery; and the custom of decorating -their dead with the most valued of these ornaments has furnished modern -museums with an abundance of fine specimens.' - -The two rings next represented are copied from originals found in the more -modern Etruscan sepulchres, and are probably contemporary with the -earliest days of the Roman Empire. - -In one of these rings the hoop is not perfected, each extremity ending in -a broad, leaf-shaped ornament, most delicately banded with threads of -beaded and twisted wire, acting as a brace upon the finger. - -[Illustration: Gold rings from Etruscan sepulchres.] - -Lord Braybrooke purchased in 1849 a Roman gold finger-ring, set with an -intaglio in ribbon onyx, which was found in a Roman stone coffin at York: -subject, a Fortuna Redux. In the same collection is a very curious and -massive gold mourning-ring formed of two knotted withes twisted together; -the knots are hollowed to receive enamel. The inscription inside the hoop -is, in old English characters: 'When ye loke on thys, thyncke on hym who -gave ye thys.' This ring was found in the Thames at Westminster. - -[Illustration: Ring found at Amiens.] - -In the Londesborough Collection is the representation of a ring found upon -the hand of a lady's skeleton, who was buried with her child in a -sarcophagus discovered in 1846 in a field near Amiens, called 'Le Camp de -Cesar;' on two of her fingers were rings, one of which was set with ten -round pearls, the other, represented in the collection mentioned, is of -gold, in which is set a red cornelian, engraved with a rude representation -of Jupiter riding on the goat Amalthea. The child also wore a ring, with -an engraved stone. The whole of the decorations for the person found in -this tomb proclaim themselves late Roman work, probably of the time of -Diocletian. - -It is customary in Russia on the death of a sovereign to distribute -mourning-rings to those connected with the imperial court. A writer in -'Notes and Queries' (4th series, vol. iii. p. 322) remarks: 'When I was at -St. Petersburg, I saw one of the rings given on the death of the late -Emperor Nicholas. They were in the form of a serpent, enamelled black. -Attached to the head and within the body of the ring was a narrow band of -metal inscribed with the name of Nicholas, and the date of his death. This -band was held within by a spring, in the same way as a spring -measuring-tape. The serpent's head was mounted with two diamonds for eyes. -The ring I saw was presented to the gentleman in whose possession it then -was by reason of his official appointment of dentist to the imperial -family.' - -In early times it was usual to bury sovereigns with their rings. During -some repairs at Winchester Cathedral in 1768 a monument was discovered -containing the body of King Canute. On his forefinger was a ring -containing a very fine stone. - -In the 'Archaeologia' (vol. xlii. part ii. p. 309) is an account, by the -Rev. J. G. Joyce, B.A., F.S.A., of the opening and removal of a tomb in -Winchester Cathedral in 1868, reported to be that of King William Rufus. -Gale, in his 'History of Winchester,' states that the tomb was broken open -during the civil wars, and amongst other articles found was a large gold -ring. The body of Rufus, however, had been removed out of the tomb in -which it had originally lain (whether this or another) many years before -the civil wars broke out. Stow gives this testimony, and an inscription -upon a mortuary chest into which the bones of Rufus were translated -(1525), and which inscription was repeated a second time (1661). There is -reason for doubting whether this ring really belonged to King Rufus, and -that the tomb supposed to be that of the King is that of an ecclesiastical -dignitary. The Rev. J. G. Joyce adds: 'I have not dwelt upon the ring, -because, while Milner, after Gale, alleges such a ring to have been taken -out of the tomb by the rebels, it is open to uncertainty whether this be -actually the one, and if so it was assuredly in company with the chalice -(found with the ring), and so makes against Rufus, and in favour of a more -saintly occupant.' - -The ring known as that found in this tomb is not of gold, but of bronze -gilt. It is apparently intended for the thumb, very coarsely executed, and -has a plain square imitation jewel, which is a very poor copy of a -sapphire. A representation of this and another ring from tombs in -Winchester Cathedral are here given, from Woodward and Wilks' 'History of -Hampshire' (London, 1858-69). - -[Illustration: Ring found in the tomb of William Rufus, Winchester -Cathedral.] - -[Illustration: Ring discovered at Winchester Cathedral.] - -According to Matthew Paris, Henry II. was arrayed after death in his royal -vestments, having a golden crown on his head and a great ring on the -finger. The will of Richard II. directs that he should be buried with a -ring, _according to royal custom_. The same monarch, as Grafton states, -caused the dead body of Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland, to be arrayed in -princely garments, garnished with a chain of gold, and rich rings put on -his fingers, with his face uncovered. - -As an instance of royal interments with a ring at a late period, I may -mention that of William Frederic, Duke of Gloucester, who married his -cousin the Princess Mary, daughter of George III. He was buried in his -uniform, and wore on his finger a ring which had been an early love-gift -to him from the Princess whom he married. - -[Illustration: Ring of Childeric.] - -In 1562 the Calvinists rifled the tomb of Queen Matilda, consort of -William the Conqueror, in the church of the Holy Trinity at Caen. One of -the party observed a gold ring with a sapphire on one of the Queen's -fingers, and, taking it off, presented it to the Abbess of Montmorenci. - -The same custom of monarchs being buried with their rings prevailed in -France during the early and middle ages. The gold ring of Childeric I., -formerly in the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris, was found in the King's -tomb at Tournay. It bore the inscription 'Childirici regis.'[70] - -'The ring was not set with a gem, but had an oval bezel in the gold, -engraved with his bust in front face, holding a spear as in the type of -the contemporary Byzantine aurei. He wore the long hair of the Merovingian -line. Traces remained of the legend 'Childirici Regis.' The intaglio was -very neatly cut, infinitely superior to the execution of the Merovingian -coin-dies, and, in fact, so much in the style of Leo's aurei, that it -might reasonably be supposed a present sent, with other offerings, from -Constantinople' (the Rev. C. W. King, 'Handbook of Engraved Gems'). The -engraving is taken from J. J. Chiflet's 'Anastasis.' - -In 1793, at the exhumation of the bodies buried at the Abbey of St. Denis, -rings were found in several of the royal tombs. That of Jeanne de Bourbon, -consort of Charles V., was of gold, with the remains of bracelets and -chains. The ring of Philippe le Bel was also of gold; that of Jeanne de -Bourgoyne, first wife of Philippe de Valois, was of silver, as also the -ring of Charles le Bel. - -To the ancient custom of interring prelates with their rings I have -alluded in the chapter on 'Rings in Connection with Ecclesiastical -Usages.' - -In 1780 the tomb of the great German Emperor Frederic, who died in 1250, -was opened, and the body discovered arrayed in embroidered robes, booted, -spurred, and crowned. A costly emerald ring was on one of the fingers, -and the ball and sceptre in the hands. - -Some interesting 'memorial' rings were shown at the Loan Exhibition of -Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South Kensington Museum in 1872, the -principal of which I have already mentioned. One of gold, oval bezel, set -round with amethysts, had, beneath glass, a representation of a fallen -tree, and a funeral urn with initials; the motto, 'Fallen to rise;' date, -1779; the property of Mr. G. F. Duncombe. Dr. Ashford exhibited a memorial -gold ring, hasp enamelled on the outside in black, with figure of a -skeleton and funereal emblems. Date, 1715. Five rings belonging to Mrs. M. -E. Vere Booth Powell; one of gold, oval bezel set round with rubies, in -the centre an urn jewelled with diamonds beneath a weeping willow; dated -at back 1779. A ring with a long, pointed, oval bezel, with miniature of a -female figure seated beside an inscribed pedestal, on which is an urn; -date, 1788. Another of a similar form, with miniature of an old man -holding a skull, seated near a Gothic building; inscribed, 'Omnia -vanitas;' 1782. A duplicate of this ring, undated. A ring with long -eight-sided bezel, gold, with dark-blue translucent enamel; in the centre -an urn set with diamonds; dated 1790. A gold ring, bezel set with portrait -of Charles I.; the property of the Rev. W. B. Hawkins. A massive gold -ring, enamelled and set with sapphire, engraved inside, 'Napoleon -Buonaparte a Joachim Murat,' 1809; exhibited by Mr. George Bonnor. A gold -ring, richly chased and enamelled in black, the bezel square, with rounded -top, which opens, showing within a representation of a corpse; Italian, -sixteenth century; the property of Dr. Ashford. A gold ring, in the centre -of which is a death's-head in enamel, with the legend 'Memento mori' in -enamelled black letters; sixteenth century. Also, a gold ring with bezel -hollow; has had upon it a death's-head in enamel, inscribed 'Remember -Death;' round the edge of the bezel is 'Yeman + + joyce;' early sixteenth -century. A gold ring, hexagonal bezel with motto 'Death * sy * myn * -eritag +'; sixteenth century. The last three rings were exhibited by R. H. -Soden Smith, Esq., F.S.A. Memorial ring with portrait of Augustus III., -son of Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Saxony; early eighteenth -century. Another with enamelled skull, set with diamonds, probably German -of the seventeenth century; also, one of the same date, enamelled, with -skull and female face. The property of C. Drury Fortnum, Esq., F.S.A. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -POSY, INSCRIPTION, AND MOTTO RINGS. - - -Within the hoop of the betrothal ring it was customary from the middle of -the sixteenth to the close of the eighteenth century to inscribe a motto -or 'posy' (poesie), consisting chiefly of a very simple sentiment. - -[Illustration: Motto and device rings.] - -Shakspeare, in the 'Merchant of Venice' (act v. scene 1), makes Gratiano, -when asked by Portia the reason of his quarrel with Nerissa, answer: - - About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring, - That she did give me, whose posy was - For all the world like cutler's poetry - Upon a knife, _Love me and leave me not_. - -Hamlet (act iii. scene 2) says-- - - Is this a prologue, or the posy of a ring? - -In 'As You Like It' (act iii. scene 2) Jaques remarks: 'You are full of -pretty answers; have you not been acquainted with goldsmiths' wives, and -conned them out of rings?' - -In Ben Jonson's comedy, 'The Magnetic Lady,' the parson, compelled to form -a hasty wedding, asks: - - Have you a wedding ring? - -To which he receives an answer-- - - Ay, and a posie: - _Annulus hic nobis, quod sic uterque, dabit_. - -He exclaims: - - --------Good! - _This ring will give you what you both desire_; - I'll make the whole house chant it, and the parish. - -The following illustration represents a posy-ring of the simplest form, -such as would be in use in the early part of the seventeenth century. - -[Illustration: Posy-ring.] - -Herrick, in his 'Hesperides,' says: - - What posies for our wedding-rings, - What gloves we'll give and ribbonings! - -And in his 'Church Miserie': - - Indeed, at first, man was a treasure; - A box of jewels, shop of rarities, - A ring whose posie was 'my pleasure.' - -And in the same work, 'The Posie:' - - Lesse than the least - Of all Thy mercies is my posie still: - This on my ring, - This, by my picture, in my book I write. - -Some of these posies and inscriptions are very appropriate and tender; -others are quaint and whimsical. Not the least curious among the latter is -that, well known, of Dr. John Thomas, Bishop of Lincoln, in 1753, who had -been married three times. On his fourth espousals he had the following -motto inscribed on his wedding-ring: - - If I survive - I'll make thee five. - -Burke, in his 'Anecdotes of the Aristocracy,' states that Lady Cathcart, -on marrying her fourth husband, Hugh Macguire, had inscribed on her -wedding-ring: - - If I survive - I will have five. - -In far better taste than these was the motto on the ring presented by -Bishop Cokes to his wife on the day of their marriage. It bore the -representations of a hand, a heart, a mitre, and a death's-head, with the -words: - - These three I give to thee, - Till the fourth set me free. - -'On the wedding-ring that Dr. George Bull, Bishop of St. David's (1703), -gave to his wife, was the inscription: "Bene parere, parare det mihi -Deus"--a prayer she might be a prolific mother, an obedient wife, and a -good housekeeper. The prayer was heard; she had five sons and six -daughters, lived in wedlock happily fifty years, and was esteemed a model -housekeeper' (Singer). - -Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, died 1439, had three daughters, who -all married noblemen. Margaret's husband was John Talbot, Earl of -Shrewsbury, and the motto of her wedding ring was, 'Till deithe depart.' -Alianour married Edmund, Duke of Somerset, and her motto was, 'Never -newe.' Elizabeth married Lord Latimer, and hers was, 'Til my live's end.' - -The custom of having posies on rings is thus alluded to in the 'Art of -English Poesie,' published in 1589: 'There be also another like epigrams -that were sent usually for New Year's gifts, or to be printed or put upon -banketting dishes of sugar-plate or of March paines, etc.; they were -called Nenia or Apophoreta, and never contained above one verse, or two at -the most, but the shorter the better. We call them poesies, and do paint -them now-a-dayes upon the back sides of our fruit-trenchers of wood, or -_use them as devises in ringes_ and armes.' - -Henry VIII. gave Anne of Cleves a ring with the posy 'God send me well to -kepe'--a most unpropitious alliance, for the King expressed his dislike to -her soon after the marriage. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries -posies were generally placed outside the ring. - -In 1624 a collection of posies was printed, with the title, 'Love's -Garland, or Posies for Rings, Handkerchiefs, and Gloves, and such pretty -Tokens as Lovers send their Loves.' - -At a meeting of the Archaeological Institute, in March 1863, some curious -posy rings were exhibited by the Rev. James Beck; one, of particular -interest, dating from the early part of the fifteenth century, had been -dug up at Godstow Priory, Oxfordshire. It is a broad massive hoop of gold, -of small diameter, suited for a lady's finger. The decoration on the hoop -consists of three lozenge-shaped panels, in which are represented the -Trinity, the Blessed Virgin with the infant Saviour, and a Saint, nimbed, -clad in a monastic habit, with the cowl falling upon the shoulders. The -intervening spaces are chased with foliage and flowers of the -forget-me-not; the whole surface was enriched with enamel, of which no -remains are now visible. Within the hoop is delicately engraved in small -black-letter character: - - Most in mynd and yn myn herrt - Lothest from you ferto deparrt. - -Also a plain gold hoop of the sixteenth century, found in 1862 at -Glastonbury Abbey, within which is engraved 'Devx. corps. vng. cver,' with -the initials 'C. M.' united by a true-love knot. Several plain gold rings -of the seventeenth century were also shown, inscribed with the following -posies, in each case within the hoop:-- - - I haue obtain'd whom God ordain'd. - God unite our hearts aright. - Knitt in one by Christ alone, - Wee joyne our loue in god aboue. - Joyn'd in one by god a lone, - God above send peace and love. - -At the Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South -Kensington Museum in 1872, J. W. Singer, Esq.,[71] contributed a -collection of posy rings, the mottos, for the most part, inscribed within -the hoop. - - Gold, English of the fifteenth century, inscribed in Gothic letters - 'Gevoudroy.' - - Another of the same date, gold; on the outside are engraved four - Maltese crosses; within, three Gothic letters, apparently E. - - Gold, English, early sixteenth century, inscribed in large semi-Gothic - characters, [Maltese cross]I x x AM x x YOURS x x K : S. - - Gold, chased, has been enamelled [Maltese cross]ESPOIR. EN. DIEU. - (English, late sixteenth century.) - - Gold, massive, 'MY HART AND I UNTILL I DY.' (English, late sixteenth - century.) - - Gold, massive, 'I LOVE AND LIKE MY CHOYSE.' (English, early - seventeenth century.) - - Silver gilt: within, 'I CHUSE NOT TO CHANGE.' (English, seventeenth - century.) - - Gold, chased, traces of enamel, [Maltese cross]Let. Reson. Rule. - (English, seventeenth century.) - - Gold, chased, 'Let reason rule affection.' (English, seventeenth - century.) - - Gold, chased, traces of black enamel, 'A token of good-will.' - (English, seventeenth century.) - - Brass, 'Live in Loue.' (English, seventeenth century.) - -Rings with double-line posies: - - Gold, 'In God aboue and Christ his Sonne, We too are joyned both in - one.' (English, seventeenth century.) - - Gold, 'Who feares the Lord are blest, wee see; Such thou and I God - grant may bee.' (English, seventeenth century.) - - Gold, 'As I in thee have made my choyce, So in the Lord let vs - rejoice.' 1637, W. D. A. (English, seventeenth century.) - - Gold, 'As I expect so let me find, A faithfull [Heart] and constant - mind.' (English, seventeenth century.) - - Gold, 'I like my choyce, so will. . . .' the remainder obliterated. - (English, seventeenth century.) - - Gold, chasing worn away, 'Tho' little, accept it,' letters black - enamelled. (English, early eighteenth century.) - - Gold, chased with representation of skeleton, cross-bones, and - hour-glass encircling the hoop; has been enamelled black, 'You and I - will lovers dye.' (English, about 1720.) - - Gold, 'Fear the Lord and rest content, So shall we live and not - repent. B. W. 1730.' (English, eighteenth century.) - - Gold, chased, inscribed within 'T. Rowe, C. obt. 13 May, 1715, aet. - 28.' Worn by Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe, the poetess. - - Gold, overlaid with open-work pattern of flowers in coloured enamel, - 'Rite to requite.' (English, eighteenth century.) - - Silver, two hands holding a heart, 'Love and feare God.' (English, - eighteenth century.) - - Gold, massive, 'Virtus est pretiosa gemma. Auribus frequentius quam - lingua utere.' Outside, in Gothic letters, 'Voluptate capiuntur - homines non minus quam hamo pisces.' (Modern English.) - -A double-line gold wedding-ring in the collection of Mr. J. W. Singer -bears the words: - - Them which God copleth - Let no man put them asonder. - -This ring is a very early sixteenth-century one, and shows that -wedding-rings were not, formerly, the plain ones of the present day, but -were ornamented with fine work. Mr. Singer has several rings of this -description, ornamented in the same way. - - Je sui ici en liu dami (Je suis ici en lieu d'ami). - - No treasure like a treu friend. (Eighteenth century.) - - Not to but on, till life be gon. - - Correct our ways; Love all our dayes. - - Hearts united live contented. - - No cut to unkindness. - - Conceave consent, confirme content. - - No recompenc but remembrance. - - Vertue only bringeth felicitie. - -[The above nine rings from the Braybrooke Collection.] - - -From the Waterton Collection in the South Kensington Museum: - - [Symbol]Amour[Symbol]Merci. (French, fourteenth century.) - - Pensez deli Parkisvici (pensez de lui par que je suis ici). (English, - early fifteenth century.) - - Je. le. de. sir. (English, late fifteenth century.) - - Por tous jours. (English, fifteenth century.) - - Nul sans peyn; _inside_, Sans mal desyr. (English, early sixteenth - century.) - - + My worldely joye alle my trust + hert, thought, lyfe, and lust. - (English, early sixteenth century.) - - A plain gold hoop ring, inscribed within with a heart pierced with an - arrow, and the word 'Eygen,' a star, and the word 'Uwer.' (Dutch or - German, sixteenth century.) - - Devx. corps, vng. ever. (English, sixteenth century.) - - C'est mon plaisir. (English, sixteenth century.) - - + Quant. dieu. plera. melior. sera. (English, sixteenth century.) - - Pour bien. (English, sixteenth century.) - - My wille were. (English, sixteenth century.) - - Time. deum. me. ama. qd RIE. (English, sixteenth century.) - - + Observe Wedloke; _inside_, Memento mori. (English, sixteenth - century.) - - Loyalte na peur. (French, seventeenth century.) - - Let liking last. (English, seventeenth century.) - - This sparke will grow (set with a diamond). (English, seventeenth - century.) - - Accept this gift of honest love, which never could nor can remove. 1. - Hath tide. 2. Mee sure. 3. Whilst life. 4. Doth last. (English, - seventeenth century.) - - + MB. Remember + the (a heart) + that + is + in + payne. (English, - seventeenth century.) - - Time lesseneth not my love. (English, seventeenth century.) - - In constancie I live and dye. (English, seventeenth century.) - - Love the truth. (English, seventeenth century.) - - My promise past shall always last. (English, eighteenth century.) - - You have me hart. (Lady's betrothal ring. English, eighteenth - century.) - - Love ever. (English, seventeenth century.) - - Love true, 'tis joy. (English, early seventeenth century.) - - Love me. (English, eighteenth century.) - - Keepe. fayth. till. deth. - - I fancy noe butt thee alone. - - + Not this but mee; - * yf. this. then me. - - Wheare grace is found - Love doth abound. - - My soul will keep thine company to heaven. - -Mr. Singer informs me that his early pre-Reformation wedding-rings have -the motto prefaced with a cross, and, as this died out, the remains of a -cross, in a kind of rude _star_, sometimes carried on between each word. - -Mr. Singer has one bronze wedding-ring with a motto, found in Wiltshire, -but numerous silver ones. - - Ma vie et mon amour - Finiront en un jour. - - Dieu nous unisse - Pour son service. - - Seconde moi pour te rendre heureuse. - - Nos deux coeurs sont unis. - - En ma fidelite je finirai ma vie. - - Domine dirige nos. - - Let us agree. - - Continue constant. - - My love is true - To none but you. - - The gift is small, - But love is all. - - In God and thee - My joy shall be. - - Let not absence banish love. - - Love in thee is my desire. - - Whear this i giue - I wish to liue. - - Let vs loue - Like turtle doue. - - God saw thee - Most fit for me - -(on the wedding-ring of the wife of John Dunton, the bookseller). - - God did decree this unitie. - - Where hearts agree, there God will be. - - I have obtained whom God ordained. - - Virtue passeth riches. - - No force can move affixed Love. - - Vnited hartes Death only partes. - - Liue, loue, and be happie. - - The love is true that I O U. - - My love is fixt, I will not range. - I like my choice too well to change. - - This is the thing I wish to win. - - Well projected if accepted. - - God thought fitt this knott to knitt. - - A loving wife prolongeth life. - - Let virtue be a guide to thee. - - Thy Desart hath won my hearte. - - Death only partes two loving heartes. - - * B * TRVE * IN * HARTE *. - - True loue is lye to man and wye. - (True love is life to man and wife.) - - Lett Death leade loue to rest. - - To Bodys on harte. - - Good will is aboue Gould. - - True love is the bond of peace. - - A virtuous wife preserveth life. - - Let our contest bee who loves best. - - No chance prevents the Lord's intents. - - I joy in thee, joy thou in me. - - And this also will pass away. - - Fear God, honour the Prince, - Lye still Joan, and don't wince. - - If thee dosn't work, thee shasn't eat. - (From Monmouthshire.) - -From the 'Card of Courtship; or, The Language of Love, fitted to the -Humours of all Degrees, Sexes, and Conditions,' 1653: - - Thou art my star, be not irregular. - - Without thy love I backward move. - - Thine eyes so bright are my chief delight. - - This intimates the lover's states. - - My life is done when thou art gone. - - This hath no end, my sweetest friend. - - Our loves be so, no ending know. - - Love and joye can never cloye. - - The pledge I prove of mutuall love. - - I love the rod and thee and God. 1646. - - All I refuse, but thee I chuse. - - Gift and giver, your servants ever. - - Non moechaberis. - - Tuut mon coer. - - Mulier viro subjecta esto. - - Sans departir a nul autre. - - Tout mon cuer avez. - - Lel ami avet. - - Par ce present ami aumer rent. - (By this gift to love me given.) - - Let Reason rule. - - J'aime mon choix. - - A vous a jamais. - - Je suis content. - - L'amour nous unit. - - Je suis content, j'ai mon desir. - - Je vous aime d'un amour extreme. - - Ce que Dieu conjoint, l'homme ne le separe point. - - Desire hath no rest. - - This and my heart. - - Acceptance is my comfort. - - God us ayde - -(on a curious old ring, chased with the Nortons' motto), - - =i h c= Naserus rex Judiorum me serere +. - - My giving this begins thy bliss. - - Remember Him who died for thee, - And after that remember me. - - Let me wish thee full happy be. - - Tibi soli - -(on Beau Fielding's ring; _temp._ Queen Anne). - -From a Commonplace Book of the seventeenth century in Sion College -Library: - - There is no other, and I am he, - That loves no other, and thou art she. - - Eye doth find, heart doth choose, - Faith doth bind, death doth lose. - - Let us be one { To live in love - Till we are none { I love to live. - - Love well, and { Virtus non vultus - Live well. { Patior ut potiar. - Sequor ut consequar. - - I seek to be - Not thine, but thee. - - Nowe ys thus - -(inscription upon a gold ring found about 1786 on the site of the battle -of Towton, Yorkshire. The weight was more than an ounce; it had no stone, -but a lion passant was cut upon the gold. The inscription was in old black -characters. The crest is that of the Percy family, and it is supposed the -ring was worn by the Earl of Northumberland on the day of the battle -(March 29, 1461). The motto seems to allude to the times: 'The age is -fierce as a lion'). - - Je change qu'en mourant. Unalterable to my Perdita through life - -(inscribed on a ring presented to Mrs. Robinson, by the Prince Regent, -afterwards George IV.). - - If love I finde, I will bee kinde. - - In thee my choyse how I reioyce. - - In thee my choice I do rejoice - -(this posy is on a massive gold ring, which is thus described by a writer -in 'Notes and Queries':--In the centre of the ornamentation outside is a -shield, with three lions passant on it. On the right of the shield H, and -on the left of it I, each letter having an old-fashioned crown over it. At -the extreme ends of the ornamentation, outside the letters H and I are -three fleurs-de-lys). - - Take _hand_ and _heart_, ile nere depart. - - Live and dye in constancy. - - A vertuous wife y{t} serveth life. - - As long as life your loving wife. - - I will be yours while breath indures. - - Love is sure where faith is pure. - - A vertuous wife doth banish strife. - - As God hath made my choyse in thee, - So move thy _heart_ to comfort mee. - - God y{t} hath kept thy _heart_ for mee, - Grant that our love may faithfull bee. - - God our love continue ever, - That we in heaven may live together. - - The _eye_ did find, y{e} _heart_ did chuse, - The _hand_ doth bind, till death doth loose. - - First feare y{e} Lord, then rest content, - So shall we live and not repent. - - Breake not thy vow to please the eye, - But keepe thy love, so live and dye. - - I am sent to salute you from a faithfull friend. - - This and my heart. - - Acceptance is my comfort. - - Too light to requite. - - Patience is a noble virtue. - - Lost all content, if not consent. - - A friend to one as like to none. - - Your sight, my delight. - - Virtue meeting, happy greeting. - - As trust, bee just. - - For a kiss, take this. - - No better smart shall change my heart. - - Hurt not y{r} _heart_ whose joy thou art - - My heart and I until I dye. - - Sweetheart I pray doe not say nay. - - My heart you have and yours I crave. - - As you now find so judge me kind. - - Let this present my good intent (1758). - - One word for all, I love and shall. - - My constant love shall never move. - - Like and take, mislike forsake. - - The want of thee is griefe to mee. - - Be true to me y{t} gives it thee. - - Privata di te moriro. - Deprived of thee I die. - - Till y{t} I have better - I remayne your detter. - - Mon esprit est partout. - Mon coeur est avec vous. - - Lite to requite. - - Faithfull ever, deceitefull never. - - I present, you absent. - - Despise not mee, y{t} ioyes in thee. - - I live, I love, and live contented, - And make my choice not to be repented. - - Desire hath set my heart on fire. - - I hope to see you yielde to mee. - - Both, or neither, chuse you whether. - - _Heart_, this, and mee, if you agree. - - This accepted, my wish obtained. - - This accepted, my wish affected. - - Thy friend am I, and so will dye. - - O y{t} I might have my delight. - - Parting is payne when love doth remayne. - - My corne is growne, love reape thy owne. - - This thy desert shall crown my heart. - - I fancy none but thee alone. - - God sent her me my wife to be. - - God's appointment is my contentment. - - This is your will to save or kill. - - If you but consent, you shall not repent. - - If you deny, then sure I dye. - - W{th} teares I mourne, as one forlorne. - - A friend to one, as like to none. - - Your sight, my delight. - - Grieve not his heart whose joy thou art. - - First love Christ that died for thee. - Next to Hym love none but me. - - Joye day and night bee our delight. - - Divinely knitt by Grace are wee, - Late two, now one; the pledge here see. - B. & A. (1657). - - Loue and liue happy (1689). - - Avoid all strife 'twixt man and wife. - - Joyfull loue this ring do proue. - - In thee, deare wife, I finde new life. - - Of rapturous joye I am the toye. - - In thee I prove the joy of love. - - In loving wife spend all thy life (1697). - - True love will ne'er remove. - - In unitie let's live and dy. - - Happy in thee hath God made me. - - I loue myself in louing thee. - - Silence ends strife with man and wife. - - More weare--more were (1652). - - I kiss the rod from thee and God. - - This ring doth binde body and minde. - - Endless as this shall be our bliss - (Thos. Bliss, 1719). - - Death neuer parts such loving hearts. - - Loue and respect I doe expect. - - No gift can show the love I ow. - - Loue thy chast wife beyond thy life (1681). - - Loue and pray night and daye. - - Great joye in thee continually. - - My fond delight by day and night. - - Pray to love, love to pray (1647). - - Honour et Foye - -(inscription on a gold ring belonging to Earl Fitzwilliam): - -[Illustration: Motto ring.] - - Body and minde in thee I finde. - - Deare wife, thy rod doth leade to God. - - God alone made us two one. - - Eternally my loue shal be. - - Worship is due to God and you. - - God aboue continew our loue. - - I wish to thee all joie may bee. - - With my body I worship thee. - - Beyond this life, loue me, deare wife. - - Rien ne m'est plus, - Plus ne me rien (fifteenth century). - - Une seule me suffit. - Elle m'a bien conduite. - - De cuer entier. - - In adversis etiam fida. - Even in adversity faithful. - -Device--a mouse gnawing away the net in which a lion is caught. - - Non immemor beneficii. - Mindful of kindness. - - All that I desire of the Lord is to fear God and love me. - - En bon foy. - - I cannot show the love I O. - - I love and like my choice. - - Ryches be unstable - And beuty wyll dekay, - But faithful love will ever last - Till death dryve it away. - -On a mediaeval armillary ring, consisting of eight rings, one within the -other, each having a portion of the motto: - - W. [HEART] A. [HAND POINTING TO RIGHT] D. G. CS, - T. L. A. L. A. R. CT. - - (Where heart and hand do give consent, - There live and love and rest content.) - -Device--a golden apple. - - Vous le meritez. - You deserve it. - - I change only in Death. - - Love I like thee; sweets requite mee. - - Faithfull ever, deceitful never. - - I like, I love, as turtle dove. - - As gold is pure, so love is shure. - -From 'The Mysteries of Love and Eloquence; or, the Arts of Wooing and -Complementing, as they are manag'd in the Spring Garden, Hide Park, the -New Exchange, and other eminent places' (London, 1658, pp. 154, 157): - - Thou wert not handsom, wise, but rich; - 'Twas that which did my eyes bewitch. - - Divinely knit by God are we, - Late one, now two, the pledge you see. - - We strangely met, and so do many, - But now as true as ever any. - - As we begun so let's continue. - - My beloved is mine and I am hers. - - True blue will never stain. - - Against thou goest I will provide another. - - Let him never take a wife - That will not love her as his life. - - I do not repent that I gave my consent. - - What the eye saw the heart hath chosen. - - More faithful than fortunate. - - Love me little but love me long. - - Love him who gave thee this ring of gold, - 'Tis he must kiss thee when thou 'rt old. - - This circle, though but small about, - The devil, jealousy, shall keep out. - - If I think my wife is fair - What need other people care. - - This ring is a token I give to thee - That thou no tokens do change for me. - - My dearest Betty is good and pretty. - - I did then commit no folly - When I married my sweet Molly. - - 'Tis fit men should not be alone, - Which made Tom to marry Jone. - - Su is bonny, blythe, and brown; - This ring hath made her now my own. - - Like Philis there is none; - She truely loves her Choridon. - - Nosce teipsum. - - Think on mee. - - Desire and deserve. - - Keepe faith till death. - - As God hath appointed - Soe I am contented. - -(These are given from wills of the seventeenth century in the glossary -appended to 'Fabric Rolls of York Minster,' published by the Surtees -Society.) - - Ever last - -(on the rings given at the funeral of John Smith, Alderman of London, who -'made a great game by musk catts which he kept'). - - Redime tempus - -(on the rings given at the funeral of Samuel Crumbleholme, Master of St. -Paul's). - - This and the giver - Are thine for ever. - - My Joyh consisteth in Hope. - - Quies servis nulla. - - I desire to disarne (disarm). - - I will you trewllie serve. - - Success to the British flag. - - Valued - may greater B. - Love - - (Love undervalued may greater be.) - - Great Dundee for God and me - -(engraved on the inside of a ring with a skull, Viscount Dundee. This -relic of the famous Claverhouse, given to him by King James, was in the -possession of Miss Graham of Dundrune. It is stated to have been missing -since 1828). - - Christ and thee my comfort be - -('Gentleman's Magazine,' vol. ii. p. 629). - - OV EST NVL SI LOIAVLS - QVI SE POET GARDER DES MAVXDISANS - -(on a gold ring found on Flodden Field, in the possession of George Allen, -Esq., of Darlington, 1785). - - [Maltese cross] I love you my sweet dear heart - [Maltese cross] Go [Maltese cross] I pray you pleas my love - -(on a silver ring found at Somerton Castle, Lincoln, in 1805). - - CANDU PLERA MELEOR CERA - -(inscribed on a brass thumb-ring formerly in the possession of the Marquis -of Donegal, 1813). - - [Maltese cross] IN GOD IS ALL - -(on a silver ring found among the ruins of the Priory of St. Radigund, -near Dover, in 1831). - - Tout pour bein feyre - -(inscribed on a ring found at St. Andrew's Chapel, near Ipswich). - - Mon cur avez - Honour et joye - -(on a gold ring found near St. Anne's Well, Nottingham). - - [Maltese cross] Amor. vincit. om. - -(on a silver ring found near Old Sarum). - -[Illustration: Inscription ring.] - -An enamelled ring is mentioned in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' (vol. -lxxix.) as having been found in 1808 in the ruins of an old manor-house, -occupied in the sixteenth century by a family of distinction, which then -becoming extinct, the manor-house fell to decay. - -[Illustration: French Inscription ring.] - -(Inscription ring of gold, found in Sarthe, France, bearing the names -'Dromachius' and 'Betta,' supposed to be a marriage ring, of, probably, -the fifth century.) - - Joye sans cesse. B. L. - - Loue alway, by night and day. - - Filz ou fille (Anthony Bacon, 1596). - - To enjoy is to obey. - - Loue for loue. - - Post spinas palma. - - All for all. - - Mutual forbearance (1742). - - In loues delight spend day and night. - - Love's sweetest proofe. - - En bon foye. - - Truth trieth troth. - - Beare and forbeare. - - Lett nuptiall joye our time employe. - - Not this bvt me. - - None can prevent the Lord's intent. - - Christ for me hath chosen thee. - - By God alone we two are one. - - God's blessing be on thee and me. - - Love me and be happy. - - The love is true I owe you. - - God did foresee we should agree. - - In God and thee my joy shall be. - - Absence tries love. - - Virtue surpasseth riches. - - Let virtue rest within thy breast. - - I lyke my choyce. - - As circles five by art compact shews but one ring in sight, - So trust uniteth faithful mindes with knott of secret might; - Whose force to breake no right but greedie death possesseth power, - As time and sequels well shall prove. My ringe can say no more. - -(The Earl of Hertford's wedding-ring consisted of five links, the four -inner ones containing the above posies of the Earl's making. See page 318, -'Betrothal and Wedding Rings.') - - Joye sans fyn. (Fourteenth century.) - -In 'Manningham's Diary,' 1602-1603 (Camden Society), we have the following -'Posies for a jet ring lined with sylver': - -'"One two," so written as you may begin with either word. "This one ring -is two," or both sylver and jet make but one ring; the body and soule one -man; twoe friends one mynde. "Candida mens est," the sylver resembling the -soule, being the inner part. "Bell' ame bell' amy," a fayre soule is a -fayre frend, etc. "Yet faire within." "The firmer the better," the sylver -the stronger and the better. "Mille modis laeti miseros mors una fatigat."' - - Live as I or else I dye. - - Within thy brest my harte doth rest. - -(On two gold posy-rings found in Sussex, 1866.) - -In 1780 the sexton of Southwell, in digging a grave, found a gold ring -weighing nine dwts. six grs. On the inside is the following inscription, -in characters very distinct, deep, and not inelegantly cut: - - + MIEV + MOVRI + QUE + CHANGE + MA FOY +. - -The cross at the beginning is of the same size as the letters, that -between the words very small. - - You dear! - -(The meaning is thus conjectured of, possibly, a rebus, or canting device, -on a silver signet-ring, found in the bed of the river Nene, at Wisbeach -St. Peter's; the letter U and a deer trippant implying, perhaps, the -writer's tender regard towards his correspondent. Date about the time of -Henry V. or Henry VI.) - -[Illustration: Inscription ring.] - -The annexed engraving (from the 'Archaeological Journal,' March, 1848) -represents a curious ring, the property of Mr. Fitch, and belonging to his -interesting cabinet of Norfolk antiquities. It is a plain hoop of silver, -of the size here seen, and bears the inscription 'ETHRALDRIC ON LYND.' Its -date has been assigned to as early a period as Saxon times, but we are -inclined to attribute it to a subsequent age, the twelfth, or, perhaps, so -late a date even as the thirteenth century. It may deserve notice that the -mintage of London, of coins of Canute, Harold, Edward the Confessor, the -Conqueror, and subsequent kings, is designated by the legend 'ON LYNDE.' -This ring was found during the construction of the railway at -Attleborough, in Norfolk. - -True-love knots were common formerly. In the inventory of the effects of -Henry Howard, K.G., Earl of Northampton, 1614, is mentioned 'a golde ringe -sett with fifteene diamondes in a true lover's knotte, with the wordes -_nec astu, nec ense_.' - -In the Waterton Collection in the South Kensington Museum are some -interesting specimens of this peculiar kind of ring of English and Italian -workmanship. - -At the commencement of the present century 'Harlequin' rings were -fashionable in England. They were so called because they were set round -with variously-coloured stones, in some way resembling the motley costume -of the hero of pantomime. - -'Regard rings,' of French origin, were common even to a late period, and -were thus named from the initials with which they were set forming the -acrostic of these words:[72] - - R uby - E merald - G arnet - A methyst - R uby - D iamond - - L apis lazuli - O pal - V erd antique - E merald. - -The French have precious stones for all the alphabet, excepting f, k, q, -y, and z, and they obtain the words _souvenir_ and _amitie_ thus: - - S aphir or sardoine - O nyx or opale - U raine - V ermeille - E meraude - N atralithe - I ris - R ubis, or rose diamant. - - A methiste, or aigue-marine - M alachite - I ris - T urquoise or topaze - I ris - E meraude. - -Thus lapis lazuli, opal, verd antique, emerald represented _love_, and for -_me_ malachite and emerald. - -Names are represented on rings by the same means. The Prince of Wales, on -his marriage to the Princess Alexandra, gave her as a keeper one with the -stones set with his familiar name, Bertie--beryl, emerald, ruby, -turquoise, jacinth, emerald. - -These name-rings are common in France; thus, _Adele_ is spelt with an -amethyst, a diamond, an emerald, a lapis lazuli, and another emerald. - -Among the motto or 'reason' rings, as they were termed, is an example, -described in the 'Archaeologia' (vol. xxxi), a weighty ring of fine gold, -found in 1823 at Thetford, in Suffolk. The device which appears upon this -ring is an eagle displayed; on the inner side is engraved a bird, with the -wings closed, apparently a falcon, with a crown upon its head. - -The following posy or motto, commencing on the outer side, is continued on -the interior of the ring: 'Deus me ouroye de vous seuir a gree--com moun -couer desire' (God work for me to make suit acceptably to you, as my heart -desires). The devices appear to be heraldic, and the motto that of a -lover, or a suitor to one in power. The eagle is the bearing of several -ancient Suffolk families; it was also a badge of the House of Lancaster, -and Thetford was one portion of the Duchy of Lancaster. - -These mottos were occasionally engraved in relief. In the Londesborough -Collection is one of gold, found in the Thames. The inscription upon it is -'Sans vilinie' (without baseness). - -'A very early ring,' remarks Mr. Fairholt, 'with an unusually pretty posy, -is in the collection of J. Evans, Esq., F.S.A. It is gold, set with a -small sapphire, and is inscribed "IE, SVI, ICI, EN LI'V D'AMI" (I am here -in place of a friend). It was probably made at the beginning of the -fourteenth century. Beside it is placed two other specimens of inscribed -rings. The first is chased with the Nortons' motto, 'God us ayde;' the -second is inscribed withinside with the sentence, 'Mulier, viro subjecta -esto.' Both are works of the fifteenth century. - -[Illustration: Posy ring.] - -[Illustration: Inscription rings.] - -Mr. Fairholt describes two gold wedding-rings of the sixteenth century, -which were then generally inscribed with a posy of one or two lines of -rhyme. One is formed like a badge of the Order of the Garter, with the -buckle in front and the motto of the Order outside the hoop; withinside -are the words, 'I'll win and wear you.' The other is the ordinary form of -wedding-ring, inscribed, 'Let likinge laste.' They were generally -inscribed _withinside_ the hoop. Thus Lyly, in his 'Euphues' (1597), -addressing the ladies, hopes they will favour his work--'writing their -judgments as you do the posies in your rings, which are always next to the -finger, not to be seen of him that holdeth you by the hand, and yet known -by you that wear them on your hands.' - -[Illustration: Posy rings.] - -The Rev. C. W. King remarks that 'antique intagli set in mediaeval seals -have, in general, a Latin motto added around the setting. For this the -Lombard letter is almost invariably employed, seldom the black letter, -whence it may be inferred, which, indeed, was likely on other grounds, -that such seals, for the most part, came from Italy, where the Lombard -alphabet was the sole one in use until superseded by the revived Roman -capitals about the year 1450. Of such mottos a few examples will serve to -give an idea, premising that the stock was not very extensive, judging -from the frequent repetitions of the same legends, on seals of widely -different devices. Thus a very spirited intaglio of a lion passant, found -in Kent, proclaims--"SUM LEO QUOVIS EO NON NISI VERA VEHO;" another gives -the admonition to secresy--"TECTA LEGE, LECTA TEGE;" a third in the same -strain--"CLAUSA SECRETA TEGO;" another lion warns us with "IRA REGIA," the -wrath of a king is as the roaring of a lion--an apt device for a courtier. -Less frequently seen are legends in old French, and these are more quaint -in their style; for instance, around a female bust--"PRIVE SUY E PEU -CONNU:" whilst a gryllus of a head, covered with a fantastic helmet made -up of masks, gives the advice, in allusion to the enigmatical type--"CREEZ -CE KE VUUS LIRREZ," for "Croyez ce que vous lirez."' - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -CUSTOMS AND INCIDENTS IN CONNECTION WITH RINGS. - - -One of the most singular usages in former times in which a ring was -employed was the annual celebration at Venice of the wedding of the Doge -with the Adriatic. This custom is said to date from the era of Pope -Alexander III., and the Doge of Venice, Zidni, in the twelfth century. -This prince having on behalf of the pontiff attacked the hostile fleet of -Frederic Barbarossa, and obtained a complete victory, with the capture of -the emperor's son, Otho, the Pope in grateful acknowledgment gave him a -ring, ordaining that henceforth and for ever, annually, the governing Doge -should, with a ring, espouse the sea. The pontiff promised that the bride -should be obedient and subject to his sway, for ever, as a wife is -subjected to her husband. - -It is recorded that in this year (1177) this pompous ceremony was -performed for the first time. The Doge died in the following year. On -Ascension Day the Venetians, headed by their Doge, celebrated the -triumphant event. Galleys, sailing-vessels, and gondolas accompanied the -chief of the State, who occupied a prominent position on the 'Bucentoro,' -which held, as its name implies, two hundred persons. This vessel was -decorated with columns, statues, etc., and the top was covered with -crimson velvet. There were twenty-one oars on each side. Musical -performers attended in another barge. The vessel left the Piazza of St. -Mark under a salute of guns, and proceeded slowly to the Isle of Lido. -Here the Doge, taking the ring from his finger, gave it to his betrothed -wife, the Adriatic, by dropping it into her bosom, repeating these words: -'We espouse thee, oh sea! in token of our just and perpetual -dominion.'[73] - -The reader will remember the well-known lines of Byron, written at Venice: - - The spouseless Adriatic mourns her lord; - And, annual marriage now no more renew'd, - The Bucentaur lies rotting, unrestored, - Neglected garment of her widowhood. - -It is probable that Shakspeare alluded to this custom when he says in -'Othello:'-- - - I would not my unhoused free condition - Put into circumscription, and confine - For the sea's worth. - -Byron, in the 'Two Foscari,' again alludes to the 'marriage' ring of the -Doge. When the Council of Ten demanded of the Doge Foscari-- - - The resignation of the ducal ring, - Which he had worn so long and venerably, - -he laid aside the ducal bonnet and robes, surrendered his ring of office, -and exclaimed: - - There's the ducal ring, - And there's the ducal diadem. And so - The Adriatic's free to wed another. - -So, Rogers: - - He was deposed, - He who had reigned so long and gloriously; - His ducal bonnet taken from his brow, - His robes stript off, his seal and signet-ring - Broken before him. - -Rings, in common with jewels of various descriptions, were given by our -monarchs on state occasions, and as New Year's gifts, as marks of special -favour. In Rymer's 'Foedera' there is a curious inventory of rings and -ouches, with other jewels, which King Henry VI. bestowed in 1445, as New -Year's gifts, on his uncle and nobles. In the inventories of Queen -Elizabeth's jewels there are numerous instances of such gifts. - -[Illustration: New Year's gift ring.] - -At the marriage of Henry VI. with Margaret of Anjou, Cardinal Beaufort -presented a gold ring to the bride, given to him by Henry V., and which -the latter wore when crowned at Paris. - -The crest of the Cromwells is a demi-lion rampant arg., in his dexter gamb -a gem-ring or. The origin of this is stated thus:--At a tournament held by -Henry VIII., in 1540, the King was particularly delighted with the -gallantry of Sir Richard Cromwell (whom he had knighted on the second day -of the tournament), and exclaiming 'Formerly thou wast my _Dick_, but -hereafter thou shalt be my _Diamond_,' presented him with a diamond ring, -bidding him for the future wear such a one in the fore-gamb of the -demi-lion in the crest, instead of a javelin as heretofore. The arms of -Sir Richard with this alteration were ever afterwards borne by the elder -branch of the family, and by Oliver Cromwell himself, on his assuming the -Protectorate, though previously he had borne the javelin. - -A gold ring found St. Mary's Field, near Leicester, in 1796, had been a -New Year's gift, and is inscribed 'en bon an.' - -[Illustration: New Year's gift ring.] - -In former times when St. Valentine's Day was kept as a joyous festival, -the drawing of a kind of lottery took place, followed by ceremonies not -much unlike what is now generally called the game of 'forfeits.' Married -and single persons were alike liable to be chosen as a valentine, and a -present was invariably given to the choosing party. Rings were frequently -bestowed. Pepys, in 1668, notes: 'This evening my wife did with great -pleasure show me her stock of jewels, increased by the ring she hath -lately made as my valentine's gift this year, a turkey (turquoise) stone -set with diamonds.' Noticing also the jewels of the celebrated Miss -Stuart, he says: 'The Duke of York, being once her valentine, did give her -a jewel of about eight hundred pounds, and my Lord Mandeville, her -valentine this year, a ring of about three hundred pounds.' - - * * * * * - -Rings have been employed frequently in facilitating diplomatic missions, -and in negotiations of a very delicate and critical nature. Plutarch -relates an anecdote of Luculus to prove his disinterestedness. Being sent -on an embassy to King Ptolemy Physcon, he not merely refused all the -splendid presents offered to him, amounting in value to eighty talents -(15,444_l._), but even received of his table allowance no more than was -absolutely necessary for his maintenance, and when the King attended him -down to his ship, as he was about to return to Rome, and pressed upon his -acceptance an emerald 'of the precious kind,' set in gold (for a ring), -he declined this also, until Ptolemy made him observe it was engraved with -his own portrait, whereupon, fearing his refusal should be considered a -mark of personal ill-will, he at last accepted the ring as a keepsake. At -a dark epoch in the fortunes of the unhappy Mary, Queen of Scots, when, in -1567, scarcely a shadow of regal power was left to her, an attempt was -made to induce her to resign the crown. Sir Robert Melville was employed -on this mission, giving her, as an authority for his errand, a turquoise -ring confided to him for that purpose by the confederate lords. - -A ring in the possession of Miss H. P. Lonsdale is stated to have been -given by Queen Anne, from her finger, to a Mr. Nugent for some diplomatic -services. It is of gold, set with a heart-shaped ruby crowned with three -small diamonds. At the back is a royal crown, and the letters 'A. R.' - -Clement VII., to propitiate King Henry VIII., sent him a consecrated rose; -while, to gain the good services of Cardinal Wolsey, the Pope drew from -his finger a ring of value, which he entrusted to the care of Secretary -Pace at Rome, expressing regret that he could not himself present it in -person. - -When the Duchess of Savoy was held a prisoner by Charles the Bold, Duke of -Burgundy, she found means to send her secretary to solicit the aid of -Louis XI. As she was prevented from writing, the only credentials she -could give her emissary was the ring the King had given her on the -occasion of her marriage. This passport would have sufficed, but that, -unfortunately, the bearer, when he presented himself to the King, wore the -cross of St. Andre. Louis ordered the man to be arrested, suspecting him -to be a spy of the Duke of Burgundy, and that he had stolen his sister's -ring. The messenger would have been hung, but for the timely arrival of -the Lord of Rivarola, who was sent by the Duchess, urging the King to -assist her. - -Plutarch mentions that Clearchus, Cyrus the Younger's general, in return -for favours received from Ctesias, the physician of Tisaphernes, presented -him with his ring as an introduction to his family in Sparta. - -At the declaration of peace between England and Spain in 1604 King James -gave the Spanish Ambassador, the Duke de Frias, Constable of Castile, who -negotiated the treaty, a large diamond ring, in commemoration of the -_marriage_, as he called the peace. - -Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, had a large diamond cut by Berghem -into a triangle, which he had set in a ring representing two clasped -hands, the symbol of good faith, and sent to Louis XI., 'an allusion' -(remarks the Rev. C. W. King), 'though in an acceptable form, to his -deficiency in that virtue.' - -An anecdote connected with the celebrated 'Pitt' diamond is related by Mr. -Eastwick, and shows how important results may sometimes be secured, when -reason and logic may not prevail. This jewel passed through some curious -adventures, and, after having ornamented the sword of Napoleon at -Waterloo, was sent as a present in a ring by George IV. to the Sovereign -of Persia, Fath-Ali-Shah. The bearer of this costly ring, Sir Harford -Jones, was stopped in his journey by a messenger from the court, and -desired not to enter the capital, where French interests were then -paramount. After Sir Harford had exhausted every argument to show that he -ought to be received, without making any impression on the Persian Khan, -he said, 'Well, if it must be so, I shall return, but this must go with -me,' and he took from his pocket the beautiful diamond ring which had been -sent for the Shah. The sparkle of the gem produced a magical effect; the -Khan no sooner beheld it than he lost his balance, and fell back from his -seat quite out of breath; then, recovering himself, he shouted, 'Stop, -stop, Elchi! May your condescending kindness go on increasing! This alters -the matter. I will send an express to the heavenly-resembling threshold of -the asylum of the world! I swear by your head that you will be received -with all honour. Mashallah! it is not everyone that has diamonds like the -Inglis.' He was as good as his word; the express courier was despatched, -and Sir Harford Jones entered the city of Teheran by one gate, while -General Gardanne, the French envoy, was packed off by the other. - -[This stone must have been a fraction or portion of the cutting of this -famous diamond, as the 'Regent' is still in the French _Garde-meuble_, or -national treasury.] - -In 1514 Venice deputed two ambassadors to France and England; amongst -other _bribes_, two rings were ordered to be given privily to the French -Secretary, Robertet, 'as a mark of love in the Signory's name.' One had a -ruby and a diamond. - -A correspondent of 'Notes and Queries' (3rd series, vol. i. p. 486) gives -an interesting extract from an old newspaper (the 'Mercurius Publicus,' -for November 29, 1660), in which allusion is made to the King's Gift -Rings. On the disbanding of Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper's regiment at -Salisbury, 'the men joyfully welcomed His Majestie's Commissioners by -shouts and acclamations, and understanding of His Majestie's goodness in -bestowing freely a full week's pay, over and above their just arrears, -they broke out into another great shout, and then unanimously resolved -with that week's pay to buy, each man, a ring, whose posie should be "The -King's gift," as an earnest and memorandum, to be ready on all occasions -when His Majesty's service (and none but his), should call them.' - -I may mention the gift of rings to the native chiefs of India by the -Prince of Wales, during his recent progress in that country. At Aden the -Prince expressed his acknowledgments, on behalf of the Queen, for the -services rendered by the Sultan of Lahej to the garrison of Aden, and put -a massive gold ring with the initials 'A. E.' on the Sultan's finger with -his own hand. - -The Maharajah of Benares was presented with a ring having an oval -miniature portrait of the Prince, in enamel, set in brilliants. - - * * * * * - -Identification by means of a ring is alluded to in the Greek romance, by -Heliodorus, of 'Theagines and Chariclea.' The latter, through a ring and -fillet which had been attached to her at her birth, is, after many -adventures, discovered to be the daughter of Hydaspes, and becomes heiress -of the Ethiopian sovereignty. The modern Italian poets have availed -themselves of this incident. - -Roger of Wendover relates how Richard Coeur de Lion, when returning from -the Crusades, secretly, and in disguise, through Germany to his own -country, was identified in a town of Slavonia, called Gazara, by means of -a ring. The King had sent a messenger to the nearest castle to ask for -peace and safe-conduct from the lord of that province. He had on his -return purchased of a Pisan merchant for nine hundred bezants, three -jewels called carbuncles, or more commonly 'rubies.' One of these he had, -whilst on board ship, enclosed in a gold ring, and this he sent by the -said messenger to the governor of the castle. When the messenger was asked -by the governor who they were that requested safe conduct, he answered -that they were pilgrims returning from Jerusalem. The governor then asked -what their names were, to which the messenger replied, 'one of them is -called Baldwin de Bethune, the other Hugh, a merchant who has also sent -you a ring.' The lord of the castle, looking more attentively at the ring, -said, 'He is not called Hugh, but King Richard,' and then added, 'although -I have sworn to seize all pilgrims coming from those parts, and not to -accept of any gift from them, nevertheless, for the worthiness of the -gift, and also of the sender, to him who has so honoured me, a stranger to -him, I both return his present and grant him free permission to depart.' - - * * * * * - -A ring, in all probability, saved the Emperor Charles V. from the most -critical position in which he had ever been placed. Having requested -permission of Francis I. to pass through France, in order to reach sooner -his Flemish dominions, where his presence was urgently required, the -rival, so lately his prisoner, not only granted the request, but gave him -a most brilliant reception. Some of the French King's counsellors thought -this generous conduct to a crafty foe was quixotic in the extreme, and -that Charles should be detained until he had cancelled some of the hard -conditions, to which he had compelled Francis to subscribe to purchase his -release. Among those who strongly advocated the policy of detaining the -imperial guest was the King's fair friend, the Duchesse d'Estampes. -Charles, who was informed of the dangerous weight thrown in the scale -against him, resolved to win over the influential counsellor. One day, as -he was washing his hands before dinner, he dropped a diamond ring of great -value, which the Duchess picked up and presented to him. 'Nay, madam,' -said the Emperor gallantly to her, 'it is in too fair a hand for me to -take back.' The gift had its full value, and Charles pursued his way -without molestation. - - * * * * * - -Instances are recorded in which the wearing of a ring has been the means -of saving life. Such happened to the Count de St. Pol at the battle of -Pavia. He had fallen covered with wounds; avarice recalled him to life. A -soldier, seeking for pillage, arrived at the place where the unfortunate -Count lay extended, senseless, among the dead. He perceived a very -beautiful diamond glitter on the finger of the apparently lifeless man. -Not being successful in drawing the ring off, he began to cut the finger. -The pain extorted a piercing cry from the Count, who had only swooned. He -mentioned his name, and had the presence of mind to recommend silence to -the soldier, telling him that if he boasted of having in his power a -prince of the house of France, the Emperor's generals would take him into -their own hands in order to get his ransom; and he promised to make the -soldier's fortune if he would take care of his wounds, and follow him to -France. This reasoning had its effect; the soldier secretly conveyed the -Prince to Pavia, had his wounds dressed, and was nobly rewarded for it. - -Taylor, in his 'Danger of Premature Interments' (1816) relates the -following incident. The heroine of this event was named Retchmuth Adolet. -She was the wife of a merchant at Cologne, and is said to have died of the -plague, which destroyed a great part of the inhabitants of that city in -1571. She was speedily interred, and a ring of great value was suffered to -remain on her finger, which tempted the cupidity of the grave-digger. The -night was the time he had planned for obtaining possession of it. On going -to the grave, opening it, and attempting to take the ring from off the -finger of the lady, she came to herself, and so terrified the sacrilegious -thief, that he ran away and left his lantern behind him. The lady took -advantage of his fright, and with the assistance of his lantern, found her -way home, and lived to be the mother of three children. After her real -decease, she was buried near the door of the same church, and a tomb was -erected over her grave, upon which the incident related was engraved. - -Mrs. Bray, in a notice of 'Cotele,' and 'the Edgcumbes of the Olden Time' -('Gentleman's Magazine,' November 1853), relates a singular circumstance -of this character, which 'is so well authenticated, that not even a doubt -rests upon its truth.' It refers to the mother of that Sir Richard -Edgcumbe, Knight, who, in 1748, was created Baron of Mount Edgcumbe. - -'The family were residing at Cotele (I do not know the date of the year), -when Lady Edgcumbe became much indisposed, and to all appearance died. How -long after is not stated, but her body was deposited in the family vault -of the parish church. The interment had not long taken place, before the -sexton (who must have heard from the nurse or servants that she was buried -with something of value upon her) went down into the vault at midnight, -and contrived to force open the coffin. A gold ring was on her ladyship's -finger, which in a hurried way he attempted to draw off, but, not readily -succeeding, he pressed with great violence the finger. Upon this the body -moved in the coffin, and such was the terror of the man, that he ran away -as fast as he could, leaving his lantern behind him. Lady Edgcumbe arose, -astonished at finding herself dressed in grave-clothes, and numbered with -the tenants of the vault. She took up the lantern, and proceeded at once -to the mansion of Cotele. The terror, followed by the rejoicing of her -family and household, which such a resurrection from the tomb occasioned, -may well be conceived. Exactly five years after this circumstance, she -became the mother of that Sir Richard Edgcumbe, who was created Baron. -Polwhele, in his "History of Cornwall," says: "Of the authenticity of this -event there can be no reasonable doubt. A few years ago a gentleman of my -acquaintance heard all the particulars of the transaction from the late -Lord Graves, of Thancks, which is in the neighbourhood of Cotele. But I -need not appeal to Lord Graves's authority, as I recollect the narrative -as coming from the lips of my grandmother Polwhele, who used to render the -story extremely interesting from a variety of minute circumstances, and -who, from her connexion and intimacy of her own with the Edgcumbe family, -was unquestionably well-informed on the subject." - -'It may seem strange that when Lady Edgcumbe was thus committed to the -grave she was not buried in lead; but at the period of her supposed death -it was very unusual to bury persons, even of high rank and station, in a -leaden coffin, if they died and were buried in the country. The nearest -town to Cotele of any note was Plymouth, a seaport to which there was then -no regular road from the far-distant old mansion, and I question if at -that period Plymouth could have furnished such an unusual thing as a lead -coffin. Lady Edgcumbe was probably buried in oak secured by nails or -screws, which without much difficulty could be forced open by the sexton -in his meditated robbery of the body.' - -While rings have favoured the living, they have also been the means of -recognising the dead. An instance of this is related in the history of the -great Duke of Burgundy, renowned for the splendour of his court and his -love of jewels. He died in the battle of Nanci, and his body was not found -until three days afterwards, when it was recognised by one of the Duke's -household by a ring and other precious jewels upon it; otherwise the -corpse was so disfigured that it could not have been identified. - -The body of the great naval commander Sir Cloudesley Shovel, who was -shipwrecked on the rocks of Scilly in 1707, was washed on shore, when some -fishermen, it is said, having stolen a valuable emerald ring, buried the -corpse. The ring, being shown about, made a great noise over the island, -and was the cause of the discovery and ultimate removal of the body to -Westminster Abbey. - -Another account is that which was published under the authority of the -Earl of Romney, grandson of Sir Cloudesley Shovel. Some years after the -fatal shipwreck, an aged woman confessed to the parish minister of St. -Mary's on her deathbed that, exhausted with fatigue, one man who had -survived the disaster reached her hut, and that she had murdered him to -secure the valuable property on his person. This worst of wreckers then -produced a ring taken from the finger of her victim, and it was afterwards -identified as one presented to Sir Cloudesley Shovel by Lord Berkeley. - -William Trotter, of an ancient family on the Scottish border, is recorded -to have fallen at the battle of Flodden; and, in corroboration of the -fact, a gold ring was found about the middle of the last century, upon -the site of the field of battle, bearing an inscription in Norman-French, -having between each word a boar's head, the armorial bearings of the -Trotters. - -Martius, in 'Titus Andronicus,' when he falls into a dark pit, discovers -the body of Bassianus, by the light of the jewel on the dead man's hand:-- - - Upon his bloody finger he doth wear - A precious ring, that lightens all the hole, - Which, like a taper in some monument, - Doth shine upon the dead man's earthy cheeks, - And shows the rugged entrails of this pit: - So pale did shine the moon on Pyramus, - When he by night lay bath'd in human blood. - -I may mention the employment of rings for criminal purposes, such as their -use for concealing poison, of which we have instances in past ages, and in -late times. Hannibal, we are told, from a fear of being delivered up to -the Romans by Prusius, King of Bithynia, swallowed poison, which, to be -prepared for the worst, he carried with him in the hollow of a ring. To -this Juvenal alludes in his Tenth Satire:-- - - Nor swords, nor spears, nor stones from engines hurl'd, - Shall quell the man whose frown alarm'd the world; - The vengeance due to Cannae's fatal field, - And floods of human gore--a ring shall yield. - -Demosthenes is also said to have died in a similar manner. The keeper of -the Roman treasures, after the robbery by Crassus of the gold deposited -there by Camillus, broke the stone of his ring in his mouth, in which -poison was concealed, and immediately expired. - -'The ancients,' remarks the Rev. C. W. King ('Antique Gems'), 'were -acquainted with vegetable poisons, as speedy in their effects as the -modern strychnine, as appears in the death of Britannicus from a potion -prepared by Locusta, and in innumerable other instances. These hollow -rings were put together with a degree of skill far beyond that of our -modern jewellers; for the soldering of the numerous joinings of the gold -plates of which they are formed is absolutely imperceptible even when -breathed upon--a test under which the best modern solder always assumes a -lighter tint.' - -Motley, in his 'Rise of the Dutch Republic,' relates that in the -conspiracies against the life of the Prince of Orange (about 1582), under -the influence of the court of Spain, the young Lamoral Egmont, in return -for the kindness shown to him by the Prince, attempted to destroy him at -his own table by means of poison which he kept concealed in a ring. Sainte -Philip de Marnix, Lord of Aldegonde, was to have been taken off in the -same way; and a hollow ring filled with poison was said to have been found -in Egmont's lodgings. The young noble was imprisoned, and his guilt was -undoubted, but he owed his escape from death to the Prince of Orange. - -[Illustration: Poison ring.] - -A poison ring of curious construction is described by Mr. Fairholt as -richly engraved, and set with two rubies and a pyramidal diamond; the -collet securing the latter stone opens with a spring, and exhibits a -somewhat large receptacle for such virulent poisons as were concocted by -Italian chemists in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. - -[Illustration: Venetian poison ring.] - -The other ring has a representation of St. Mark seated holding his gospel, -and giving a benediction. The spaces between this figure and the oval -border are perforated, so that the interior of the box is visible, and the -relic enshrined might be seen. - -It is recorded of the infamous Pope Alexander VI. (Borgia) that he caused -a key, similar to the key-ring, to be used in opening a cabinet, but the -Pope's key was poisoned in the handle, and provided with a small sharp -pin, which gave a slight puncture, sufficient to allow the poison to pass -below the skin. When he wished to rid himself of an objectionable friend -he would request him to unlock the cabinet; as the lock turned rather -stiffly, a little pressure was necessary on the key handle, sufficient to -produce the effect desired. - -The signet-ring of Caesar Borgia was exhibited a few years ago at a meeting -of the British Archaeological Association by the Rev. C. H. Hartshorne. It -is of gold, slightly enamelled, with the date 1503, and round the inside -is the motto, 'Fays ceque doys avien que pourra.' A box dropped into the -front, having on it 'Borgia,' in letters reversed, round which are the -words 'Cor unum una via.' At the back is a slide, within which, it is -related, he carried the poison he was in the habit of dropping into the -wine of his unsuspecting guests. - -Another ring-device of Caesar Borgia was: 'Aut Caesar aut nihil.' The -following distich was made upon him:-- - - Borgia Caesar erat factis et nomine Caesar; - 'Aut nihil aut Caesar' dixit, utrumque fuit. - -In late times the death of Condorcet was occasioned by a subtle poison, -made by Cabanis, and enclosed in a ring. The particulars of this tragedy -are related by Arago. Proscribed by the Revolution of 1792, Condorcet, -formerly secretary to the Academy of Sciences, took refuge in the house of -a Madame Vernet, at Paris, a lady who generously risked her own life in -endeavouring to save that of the eminent philosopher. Fearing to -compromise his protectress by a longer stay, Condorcet left Paris with the -intention of taking refuge in the country house of an old friend, who was, -however, absent, and he wandered about, taking shelter at night in some -stone-quarries, but was at length arrested, and conducted to -Bourg-la-Reine, where he was placed in a damp cell. The next morning -(March 28, 1794) he was found dead in his prison, having taken poison, -which he carried about with him in a ring. - -A singular story of a poisoned ring appeared in the French newspapers a -few years ago, to the effect that a gentleman who had purchased some -objects of art at a shop in the Rue St. Honore, was examining an ancient -ring, when he gave himself a slight scratch in the hand with a sharp part -of it. He continued talking to the dealer a short time, when he suddenly -felt an indescribable sensation over his whole body, which appeared to -paralyse his faculties, and he became so seriously ill that it was found -necessary to send for a medical man. The doctor immediately discovered -every symptom of poisoning by some mineral substance. He applied strong -antidotes, and in a short time the gentleman was in a measure recovered. -The ring in question having been examined by the medical man, who had long -resided in Venice, was found to be what was formerly called a 'death' -ring, in use by Italians when acts of poisoning were frequent about the -middle of the seventeenth century. Attached to it inside were two claws -of a lion made of the sharpest steel, and having clefts in them filled -with a violent poison. In a crowded assembly, or in a ball, the wearer of -this fatal ring, wishing to exercise revenge on any person, would take -their hand, and when pressing in the sharp claw, would be sure to inflict -a slight scratch on the skin. This was enough, for on the following -morning the victim would be sure to be found dead. Notwithstanding the -many years since which the poison in this ring had been placed there, it -retained its strength sufficiently to cause great inconvenience to the -gentleman as stated. - - * * * * * - -A singular interest is attached to the recovery of lost rings, of which -there are many instances. One is recorded in connection with the -wonder-working hand of St. Stephen of Hungary, which is now in the castle -of Buda. In 1621, Pope Gregory canonised this monarch, after a lapse of -two hundred years that his remains had been lying in the cathedral of -Stuhlweissenberg, and on their removal it was discovered that the skeleton -had no right hand. This created much stir, as it was known that a very -valuable ring had been on one of the fingers, but no tidings of the -missing member were heard until some years after, when a certain abbot -Mercurius, who had formerly been treasurer to the cathedral, had an -interview with the reigning monarch Ladislaus. The story he told was a -rich one, the hand with the ring on it had been committed to his safe -keeping by a beautiful youth, 'dressed all in white.' The historian -Feesler, himself an ecclesiastic, says that 'Ladislaus saw through -Mercurius, but left God to deal with him.' In the chapter on 'Ring -Superstitions' I have mentioned the discovery of Lady Dundee's ring, and -the omen attached to it. - -The late Professor De Morgan, in 'Notes and Queries' (December 21, 1861), -related an instance of a recovered ring, which (although not vouching for -its truth) he states as having been commented upon nearly fifty years ago -in the country town close to which the scene is placed, with all degrees -of belief and unbelief. A servant-boy was sent into the town with a -valuable ring. He took it out of the box to admire it, and in passing over -a plank bridge he let it fall on a muddy bank. Not being able to find it -he ran away, took to the sea, and finally settled in a colony, made a -large fortune, came back after many years, and bought the estate on which -he had been a servant. One day, while walking over his land with a friend, -he came to the plank bridge, and there told his friend the story. 'I could -swear,' he said, pushing his stick into the mud, 'to the very spot where -the ring was dropped:' when the stick came back the ring was on the end of -it. - -A large silver signet-ring was lost by a Mr. Murray, in Caithness, as he -was walking one day on a shingly beach bounding his estate. Fully a -century afterwards it was found in the shingle in fair condition, and -restored to Mr. Murray's remote heir, Sir Peter Murray Thrieplund, of -Fingask. - -The truth of a similarly recovered ring I am able to attest from my -acquaintance with the late Mrs. Drake, of Pilton, near Barnstaple, to -whose family the incident refers. The husband of this lady, while with her -in a boat off Ilfracombe about fifteen years ago, lost a valuable ring. Of -course no hopes were ever entertained of its recovery. In 1869, however, -the ring was picked up on the beach at Lee, near Ilfracombe, by a little -child who was living in the valley. The ring was readily identified, as it -bore the inscription: 'John, Lord Rollo, born Oct. 16, 1751, died April -3, 1842.' - -In the bed of the river in the parish of Fornham St. Martin, in Suffolk, -was found, some years since, a gold ring with a ruby, late in the -possession of Charles Blomfield, Esq., which is conjectured by some to be -the ring that the Countess of Leicester is related (by Matthew Paris) to -have thrown away in her flight after the battle of Fornham St. Genevieve, -October 16, 1173. The Earl and Countess of Leicester were taken prisoners -at this battle. - -A matron of East Lulworth lost her ring one day: two years afterwards she -was peeling some potatoes brought from a field half-a-mile distant from -the cottage, and upon dividing one discovered her ring inside. - -A Mrs. Mountjoy, of Brechin, when feeding a calf, let it suck her fingers, -and on withdrawing her hand found that her ring had disappeared. Believing -the calf was the innocent thief, she refused to part with it, and after -keeping the animal for three years, had it slaughtered, and the ring was -found in the intestines. - -A wealthy German farmer, living near Nordanhamn, was making flour-balls in -1871 for his cattle. At the end of his work he missed his ring, bearing -his wife's name. Soon afterwards the farmer sold seven bullocks, which the -purchaser shipped to England, on board the 'Adler' cattle-steamer on -October 26. Two days afterwards an English smack, the 'Mary Ann' of -Colchester, picked up at sea the still warm carcass of a bullock, which -was opened by the crew to obtain some fat for greasing the rigging. Inside -the animal they found a gold ring inscribed with the woman's name and the -date 1860. Captain Tye reported the circumstance as soon as he arrived in -port, and handed the ring over to an official, who sent it up to London. -The authorities set to work to trace its ownership, and found that the -only ship reporting the loss of a beast that could have passed the 'Mary -Ann' was the steamer 'Adler,' from which a bullock supposed to be dead, -had been thrown overboard on October 28. Meanwhile, the 'Shipping Gazette' -recording the finding of the ring had reached Nordanhamn, and one of its -readers there had recognised the name inscribed upon it; communications -were opened with the farmer, and in due time he repossessed his ring. - -In the chapter on 'Ring Superstitions' allusion is made to the marvellous -stories of rings found in the bodies of fishes. An instance, however, of -this character was mentioned in the newspapers lately, as having occurred -at St. John's, Newfoundland. It is said that a signet-ring bearing the -monogram 'P.B.' was discovered by a fisherman in the entrails of a -cod-fish caught in Trinity Bay. The fisherman, John Potter, kept the prize -in his possession for some time, but, the incident getting known, he was -requested by the colonial secretary to send or bring the ring to St. -John's, as he had received letters from a family named Burnam, of Poole, -England, stating that they had reason to feel certain that the ring once -belonged to Pauline Burnam, who was one of the several hundred passengers -of the Allan steamship 'Anglo-Saxon,' which was wrecked off Chance Bay -(N.F.) in 1861, the said Pauline Burnam being a relative of theirs. The -fisherman, in whose possession the ring was, brought it to St. John's, and -presented it at the colonial secretary's office. After a brief delay he -was introduced to a Mr. Burnam, who at once identified the object as the -wedding-ring of his mother, and which she had always worn since her -marriage at Huddersfield, in the year 1846. The ring was accordingly -given up to Mr. Burnam, who rewarded the fortunate finder with fifty -pounds. - -On October 7, 1868, some fishermen, throwing their nets in the Volga, -captured a sturgeon, which was found to be the same as that which his -Imperial Highness the heir-presumptive of the Russian crown had accepted -as an offering in 1866 from the municipality of Nijni. At the desire of -the Prince the fish was restored to the sea. Its identity was proved by a -silver ring attached to the right gill of the fish, on which was inscribed -the date, Aug. 27, 1866. Another similar ring, which had been attached to -the left gill, had disappeared. - -It is to be presumed that the sturgeon was returned to the water with some -mark to indicate the period at which it was re-captured. Some time after -this occurrence a similar case occurred in the Volga, when another -sturgeon, which had been offered as a present to the late Emperor -Nicholas, and had been recommitted to its native element, was taken alive, -and recognised by the rings attached to it. - -The French newspapers of May 1873 announced that at one of the principal -_restaurants_ in Paris, a valuable diamond ring was found in the stomach -of a salmon purchased at the central markets. - -In the 'Gentleman's Magazine' (January 1765), is the account of a Mrs. -Todd, of Deptford, who, in going in a boat to Whitstable, endeavoured to -prove that no person need be poor who was willing to be otherwise; and -being excited with her argument, took off her gold ring, and, throwing it -out into the sea, said 'it was as much impossible for any person to be -poor who had an inclination to be otherwise, as for her ever to see that -ring again.' The second day after this, and when she had landed, she -bought some mackerel, which the servant commenced to dress for dinner, -whereupon there was found a gold ring in one. The servant ran to show it -to her mistress, and the ring proved to be that which she had thrown away. - -Brand, in his 'History of Newcastle,' relates that a gentleman of that -city, in the middle of the seventeenth century, dropped a ring from his -hand over the bridge into the River Tyne. Years passed on, when one day -his wife bought a fish in the market, and the ring was discovered in its -stomach. - -A correspondent to 'Notes and Queries' (vol. i. series 3, p. 36), relates -the following curious anecdote: 'A gentleman, who was in the habit of -frequenting a favourite spot for the sake of a view that interested him, -used to lounge on a rail, and one day in a fit of absence of mind got -fumbling about the post in which one end of the rail was inserted. On his -way home he missed a valuable ring; he went back again and looked -diligently for it but without success. A considerable time afterwards in -visiting his old haunt, and indulging in his usual fit of absence, he was -very agreeably surprised to find the ring on his finger again, and which -appears to have been occasioned by (in both instances), his pressing his -finger in the aperture of the post, which just fitted sufficiently with a -pressure to hold the ring. I afterwards tried the experiment at the spot, -and found it perfectly easy to have been effected with an easily fitting -ring.' - -A curious antique ring, discovered in 1867 near the site of the Priory of -St. Mary, Pilton, near Barnstaple, was exhibited by Mr. Chanter, the -owner, at the Exeter Meeting of the Royal Archaeological Institute (July -1873). The ring is of pure gold, weighing 131 grains, a large egg-shaped -sapphire being in the middle, in a solid oval setting. The stone had a -hole drilled through the lower edge, through which a gold stud was passed, -but it did not extend through the gold setting. The stone had been -evidently flawed by the operation. The ring was intended for the thumb, -and for ecclesiastical use, dating from about 1100 or 1200. A singularity -is attached to the discovery. Some men were engaged in hedging, when they -had to cut down some old trees. After cutting down one, they found the -'moot' of another underneath, and right in the centre of the latter was a -round ball eight or ten inches in diameter, which the men took at first to -be a cannon-ball. On opening the clay, however, the ring, bright and -perfect, was exposed in the centre. A theory to account for this -remarkable discovery is that the ring might have been stolen and buried by -the thief for concealment under the tree in a ball of clay. For some -reason or other the ring was left there, and in the course of time another -tree grew over the old one. - -Among the singular _discoveries_ of rings, I may mention the -following:--In 1697 a woman was drowned for theft, in the Loch of Spynie, -in Morayshire, and in 1811 the skeleton was brought to light, with a ring -on its finger. In 1862, during some discoveries made at Pompeii, a body -was too far decayed to be touched, but liquid plaster of Paris was poured -upon it, and a cast was taken, so accurately done that a ring was found on -the finger. In the excavation of an Anglo-Saxon burial-place at Harnham -Hill, near Salisbury, a silver twisted ring was found on the middle -finger-bone of a skeleton. In some sepulchral objects from Italy, Styria, -and Mecklenburg, obtained by the late J. M. Kemble, Esq., was a -finger-ring of bronze, in which the bone still lay. The Abbe Cochet, the -indefatigable Norman explorer, mentions this as of usual occurrence. 'Au -doigt de la main sont les bagues, ou des anneaux d'or, d'argent, de -cuivre, ou de bronze. Quelques unes de ces bagues sont unies; mais -d'autres ont des chatons en agate, en verroterie rouge ou vert, ou des -croix encaustees sur metal. Communement, elles sont encore passees au -doigt que les porta, dont la phalange est tout verdie par l'oxyde du -bronze' ('La Normandie Souterraine,' p. 29). - -In Moore's 'Life of Byron' we have an instance of a lost ring recovered -under peculiarly interesting circumstances: 'On the day of the arrival of -the lady's (Miss Millbanke) answer, he (Lord Byron) was sitting down to -dinner, when his gardener came in, and presented him with his mother's -wedding-ring, which she had lost many years before, and which the gardener -had just found in digging up the mould under her window. Almost at the -same moment, the letter from Miss Millbanke arrived, and Lord Byron -exclaimed, "If it contains a consent, I will be married with this very -ring." It _did_ contain a very flattering acceptance of his proposal (of -marriage), and a duplicate of the letter had been sent to London, in case -this should have missed him.' - - * * * * * - -Among the numerous applications of rings to various purposes, one of the -most curious is the custom, once prevalent in the Isle of Man, that if a -man grossly insulted a married woman he was to suffer death, but if the -woman was unmarried the Deemster, or judge, gave her a rope, a sword, and -a ring, and she had it put to her choice either to hang him with the rope, -or to cut off his head with the sword, or to marry him with the ring. - -In one of Robin Hood's ballads we find that a ring was part of a prize for -archery:-- - - A greate courser, with saddle and brydle, - With gold burnished full bright; - A paire of gloves, a red golde ring, - A pipe of wyne, good fay. - What man berest him best, I wist, - The prize shall bear away. - -Rings were proffered as bribes: in the old legend of King Estmere, the -porter of King Adlan's hall is bribed by that monarch and his brother, -disguised as harpers, to admit them:-- - - Then they pulled out a ryng of gold, - Layd itt on the porter's arme, - 'And ever we will thee, proud porter, - Thou wilt saye us no harme.' - Sore he looked on King Estmere, - And sore he handled the ryng, - Then opened to them the fayre hall gates, - He lett for no kind of thyng. - -The lady, King Adlan's daughter, for whose sake the ring is given, is thus -described:-- - - The talents of gold were on her head sette, - Hanged low down to her knee; - And everye ring on her small finger - Shone of the chrystall free. - -In the romance of 'Earl Richard,' we have another instance of a ring fee, -or bribe, to a porter:-- - - She took a ring from her finger - And gave't the porter for his fee, - Says, 'tak you that, my good porter, - And bid the queen speak to me.' - -In the capital ballad of the 'Baffled Knight,' or 'Lady's Policy,' the -latter in answer to the overtures of her drunken wooer says:-- - - Oh, yonder stands my steed so free, - Among the cocks of hay, sir; - And if the pinner should chance to see - He'll take my steed away, sir. - -The Knight rejoins:-- - - Upon my finger I have a ring, - It's made of finest gold-a, - And, lady, it thy steed shall bring - Out of the pinner's fold-a. - -Miller, in his 'History of the Anglo-Saxons,' relates a pretty story of a -'bribe' ring, an episode in the battles between Edmund Ironside and -Canute. It was on the eve of one of these conflicts that a Danish chief, -named Ulfr, being hotly pursued by the Saxons, rushed into a wood, in the -hurry of defeat, and lost his way. After wandering about some time, he met -a Saxon peasant, who was driving home his oxen. The Danish chief asked his -name. 'It is Godwin,' answered the peasant; 'and you are one of the Danes -who were compelled yesterday to fly for your life.' The sea-king -acknowledged it was true, and asked the herdsman if he could guide him -either to the Danish ships, or where the army was encamped. 'The Dane must -be mad,' answered Godwin, 'who trusts to a Saxon for safety.' Ulfr -entreated this rude Gurth of the forest to point him out the way, at the -same time urging his argument by presenting the herdsman with a massive -gold ring, to win his favour. Godwin looked at the ring, and after having -carefully examined it he again placed it in the hand of the sea-king, and -said: 'I will not take this, but will show you the way.' Ulfr spent the -day at the herdsman's cottage; night came, and found Godwin in readiness -to be his guide. The herdsman had an aged father, who, before he permitted -his son to depart, thus addressed the Danish chief: 'It is my only son -whom I allow to accompany you; to your good faith I entrust him, for -remember that, there will no longer be any safety for him amongst his -countrymen if it is once known that he has been your guide. Present him to -your King, and entreat him to take my son into his service.' Ulfr -promised, and he kept his word. The humble cowherd, who afterwards married -the sea-king's sister, became the powerful Earl Godwin, of historic -celebrity. - - * * * * * - -In former times rings denoted quality, if we may judge from the -expressions in an old play ('First Part of the Contention: York and -Lancaster;' Shakspeare Society):-- - - I am a gentleman, looke on my ring, - Ransome me at what thou wilt, it shall be paid. - -In the popular German ballad of 'Anneli,' or the 'Anneli Lied,' translated -by Mr. J. H. Dixon ('Notes and Queries,' 3rd series, vol. ix.), the -maiden, whose lover is drowned in the lake while swimming, is in a boat -with a fisherman who recovers the body, which she places on her lap:-- - - And she kiss'd his mouth, and he seem'd to smile, - 'Oh, no, I will not repine, - For God in heaven hath granted him - A happier home than mine.' - - And she chaf'd in hers his clammy hands-- - Ah! what does the maiden see? - There was a bridal-ring for one - Was never a bride to be. - - She drew from his finger that posied ring, - 'Fisherman--lo! thy fee!' - - And clasping him round and round she plunged, - And scream'd with a maniac glee-- - 'No other young man in Argovie - Shall drown for the love of me!' - -Mr. R. S. Ralston, M.A., in his 'Songs of the Russians,' mentions an -interesting custom in connection with rings: 'Among the games is that -called the "Burial of the Gold." A number of girls form a circle, and pass -from hand to hand a gold ring, which a girl who stands inside the circle -tries to detect. Meanwhile they sing in chorus the following verses:-- - - See here, gold I bury, I bury; - Silver pure I bury, bury; - In the rooms, the rooms of my father, - Rooms so high, so high, of my mother. - Guess, O maiden, find out, pretty one, - Whose hand is holding - The wings of the serpent. - -The girl in the middle replies:-- - - Gladly would I have guessed, - Had I but known, or had seen,-- - Crossing over the plain, - Plaiting the ruddy brown hair, - Weaving with silk in and out - Interlacing with gold. - O, my friends, dear companions, - Tell the truth, do not conceal it, - Give, oh give me back my gold! - My mother will beat me - For three days, for four; - With three rods of gold, - With a fourth rod of pearl. - -The chorus breaks in, singing:-- - - The ring has fallen, has fallen - Among the guelders and raspberries, - Among the black currants. - - * * * * - - Disappeared has our gold, - Hidden amid the mere dust, - Grown all over with moss.' - -In Warner's 'History of Ireland' (vol. i. book 10) is the following ring -anecdote: 'The people were inspired with such a spirit of honour, virtue, -and religion, by the great example of Brien, and by his excellent -administration, that, as a proof of it, we are informed that a young lady -of great beauty, adorned with jewels and a costly dress, undertook to -journey alone from one end of the kingdom to the other, with a wand only -in her hand, on the top of which was a ring of exceeding great value; and -such an impression had the laws and government of this monarch made on the -minds of all the people that no attempt was made on her honour, nor was -she robbed of her clothes or jewels.' - -This forms the subject of one of the sweetest melodies of Moore:-- - - Rich and rare were the gems she wore, - And a bright gold ring on her wand she bore; - But oh! her beauty was far beyond - Her sparkling gems and snow-white wand. - -Janus Nicius Crytraeus relates that a certain pope had a tame raven, which -secreted the pope's ring, or _annulus Piscatoris_. The pope, thinking that -some one had committed the robbery, issued a bull of excommunication -against the robber. The raven grew very thin, and lost all his plumage. On -the ring being found, and the excommunication taken off, the raven -recovered his flesh and his plumage. - -Upon this story was founded the admirable Ingoldsby legend of the 'Jackdaw -of Rheims.' - - * * * * * - -During the great war of liberation in Germany, the ladies deposited in -the public treasury their jewels and ornaments to be sold for the national -cause, and they each received in turn an iron ring inscribed 'Ich gab Gold -am Eisen' (I gave gold for iron). Russell, who mentions this in his 'Tour -in Germany,' 1813, adds:--'A Prussian dame is as proud, and justly proud, -of this coarse decoration as her husband and her son is of his iron -cross.' - - * * * * * - -A singular mode of securing a ring on the finger is mentioned by a -correspondent to 'Notes and Queries' (4th Series, vol. vi. p. 323): 'In -the possession of a lady relative of mine is an old painting in oils, -representing Sir William Segar, Principal King-at-Arms to James I. (1604), -and his wife. They stand side by side, and are three-quarter portraits of -life size. On the fourth finger of Lady Segar's right hand is a jewelled -ring, to which are attached several black strings, curiously joined at the -back of the hand, and fastened round the wrist.' - - * * * * * - -A curious and tragical incident in connection with a ring is related in -the 'Lives of the Lindsays.' The young Colin, Earl of Balcarres, was -obtaining for his bride a young Dutch lady, Mauritia de Nassau, daughter -of a natural son of Maurice, Prince of Orange. The day arrived for the -wedding, the noble party were assembled in the church, and the bride was -at the altar; but, to the dismay of the company, no bridegroom appeared. -The volatile Colin had forgotten the day of his marriage, and was -discovered in his night-gown and slippers, quietly eating his breakfast. -He hurried to the church, but in his haste left the ring in his -writing-case; a friend in the company gave him one; the ceremony went on, -and, without looking at it, he placed it on the finger of the bride. It -was a _mourning_ ring, with the death's-head and cross-bones. On -perceiving it at the close of the ceremony she fainted away, and the evil -omen had made such an impression on her mind that, on recovering, she -declared she should die within the year, and her presentiment was too -truly fulfilled. - - * * * * * - -Louis de Berquem, of Bruges, to whom is ascribed the art of cutting and -polishing the diamond, made his first attempts in 1475, upon three rough -and large diamonds, confided to him for that purpose by Charles the Rash, -Duke of Burgundy. One of these was cut in a triangular shape, and mounted -on a ring, on which were figured two hands, as a symbol of alliance and -good faith, and was presented to Louis XI., King of France. - - * * * * * - -Mr. Howitt, in his additions to the 'History of Magic' of Ennemoser, -remarks: 'In the St. Vitus's dance patients often experience divinatory -visions of a fugitive nature, either referring to themselves or to others, -and occasionally in symbolic words. In the "Leaves from Prevorst," such -symbolic somnambulism is related, and I myself have observed a very -similar case: Miss V. Brand, during a violent paroxysm of St. Vitus's -dance, suddenly saw a black evil-boding crow fly into the room, from -which, she said, she was unable to protect herself, as it unceasingly flew -round her, as if it wished to make some communication. This appearance was -of daily occurrence with the paroxysm for eight days afterwards. On the -ninth, when the attacks had become less violent, the vision commenced with -the appearance of a white dove, which carried a letter containing a -betrothal ring in its beak; shortly afterwards the crow flew in with a -black-sealed letter. The next morning the post brought a letter with -betrothal cards from a cousin, and a few hours after the news was received -of the death of her aunt at Lohburg, of whose illness she was ignorant. Of -both these letters, which two different posts brought in on the same day, -Miss V. Brand could not possibly have known anything. The change of birds -and their colours during her recovery, and before the announcement of -agreeable or sorrowful news, the symbols of the ring and the black seal -exhibit in this vision a particularly pure expression of the soul, as well -as a correct view into the future.' - - * * * * * - -A French MS. of the thirteenth century gives the earliest version hitherto -discovered of the fable of the three rings, known by the story in -Boccaccio's 'Decamerone,' and by Lessing's 'Nathan.' From these, however, -it differs essentially. In the present version the true ring is found out -after the father's death, while Boccaccio and Lessing tell the contrary. -Of course the allegorical meaning of the true ring is the Christian faith, -and the two false are the Mohammedan and the Judaic faith. The Mohammedan -faith is considered the oldest because it represents the pagan faith in -general. - - * * * * * - -Among the singular uses to which rings have been applied, I may mention -what were called 'meridian.' These were various kinds of astronomical -rings formerly in use, but now superseded by more exact instruments. In -the French 'Encyclopedie' (Diderot and D'Alembert) will be found an -account of the 'solar' ring (_anneau solaire_), which showed the hour by -means of a small perforation, 'un trou, par lequel on fait passer un -rayon de soleil.' Zeller also describes a kind of sun-dial in the form of -a ring. This was called the astronomical ring, 'annulus astronomicus.'[74] - -[Illustration: Dial rings.] - -The Rev. Danson R. Currer has a _brass_ ring-dial, probably of the kind -formerly designated as 'journey rings.' - -Mr. Edward Jones, of Dolgellau, has a dial-ring consisting of two -concentric rings moving within the other, the larger one having a linear -groove, and the smaller one a slight hole working into it. - -[Illustration: Dial ring.] - - * * * * * - -The romantic attachment of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, to Mary, the -second sister of Henry VIII., is an interesting episode in ring history. -She had been married in 1514 to Louis XII. of France, a political union of -youth and beauty to debilitated old age. Brandon was sent with several -English nobles to grace the nuptials. There is reason to believe that Mary -had flattered his hopes of marrying her long before she quitted England. -King Louis died three months after his marriage, and a few days after the -Queen was secretly married to Suffolk. That during the brief interval -between the marriage and death of the French monarch some interchange of -affection occurred between the lovers is certain. A rumour had spread that -Suffolk had shown a diamond ring she gave him. 'The truth is,' she writes, -'that one night at Tournay, being at the banquet, after the banquet he put -himself upon his knees before me, and in speaking and in playing he drew -from my finger the ring, and put it upon his, and since showed it to me; -and I took to laugh, and to him said that he was a thief, and that I -thought not that the King had with him led thieves out of his country. The -word _larron_ he could not understand, wherefore I was constrained to ask -how one said in Flemish _larron_. And afterwards I said to him in Flemish -_dieffe_, and I prayed him many times to give it me again, for that it -was too much known. But he understood me not well, and kept it on unto the -next day that I spake to the King, him requiring to make him to give it to -me, because it was too much known--I promising him one of my bracelets the -which I wore, the which I gave him. And then he gave me the said ring; the -which one other time at Lylle, being set nigh to my lady of Hornes, and he -before upon his knees, it took again from my finger. I spake to the King -to have it again; but it was not possible, for he said unto me that he -would give me others better, and that I should leave him that. I said unto -him that it was not for the value, but for that it was too much known. He -would not understand it, but departed from me. The morrow after he brought -me one fair point of diamond, and one table of ruby, and showed me it was -for the other ring, wherefore I durst no more speak of it, if not to -beseech him it should not be shewed to any person; the which hath not all -to me been done.' 'Thus signed, M.' - - * * * * * - -In 'Household Words' (vol. ix. p. 277), there is an account of two rings -supposed to have been stolen from Charles II. on his death-bed. 'I should -have told you, in his fits his feet were as cold as ice, and were kept -rubbed with hot cloths, which were difficult to get. Some say the Queen -rubbed one and washed it in tears. Pillows were brought from the Duchess -of Portsmouth by Mrs. Roche. His Highness, the Duke of York, was the first -there, and then I think the Queen (he sent for her); the Duchess of -Portsmouth swooned in the chamber, and was carried out for air; Nelly -Gwynne roared to a disturbance, and was led out, and lay roaring behind -the door; the Duchess wept and returned; the Princess (afterwards Queen -Anne) was not admitted, he was so ghastly a sight (his eye-balls were -turned that none of the blacks were seen, and his mouth drawn up to one -eye), so they feared it might affect the child she goes with. None came in -at the common door, but by an odd side-door, to prevent a crowd, but -enough at convenient times to satisfy all. The grief of the Duchess of -Portsmouth did not prevent her packing and sending many strong boxes to -the French ambassador's; and the second day of the King's sickness, the -chamber being kept dark--one who comes from the light does not see very -soon, and much less one who is between them and the light there is--so she -went to the side of the bed, and sat down to, and, taking the King's hands -in hers, felt his two great diamond rings; thinking herself alone, and, -asking him what he did with them on, said she would take them off, and did -it at the same time, and looking up saw the Duke on the other side, -steadfastly looking on her, at which she blushed much, and held them -towards him, and said: "Here, sire, will you take them?" "No, madam," he -said, "they are as safe in your hands as mine, I will not touch them until -I see how things will go." But, since the King's death, she has forgot to -restore them, though he has not that she took them, for he told the -story.' - -This extract is taken from a letter written by a lady who was the wife of -a person about the court at Whitehall, and forms part of a curious -collection of papers lately discovered at Draycot House, near Chippenham. - - * * * * * - -In connection with incidents concerning rings, I may allude to the golden -spoil that Messrs. Garrard, goldsmiths, of the Haymarket, London, -purchased from the prize-agents of the British forces employed on the Gold -Coast. These precious objects appear to have been collected by the King -of Ashantee in great haste as a propitiatory offering, and were evidently -seized and sent at random to the British general. Among them are rings of -the most beautiful yet fantastic shapes, showing the extraordinary -imitative talents which the Ashantee goldsmiths possess. Perhaps the most -curious of these is a ring finely chased, the signet of which is made of -what seems to be an ancient Coptic coin. Two rings appear to have been -copied from early English betrothal rings, precisely such as those by -which lovers plighted their troth in this country many years ago. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -REMARKABLE RINGS. - - -A volume of some amplitude might be written on the very attractive subject -of the present chapter, for there are very few families in the kingdom -cherishing a regard for ancestry and for the antiquarian interests of -their country, who could not show examples of rings possessing unusual -interest, not only of family, but of general importance. The Loan -Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South Kensington Museum -in 1872 exhibited an unusual display of finger-rings contributed from -every part of the kingdom, many of them of extreme rarity and beauty; -while the famous Waterton Collection acquired by the Museum, described by -one of the most eminent authorities on this particular subject as 'in its -almost unlimited extent, comprising the rings of all ages and nations,' -afforded specimens, many of which were unique, and of singular interest. - -The limits of the present book enable me only to mention a few instances -of remarkable rings, in addition to those which have been already alluded -to in the previous chapters. Rings of the earliest ages naturally attract -our observation more than those of later times, and are invaluable studies -to the historian and the antiquarian, throwing light upon many subjects, -of which they are in some cases the only reflex, and enabling us to judge -of the progress of art in distant eras, to assist chronological -researches, and to explain by inscriptions and figures many dubious points -which would otherwise remain obscure. - -No doubt there are many instances in which we have to depend on tradition -alone for circumstances in connection with ring incidents, but even in -these cases romance and poetry lend their aid in rendering them full of -charm and interest, as an acquaintance with the mediaeval writers more -especially will prove, and to which I have frequently alluded in the -preceding chapters. - -Among the most remarkable collections of cameos, intaglios, and -finger-rings, are those known as the 'Devonshire Gems,' formed in the last -century by William Cavendish, third Duke of Devonshire. Eighty-eight, -including some of the finest cameos, were withdrawn from it, and mounted -in enamelled gold as a parure, unsurpassed for beauty and rarity. - -These precious gems were exhibited at the South Kensington Museum in 1872. -Amongst the finger-rings were a scarabaeus in grey and white onyx of three -strata, in its antique ring of massive gold, thickened and expanded at the -shoulders; a splendid specimen of a large gold ring of the best -Italo-Greek work, the hoop formed of delicately woven corded pattern, the -large deep bezel enriched with exquisite applied ornament in minute -threaded work, perhaps the finest ring of its type known; a ring with -intaglio of female head chased on the gold of the bezel is of antique -Greek type; an intaglio of beautiful antique work on banded onyx, set in a -massive gold ring; a most remarkable Roman ring, the bezel representing a -Cupid's head, chased in full relief on the solid; a small gold ring, the -square bezel engraved with a dolphin, and the hoop formed of triple -beaded pattern; eight antique Roman rings, for the most part of the second -and third centuries, one of which has the open-work hoop; a very -interesting mediaeval ring of rude workmanship, formed of electron, or gold -much alloyed with silver; on the circular bezel is a head in intaglio, and -in rather rude lettering 'VIVAT,' the shoulders have pellets at the side -of the hoop--the date would appear to be of the seventh or eighth century; -a good example of the iconographic type of English ring engraved on the -bezel with figures of saints, fifteenth century; a massive gold ring, -shoulders and hoop chased, Gothic inscriptions within the hoop; a fine -English fifteenth century signet; a massive signet of the sixteenth -century; a signet with shield of arms engraved on the under side of a thin -piece of rock crystal and coloured, sixteenth or seventeenth century. - -Among the classical antiquities in the British Museum is a rich collection -of gems retaining their antique settings, a treasure not to be surpassed -by any in Europe. Among these is a magnificent intaglio of Hercules -slaying the Hydra, very deeply cut on a rich sard, and set in a massive -gold ring of the form fashionable during the Lower Empire. The wonderful -lion-ring from the Prince of Canino's collection I have already described -in the first chapter of this work. An account of the Museum gems will be -found in the works of the Rev. C. W. King, on 'Precious Stones' and -'Antique Gems.' - -In the same magnificent collection are some curious rings, amongst other -objects from Switzerland, of the people who built their habitations on -piles in the lakes. - -In the British Museum is also preserved the gold signet-ring of Mary, -Queen of Scots. On the face is engraved the royal arms and supporters of -the kingdom of Scotland, with the motto 'IN DEFENS' and her initials 'M. -R.' In the inner side of the seal a crowned monogram is engraved, 'which -might have been an unsolved enigma, but for the existence, in the State -Paper Office, of a letter written by Mary to Queen Elizabeth, in which she -has drawn the identical monogram after signing her name. Sir Henry Ellis, -who first traced out this curious history, says, "It is clearly formed of -the letters M. and A. (for Mary and Albany), and gives countenance to the -opinion that the written monogram was intended for Elizabeth and Burghley -to study, the subsequent creation of the title of Duke of Albany in Lord -Darnley ultimately opening their eyes to the enigma."' - -A similarly interesting ring is that of Henry, Lord Darnley, husband to -Mary, Queen of Scots, now in the Waterton Collection at the South -Kensington Museum. On the bezel it bears the two initials 'M. H.' united -by a lover's knot. In the hoop is the name engraved 'HENRI L. DARNLEY,' -and the year of the marriage, 1565. - -[Illustration: Signet-ring of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Darnley ring.] - -In the interesting 'Notices of Collections of Glyptic Art,' by the Rev. C. -W. King, M.A., published in the 'Archaeological Journal' for October 1861, -is a description of some remarkable rings in the Queen's and other -collections. By the kindness of the editor of the Journal I am enabled to -give an abstract of the valuable papers contributed by the Rev. C. W. -King. In the Royal Collection is a ruby set in a massy gold ring, having -the name of 'Loys XII.,' and the date of his decease, 1515, engraved -inside. The ruby has a head in profile of King Louis, and is a stone of -considerable size (being half an inch in diameter) and of the finest -quality. The drawing is correct, though somewhat stiff, after the usual -manner of the Quattro Cento heads; the relief is somewhat flat, and all -the details most accurately finished; both for material and execution this -gem is an invaluable monument of the early times of the art. - -The signet-ring made for Charles II., when Prince of Wales, has the -ostrich plumes between the letters 'C. P.'--'Carolus Princeps'--neatly and -deeply cut upon a table _diamond_ (1/2 x 3/8 inch in size) formed into a -heater-shaped, seven-sided shield. The stone is slightly tinged with -yellow, but of fine lustre, and such that of its nature no doubt whatever -can be entertained. The ring, holding this in every respect interesting -relic, has the back enamelled with a bow and quiver _en saltire_. A -marvellous specimen of metal-work is the signet of his unfortunate father, -having the royal arms most minutely engraved upon a shield of steel, and -the lion and unicorn (modelled with matchless skill in the same metal in -full relief) reclining upon the shoulders of a gold ring, and that of a -size by no means inconvenient for wear upon the little finger. - -The Marlborough gems[75] constitute a famous collection, as it now -stands, formed by the union of the Arundel and the Bessborough, together -with certain additions made at the close of the last century by the -grandfather of the present Duke of Marlborough. This collection includes -many masterpieces of art set in rings of fine gold in a plain solid -imitation of the ancient ring worn by the later Romans, having a slight -round shank, gradually thickening towards the shoulders. - -The Bessborough Collection deservedly ranks as one of the first in Europe -for the interest and value of the works of art it contains (as viewed -exclusively in that light) and the gems themselves, are pre-eminently -distinguished by the unusual taste and elegance of the rings in which they -are for the most part set. In this point of view alone they will furnish a -rich treat to every amateur in that elegant branch of the jeweller's -craft. Some are choice examples of the Renaissance goldsmiths' skill; the -majority, however, plainly show that they were made to the commission of -the noble possessor, exhibiting as they do the most varied designs in the -Louis XV. style, in which one is at a loss what most to admire, the -fertility of invention displayed in the great variety of the forms, or the -perfection of workmanship with which these designs have been carried out -in the finest gold. - -The Rev. C. W. King mentions a ring in this collection, with a -representation of a dancing fawn upon sard, as the most elegant design -ever invented by Italian taste. Appropriately to the subject, the shank -consists of two thyrsi, whilst around the head of the ring runs an ivy -garland, the leaves enamelled green. The execution of this charming idea -equals the design. - -Another exquisite old Italian ring is described as being adorned with two -masks of Pan upon the shoulders, the very masterpieces of chasings in -gold, so vigorous, so full of life, are these minute full-faced heads in -half relief. - -In the same collection is a sard engraved with a head of Lucilla, mediocre -in execution, but set in a ring worthy of Cellini, to whose age the -workmanship belongs. It is certainly the most artistic example of this -ornament that has ever come under the Rev. Mr. King's notice. Two nude -figures, one seen in front, the other from behind, carved out in flat -relief upon the shoulders of the shank, bear torches in either hand, which -wind round the setting; doves and flowers fill up the interval between -them. The perfection of these minute chasings is beyond all description, -each is a finished statuette; curious, too, is the elegance with which -they are employed, so as to fall naturally into the curvature required by -their position. - -These extracts from the paper in the 'Archaeological Journal,' by the Rev. -C. W. King, will suffice to show the great value and beauty of these -precious objects. - -The famous ring of Chariclea is thus mentioned by the Rev. C. W. King in -his 'Handbook of Engraved Gems.' It is 'an extract from the flowery pages -of the tasteful Bishop of Tricca, Heliodorus, who, though writing amidst -the fast-gathering clouds of the fourth century, still retained a tinge of -early culture, and could not extinguish a sinful admiration for artistic -beauty. Like other educated men of his, and even lower, times, he was -still able to appreciate the productions of an art, even then, nearly -extinct, for with what enthusiasm does he enlarge upon the description of -the ring worn by his heroine Chariclea ('AEthiop.' v. 13), possibly a work -the beauty of which he had himself admired in reality, or, perhaps, -actually possessed! "Such is the appearance of all amethysts coming from -India and Ethiopia; but that which Calasiris now presented to Nausicles -was far above them in value, for it was enriched with an engraving, and -worked out into an imitation of nature. The subject was a boy tending his -flocks, himself standing upon a low rock for the sake of looking about -him, and guiding his sheep to their pasture by the music of his Pandean -pipe. The flock seemed obedient to the signal, and submitted themselves -readily to be conducted by the guidance of his notes. One would say they -were themselves laden with fleeces of gold, and those not of the artist's -giving, but due to the amethyst itself, which painted their backs with a -blush of its own. Pictured also were the tender skippings of the lambs; -whilst some running up against the rock in troops, others, turning in -frolicsome turnings around the shepherd, converted the rising ground into -an appearance of a pastoral theatre. Others, again, revelling in the blaze -of the amethyst, as if in the beams of the sun, were pawing and scraping -the rock with the points of their hoofs, as if they bounded up against it. -Such amongst them as were the first born, and the more audacious, seemed -as if they were wishing to leap over this round of the gem, but were kept -in by the artist, who had drawn a border like a golden fold around them -and the rock. Now this fold was in reality of stone, and not imitative, -for the engraver, having circumscribed a portion of the gem's edge for -this purpose, had depicted what he required in the actual substance, -deeming it a clever stroke to contrive a stone wall upon a _stone_."' 'A -remark,' adds the Rev. C. W. King, 'proving that our author is describing -a real intaglio, not drawing upon his fancy merely.' - -The Rev. Walter Sneyd possesses a ring of singular interest, supposed to -have belonged to Roger, King of Sicily (died 1152). A representation of -this relic is given in the 'Archaeological Journal' (vol. iii. p. 269). 'It -is of mixed yellow metal, gilt; on either side of the hoop there is a -crown--of the form commonly seen on coins or money of the twelfth -century--and on the signet are the words "ROGERIVS REX," chased in high -_relief_. In the form of the character they correspond closely with -legends on coins of Roger, second Duke of Apulia of that name, crowned -King of Sicily 1129. This ring has every appearance of genuine character; -but it is difficult to tell for what purpose it was fabricated, the -inscription not being inverted, and the letters in relief ill-suited for -producing an impression. It seems very improbable that King Roger should -have worn a ring of base metal, and the conjecture may deserve -consideration that it was a signet not intended for the purpose for -sealing, but entrusted in lieu of credentials to some envoy.' - -[Illustration: Supposed ring of Roger, King of Sicily.] - -In the Waterton Collection is a ring assumed on good grounds to have been -that with which Cola di Rienzi, the famous tribune of Rome, was united to -Catarina di Riselli. 'The ring,' remarks Mr. Waterton, 'was purchased for -me in Rome, for a trifling sum, at one of the periodical clearing sales of -the Monte di Pieta, and I had it for several months before I discovered -certain facts--which many archaeologists consider to be corroborative of my -supposition--that this ring was the nuptial ring of Cola di Rienzi. Its -style, when compared with other objects of the period, enables us to -ascribe its date to the first half of the fourteenth century. The bezel -is an irregular octagon, in the centre there is cut, signet-wise, a -device, two stars divided per pale. Around this are inscribed two -names--Catarina, Nicola--the interstices being filled up with niello. -These names are written from left to right, and not reversed. The ring is -an elegant specimen of Italian workmanship, and I consider it to have been -produced by a Florentine artist. The reasons for believing that this may -have been the _fiancial_ ring of Rienzi and his wife are the following: 1. -The two names, Nicola (di Rienzi) and Catarina (di Riselli). 2. The date -of the ring, which we may assign to 1320-1340, the time when Rienzi lived. -3. Neither Rienzi nor his wife had any armorial bearing; and, having great -faith in his destiny, he is stated to have selected a star for his device. -The two stars divided per pale were interpreted by an eminent Roman -archaeologist to be significant of the star of Rienzi, and that of his -wife.' - -A curious seal-ring, formerly in the possession of Sir Richard Worsley, of -Appuldercombe, in the Isle of Wight, was exhibited at a meeting of the -Society of Antiquaries in 1775. An impression in wax was also shown at the -Plymouth Local Committee of the Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society, in -July 1850, by Mr. Cotton, of Ivybridge. The thumb-ring, set in gold, and -of exquisite workmanship, is said to have been in the possession of the -Worsley family since the time of Henry VIII. That King usually wore it on -his finger, and presented it to Sir James Worsley, his yeoman of the -wardrobe, and governor of the Isle of Wight. The device represents a -warrior completely armed from head to foot, and covered with a vest or -surcoat; his helmet is flat at the top, and brought round under the chin, -exactly in the same form as those worn in France about the middle of the -thirteenth century, during the reign of Saint Louis. The scabbard of his -sword hangs by his side, but the sword itself lies broken at his feet. His -uplifted arms grasp a ragged or knotted staff, with which he is in the act -of attacking a lion, who stands opposed to him. His shield bears the coat -armour of the Stuart family; viz., Or, a fesse checky Az. and Argt. Over -the lion's head appears an arm in mail, holding a shield, with the above -coat of arms of the Stuarts; and in an escutcheon of pretence, a lion -rampant, the arms of Scotland and of Bruce. The sleeve of the drapery, -which falls loosely from the arm, is ornamented on the border with three -_fleurs de lis_; and the whole is enclosed within a double tressure fleury -and counter-fleury, which together form the arms of Scotland. - -[Illustration: The 'Worsley' seal-ring.] - -'The warrior here represented' (says Dr. Mills, Dean of Exeter, in his -account of this ring) 'seems to be Sir Walter Stuart, born anno 1393, so -called from being hereditary High Steward of Scotland. He married Margery, -daughter of Robert Bruce, and sister to David Bruce, Kings of Scotland. -David dying without male issue, Margery became an heiress; and therefore -her arms are placed here in an escutcheon of pretence on those of Walter -Stuart, her husband.' - -The device here represented seems to be in some measure ascertained by the -account given by Sir Simeon Stuart's family in the Baronetage of England, -which says that Sir Alexander Stuart had an honourable augmentation -granted by Charles VI., King of France, viz. argent the lion of Scotland, -debruised with a ragged staff bend-wise or. This honour was probably -granted to Sir Alexander on account of some martial achievement performed -either by him or his ancestors. But the seal seems to determine it to -Walter Stuart, the husband of Margery Bruce, as there is not more than -fifty years between his death and the accession to the throne of Charles -VI. As Sir James Worsley, ancestor to Sir Richard, married Mary, eldest -daughter of Sir Nicholas Stuart, of Hartley Mauditt, in Hampshire, it is -highly probable that this ring descended to the family of Worsley by this -alliance. - -The ring of St. Louis of France was formerly kept in the treasury of St. -Denis. In 'Le Tresor Sacre de Sainct Denys' (1646) this ring is thus -described: 'L'anneau du mesme glorieux Roy Sainct Louis qui est precieux: -il est d'or, seme de fleurs de lys, garny d'un grand saphir quarre sur -lequel est gravee l'image du mesme sainct avec les lettres S. L., qui -veulent dire _Sigillum Lodovici_. Sur le rond de l'anneau par le dedans -sont gravez ces mots, "_C'est le Signet du Roy S. Louis_," qui y ont este -adjoustez apres sa mort.' A representation of this remarkable ring is here -given. It is now in the Musee des Souverains at the Louvre. - -[Illustration: Ring of St. Louis.] - -'The wedding-ring,' remarks the Rev. C. W. King, 'of the same prince is -said to have been set with a sapphire engraved with the Crucifixion; the -shank covered with lilies and _marguerites_, allusive to his own name and -his wife's. This attribution is a mere _custode's_ story. Mr. Waterton, -who examined this gem, puts it down to a much later age: the King, a full -length, has the nimbus, showing the figure to be posterior to his -beatification. It probably belongs to Louis XII.'s time.' - -In the Braybrooke Collection is a cameo portrait of Madame de Maintenon, -on a very large and fine ruby, three eighths of an inch by half an inch -wide, in a most beautiful gold ring, contemporaneous setting; presented to -Louis XIV. when she retired into the convent of St. Cyr. In the same -collection is a cameo portrait of Queen Elizabeth, by Valerio Vicentini, -on a sardonyx of three strata, in a fine gold setting of the period; also -a cameo portrait of Charles I. on black jasper, a splendid work of art, -in a beautifully-enamelled gold ring of his time. - -The Rev. C. W. King describes the famous signet-ring of Michael Angelo, -preserved in the Paris Collection. 'It is a sard engraved with a group -representing a Bacchic festival, quite in the Renaissance style. In the -exergue is a boy fishing, the rebus upon the name of the artist _Gio Maria -da Pescia_. Many connoisseurs, however, hold the gem to be an undoubted -antique. Of this relic the following curious story is told:--In the last -century, as the Abbe Barthelemy was exhibiting the rarities of the -Bibliotheque to a distinguished antiquary of the day, he suddenly missed -this ring, whereupon without expressing his suspicions, he privately -despatched a servant for an emetic, which, when brought, he insisted upon -the _savant's_ swallowing, and the ring came to light again.'[76] - -The celebrated gem representing Apollo and Marsyas, which belonged to -Lorenzo de' Medici, and formed one of the magnificent collection of the -Grand-Duke of Tuscany, once, mounted on a ring, decorated the hand of the -parricide Nero, who used it to sign his sanguinary mandates. Numbers of -copies have been taken of this gem in ancient and modern times. It is thus -described by Tenhove: Apollo, in a noble attitude, is holding his lyre, -and regarding with disdain Marsyas, who, bound to a tree, and his hands -tied behind him, awaits the just punishment of his temerity. The young -Scythian who is to execute the sentence, kneels before Apollo, apparently -imploring his clemency. The quiver and arrows of the god are suspended -from one of the branches of the tree; on the foreground are the -instruments of which the satyr has made such unfortunate use. - -It is known that Nero had the folly to imagine himself the first musician -of his time, and in selecting this subject he doubtless intended to get -rid of all competition, by deterring those who might otherwise have felt -disposed to enter the lists with him. Perhaps he was looking at his left -hand, and assuming Apollo for his model, when he had the singer Menedemus, -of whom he was jealous, flayed, as it were, with whipping, in his -presence, whose yells of agony seemed to the emperor so melodious that he -warmly applauded. Lorenzo's feeling with regard to the gem was, doubtless, -of a very different character: he selected the stone on account of its -marvellous beauty of execution. - -Among the art treasures, in connection with rings and camei in the British -Museum, the Rev. C. W. King notices a cameo with a lion passant, in low -relief in the red layer of a sardonyx, exquisitely finished, which has its -value greatly enhanced by the 'LAVR. MED.' cut in the field, attesting -that it once belonged to the original cabinet of Lorenzo de' Medici. This -stone, set in a ring, has its face protected by a glass; a proof of the -estimation in which its former possessor held it. - -[Illustration: Ring Device of Cosmo de' Medici.] - -Cosmo de' Medici had for device three diamonds on rings, intertwined -emblems of excellency, superiority, and endurance. - -[Illustration: Ring Device of Lorenzo de' Medici.] - -Lorenzo de' Medici had a ring with a diamond; a plume of three colours, -green, white, and red, to signify that in loving God he displayed three -virtues: the white plume representing faith; the green, hope; the red, -charity. Pope Leo X. adopted this device. - -Pietro de' Medici had a falcon holding a diamond-ring in its claws, -signifying that everything should be done to please God. - -[Illustration: Ring Device of Pietro de' Medici.] - -In the Staunton collection of antiquities (Longbridge House, near Warwick) -is a remarkable ring, which is described (with illustrations) in the -'Archaeological Journal' (vol. iv. p. 358). It is a beautiful gold -signet-ring, found, about the year 1825, in the ruins of Kenilworth -Castle, by a person named Faulkner, who was in the constant habit of -searching among the rubbish with the expectation of making some valuable -discovery. Its weight is 4 dwts. 10 grs. The impress is very singular; -under a crown appear the numerals 87, of the forms usually designated as -Arabic, of which no example has been noticed in this country, except in -MSS. prior to the fifteenth century. Above the crown are the letters =s= -and =h=; lower down on one side is seen the letter =a=, and on the other -=m=. Various interpretations of this remarkable device have been -suggested: it has been supposed that it might have reference to the -coronation of Elizabeth, Queen of Henry VII., solemnised at Westminster, -A.D. 1487, or have been connected with the enterprise of Lambert Simnel, -which occurred during that year at the instigation of Margaret, Duchess of -Burgundy. Mr. Hawkins considers its age to have been about the reign of -Edward IV., the crown with fleur-de-lys ornaments, and the form of the =m= -being of similar character to those on his coins; a similar type of crown -may, however, be found in earlier times, as shown by the great seals and -other authorities as early even as the reign of Richard II. The letters -have been supposed to be the initials of a sentence such as 'Sancta virgo -adjuva me' (the second letter being read as =h=) or, supposing the ring to -be referred to the times of Henry VII., 'Sigillum,' or 'secretum, Henrici, -anno (14) 87. M{h}.' The most probable explanation, however, appears to -have been proposed by Mr. John Gough Nichols: that the ring, which is of a -size suited to a lady's finger, might have been a betrothal or wedding -present; the initials =s.h.= and =a.m.= being those of the two parties, -the Arabic numerals indicating the date 1487, and the crown being merely -ornamental, frequently used during the fifteenth century on seals by -persons not entitled by rank to use them. - -[Illustration: Ring found at Kenilworth Castle.] - -The coronet, with an initial letter, adopted as a device on the seals or -signet-rings of commoners, appears on numerous rings of the fifteenth -century, as well as on seals appended to documents. It appears on another -ring of later date in Mr. Staunton's collection, of base metal gilt, found -in Coleshill Church, Warwickshire. The device appears to be a crown placed -upon a shaft or truncheon, resting on a heart, in base, with the initials -of the wearer, I. G., at the sides. - -At a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries (May 1875), Mr. Robert Day -(Local Secretary for Ireland) exhibited a silver ring of -fourteenth-century work, the hoop portion of which is formed of two hands, -which grasp an octagonal signet that bears the centre device of a letter R -crowned, with the motto 'Bacchal,' and a spray of roses in the border. 'To -illustrate this,' remarks Mr. Day, 'I send a small coin of base silver, -having a similar crowned R on the obverse. These crowned letters recall -the familiar lines of Chaucer, of - - ------a crowned A, - And after, Amor Vincit Omnia. - -The ring was dug up in a potato garden at Howth, near Dublin. The motto -"Bacchal" I am unable to throw any light upon, except it be a contraction -of Baccalaureus. On the rim is a star of six points, to show the position -for sealing.' - -A ring-relic of Fotheringay, belonging to Mrs. Simpson, of Edinburgh, is -of gold, set with a diamond cut in facets, with three smaller diamonds -over it, representing a crowned heart. It is considered to have belonged -to the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots. - -A gold signet-ring, curious and interesting in several respects, the -property of Mr. James Neish, of the Laws, Dundee, was exhibited at a -meeting of the Archaeological Institute in May 1864, when the following -particulars were given:--It was found about 1790, in digging the -foundations of Heathfield House, on the Hawkhill, Dundee, formerly called -the Sparrow Muir. The device (of which a representation is given in the -'Archaeological Journal,' No. 82, 1864, p. 186) is a head, apparently -regal, bearded, with the hair long at the sides; on the breast there is a -mullet or star of five points introduced in scrolled ornament; around the -edge is a corded bordure with knots at intervals like a _cordeliere_, -instead of the pearled margin usually found on seals. This knotted -cincture is well known as worn by the Franciscans, thence designated as -_Cordeliers_; as accessory to heraldic or personal ornaments, its use -seems to have been first adopted by Anne of Brittany, after the death of -Charles VIII., in 1498, as we are informed by Palliot and other writers. -It has, however, sometimes been assigned to a rather earlier period. The -hoop of Mr. Neish's ring is plain and massive, the weight being 199 -grains. The device is engraved with skill. It is difficult to tell whether -the object worn on the head is intended for a crown or a helmet, with -lateral projections resembling horns. Examples of helmets with cornute -appendages, especially found in classical art, are not wanting in mediaeval -times. It has been suggested that the mullet on the breast may indicate -some allusion to the heraldic bearing of the Douglas family, especially as -the ring was discovered in the district of Angus, of which the earldom was -conferred in 1377 on a branch of that noble race. Mr. Neish--to whom both -this remarkable ring and also Heathfield House where it was found, -belong--stated that he had been informed by two persons that they -remembered the discovery; one, moreover, said that Mr. Webster, of -Heathfield House, to whom it formerly belonged, told him that the late Mr. -Constable, of Wallace Craigie (the Monkbarns of the 'Antiquary),' had -taken interest in the discovery, and having carried the ring to Edinburgh, -he had found there in some depository a proclamation regarding the loss of -a gold ring on Sparrow Muir, by a certain Allan Dorward, who had been -employed by David, Earl of Huntingdon, brother of William the Lion, in -building a church founded by the Earl at Dundee, and completed in 1198. -The King, according to tradition, was so pleased with the builder's work -that he presented to him a ring, which Allan, being afterwards at a -boar-hunt on the Sparrow Muir, had there lost, and he had offered a reward -for its recovery, as made known in the proclamation before mentioned. This -tradition has been related by Mr. Andrew Jervise, in his 'Memorials of -Angus and the Mearns,' p. 178. According to another version the ring was -asserted to have been given by David II. (A.D. 1329-70) to his master -mason, and lost by him on the Sparrow Muir in the manner before related. - -So much for tradition. The beautiful ring in Mr. Neish's possession may -possibly be assigned to the later part of the fourteenth century; the -workmanship presents no feature of early character to justify the -supposition that it was a gift from William the Lion. There is also the -assurance of one of the most accurate and acute of Scottish antiquaries -that no such document or 'advertisement' as is alleged to have been put -forth by the loser of the ring is in existence; neither is there any -record of any architect employed by David II., or by his father Robert I. - -The supposition seems to be that the ring may have belonged to some -person of the family of Douglas by whom St. Francis was held in special -veneration, and that hence the _cordeliere_ was introduced upon it. There -existed at Dundee a Franciscan convent, which appears to have received -support from the Douglas family. - -A relic of Flodden Field (1513), a ring, was found in 1783, on the site of -the battle. It bore the following inscription in Norman-French: 'On est -mal loiauls amans qui se poet garder des maux disans' (no lovers so -faithful as to be able to guard themselves against evil-speakers). Between -every two words, and at the beginning of each line, is a boar's head. This -being the crest of the Campbells, it is not improbable that the ring was -that of the Argylls, and might have belonged to Archibald Campbell, the -second Earl of Argyll, who was killed while commanding the van of the army -at the fatal battle of Flodden Field,-- - - Where shiver'd was fair Scotland's spear, - And broken was her shield. - -I have previously alluded to the signet-ring of Mary, Queen of Scots, in -the British Museum. A few additional particulars of this celebrated relic -will be interesting. It were now a fruitless task to seek to discover -through what means this ring passed into the collection of the Queen of -George III. It subsequently came into possession of the late Duke of York, -and at the sale of his plate and jewels at Christie's, in 1827, it was -purchased for fourteen guineas. - -This ring is massive, and weighs 212 grs.; the hoop has been chased with -foliage and flowers, and enamelled, and appears to have been much worn; a -few traces of the enamel remain. The impress is the royal achievement, -engraved on a piece of crystal or white sapphire, of oval form, measuring -about three-quarters of an inch by five-eighths. The royal cognizance or -the crest, on a helmet of mantlings, and ensigned with a crown, is a lion -sejant affronte gu. crowned, holding in his dexter paw a naked sword, and -in the sinister a sceptre, both erect and ppr. Above the crest appear the -motto and the initials previously alluded to. The shield is surrounded by -the collar of the Thistle, with the badge, and supported by unicorns -chained and ducally gorged. On the dexter side there is a banner charged -with the arms of Scotland; on the sinister another with three bars, over -all a saltire. It is remarkable that the heraldic tinctures are -represented on the back of the engraved stone, either by enamelling or -painting, and the field or back-ground is coloured dark blue. This mode of -ornamentation is found in some of the fine Italian works of the period. - -Sir Thomas Hepburn has a gold ring traditionally regarded as having been -worn by Queen Mary of Scotland. The hoop is enamelled black; the setting -consists of six opals surrounding one of much larger size, presenting the -appearance of a six-petalled flower. - -Apropos of Queen Mary's assumption of the arms of England in defiance of -Elizabeth, they are so engraved upon a signet-ring that belonged to the -late Earl of Buchan, as certified upon the little boxes containing -facsimiles of the seal, and sold to all sight-seers at Holyrood Palace. -The arms of England and France are placed in the first and fourth quarter -of the shield: those of Scotland in the second quarter, and those of -Ireland in the third quarter. - -A ring of very exquisite workmanship connected with the Seymour family, -and in the possession of the Earl of Home, was exhibited at the Society of -Antiquaries (April 1864), and is an interesting historical relic. The -body of the ring is made of mother-of-pearl, and on it is set an oval -medallion, with a cipher 'E. R.' in relief, the E. being made of diamonds, -the R. of blue enamel: on each side along the shank of the ring is a line -of rubies set in gold. The medallion with the cipher opens, and discloses -a recess in the mother-of-pearl with a bust in low relief, apparently a -portrait of Jane Seymour, three-quarter face. The bust is made of gold, -coloured with enamel or paint, and is set with a small diamond as a -brooch. The inner surface of the lid with the cipher encloses a bust in -profile of Queen Elizabeth in enamelled gold, with a ruby set as a brooch. -Within the ring, and therefore at the back of the portrait of Jane -Seymour, is a small oval plate of gold, ornamented with translucent -enamel, and representing an earl's coronet, over which is a phoenix in -flames. The phoenix was a well-known badge of Queen Elizabeth, but it was -also adopted as the crest of the Seymour family, to whom it must here be -referred. Edward Seymour, eldest son of the Protector by his second wife, -was created Earl of Hertford by Queen Elizabeth in 1559, and it is -probable that the ring was made shortly after, before he lost the favour -of the Queen through his marriage with Lady Catherine Grey. - -In 'Archaeologia,' vol. xxxi., is a fine example of a weighty ring of fine -gold, found in 1823 at Thetford, in Suffolk. The device which appears upon -this ring is an eagle displayed; on the inner side is engraved a bird, -with the wings closed, apparently a falcon, with a crown upon its head. -The following posy, or motto, commencing on the outer side, is continued -on the interior of the ring:--=dens me ouroye de bous senir a gree--com -moun coner desiri=--'God work for me to make suit acceptably to you, as -my heart desires.' The devices appear to be heraldic, and the motto that -of a lover, or a suitor to one in power. The eagle is the bearing of -several ancient Suffolk families; it was also a badge of the House of -Lancaster, and Thetford was one portion of the Duchy of Lancaster. - -[Illustration: Heraldic ring.] - -In the 'Revue Britannique' for January 1869, the discovery was announced -of the two wedding-rings interchanged between Martin Luther and Catherine -von Bora, one of nine nuns, who, under the influence of his teaching, had -emancipated themselves from their religious vows. She afterwards married -Luther. The _Revue_ states that the ring of the great Reformer is at -Waldenburg, and the bride's ring is now in Paris; that they are similar in -composition, the latter being smaller. They are of silver gilt, with a -figure of Christ upon the cross, and bear inside the same inscription, 'D. -Martino Luthero Catherinan Boren, 13 Juni, 1589.' It is further stated -that the bride's ring belongs to a Protestant lady, Madame Michael Girod, -and was purchased by her at an old store-shop in Geneva. - -[Illustration: Supposed betrothal ring of Martin Luther.] - -Considerable doubts exist, however, as to the authenticity of these rings, -a writer in 'Notes and Queries' pointing out an evident mistake in the -date, and the inscription on the bride's ring 'D. Martin_o_ Luther_o_ -Catherinan Boren:' not meaning 'Dr. Martin Luther to Catherinan Boren' but -the reverse. Another correspondent of the same work mentions that 'Luther' -rings were made for a jubilee at Leipsic in 1825. - -[Illustration: Betrothment ring of Martin Luther.] - -Mr. H. Noel Humphreys, an eminent authority on these subjects, states -('Intellectual Observer,' February 1862): 'The betrothment-ring of Luther, -which belonged to a family at Leipsic as late as 1817, and is doubtless -still preserved with the greatest care as a national relic of great -interest, is composed of an intricate device of gold-work set with a ruby, -the emblem of exalted love. The gold devices represent all the symbols of -the "Passion." In the centre is the crucified Saviour: on one side the -spear, with which the side was pierced, and the rod of reeds of the -flagellation. On the other is a leaf of hyssop. Beneath are the dies with -which the soldiers cast lots for the garment without seam, and below are -the three nails. At the back may be distinguished the inside of the -ladder, and other symbols connected with the last act of the Atonement; -the whole so grouped as to make a large cross, surmounted by the ruby, the -most salient feature of the device. On the inside of the ring the -inscriptions are still perfect. They contain the names of the betrothed -pair, and the date of the wedding-day in German, "der 13 Junij 1525." This -was the ring presented to the wife at the betrothal, and worn by her after -the marriage. The _marriage-ring_ worn by Luther after his marriage was -still more intricate in its structure. It is an ingeniously contrived -_double_-ring, every intricacy of structure having its point and meaning. -In the first place, though the double-ring can be divided, so as to form -two complete rings, yet they cannot be separated from each other, as the -one passing through the other causes them to remain permanently -interlaced, as an emblem of the marriage vow, though still forming two -perfect rings; illustrating also the motto engraved within them, "_Was Got -zussamen fueget soll Kein Mensch Scheiden_"--what God doth join no man -shall part. On the one hoop is a diamond, the emblem of power, duration, -and fidelity; and on the inside of its raised mounting, which, when joined -to the other hoop, will be concealed, are the initials of Martin Luther, -followed by a D., marking his academic title. On the corresponding surface -of the mounting of the gem of the other hoop are the initials of his wife, -Catherine von Bora, which, on the closing of the rings, necessarily lies -close to those of Luther. The gem in this side of the ring is a ruby, the -emblem of exalted love; so that the names of Catherine and Luther are -closely united, when the rings are closed, beneath the emblems of exalted -love, power, duration, and fidelity. - -[Illustration: Marriage ring of Martin Luther.] - -'There can be but little doubt that these curious and interesting rings -were designed by the celebrated painter and goldsmith, Lucas Cranach, and -possibly wrought with his own hand, the marriage of his friend Luther -being a special occasion which he doubtless wished to honour with every -attention. Lucas was, indeed, one of the three select friends whom Luther -took to witness his betrothal; the others being Dr. Bugenhagen, town -preacher of Wittenberg, and the lawyer Assel, who all accompanied him to -Reichenbach's house, where Catherine resided.' - -Among the numerous articles of Shakspearian interest presented to the -Shakspeare Library and Museum at Stratford, by Miss Anne Wheler, the -surviving sister of the historian of Stratford-on-Avon, the late Mr. -Robert Bell Wheler, is a gold signet-ring described as Shakspeare's, -having the initials 'W. S.' a true lover's knot entwined between them. - -[Illustration: Shakspeare's ring (?).] - -An account of the discovery of the ring appeared in the 'Guide to -Stratford-on-Avon,' by Mr. Wheler, published in 1814, from which it -appears that the ring was found four years previously by a labourer's wife -upon the surface of the mill close adjoining Stratford churchyard. 'I -purchased it on the same day,' observes Mr. Wheler, 'for thirty-six -shillings (the current value of the gold), yet the woman had sufficient -time to destroy the precious _aerugo_ by having it unnecessarily immersed -in aquafortis, to ascertain and prove the metal, at a silversmith's shop. -It is of tolerably large dimensions (weighing 12 dwts.), and evidently a -gentleman's ring of Elizabeth's age.' To prove the authenticity of the -ring, Mr. Wheler made many efforts to discover whether there existed -anywhere Shakspeare's seal attached to letter or other writings, but -ineffectually. 'From a close observation of the ring,' adds Mr. Wheler, 'I -should be inclined to suppose that it was made in the early part of the -poet's life. Mr. Malone, in a conversation I had with him in London, said -he had nothing to allege against the probability of my conjecture as to -its owner.' - -No positive proof, however, according to Mr. Wheler's own admission, can -be adduced as to the authenticity of the ring having belonged to -Shakspeare, but the very probability gives an interest to it, which most -persons who inspect it will feel. - -'Is it Shakspeare's?' remarks Mr. Fairholt. 'It is evidently a gentleman's -ring, and of the poet's era. It is just such a ring as a man in his -station would fittingly wear--gentlemanly, but not pretentious. There was -but one other person in the small town of Stratford at that time to whom -the same initials belonged. This was one William Smith, but his seal is -attached to several documents preserved among the records of the -corporation, and is totally different.' [He was a draper; and his seal has -a device upon it consisting of a skull with a bone in the mouth; the -letters 'W. S.' are under it, and very small. This ring was, most -probably, of silver. It is unlikely that a small trader like Smith should -wear a heavy gold ring, like this which claims to be Shakspeare's.] Mr. -Halliwell, in his 'Life of Shakspeare,' observes, that 'little doubt can -be entertained that this ring belonged to the poet, and, it is, probably, -the one he lost before his death, and was not to be found when his will -was executed, the word _hand_ being substituted for that of _seal_ in the -original copy of that document.' [The concluding words of the will are, -'in witness whereof I have hereunto put my seale,' the last word being -struck through with a pen, and _hand_ substituted.] - -In the 'Gentleman's Magazine' (May 1810) we find: 'For further -confirmation of circumstances we may observe over the porch leading into -the gate of Charlecote Hall, near Stratford-on-Avon, erected in the early -part of Elizabeth's reign by the very Sir Thomas Lucy who is said to have -prosecuted Shakspeare, the letters "T. L." connected in a manner precisely -similar to that on the ring.' - -[Illustration: Initials of Sir Thomas Lucy at Charlecote Hall.] - -The crossing of the centre lines of the W., with the oblique direction of -the lines of the S., exactly agree with the characters of that day. For -proof, we need wander no farther than Stratford Church, where the -Cloptons' and Totness' tombs will furnish representations of rings, and -Shakspeare's monument of letters, exactly corresponding in point of shape. -The connection or union of the letters, by the ornamental strings and -tassels, was then frequently used, of which we may meet with numerous -instances upon seals of that period. - -In the life of Haydon the painter we have the following letter from him to -Keats (March 1, 1818): 'My dear Keats, I shall go mad! In a field at -Stratford-upon-Avon, that belonged to Shakspeare, they have found a gold -ring and seal with the initials "W. S." and a true lover's knot between. -If this is not Shakspeare's whose is it?--a true lover's knot! I saw an -impression to-day and am to have one as soon as possible: as sure as you -breathe and that he was the first of beings the seal belonged to him. - - 'O Lord!' 'B. R. HAYDON.' - -The ring of Sir Walter Raleigh, which he wore at the time of his -execution, is, according to the statement in 'Notes and Queries' of a -descendant of that truly 'great' man, in the possession of a member of the -Blanckley family, being a heir-loom, the Blanckleys being directly -descended from Sir Walter, and having several interesting relics of their -distinguished ancestor. - -Octavius Morgan, Esq., F.R.S., F.S.A., exhibited at a meeting of the -Society of Antiquaries (February 1857) a rare and curious 'Trinity' ring, -turned out of one piece of ivory, and belonging to the latter part of the -seventeenth century. It is formed by a single band of ivory, making three -circuits, so intertwined with one another as not to touch, and thus -forming a threefold ring. 'Its curiosity is great,' remarked Mr. Morgan, -'because these rings were only made by one person; so much art and skill -were required in the making that they were the wonder of the time, and no -one at the present day knows by what contrivance they were turned, or how -they could now be made. The interest consists in having ascertained the -maker of the ring, which I by chance met with some years ago in this -city.... We find from Doppelmayer that Stephan Zick (born 1639), the -artist to whom I attribute this ring, was descended from a Nuremberg -family long famous for their skill in this art.... Doppelmayer, describing -some of the wonderful objects which he produced, says, the work which most -distinguished him was his Trinity rings. Of these he made only three; the -two first were in the Museums of Vienna and Dresden, and the third became -the property of an amateur collector of curiosities in Nuremberg as a -wonderful work of art and skill. This was written in 1730. On comparing -this ring with the engraving in Doppelmayer, it exactly corresponds. The -little box turned as a case for it shows how it was cared for, and is -indicative of the period when it was made. We also learn from Doppelmayer -that these Trinity rings seem to have been first made in gold by a -jeweller of Nuremberg, Johan Heel, about 1670, and he describes them as -consisting of a single piece of wire, forming a three-fold circuit, each -circuit skilfully intertwined with the other two so as not to touch each -other, the ends being so cleverly united that the point of juncture could -not be discovered. Thus there were three rings in one, and hence the name. -The inventor of these ingenious rings is not known, but it is considered -to be a Jesuit, named Scherern, about 1660. It certainly required great -skill to have turned such a ring out of one piece of ivory, a work which I -believe it is not possible to accomplish with any machinery now in use. -The inference I draw from the foregoing is, that if Stephan Zick alone -could make these rings of ivory--if he only made three, and that if one of -these is at Vienna, and another at Dresden, I must now be the fortunate -possessor of the third.' - -[Illustration: Ivory-turned rings.] - -(The greatest progress in ivory-carving was made in Flanders, Holland, and -Germany, about the middle of the sixteenth century. There are in the -museums of Munich, Vienna, and Berlin, a quantity of ivory vases, etc., -covered with exquisite carvings.--_Labarte._) - -Mr. Edwards, in his 'History and Poetry of Finger-rings,' mentions, and -gives an illustration of, a ring that may well claim a place among -remarkable specimens. It is a gigantic ring, presented in 1852, by some -citizens of California to President Pierce. The description of this -golden monster is given from Gleason's 'Pictorial Newspaper' (December 25, -1852): 'It weighs upwards of a full pound, and for chasteness of design, -elegance of execution, and high style of finish, has, perhaps, no equal in -the world. The design is by Mr. George Blake, a mechanic of San Francisco. -The circular portion of the ring is cut into squares, which stand at right -angles to each other, and are embellished each with a beautifully executed -design, the entire group representing a pictorial history of California, -from her primitive state down to her present flourishing condition, under -the flag of our Union. - -'Thus, there is given a grizzly bear in a menacing attitude, a deer -bounding down a slope, an enraged boa, a soaring eagle, and a salmon. Then -we have the Indian with his bow and arrow, the primitive weapon of -self-defence; the native mountaineer on horseback, and a Californian on -horseback, throwing his lasso. Next peeps out a Californian tent. Then you -see a miner at work with his pick, the whole being shaded by two American -flags, with the staves crossed and groups of stars in the angles. The part -of the ring reserved for the seal is covered by a solid and deeply carved -plate of gold, bearing the arms of the State of California in the centre, -surmounted by the banner and stars of the United States, and inscribed -with "Frank Pierce" in old Roman characters. This lid opens upon a hinge, -and presents to view, underneath, a square box, divided by bars of gold -into nine separate compartments, each containing a pure specimen of the -varieties of one found in the country. Upon the inside is the following -inscription: "_Presented to_ Franklin Pierce, _the Fourteenth President of -the United States_." - -'The ring is valued at two thousand dollars. Altogether, it is a massive -and superb affair, rich in emblematical design and illustration, and -worthy its object.' - -In the collection of Lord Braybrooke is the ring of Tippoo Saib, which is -thus described in the catalogue: 'This magnificent jewel has a plain gold -hoop, with the entire surface set with rubies; on the centre is perched a -large bird, apparently intended for a hawk, made of gold and beautifully -executed, with the plumage composed completely of precious stones, the -diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire. A better idea of the splendour of -this ornament will be formed from a description of the bird. Length from -the base of the bill to the end of the tail, 3-1/4 inches; girth round the -body, 3-1/4 inches; width across the scapulars, 1-1/2 inch; width across -the tail, three-quarters of an inch; height 1-1/8 inch. In the beak are -two small ruby-drops, a single emerald in the crest, and rubies for the -eyes; a single row of nine sapphires encircles the throat, and 139 rubies, -including those on the hoop, 14 in number, with 29 diamonds, some of them -very large, and all set flat, cover the rest of the neck, breast, back, -and tail. Several gems beside have been lost from their setting. Across -the belly, behind the legs, is an inscription in some Indian characters, -which has not yet been explained beyond the following remarks upon it in a -letter addressed by the (late) A. Way Esq., who copied it, to Lady -Braybrooke: "The characters are a corruption of the ordinary Sanscrit, -that is, I suppose, some local variety or peculiarity of a dialect in -Tippoo's district; they appear to signify certain titles of the great -chief, commencing with a portion of his proper style, '_Maha ra jah_,' -sufficient to show that the inscription relates only to the name of Tippoo -Saib. This is all that I can at present offer in regard to your highly -curious jewel.--Nov. 24, 1848." This unique and interesting ring was -brought from India by some one in the army, at the time of the capture of -Seringapatam, 1792, under the first Marquis Cornwallis, and presented to -his family, by whom it has been preserved and descended as an heirloom -through his eldest grandchild, the late Lady Braybrooke. It was stated at -the time of its presentation that Tippoo was in the habit of wearing it -when he went out hawking, perhaps only when he did so in state. Weight of -the whole 2 oz. 6 dwts. 7 grs.' - -The Baroness Burdett Coutts possesses a gold ring set with large green -tourmaline. It is of Indian workmanship, and is said to have belonged to -Tippoo Saib. - -The Rev. C. W. King in his 'Precious Stones, Gems, and Precious Metals,' -mentions 'an unparalleled specimen of Oriental caprice and extravagance--a -finger-ring cut out of a solid piece of emerald of remarkably pure -quality, with two emerald drops and two collets set with rose diamonds, -and ruby borders in Oriental mountings, formerly belonging to Jehanghir, -son of Akbar, Emperor of Delhi, whose name is engraved on the ring. -Diameter 1-1/4 x 1-1/8 in. This ring was presented by Shah Soojah to the -East India Company, and was purchased by the late Lord Auckland, when -Governor-General of India. Now in the possession of the Hon. Miss Eden.' - -A wonderful ring was presented by the Great Mogul to the only envoy of the -Emperor of Germany who ever visited his court. 'The very first sight of -this jewel,' observes the Rev. C. W. King, 'sufficed to convince one that -it could have had no other origin than this, such a show of barbarian -splendour did it exhibit, forming in itself a complete cabinet of every -kind of precious stone of colour to be found in his dominions. Its form -was that of a wheel about three inches in diameter, composed of several -concentric circles, joined together by the spokes radiating from the -centre, in which was set a large round sapphire. The spokes at all their -intersections with the circles, had collets soldered on them, each -containing some coloured gem; in fact, every stone of value except the -diamond occurred in this glorious company. On the back was fixed the -shank, and when worn it covered the whole hand like some huge mushroom.' - -On the death of the late Cardinal York at Rome, amongst various relics of -the house of Stuart, purchased for Lord John Scott, were the ring worn by -the Pretender--James the Third, as he was styled abroad--on his marriage -with the Princess Clementina Sobieski, and the marriage-ring of his son, -Prince Charles Edward, enclosing a beautiful little miniature; a gold ring -with a white rose in enamel, worn by King James the Second and his son; a -ring with a cameo portrait in ivory of James the Second; a ring with a -miniature portrait of Henry Stuart, Cardinal, Duke of York, when young; a -ring with a cameo portrait, by the celebrated engraver Pickler, of James -Sobieski, great-uncle of the Pretender's wife; a ring with a cameo -portrait, by the same artist, of the wife of Prince Charles Edward; also -one with a cameo portrait of the Duchess of Albany, and another containing -a lock of her hair. - -In the possession of R. H. Soden Smith, Esq., F.S.A., is a gold ring, -having in the bezel a miniature of Prince James Stuart, the old Chevalier, -set round with small crystals. English contemporary work. - -Sir Watkin Williams Wynn possesses a gold ring, set with a ruby, -surrounded by the Garter, crowned with the motto 'Dieu et mon Droit' on -the hoop. - -This is an interesting family relic, having been a present from Prince -Charles Edward. - -A signet-ring, believed to be the Council Seal of Queen Henrietta Maria, -made by warrant, Sept. 6, 1626, is the property of Miss Hartshorne, and -has a circular bezel, set with sapphire, engraved with escutcheon, bearing -the arms of England surmounted by a crown, the letters M and R at the -sides; on the shoulders is the rose of England in coloured enamel. -Diameter of the ring 1-1/8 in. This curious relic was exhibited at the -Loan Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the South Kensington -Museum in 1872. - -Mr. Octavius Morgan, F.R.S., F.S.A., has in his valuable collection of -rings one formed with a diminutive squirt, which, being concealed in the -hand, would, at pleasure, throw a jet of water into the eye of anyone -examining it.[77] - -[Illustration: Squirt-ring.] - -In the Waterton Collection is a bronze squirt-ring with octagonal bezel, -finely chased with mask of Silenus, the ring hollow, with tube projecting -from the hoop, so that it can be used as a squirt. Italian work of the -sixteenth century. L. one and seven-tenths inch. - -In the same collection, also, is a ring made to serve as a _whistle_. It -is of lead, with circular bezel finely chased in relief, with profile -heads of Charles the Fifth and his empress. Flemish, sixteenth century. -Diameter one and one-eighth inch. - -In the 'Annual Register' for 1764 we read that Mr. Arnold, of Devereux -Court, in the Strand, watchmaker, had the honour to present His Majesty -George the Third with a most curious repeating watch of his own making, -_set in a ring_. The size of the watch was something less than a silver -twopence; it contained 120 different parts and weighed altogether five -dwts. seven grains and three-fourths. - -Among curious ring relics may be mentioned one in which a tooth of Sir -Isaac Newton was set. The tooth was sold to a nobleman in 1816 for -730_l._, who had it placed in the ring, and wore it constantly on his -finger. Denon, the French _savant_, wore a ring set with a tooth of -Voltaire. - -At Norwich in 1847 a silver ring was exhibited, set with a dark-coloured -substance, supposed to be the palatal tooth of a fish, like those of the -_Sphoerodus Gigas_. This closely resembles the precious ring given -(according to tradition) by Richard Coeur-de-Lion, to one of the Dawnay -family in the Holy Wars, and adopted as their crest. It is preserved in -the collection of Viscount Downe, and was shown by him at a meeting of the -Institute at York. Another ring, with the same kind of setting, belonged -to the late Mr. Albert Way. Date, the thirteenth century. - -In the collection of Mr. A. J. B. Beresford Hope is a gold ring set with a -sapphire of extraordinary brilliancy, known as the 'saphir merveilleux,' -which formerly belonged to Philippe d'Orleans (Egalite), and is mentioned -by Madame de Genlis. - -In 1765, a very beautiful and perfect gold ring was found by a workman -among the ruins of the North Gate House, on Bedford Bridge, when that -building was pulled down. It bears the initials 'J.B.,' and is engraved -with a death's-head and the words 'Memento mori.' There seems to be every -probability that this ring once belonged to John Bunyan, who was -imprisoned there. This precious relic was sold to Dr. Abbot, chaplain to -the Duke of Bedford, and presented by him in his last illness to the Rev. -G. H. Bower, perpetual curate of Elstow, the birthplace of Bunyan. - -The London press has lately announced that Dean Bower bequeathed to his -nephew, Mr. Henry Addington, this ring. - -In the preceding chapter I have mentioned several portrait-rings of -remarkable interest; I may add that at the Loan Exhibition of Ancient and -Modern Jewellery at the South Kensington Museum in 1872, some fine and -highly curious specimens of this character were shown, and amongst them -the following:-- - -Colonel Dawson Damer is the possessor of a gold ring with a miniature by -Cosway of the eye of George, Prince of Wales. - -Professor Maskelyne has an intaglio portrait of Sir Isaac Newton, set in a -ring, which was presented to the late Dr. Maskelyne, Astronomer Royal, by -Dr. Shepherd, of Cambridge, contemporary of Newton. - -In the collection of Earl Beauchamp is a gold ring with enamel portrait of -the Regent Orleans, by Petitot; French, beginning of the eighteenth -century. Also a gold ring with profile portrait of Frederic the Great; and -another portrait within; eighteenth century. - -Belonging to the Rev. J. C. Jackson is a gold ring set with intaglio, an -emerald portrait of James II.; eighteenth century; formerly the property -of Cardinal York. A gold ring, black enamelled, with miniature portrait of -Prince Charles Edward; eighteenth century. - -A ring with a portrait head of Queen Elizabeth (?) in carved jacinth, -mounted in gold, set with brilliants; French, sixteenth century, the -property of George Bonnor, Esq. - -Till, in his account of 'Coronation Medals,' mentions (but without citing -his authority) that the late Cardinal of York wore constantly, till his -decease, a ring which bore the portraits of the Pretender, James the -Third, and his wife; it was taken from his finger in the hour of his -dissolution, by his servant, and sold as a perquisite--a relic of the -instability and mutation of human greatness--to William, Baron Bartholdy, -son to the Jewish Plato, Moses Mendelssohn. It is now in the Ashmolean -Museum, Oxford, to which it was presented by Mrs. Maria Graham (since -Calcott), in 1824. - - - - -APPENDIX. - - -CHAPTER I. - -RINGS FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD. P. 18. - -Counterfeit rings belong to all ages and peoples. Hall, in his 'Satires,' -says:-- - - Nor can good Myron weare on his left hand - A signet-ring of Bristol diamond, - But he must cut his glove to show his pride - That his trim jewel might be better spied: - And that men might some burgesse him repute - With sattin sleeves hath graced his sacke-cloth suit. - -The punishment of whipping in former days was inflicted on dishonest -traders in rings. In the 'Diary of Henry Machyn, from 1550 to 1563' -(Camden Society), is the following entry in 1556:--'The iij day of July -was a man wypyd a-bowtt the post of reformacyon be{f} the standard in -Chepsyd for sellyng of false rynges.' - -Fines were also inflicted; in the records of the Goldsmiths' Company we -find: 'In 1512 Robert Mayne, for mysworkyng of rings wars (worse) than -sterling v oz and dj, leaves in pledge 2-1/2 dozen of the said rings, -pledges as security for the payments of fines and defaults.' - -In the same records we have a curious account for 'costs in the Chauncerie -for the recoverie of a counterfete Diamant set in a gold ring (8th Edward -IV., 1469),' which affords an idea of lawyers' charges in those days:-- - - L _s._ _d._ - - For boat-hire to Westminster and home again for the suit - in the Chancery began in the old warden's time, for - the recovery of a counterfeit diamond set in a gold - ring 0 0 6 - For a breakfast at Westminster spent on our counsel 0 1 6 - To Mr. Catesby, serjeant at law, to plead for the same 0 3 4 - To another time for boat-hire in and out, and a breakfast - for two days 0 1 6 - Again for boat-hire and one breakfast 0 1 0 - To the keeper of the Chancery door 0 0 2 - To Timothy Fairfax at two times 0 8 4 - To Pigott for attendance at two times 0 6 8 - To a breakfast at Westminster 7_d._, boat-hire 4_d._ 0 0 11 - ----------- - 1 3 11 - - -_Pliny's account of Rings._ P. 25. - -Pliny's remarks on rings are as follow:--'It was the custom at first to -wear rings on a single finger only--the one, namely, that is next to the -little finger, and thus we see the case in the statues of Numa and Servius -Tullius. In later times it became the practice to put rings on the finger -next to the thumb, even in the case of the statues of the gods; and, more -recently again, it has become the fashion to wear them upon the little -finger as well. Among the peoples of Gallia and Britannia, the middle -finger, it is said, is used for this purpose. At the present day, however, -among us, this is the only finger that is excepted, all others being -loaded with rings, smaller rings even being separately adapted for the -smaller joints of the fingers. Some there are who heap several rings on -the little finger alone; while others, again, wear but one ring on this -finger--the ring that sets a seal on the signet-ring itself; this last -being carefully shut up as an object of rarity, too precious to be worn in -common use, and only to be taken from the cabinet (dactyliotheca) as from -a sanctuary. And thus is the wearing of a single ring upon the little -finger no more than an ostentatious advertisement that the owner has -property of a more precious nature under seal at home. Some, too, make a -parade of the weight of their rings, while to others it is quite a labour -to wear more than one at a time; some, in their solicitude for the safety -of their gems, make the hoop of gold tinsel, and fill it with a lighter -material than gold, thinking thereby to diminish the risk of a fall. -Others, again, are in the habit of enclosing poisons beneath the stones of -their rings, and so wear them as instruments of death. And then, besides, -how many of the crimes that are stimulated by cupidity are committed -through the instrumentality of rings! How happy the times--how truly -innocent--in which no seal was put to anything! At the present day, on the -contrary, our very food even, and our drink, have to be preserved from -theft through the agency of the ring; and so far is it from being -sufficient to have the very keys sealed, that the signet-ring is often -taken from off the owner's fingers while he is overpowered with sleep, or -lying on his deathbed.' - - -_Shrewsbury Morse-ivory Thumb-ring._ P. 89. - -The coat-of-arms engraved on this ring consists of--'Quarterly of four: 1. -Talbot, a lion rampant, with a bordure engrailed; 2. Strange, two lions -passant; 3. Neville, a saltire; 4. Verdon, a fret.' - -Dr. Iliff observes: 'The date of the ring appears to me to be about the -middle of the sixteenth century, and it may, therefore, be ascribed to -Francis Talbot, fifth Earl of Shrewsbury of that family, who was elected -K.G. in 1545, and died September 25, 1560. - -'With respect to the quarterings on the ring, I would observe that the -first coat was assumed, as the paternal coat of Talbot, by Sir Gilbert -Talbot (who died in 1298) on marrying Gwenllian, daughter of Rhys Vychan -ap Gruffyd, Lord of North Wales, in lieu of his paternal arms, Bendy of -ten argent and gules. The second quartering (Strange) was brought in by -the marriage of Richard, Lord Talbot, of Eccleswall, Lord Strange, of -Blackmere, in right of his wife Angharad, daughter and heir of John, Lord -Strange. The third and fourth quarterings (Neville and Verdon) were -brought in by the marriage of John Talbot, first Earl of Shrewsbury, of -that family, with Maud, only daughter and heir of Sir Thomas Neville, Lord -Furnival, and great-granddaughter of Thomas de Furnival, Lord of -Sheffield, by Joan, daughter and co-heir of Theobald de Verdon, Baron of -Webley.' - - -_The Soden Smith Collection of Ancient Rings._ - -In the splendid collection of rings belonging to Mr. R. H. Soden Smith, -F.S.A. (one hundred and forty specimens of which, dating from various -periods, and commencing with ancient Egyptian, were exhibited at the Loan -Exhibition of Jewellery at the South Kensington Museum, in 1872), are some -fine works of ancient art. I may mention an antique Etruscan gold ring, -with broad oblong bezel, repousse, with representation of a chimera and -griffin, the sides of the bezel enriched with delicate filigree work. An -antique Etruscan gold ring, terminating in two serpents' heads, ornamented -with three collars of filigree work. An iron ring (probably Etruscan), the -surface plated with gold, chased with figure of a cock upon a pillar, and -having a gold dot inserted. An antique Graeco-Roman gold ring, the hoop -formed of four strands of twisted wire-work, the bezel set with projecting -onyx of four strata. An antique Roman silver pennannular ring, ending in -two serpents' heads. A Roman ring, of the third century, the bezel set -with a pierced piece of rough emerald, shoulders chased from the solid -with beaded ornament. A silver pennannular ring, of Oriental type, -terminating in ribbed hexagonal knobs. Found with Roman coins, in removing -old London Bridge. An antique Roman bronze key-ring, found at Silchester. -A gold Roman ring, of the third century, very massive, of angular outline, -set with intaglio on nicolo onyx, engraved with a figure of Mercury; -ploughed up in Sussex. A series of five gold antique Roman rings, set with -emeralds, jasper, and sard; some engraved with subjects in intaglio. -Antique Greek rings of gold, hollow, set with sards, vitreous pastes, &c. -An antique Roman bronze ring, plated with gold. An antique Roman silver -ring, the bezel engraved with a hare. Two gold rings of the Lower Empire, -or Byzantine, with projecting bezels; one set with root of emerald, the -other with ribbon onyx. - - -CHAPTER II. - -RING SUPERSTITIONS. - - -_Solomon's Ring._ P. 93. - -In the Koran (chapter xxxvi., 'revealed at Mecca'), it is stated:--'We -also tried Solomon, and placed on his throne a counterfeit body.' In the -chapter on 'Ring Superstitions' I have mentioned the fable of Solomon's -ring. The exposition of the passage in the Koran is taken from the -following Talmudic fiction:--Solomon, having taken Sidon and slain the -king of that city, brought away his daughter Jerada, who became his -favourite; and because she ceased not to lament her father's loss, he -ordered the devils to make an image of him for her consolation; which -being done, and placed in her chamber, she and her maids worshipped it -morning and evening, according to their custom. At length Solomon, being -informed of this idolatry, which was practised under his roof by his vizir -Asaf, he broke the image, and, having chastised the women, went out into -the desert, where he wept, and made supplication to God, who did not think -fit, however, to let his negligence pass without some correction. It was -Solomon's custom, while he washed himself, to trust his signet, on which -his kingdom depended, with a concubine of his, named Amina. One day, -therefore, when she had the ring in her custody, a devil named Sakhar came -to her in the shape of Solomon, and received the ring from her, by virtue -of which he became possessed of the kingdom, and sat on the throne in the -shape which he had borrowed, making what alterations in the law he -pleased. Solomon, in the meantime, being changed in his outer appearance, -and known to none of his subjects, was obliged to wander about and beg -alms for his subsistence; till at length, after the space of forty days, -which was the time the image had been worshipped in his house, the devil -flew away and threw the ring into the sea, where it was immediately -swallowed by a fish, which being taken and given to Solomon, he found the -ring in its belly, and having by this means recovered the kingdom, took -Sakhar, and, tying a great stone to his neck, threw him into the Lake of -Tiberias. - - -_Charmed Ring of Sir Edward Neville._ P. 132. - -In the Confession of Sir Edward Neville, he alludes thus to the 'charmed' -ring:--'William Neville did send for me to Oxford that I should come and -speak with him at "Weke," and to him I went; it was the first time I ever -saw him; I would I had been buried that day. When I came he took me to a -_littell_ room, and went to his garden, and there demanded of me many -questions, and among all others, asked if it were not possible to have a -ring made which should bring a man in favour with his Prince; "seeing my -Lord Cardinal had such a ring, that whatsoever he asked of the King's -Grace, that he had; and Master Cromwell, when he and I were servants in my -Lord Cardinal's house, did haunt to the company of one that was seen in -your faculty; and shortly after, no man so great with my Lord Cardinal as -Master Cromwell was; and I have spoke with all them that has any name in -this realm; and all they showed me that I should be great with my Prince, -and this is the cause that I did send for you, to know whether your saying -will be agreeable to theirs, or no." And I, at the hearty desire of him, -showed him that I had read many books, and especially the works of -Solomon, and how his ring should be made, and of what metal; and what -virtues they have after the canon of Solomon. And then he desired me -instantly to take the pains to make him one of them; and I told him that I -could make them, but I made never none of them, and I cannot tell that -they have such virtues or no, but by hearing say. Also he asked me what -other works I had read. And I told him that I had read the magical works -of Hermes, which many men doth prize; and thus departed at that time. And -one fortnight after, William Neville came to Oxford, and said that he had -one Wayd at home at his house that did show him more than I did show him; -for the said Wayd did show him that he should be a great lord, nigh to the -parts that he dwelt in. And that in that lordship should be a fair castle; -and he could not imagine what it should be, except it were the castle of -Warwick. And I answered and said to him, that I dreamed that an angel took -him and me by the hands, and led us to a high tower, and there delivered -him a shield, with sundry arms, which I cannot rehearse, and this is all I -ever showed him save at his desire. I went thither with him, and as -concerning any other man, save at the desire of Sir Gr. Done, Knt., I made -the moulds that ye have, to the intent that he should have had Mistress -Elizabeth's gear.' - - -_Wedding-ring of the Virgin Mary and Joseph._ P. 93. - -In Patrick's 'Devotions of the Roman Church' is a curious account of the -wedding-ring of the Virgin Mary and Joseph. It is there described as of -onyx or amethyst, wherein was discerned a representation of the flowers -that budded on his rod. 'It was discovered in the year 996 in this -way:--Judith, the wife of Hugo, Marquis of Etruria, being a great lover of -jewels, employed one Ranerius, a skilful jeweller and lapidary of Clusium, -to go to Rome to make purchases for her. There he formed an intimacy with -a jeweller from Jerusalem, who, when Ranerius was about to return home, -professed great affection, and offered him a ring as a pledge of -friendship. Ranerius, looking upon it as of little value, declined it with -a slight compliment; but the jeweller from the Holy Land bade him not -contemn it, for it was the wedding-ring of Joseph and the Blessed Virgin, -and made him take it, with a special charge that it should not fall into -the hands of a wicked person. Ranerius, still careless of what he said, -threw it into a little chest with articles of inferior value, where it -remained until his forgetfulness cost him dear; for when his son was only -ten years old (the number of years that his father disregarded the -Virgin's ring) the boy died, and was carried to his burial. But, behold, -as the hearse went forward, on a sudden the dead child rose from the -coffin, ordered the bearers to stop, and, calling to his father, told him -that, by favour of the Blessed Virgin, he was come from Heaven to tell him -that, as he had contemned religion by concealing her most holy ring in a -common heap, he must immediately send for it, and publicly produce it, -that it might be openly venerated. The chest being brought and delivered -into the son's hand, he presently found the ring, although he had never -seen it before; then most reverently kissing it, and showing it to the -spectators, they religiously adored it, during the joyful pealing of the -bells, which rang of their own accord; whereupon, ordering himself to be -carried to the place where he desired to be buried, he delivered the ring -to the curate of the parish, and then, laying himself down in the coffin, -he was interred.--This ring wrought many miracles; ivory ones touched with -it, worn by women in difficult labour, relieved them; an impression of it -in wax, applied to the hip, removed the sciatica; it cured diseases of the -eyes, reconciled married people that quarrelled, and drove out devils. -Five centuries afterwards, in 1473, the church of Musthiola, where it -effected these wonders, becoming ruinous, the ring was deposited with a -religious community of the Franciscans at Clusium. One of the brethren of -the order, named Wintherus, a crafty German, and very wicked, having -obtained from the magistrates an appointment to show the ring, on a -certain occasion, after exhibiting it at the end of his sermon, stooped -down, as if he were putting it into the place provided for it, but instead -of doing so he slipped it up his sleeve, and privily conveyed himself and -the ring from the city across the water. All was well so far, but when he -got into a neighbouring field it suddenly became dark, so that, not -knowing which way to go, but well knowing what was the matter, he hung the -ring on a tree, and, falling on the ground, penitently confessed his sin -to it, and promised to return to Clusium if it would dispel the darkness. -On taking it down it emitted a great light, which he took advantage of to -travel to Perusia, where he sojourned with the Augustin friars, till he -determined on making another effort to carry it into Germany. He was again -hindered by the darkness returning. It infested him and the whole city for -twenty days. Still he resolved not to return to Clusium, but tell his -story in great confidence to his landlord, one Lucas Jordanus, who with -great cunning represented to him his danger from the Clusians, and the -benefits he would receive from the Perusians if he bestowed the ring on -that city. Wintherus followed his advice. As soon as the ring was shown to -the people the darkness disappeared, and Wintherus was well provided for -in the house of the magistrate. Meanwhile the Bishop of Clusium, coming to -Perusia, endeavoured in vain to obtain the relic. The city of Sena sent an -ambassador to resist the claims of the Clusians; he was entertained by the -Perusians with great respect, but they informed him that, having used no -sacrilegious arts to obtain the Blessed Virgin's ring, they respected her -too much to restore it to the owners; that they received it within their -walls with as much respect as they would do the Ark of the Covenant, and -would defend their holy prize by force of arms. The bereaved Clusians laid -the case before Pope Sixtus IV., and the Perusians did the same. Wintherus -was ordered by the Pope, on the importunity of the Clusians, into closer -confinement; but, as the heat abated, he passed a merry life in Perusia, -and at his death the Franciscans and the canons of St. Lawrence disputed -for the possession of his body. This honour was, in the end, obtained by -the latter, in whose chapel he was buried before an altar dedicated to St. -Joseph and the Virgin, and a monument was erected by the Perusians to the -ring-stealer's memory, with an inscription which acknowledged that the -receivers were as much indebted to him for it as if it had been his own -property, and he had offered it of his own accord. - -In the pontificate of Innocent VIII., A.D. 1486, the arbitration of the -dispute was left to Cardinal Piccolominaeus, who adjudged the relic to -Perusia. The important decision was celebrated in that city by every -imaginable expression of joy, and for the greatest honour of the sacred -ring, a chapel was built for it in the church of St. Lawrence, with an -inscription, informing the reader that there the untouched mother, the -Queen of Heaven, and her spouse, were worshipped; that there in the -sanctuary of her wedding-ring she lent a gracious ear to all prayers; and -that he who gave the ring (Wintherus) defended it by his protection. The -pencil was called in to grace the more substantial labours of the -architect. A curious picture represented the High Priest in the Temple of -Jerusalem, taking Joseph and Mary by their hands to espouse them with the -venerated ring; one side of the solemnity was graced by a band of virgins, -the companions of Mary during her education; the other side was occupied -by a company of young men, Joseph's kinsmen of the house of David, holding -their withered rods. The imagination of the artist employed one of these -in breaking his own rod across his knee, as envious of Joseph's, which, by -its miraculous budding, had ended the hopes of all who, by the -proclamation, had become candidates for her hand. In addition to this, an -altar was raised and dedicated to St. Joseph; his statue was placed at its -side; his birthday was kept with great pomp; a society of seculars, called -his Fraternity, was instituted to serve in the chapel jointly with the -clergy of St. Lawrence; and on the joint festival of Mary and her spouse -the splendid solemnity was heightened by the solemn exhibition of the -ring, and by a picture of their miraculous nuptials being uncovered to the -eager gaze of the adoring multitude.' - -The ring is said by some to have been made of one whole stone, green -jasper or a plasma, hollowed out, and itself forming both hoop and bezel, -unalloyed with any metal. - -In Raffaelle's beautiful picture, _Le Sposalizio_, Mary and Joseph stand -opposite to each other in the centre; the high-priest, between them, is -bringing their right hands towards each other; Joseph, with his right hand -(guided by the priest), is placing the ring on the third finger of the -right hand of the Virgin; beside Mary is a group of the virgins of the -Temple; near Joseph are the suitors, who break their barren wands--that -which Joseph holds in his hand has blossomed into a lily, which, according -to the legend, was the sign that he was the chosen one. - -The Rev. C. W. King, in his 'Handbook of Engraved Gems,' observes: 'The -highest glory ever attained by a work of the engraver was that of the -cameo of the Abbey of St. Germain des Pres, which enjoyed for an entire -millennium the transcendent (though baseless) fame of adorning the -espousal-ring of the Virgin Mary, and of preserving the portraits after -the life of herself and Joseph. But, alas! antiquaries have now -remorselessly restored the ownership of gem and portraits to the two -nobodies (probably _liberti_, judging from their names), whose votive -legend, "Alpheus with Aretho," is but too plainly legible in our -Greek-reading times.' - -When the Abbey was destroyed by fire in 1795, this ring, with other -valuables, disappeared; it subsequently came into the hands of General -Hydrow, and from him passed into the Imperial Russian Cabinet. - - -_Ring of Gyges._ P. 96. - -Nizami, the famous Persian poet, who died in 1209, has a story of a ring -which is a very close version of the ring of Gyges. A hot vapour once rent -the ground, and brought to light in the chasm a hollow horse of tin and -copper with a large fissure in its side. A shepherd saw it, and -discovered in the body an old man asleep, with a gold ring on his finger. -He took it off, and went next morning to his master to learn the value of -his booty; but during his visit he discovered, to his astonishment, that -when he turned the seal towards his palm he became invisible. He -determined to make use of this power, and he proceeded to the palace, and -secretly entered the council-chamber, where he remained unseen. When the -nobles had left it, he revealed himself to the king by this miracle as a -prophet. The king at once took him as his minister, and eventually the -shepherd succeeded him on the throne. - -In Reginald Scot's 'Discovery of Witchcraft,' 1665, is given a charm -whereby 'to go invisible by these three sisters of the fairies,' Milita, -Achilia, and Sibylia. You are 'first to go to a fair parlour, or chamber, -and on even ground, and in no loft, and from people nine dayes, for it is -better; and let all thy cloathing be clean and sweet. Then make a candle -of virgin wax and light it, and make a fair fire of charcoles in a fair -place in the middle of the parlour or chamber; then take fair clean water -that runneth against the East, and set it upon the fire, and if thou warm -thyself say these words, going about the fire three times holding the -candle in thy right hand.' The incantation is too profane to be repeated. -The following is the effect produced: 'and if they come not the first -night, then do the same the second night, and so the third night, until -they do come, _for doubtless they will so come_; and lie thou in thy bed -in the same parlour or chamber, and lay thy right hand out of the bed, and -look thou have a fair silken kerchief bound about thy head, and be not -afraid, they will do thee no harm; for there will come before thee three -fair women, and all in white cloathing, _and one of them will put a ring -upon thy finger wherewith thou shalt go invisible_. Then with speed bind -her with the bond aforesaid. When thou hast this ring on thy finger, look -in a glass and thou shalt not see thyself. And when thou wilt go -invisible, put it on thy finger, the same finger that they did put it on, -and every new moon renew it again,' &c. - - -_The Cruel Knight and the Fortunate Farmer's Daughter._ P. 99. - -'The Fish and the Ring, or the Cruel Knight, and the Fortunate Farmer's -Daughter' (a reprint for William Robinson, Esq., 1843). - - In famous York city a farmer did dwell, - Who was belov'd by his neighbours well; - He had a wife that was virtuous and fair, - And by her he had a young child every year. - In seven years six children he had, - Which made their parents' hearts full glad; - But in a short time, as we did hear say, - The farmer in wealth and stock did decay. - Though once he had riches in store, - In a little time he grew very poor; - He strove all he could, but, alas! could not thrive, - He hardly could keep his children alive. - The children came faster than silver or gold, - For his wife conceiv'd again, we are told, - And when the time came in labour she fell; - But if you would mind an odd story I'll tell: - - A noble rich Knight by chance did ride by, - And hearing this woman did shriek and cry, - He being well learned in the planets and signs, - Did look in the book which puzzled his mind. - The more he did look the more he did read, - And found that the fate of the child had decreed, - Who was born in that house the same tide, - He found it was she who must be his bride; - But judge how the Knight was disturb'd in mind, - When he in that book his fortune did find. - - He quickly rode home and was sorely oppressed, - From that sad moment he could take no rest; - At night he did toss and tumble in his bed - And very strange projects came into his head, - Then he resolv'd and soon try'd indeed, - To alter the fortune he found was decreed. - With a vexing heart next morning he rose, - And to the house of the farmer he goes, - And asked the man with a heart full of spite, - If the child was alive that was born last night? - - 'Worthy sir,' said the farmer, 'although I am poor, - I had one born last night, and six born before; - Four sons and three daughters I now have alive, - They are in good health and likely to thrive.' - The Knight he reply'd, 'If that seven you have, - Let me have the youngest, I'll keep it most brave, - For you very well one daughter may spare, - And when I die I'll make her my heir; - For I am a Knight of noble degree, - And if you will part with your child unto me - Full three thousand pounds I'll unto thee give - When I from your hands your daughter receive. - - The father and mother with tears in their eyes, - Did hear this kind offer and were in surprize; - And seeing the Knight was so noble and gay, - Presented the infant unto him that day. - But they spoke to him with words most mild, - 'We beseech thee, good sir, be kind to our child.' - 'You need not mind,' the Knight he did say, - 'I will maintain her both gallant and gay.' - So with this sweet babe away he did ride, - Until he came to a broad river's side. - Being cruelly bent he resolv'd indeed - To drown the young infant that day with speed, - Saying, 'If you live you must be my wife, - So I am resolved to bereave you of life; - For till you are dead I no comfort can have, - Wherefore you shall lie in a watery grave.' - In saying of this, that moment, they say, - He flung the babe into the river straightway; - And being well pleased when this he had done, - He leaped on his horse, and straight he rode home. - But mind how kind fortune for her did provide, - She was drove right on her back by the tide, - Where a man was a fishing, as fortune would have, - When she was floating along with the wave. - He took her up, but was in amaze; - He kissed her and on her did gaze, - And he having ne'er a child in his life, - He straightway did carry her home to his wife. - His wife was pleased the child to see, - And said, 'My dearest husband, be ruled by me, - Since we have no children, if you'll let me alone, - We will keep this and call it our own.' - The good man consented, as we have been told, - And spared for neither silver nor gold, - Until she was over eleven full year, - And then her beauty began to appear. - - The fisherman was one day at an inn, - And several gentlemen drinking with him: - His wife sent this girl to call her husband home, - But when she did into the drinking room come, - The gentlemen they were amazed to see - The fisherman's daughter so full of beauty. - They ask'd him if she was his own, - And he told them the story before he went home: - 'As I was fishing within my bound, - One Monday morning this sweet babe I found; - Or else she had lain within a watery grave;' - And this was the same which now he gave. - The cruel Knight was in the company, - And hearing the fisherman tell his story, - He was vexed at the heart to see her alive, - And how to destroy her again did contrive, - Then spake the Knight, and unto him said, - 'If you will but part with this sweet maid - I'll give you whatever your heart can devise, - For she in time to great riches may rise.' - The fisherman answered, with a modest grace, - 'I cannot unless my dear wife were in the place, - Get first her consent, you shall have mine of me, - And then to go with you, sir, she is free.' - The wife she did also as freely consent, - But little they thought of his cruel intent; - He kept her a month very bravely they say, - And then he contrived to send them away. - - He had a great brother in fair Lancashire, - A noble rich man worth ten thousand a year, - And he sent this girl unto him with speed - In hopes he would act a most desperate deed. - He sent a man with her likewise they say, - And as they did lodge at an inn on the way, - A thief in the house with an evil intent - For to rob the portmanteau immediately went, - But the thief was amazed, when he could not find - Either silver or gold, or aught to his mind, - But only a letter the which he did read - And soon put an end to this tragical deed: - The Knight had wrote to his brother that day, - To take this poor innocent damsel away, - With sword or with poison that very same night, - And not let her live till morning light. - The thief read the letter, and had so much grace - To tear it, and write in the same place, - 'Dear brother, receive this maiden from me, - And bring her up well as a maiden should be; - Let her be esteem'd, dear brother, I pray, - Let servants attend her by night and by day. - For she is a lady of noble worth, - A nobler lady ne'er lived in the north; - Let her have good learning, dear brother, I pray, - And for the same I will sufficiently pay; - And so, loving brother, this letter I send, - Subscribing myself your dear brother and friend.' - The servant and maid were still innocent, - And onward their journey next day they went. - Before sunset to the Knight's house they came - Where the servant left her, and came home again. - The girl was attended most nobly indeed, - With the servants to attend to her with speed; - Where she did continue a twelvemonth's space, - Till this cruel Knight came to this place, - As he and his brother together did talk, - He spy'd the young maiden in the garden to walk. - She look'd most beautiful, pleasant, and gay, - Like to sweet Aurora, or the goddess of May. - He was in a passion when he did her spy, - And instantly unto his brother did cry, - 'Why did you not do as in the letter I writ?' - His brother replied, 'It is done every bit.' - 'No, no,' said the Knight, 'it is not so I see, - Therefore she shall back again go with me;' - But his brother showed him the letter that day, - Then he was amazed, but nothing did say. - - Soon after the Knight took this maiden away, - And with her did ride till he came to the sea, - Then looking upon her with anger and spite, - He spoke to the maiden and bade her alight. - The maid from the horse immediately went - And trembled to think what was his intent. - 'Ne'er tremble,' said he, 'for this hour's your last; - So pull off your clothes, I command you, in haste.' - This virgin, with tears, on her knees did reply, - 'Oh! what have I done, sir, that now I must die? - Oh! let me but know how I offend - I'll study each hour my life to amend, - Oh! spare my life and I'll wander till death, - And never come near you while I have breath.' - He hearing the pitiful moan she did make - Straight from his finger a ring did take, - He then to the maiden these words did say, - 'This ring in the water I'll now throw away; - Pray look on it well, for the posy is plain, - That you when you see it may know it again. - I charge you for life never come in my sight, - For if you do I shall owe you a spite, - Unless you do bring the same unto me:' - With that he let the ring drop in the sea, - Which when he had done away he did go, - And left her to wander in sorrow and woe. - She rambled all night, and at length did espy - A homely poor cottage, and to it did hie, - Being hungry with cold, and a heart full of grief, - She went to this cottage to seek for relief; - The people reliev'd her, and the next day - They got her to service, as I did hear say, - At a nobleman's house, not far from this place - Where she did behave with a modest grace. - She was a cookmaid and forgot the time past, - But observe the wonder that comes at last. - - As she for dinner was dressing one day, - And opened the head of a cod, they say, - She found such a ring, and was in amaze - And she, in great wonder, upon it did gaze - And viewing it well she found it to be - The very same the Knight dropped in the sea, - She smil'd when she saw it, and bless'd her kind fate, - But did to no creature the secret relate. - - This maid, in her place, did all maidens excel, - That the lady took notice, and lik'd her well; - Saying, she was born of some noble degree, - And took her as a companion to be. - The Knight when he came to the house did behold - This beautiful lady with trappings of gold, - When he ask'd the lady to grant him a boon, - And said it was to walk with that virgin alone. - The lady consented, telling the young maid - By him she need not fear to be betrayed. - When he first met her, 'Thou strumpet,' said he, - 'Did I not charge thee never more to see me? - This hour's thy last, to the world bid good night, - For being so bold to appear in my sight.' - Said she, 'In the sea you flung your ring, - And bid me not see you unless I did bring - The same unto you. Now I have it,' cries she, - 'Behold, 'tis the same that you flung into the sea.' - When the Knight saw it, he flew to her arms, - And said, 'Lovely maid, thou hast millions of charms.' - Said he, 'Charming creature, pray pardon me, - Who often contrived the ruin of thee: - 'Tis in vain to alter what heaven doth decree, - For I find you are born my wife to be.' - Then wedded they were, as I did hear say, - And now she's a lady both gallant and gay, - They quickly unto her parents did haste, - When the Knight told the story of what had passed. - But asked their pardon, upon his bare knee, - Who gave it, and rejoiced their daughter to see. - Then they for the fisherman and his wife sent, - And for their past troubles did them content. - And so there was joy for all them that did see - The farmer's young daughter a lady to be. - -The Rev. C. W. King, in his 'Handbook of Engraved Gems,' gives the -following fish-and-ring story. Pietrus Damianus, a very unlikely personage -to have ever read of Polycrates, relates in his Fifth Epistle a story -worth translating literally, as a specimen of the style of thought of his -age:--'This Arnulphus was the father of King Pepin and grandfather of -Charlemagne, and when, inflamed with the fervour of the Holy Ghost he -sacrificed the love of wife and children, and exchanged the glory and -pomps of this world for the glorious poverty of Christ, it chanced, as he -was hastening into the wilderness, that in his way he had to cross a -river, which is called the Moselle; but when he reached the middle of the -bridge, thrown over it where the river's stream ran deepest, he tossed in -there his own ring with this protestation, "When I shall receive back," -said he, "this ring from the foaming waves of this river, then will I -trust confidently that I am loosed from the bonds of all my sins." -Thereupon he made for the wilderness, where he lived no little space dead -unto himself and the world. Meanwhile, the then Bishop of Metz having -died, Divine Providence raised Arnulphus to the charge of that see. -Continuing in his new office to abstain from eating flesh, according to -the rule observed by him in the wilderness, once upon a time a fish was -brought him for a present. The cook, in gutting the same, found in its -entrails a ring, and ran full of joy to present it to his master; which -ring the blessed Bishop no sooner cast eyes upon than he knew it again for -his own, and wondered not so much at the strange mine that had brought -forth the metal, as that, by the Divine propitiation, he had obtained the -forgiveness of his sins.' - -The same distinguished writer, in the work before mentioned, relates the -story told by St. Augustine, bishop of the city where it happened, 'and -who has deemed it worthy of insertion in his great work, "De Civitate Dei" -(xxii. 8):--"There lived an old man, a fellow-townsman of ours at Hippo, -Florentius by name, by trade a tailor, a religious poor person. He had -lost his cloak and had not wherewith to buy another. Certain ribald youths -who happened to be present overheard him, and followed him as he went -down, mocking at him as though he had demanded of the martyrs the sum of -fifty _folles_ (12-1/2 denarii) to clothe himself withal. But Florentius -walking on without replying to them, espied a big fish thrown up by the -sea, and struggling upon the beach, and he secured it through the -good-natured assistance of the same youths, and sold it for 300 _folles_ -(75 denarii) to a certain cook, by name Carthosus, a good Christian, for -pickling, telling him at the same time all that had taken place--intending -to buy wool with the money, so that his wife might make therewith, as well -as she could, something to clothe him. But the cook in cutting up the fish -found in its belly a gold ring, and forthwith, being moved with -compassion, as well as influenced by religious scruples, restored it to -Florentius, saying, 'Behold how the Twenty Martyrs have clothed thee.'"' - - -_King Edward's Ring._ P. 119. - -In the 'Life of Edward the Confessor' (forming one of the series of the -chronicles and memorials of Great Britain and Ireland, during the Middle -Ages, published by the authority of H.M. Treasury, under the direction of -the Master of the Rolls), Mr. Luard, the editor, has given the translation -of a manuscript in the public library of the University of Cambridge, to -which the date of 1245 is ascribed, and written in Norman-French. The -legend of the Confessor's ring is thus introduced:-- - - The King was at the service - Where was dedicated the church - Of Saint John, who to God was dear, - And whom the King could so much love: - No saint had he so dear except Saint Peter. - Lo, a poor man who was there, - A stranger and unknown, - When he saw King Edward, - For the love of Saint John prays him - That of his possession he would give him a part. - The King who hears his prayer, - Puts his hand to his alms-chest, - But neither gold nor silver does he there find. - He bids his almoner to be summoned, - But he was not found for the crowd. - The poor man ceases not to beg - And the King is in distress - Because neither gold nor silver he finds at hand. - And he reflects, remains silent, - Looks at his hand and remembers - That on his finger he had a cherished ring - Which was large, royal, and beautiful; - To the poor man he gives it for the love - Of Saint John, his dear lord; - And he takes it with joy, - And gently gives him thanks; - And when he was possessed of it, - He departed and vanished. - But to this no one paid attention. - Soon after it chanced that - Two palmers of English birth, - Who go to seek the Holy Sepulchre - By a path where no one guides them - In the land of Syria, - Go astray, far out by the way, - See neither man nor house: - Now they have arrived in the wilderness, - The night comes on, the sun sets; - Nor do they know which way to turn, - Nor where they can lodge for the night, - They fear robbers, they fear wild beasts, - They fear monsters and dreadful tempests, - And many an adventure of the desert. - The dark night surprises them. - - Now behold a band of youths - In a circle which was very large and beautiful, - By whom the whole road and air - Were lightened as if by lightning, - And an old man white and hoary, - Brighter than the sun at mid-day, - Before whom are carried two tapers, - Which lighten the path; - He, when he comes close to the palmers - Salutes them; says, 'Dear friends - Whence come you? Of what creed - Are you, and of what birth? - What kingdom and King? What seek you here?' - And one of them answered him, - 'We are Christians, and desire - Have we to expiate our sins; - We are both from England; - We have come to seek the Holy Sepulchre, - And the holy places of this country, - Where Jesus died and lived. - And our King is named Edward, - The good prince, whom may God preserve to us, - He has not such a saint from here to France. - But it has befallen us by mishap - We have lost to-day the company - Which comforts and which guides us, - Nor know we what has become of us.' - - And the old man answered there, - Joyously like a clerk, - 'Come after me, I go before; - Follow me, I will conduct you - Where you will find a good hostelry. - For love of King Edward - You shall have lodging and good care, - Your leader I will myself be, - And your host.' He leads them on; - They enter a city, - They have found a good hostelry, - The table prepared, and good treatment, - Linen and bed, and other preparatives; - The tired ones, who had great need, - Repose themselves after supper. - In the morning, when they depart, - They find their host and leader, - Who, when they have issued from the gate, - Gently thus comforts them. - 'Be not troubled nor sad, - I am John the Evangelist; - For love of Edward the King, - I neither will nor ought to fail you; - For he is my especial - Friend and loyal King. - With me he has joined company, - Since he has chosen to lead a chaste life, - We shall be peers in paradise. - And I tell you, dear good friends, - You shall arrive, be assured, - In your country safe and sound. - You shall go to King Edward, - Salute him from me, - And that you attempt not a falsehood - To say, you shall carry proofs-- - A ring, which he will know, - Which he gave to me, John, - When he was at the service - Where my church was dedicated; - There I besought him, for the love - Of John; it was I in poor array. - And let King Edward know well, - To me he shall come before six months (are over). - And since he resembles me, - In paradise shall we be together - And that of this he may be confidently assured - You shall tell him all that whatever I tell you.' - - They, who well understand his words, - Give him thanks for all his benefits, - And when they are possessed of the ring - The saint departed and vanished; - And the pilgrims depart, - Who now are on the certain path - Without ill, and without trouble; - The saint leads and conducts them; - They hasten to go to King Edward, - That they have not arrived seems tardy to them, - And they relate their adventure, - Show the ring at once, - Whatever they relate he believes true, - When he sees the proofs; - Of this witness bears the whole - Company, large in numbers. - - -_Demons imprisoned in Rings._ P. 132. - -There was a strong belief that familiar spirits could be carried about in -rings and trinkets. Le Loyer, in his curious work 'Des Spectres,' writes: -'With regard to the demons whom they imprisoned in rings or charms, the -magicians of the school of Salamanca and Toledo, and their master -Picatrix, together with those in Italy who made traffic of this kind of -ware, knew better than to say whether or not they had appeared to those -who had them in possession or bought them. And truly I cannot speak -without horror of those who pretend to such vulgar familiarity with them, -even to speaking of the nature of each particular demon shut up in a ring; -whether he be a Mercurial, Jovial, Saturnine, Martial, or Aphrodisiac -spirit; in what form he is wont to appear when required; how many times in -the night he awakes his possessor; whether benign or cruel in disposition; -whether he can be transferred to another; and if, once possessed, he can -alter the natural temperament, so as to render men of Saturnine complexion -Jovial, or the Jovials Saturnines, and so on. There is no end of the -stories which might be collected under this head, to which, if I gave -faith, as some of the learned of our time have done, it would be filling -my paper to little purpose. I will not speak, therefore, of the crystal -ring mentioned by Joaliun of Cambray, in which a young child could see all -that they demanded of him, and which eventually was broken by the -possessor, as the occasion by which the devil too much tormented him. -Still less will I stay my pen to tell of the sorcerer of Courtray, whose -ring had a demon enclosed in it, to whom it behoved him to speak every -five days.' By this familiar (remarks Heywood, in his 'Hierarchie of the -Blessed Angels') 'he was not onely acquainted with all newes, as well -forrein as domesticke, but learned the cure and remedie for all griefs and -diseases; insomuch that he had the reputation of a learned and excellent -physition. At length, being accused of _sortilege_, or enchantment, at -Arnham, in Guelderland, he was proscribed, and in the year 1548, the -Chancellor caused his ring, in the public market, to be layd on an anvil -and with an iron hammer to be beaten in pieces. Mengius reporteth from the -relation of a deare friend of his (a man of approved fame and honestie) -this history. In a certain town under the jurisdiction of the Venetians, -one of their praestigious artists (whom some call Pythonickes), having one -of these rings in which he had two familiar spirits exorcised and bound, -came to a predicant or preaching friar, a man of sincere life and -conversation; and confessed unto him that hee was possessed of such an -enchanted ring, with such spirits charmed, with whom he had conference at -his pleasure. But since he considered with himselfe that it was a thing -dangerous to his soule, and abhominable both to God and man, he desired to -be cleanely acquit thereof, and to that purpose hee came to receive of him -some godly counsell. But by no persuasion would the religious man be -induced to have any speech at all with these evil spirits (to which motion -the other had before earnestly solicited him), but admonished him to cause -the magicke ring to be broken, and that to be done with all speed -possible. At which words the familiars were heard (as it were) to mourne -and lament in the ring, and to desire that no such violence might be -offered to them; but rather than so, that it would please him to accept of -the ring, and keepe it, promising to do him all service and vassallage; of -which, if he pleased to accept, they would in a short time make him to be -the most famous and admired predicant in all Italy. But he perceiving the -divels cunning, under this colour of courtesie, made absolute refusall of -their offer; and withall conjured them to know the reason why they would -so willingly submit themselves to his patronage? After many evasive lies -and deceptious answers, they plainly confessed unto him that they had of -purpose persuaded the magition to heare him preach; that by that sermon, -his conscience being pricked and galled, he might be weary of the ring, -and being refused of the one, be accepted of the other; by which they -hoped in short time so to have puft him up with pride and heresie, to have -precipitated his soule into certaine and never-ending destruction. At -which the churchman being zealously inraged, with a great hammer broke the -ring almost to dust, and in the name of God sent them thence to their own -habitation of darknesse, or whither it pleased the highest powers to -dispose them. - -'Of this kind doubtless was the ring of Gyges--such likewise had the -Phocensian tyrant, who, as Clemens Stromaeus speaketh, by a sound which -came of itselfe, was warned of all times, seasonable and unseasonable in -which to mannage his affaires; who, notwithstanding, could not be -forewarned of his pretended death, but his familiar left him in the end, -suffering him to be slain by the conspirators. Such a ring, likewise, had -one Hieronimus, Chancellor of Mediolanum, which after proved to be his -untimely ruine.' ['Hierarchie of the Blessed Angels.'] - -A learned German physician has given an instance in which the devil, of -his own accord, enclosed himself in a ring as a familiar, thereby proving -how dangerous it is to trifle with him. - - -_Cramp-Rings._ P. 164. - -The precise date when the Kings of England commenced to bless rings, -regarded as preservatives against the cramp or against epilepsy, the -_morbus Sancti Johannis_, is uncertain. The earliest mention of the -practice, which Mr. Edmund Waterton has found, occurs in the reign of -Edward II.: 'The prayer used in the blessing of the ring implores--'ut -omnes qui eos gestabunt, nec eos infestet vel nervorum contractio, vel -comitialis morbi periculum.' And the King, to impart this salutary virtue, -rubbed the rings between his hands, with this invocation: 'Manuum -nostrarum confricatione quas olei sacri infusione externa sanctificare -dignatus es pro ministerii nostri modo consecra,' &c. Hitherto these rings -are simply described as _annuli_. But in the 44th of Edward III., in the -account-book of John of Ipres, or Ypres, they are termed _medicinales_.' - -In the last chapter of the 'Constitutions of the Household,' settled in -the reign of Edward II., the following entry appears: 'Item, le Roi doit -offrer de certein le jour de grant vendredi a crouce v. s. queux il est -accustumez receivre devers lui a la mene le chapelein afair eut anulx a -_donner pur medicine_ az divers gentz.' - -In the Eleemosyna Roll of 9th Edward III. the following entry occurs: 'In -oblacione domini Regis ad crucem de Gneythe die parasceves in capella sua -infra mannerium suum de Clipstone, in precium duorum florencium de -Florencia xiiij. die Aprilis vi. _s._ viij. _d._, et in denariis quos -posuit pro dictis florenciis reassumptis _pro annulis medicinalibus inde_ -faciendis, eodem die vi. _s._; summa xii. _s._ viii. _d._' - -In the Eleemosyna Roll of 10th Edward III. we have the following entry: -'In oblacione domini Regis ad crucem de Gneyth in die parasceves apud -Eltham, xxix. die Marcii v. _s._, et pro iisdem denariis reassumptis pro -annulis inde faciendis per manus Domini Johannis de Crokeford eodem die v. -_s._' And in the following year: 'In oblacione domini Regis ad crucem de -Gneyth in capella sua in pcho de Wyndesore die parasceves v. _s._, et pro -totidem denariis reassumptis pro annuli inde faciendis v. _s._' - -In the accounts of John de Ypres, 44th Edward III., the following entries -are found: 'In oblacionibus Regis factis adorando crucem in capella sua -infra castrum suum de Wyndesore, die parasceves in pretio trium nobilium -auri et quinque solidorum sterling. xxv. _s._ In denariis solutis pro -iisdem oblacionibus reassumptis pro annulis medicinalibus inde faciendis, -ibidem, eodem die xxv. _s._' - -The same entries occur in the 7th and 8th Henry IV. - -In the 8th Edward IV. mention occurs that these cramp-rings were made of -silver and of gold, as appears by the following entry: 'Pro eleemosyna in -die parasceves c. marc., et pro annulis de auro et argento pro eleemosyna -Regis eodem die,' &c. And a Privy Seal of the next year, amongst other -particulars relates: 'Item paid for the King's Good Fryday rings of gold -and silver xxxiii. _l._ vi. _s._ viii. _d._' - -Mention of these rings is also found in the Comptroller's accounts in the -20th Henry VII. - -A MS. copy of the Orders of the King of England's Household, 13th Henry -VIII., 1521-1522, preserved in the National Library at Paris (No. 9,986), -contains 'the order of the Kinge's of England, touching his coming to -service, hallowing y{e} crampe rings, and offering and creeping to the -crosse.' 'First, the King to come to the closett or to the chappell with -the lords and noblemen wayting on him, without any sworde to bee borne -before him on that day, and there to tarry in his travers till the bishop -and deane have brought forth the crucifix out of the vestry (the almoner -reading the service of the cramp-rings), layd upon a cushion before the -high altar, and then the huishers shall lay a carpet before y{t} for the -King to creepe to the crosse upon: and y{t} done, there shall be a fourme -set upon the carpet before the crucifix, and a cushion layd before it for -the King to kneele on; and the Master of the Jewell house shal be ther -ready with the crampe-rings in a basin or basins of silver; the King shall -kneele upon the sayd cushion before the fourme, and then must the clerke -of the closett bee ready with the booke conteyninge y{e} service of the -hallowing of the said rings, and the almoner must kneel upon the right -hand of the King, holding of the sayd booke; and when y{t} is done the -King shall rise and go to the high altar, where an huisher must be ready -with a cushion to lay for his grace to kneele upon, and the greatest Lord -or Lords being then present shall take the basin or basins with the rings, -and bear them after the King, and then deliver them to the King to offer; -and this done, the Queen shall come down out of the closett or travers -into the chappell with ladies and gentlewomen wayters on her, and creepe -to the crosse; and that done, she shall returne againe into her closett or -travers, and then the ladies shall come downe and creepe to the crosse, -and when they have done, the lords and noblemen shall in likewise.' - -A letter from Dr. Thomas Magnus, Warden of Sibthorpe College, -Nottinghamshire, to Cardinal Wolsey, written in 1526, contains the -following curious passage: 'Pleas it your Grace to wete that M. Wiat of -his goodness sent unto me for a present certaine crampe ringges, which I -distributed and gave to sondery myne acquaintaunce at Edinburghe, amongse -other to M. Adame Otterbourne, who, with one of thayme, releved a mann -lying in the falling sekenes in the sight of myche people; sethenne whiche -tyme many requestes have been made unto me for crampe ringges at my -departing there, and also sethenne my comyng from thennes. May it pleas -your Grace therefore to shew your gracious pleasure to the said M. Wyat, -that some ringges may be kept and sent into Scottelande, whiche, after my -poore oppynnyon shulde be a good dede, remembering the power and operacyon -of thame is knowne and proved in Edinburghe, and that they be gretly -required for the same cause both by grete personnages and other.' - -Mr. Edmund Waterton thinks that the illuminated manual which Queen Mary -used at the blessing of the cramp-rings, and which I have mentioned was in -the possession of the late Cardinal Wiseman, was the same from which -Bishop Burnet printed the formula. Mr. Waterton states that on the second -leaf of the MS. the service for the blessing of the rings begins with this -rubric: 'Certeyne Prayers to be used by the Quene's Heighnes in the -Consecration of the Cramperings.' - -The next rubric is as follows: 'The Ryngs lyeing in one basin or moo, this -Prayer shall be said over them,' &c. This is followed by the _Benedictio -Annulorum_, consisting of several short formulas or sentences. Then -another rubric sets forth: 'These prayers beinge saide, the Queene's -Heighnes rubbeth the rings betwene her hands, sayinge _Sanctifica Domine -Annulos_,' &c. - -'Thenne must holly water be caste on the rings, sayeing, _In nomine Patris -et Filii et Spiritus Sancti_, Amen. Followed by two other prayers.' - -Miss Strickland claims the blessing of the cramp-rings as the peculiar -privilege of the Queens of England. But her argument falls to the ground -when tested by collateral and official documents. - -Mr. Waterton concludes his most interesting article on Royal Cramp-rings -('Archaeological Journal,' vol. xxi. pp. 103-113) by stating that he has -been unable to accompany the essay by the representation of any example, -'but I have never met with a specimen that could with any certainty be -pronounced a royal cramp-ring, neither have I found any description of the -rings made, as the entries state, from the gold and silver coins offered -by the King on Good Friday, and then redeemed by an equivalent sum. -Probably they were plain hoop-rings. In the will of John Baret, of Bury -St. Edmunds, 1463, a bequest is made to "my Lady Walgrave" of a "rowund -ryng of the Kynge's silvir." In another part of his will he bequeaths to -"Thomais Brews, esquiyer, my crampe ryng with blak innamel, and a part -silvir and gilt." And, in 1535, Edmund Lee bequeaths to "my nece Thwarton -my gold ryng w{t} a turkes, and a crampe ryng of gold w{t} all." - -'But there is no evidence to show that the second ring mentioned by John -Baret was a royal cramp-ring; whereas it appears to me that the one -bequeathed by Edmund Lee may have been one of the royal cramp-rings, for -otherwise a more particular description would have been given.' - -An interesting account of 'the ceremonies of blessing cramp-rings on Good -Friday, used by the Catholic Kings of England,' will be found in Pegge's -'Curialia Miscellanea' (Appendix No. 3, p. 164). - -It is curious that in Somersetshire the ring-finger is thought to have the -power of curing any sore or wound that is rubbed with it. - - -CHAPTER V. - -BETROTHAL AND WEDDING-RINGS. P. 275. - - -I should not omit to mention the famous sermon of good Jeremy Taylor on 'a -wedding-ring for the finger,' which is worthy the perusal not only of -those who have entered the matrimonial life, but of others who contemplate -an entrance into the same. The text is (Genesis ii. 18), 'And the Lord God -said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an -help-meet for him.' Although no allusion is made to the substantial -character of the nuptial circle, yet the deductions made from the text are -the sweetest and the holiest that could be imagined, and the brightest -jewels of the mineral world could not exceed in beauty the language of the -grand old divine. 'When thou layest out for such a good upon earth, look -up to the God of heaven. Let Him make his choice for thee, who hath made -this choice of thee. Look _above_ you before you look _about_ you.' 'Give -God the tribute of your gratulation for your good companion. Take heed of -paying your rent to a wrong landlord. When you taste of the stream, -reflect on the spring that feeds it. Now thou hast four eyes for thy -speculation, four hands for thy operation, four feet for thy ambulation, -and four shoulders for thy sustentation. What the sin against the Holy -Ghost is in point of divinity, that is unthankfulness in point of -morality; an offence unpardonable. _Pity it is but that moon should ever -be in an eclipse, that will not acknowledge her beams to be borrowed from -the sun._ He that praises not the giver, prizes not the gift.' '_It is -between a man and his wife in the house, as it is between the sun and the -moon in the heavens; when the greater light goes down, the lesser light -gets up; when the one ends in setting, the other begins in shining._ - -'Husband and wife should be as the milch-kine, which were coupled together -to carry the ark of God; or as the two Cherubims, that looked one upon -another, and both upon the mercy-seat; or as the two tables of stone, on -each of which were engraven the laws of God. In some families married -persons are like Jeremiah's two baskets of figs, the one very good, the -other very evil; or like fire and water, whilst the one is flaming in -devotion, the other is freezing in corruption. There is a two-fold -hindrance in holiness: first, on the right side; secondly, on the left. On -the right side, when the wife would run in God's way, the husband will not -let her go; when the fore-horse in a team will not draw, he wrongeth all -the rest; when the general of an army forbids a march, all the soldiers -stand still.' 'Man is an affectionate creature. Now the woman's behaviour -should be such towards the man, as to require his affection by increasing -his delectation; _that the new-born love may not be blasted as soon as it -is blossomed, that it may not be ruined before it be rooted_.' 'Husband -and wife should be like two candles burning together, which make the house -more lightsome; or like two fragrant flowers bound up in one nosegay, that -augment its sweetness; or like two well-tuned instruments, which, sounding -together, make the more melodious music.' 'A spouse should be more careful -of her children's breeding than she should be fearful of her children's -bearing. _Take heed lest these flowers grow in the devil's garden._' -'_Good education is the best livery you can give them living; and it is -the best legacy you can leave them when dying._' 'Let these small pieces -of timber be hewed and squared for the celestial building; by putting a -_sceptre of grace_ into their hands, you will set _a crown of glory_ upon -their heads.' 'Marriages are styled _matches_, yet amongst those many that -are married, how few are there that are _matched_! Husbands and wives are -like locks and keys, that rather break than open, except the wards be -answerable.' - - -CHAPTER VI. - -RING TOKENS. - - -_The Essex Ring._ P. 336. - -The story of the ring given by Queen Elizabeth to the Earl of Essex is of -such romantic interest that it is sad to destroy the charm by casting -doubts on its authenticity; but, at the present day especially, a crucial -test is applied to numbers of similar instances, and 'historic doubts' -crop up incessantly, with which heretofore no profane hand was expected to -meddle. The story of the Essex ring-token has been investigated with great -care by a writer in the 'Edinburgh Review' (No. 200), who says: 'Whatever -might be the supposed indignation of Elizabeth against her dying cousin, -Lady Nottingham, it is clear that as the real offender was Lord -Nottingham, he would naturally have more shared in her displeasure; and it -is very improbable that a fortnight after the Queen had shaken the -helpless wife on her death-bed, the husband, by whose authority the -offence was committed, should have continued in undiminished favour. The -existence of the ring would do but little to establish the truth of the -story, even if but one had been preserved and cherished as the identical -ring; but as there are two, if not three, which lay claim to that -distinction, they invalidate each other's claims. One is preserved at -Hawnes, in Bedfordshire, the seat of the Rev. Lord John Thynne; another is -the property of C. W. Warren, Esq.; and we believe the third is deposited -for safety at Messrs. Drummond's bank. - -'The ring at Hawnes is said to have descended in unbroken succession from -Lady Frances Devereux (afterwards Duchess of Somerset) to the present -owner. The stone in this ring is a sardonyx, in which is cut in relief a -head of Elizabeth, the execution of which is of a high order. That the -ring has descended from Lady Frances Devereux, affords the strongest -presumptive evidence that it was not _the_ ring. According to the -tradition, it had passed from her father into Lady Nottingham's hands. -According to Lady Elizabeth Spelman, Lord Nottingham insisted upon her -keeping it. - -In her interview with the Queen, the Countess might be supposed to have -presented to her the token she had so fatally withheld; or it might have -remained in her family, or have been destroyed; but the most improbable -circumstance would have been its restoration to the widow or daughter of -the much-injured Essex by the offending Earl of Nottingham. The Duchess of -Somerset left a long, curious, and minute will, and in it there is no -mention of any such ring. If there is good evidence for believing that the -curious ring at Hawnes was ever in the possession of the Earl of Essex, -one might be tempted to suppose that it was the likeness of the Queen, to -which he alludes in his letters as his "fair angel," written from Portland -Road, and the time of his disgrace after the proceedings in the Star -Chamber, and when still under restraint at Essex House. Had Essex at this -time possessed any ring, a token, by presenting which he would have been -entitled to favour, it seems most improbable that he should have kept it -back, and yet regarded this likeness of the Queen, whose gracious eyes -encouraged him to be a petitioner for himself. The whole tone of this -letter is in fact almost conclusive against the possibility of his having -in his possession any gift of hers endowed with such rights as that of the -ring which the Countess of Nottingham is supposed to have withheld.' - - -CHAPTER IX. - -CUSTOMS AND INCIDENTS IN CONNECTION WITH RINGS. - - -_Wedding of the Adriatic._ P. 419. - -In Richard Lassel's 'Voyage of Italy' is an account of the performance of -this ceremony at Venice, about the year 1650. 'I happened to be at Venice -thrice at the great sea Triumph, or feast of the Ascension, which was -performed thus: About our eight in the morning the Senators, in their -scarlet robes, meet at the Doge's Pallace, and there, taking him up, they -walk with him processionally unto the shoar, where the Bucentoro lyes -waiting them; the Pope's Nuncio being on his right hand, and the Patriarch -of Venice on his left hand. Then, ascending into the Bucentoro by a -handsome bridge thrown out to the shoar, the Doge takes his place, and the -Senators sit round about the galley as they can, to the number of two or -three hundred. The Senate being placed, the anchor is weighed, and the -slaves being warned by the Captain's whistle, and the sound of trumpets, -begin to strike all at once with their oars, and to make the Bucentoro -march as gravely upon the water as if she also went upon cioppini (high -shoes then worn by the Venetian ladies). Thus they steer for two miles -upon the Laguna, while the music plays and sings Epithalamiums all the way -long, and makes Neptune jealous to hear Hymen called upon in his -Dominions. Round about the Bucentoro flock a world of Piottas and -Gondolas, richly covered overhead with sumptuous Canopies of silks and -rich stuffs, and rowed by watermen in rich liveries as well as the -Trumpeters. Thus forrain Embassadors, divers noblemen of the country and -strangers of condition, wait upon the Doge's gally, all the way long both -coming and going. At last the Doge, being arrived at the appointed place, -throws a Ring into the sea, without any other ceremony than by saying, -_Desponsamus te, Mare; in signum perpetui dominii_. _We espouse thee, O -Sea, in Testimony of our perpetual dominion over thee_; and so returns to -the Church of St. Nicolas, in Lio (an Island hard by), where he assists at -High Mass with the Senate. This done, he returns home again in the same -state, and invites those that accompanied him in his gally to dinner in -his Pallace, the preparations of which dinner we saw before the Doge was -got home.' - - * * * * * - -By the kindness of Mr. Octavius Morgan, F.R.S., Vice-President of the -Antiquarian Society, &c., I am enabled to reproduce in the present work a -privately-printed tract by that eminent antiquarian, which will be found -of great utility to ring-collectors generally. - - -CLASSIFICATION FOR THE ARRANGEMENT OF A COLLECTION OF FINGER-RINGS. - -The Rings are divided into Two Grand Chronological Classes. - -Class I. ANTIQUE, comprising all European Rings prior to the year A.D. -800, when the Empire of Charlemagne was established in Europe, and England -was united under one Sceptre, and all Oriental Rings prior to the Hedjira, -A.D. 622, or prior to the Mussulman Conquest of the various countries. - -Class II. MEDIEVAL AND MODERN, comprising all Rings subsequent to those -dates. - -Each Ring in the Collection should have a small label or ticket, of card -or parchment, attached to it, bearing on one side the special letters -belonging to the group, and on the other its number in the group; thus any -Ring removed from the Collection, when once so arranged, can be easily -restored to its proper group and place. - -The letters O and Y (Nos. 15 and 25) are left vacant in case any collector -should desire to make or add any other group. - - -CLASS I.--ANTIQUE. - -Arranged according to the various nations in the order of their antiquity -or pre-eminence. - - 1 A Egyptian. - 2 B Assyrian. - 3 C Babylonian. - 4 D Phoenician. - 5 E Hebrew. - 6 F Greek. - 7 G Etruscan. - 8 H Roman. - 9 I Early Christian. - 10 J Byzantine. - 11 K Hindoo. - 12 L Persian. - 13 M Sassanian. - 14 N Gnostic. - 15 O - 16 P Celtic. - 17 Q Scandinavian. - 18 R Teutonic. - 19 S Gaulish. - 20 T Frankish (_Merovingian_). - 21 U Ancient British. - 22 V Ancient Scotch. - 23 W Ancient Irish. - 24 X Anglo-Saxon (_Early_). - 25 Y - 26 Z Unascertained and Miscellaneous. - - -CLASS II.--MEDIEVAL AND MODERN. - -DIVIDED INTO OFFICIAL AND PERSONAL. - - -_OFFICIAL._ - - -ECCLESIASTICAL. - - 27 =A= Rings of Popes, or with Papal insignia. - - 28 =B= Rings of Cardinals, or with Cardinals' insignia. - - 29 =C= Rings of Archbishops or Bishops, or with Episcopal - insignia. - - 30 =D= Rings of Abbots and Priors, or Abbesses or Prioresses. - - 31 =E= Rings of other Ecclesiastical Dignitaries. - - -CIVIL. - - 32 =F= Rings bearing the insignia of Sovereigns, not being - Signet Rings. - - 33 =G= Rings of Investiture. - - 34 =H= Credential Rings. - - 35 =I= Presentation Rings (_Sergeants_). - - 36 =K= Masonic Rings. - - -MILITARY. - - 37 =L= Rings worn by Knights of various orders. - Knights of Malta. - " Templars. - " St. John of Jerusalem. - - -_PERSONAL._ - - -SIGNET RINGS. - - 38 =a= Heraldic, with Coats of Arms or Badges. - - 39 =b= Merchants' Marks. - - 40 =c= Crowned Letters or Devices. - - 41 =d= Letters without Crowns. - - 42 =e= Other Devices. - - 43 =f= Persian, Cufic, and Arabic, with names. - - 44 =g= Antique Intagli in Medieval settings. - - -LOVE, BETROTHAL, AND MARRIAGE. - - 45 =h= Tokens of Love. - - 46 =i= Posy Rings. - - 47 =j= Giardinetti. - - 48 =k= Betrothal Rings. - - 49 =l= Gimmal Rings. - - 50 =m= Marriage Rings. - - 51 =n= Jewish Nuptial Rings. - - -MOURNING AND MEMORIAL RINGS. - - 52 =o= Rings with Hair. - - 53 =p= Rings with Portraits. - - 54 =q= Rings with Memorial Devices and Inscriptions. - - 55 =r= Rings with Emblems of Death. - - -HISTORICAL RINGS. - - 56 =s= Rings used by, or belonging to, Historical Persons. - - 57 =t= Rings commemorating Historical Events. - - 58 =u= Rings emblematical of particular Persons, Events, or - Countries. - - -RELIGIOUS. - - 59 =v= Devotional (_Decade_). - - 60 =w= Rings bearing Religious Devices or Inscriptions. - - 61 =x= Rings bearing Figures or Emblems of Saints. - - 62 =y= Pilgrims' Rings (_Jerusalem, Mount Serrat, &c._). - - 63 =z= Rings for containing Reliques. - - -CHARM, MAGIC, AND MEDICINAL. - - 64 =a a= Cramp Rings. - - 65 =b b= Rings with Toadstones or other substances believed to - possess medicinal virtues. - - 66 =c c= Astrological and Cabalistic Rings. - - 67 =d d= Talismanic, with Cufic, Arabic, and Gnostic Inscriptions. - - 68 =e e= Poison Rings. - - -ORNAMENTAL RINGS. - - 69 =f f= Rings with Precious Stones, according to their kind. - - 70 =g g= Rings set with enamels, paste, or other ornaments, - having no special meaning. - - 71 =h h= Peasants' Rings. - - 72 =i i= ASIATIC, including Modern Persian, Hindoo, and - Chinese. - - 73 =k k= AFRICAN. - - 74 =l l= MISCELLANEOUS RINGS, which group will contain all - such as cannot be brought under the other heads of - classification, such as whistle-rings, puzzle-rings, - squirt-rings, jointed rings to form devices, rings with - watches, dials, compasses, &c. - - 75 =m m= Rings made of strange and unusual materials, not being - metal. - - 76 =n n= Unascertained. - - -_Additional Note._ - -In the chapter on 'Memorial and Mortuary Rings' (page 378), I have related -the circumstance of an Arabian princess in Yemen, who had been buried with -her rings and other jewels; a tablet recording that she had vainly -endeavoured to exchange them for flour during the great famine mentioned -in the Holy Scriptures. - -A singular incident of this character is stated in Forbes's 'India' (vol. -ii. p. 18): 'The present finest mausoleum in Cambaya was erected to the -memory of a Mogul of great rank, who, during a famine which almost -depopulated that part of the country, _offered a measure of pearls for an -equal quantity of grain_; but not being able to procure food at any price, -he died of hunger, and this history is related on his monument.' - -[Illustration] - - - - -INDEX. - - - Abbots invested with the ring, 231 - - 'Abraxas,' definition of, 139 - - Adriatic, marriage of the Doge of Venice with the, 419, 529 - - 'Agla,' the mystic word inscribed on rings, 137 - - Agnes, legend of the saint and the ring, 239 - - Alcock, Bishop, on consecration of nuns, 233 - - Alexandrinus, Clemens, advice on rings, 39 - - 'Alhstan' ring, the, 62 - - Amelia, memorial ring of the Princess, 375 - - American ring, gigantic, 488 - - Amulet-rings, 103, 126, 138, 166, 140, 141, 147 - - Ancient custom of Archbishops of Rouen, 211 - - Anecdote of a mourning-ring used at a wedding, 449 - - Angelo, ring of Michael, 470 - - Anglo-Saxons, betrothal rings of the, 306 - - Anne, mourning ring of Queen, 373 - - 'Annuli Ecclesiae,' Bishops' rings so called, 212 - - Antique intaglio rings with mottoes, 418 - - Antoinette, ring of Queen Marie, 374 - - Apollo and Marsyas, ring of, 470 - - Archery, rings prizes for, 444 - - Armenians, betrothal rings among the, 312 - - Arnulphus, ring of Bishop, 228 - - Arundel Collection of gem rings, 462 - - Ashantee, rings from, 455 - - Astrological rings, 108 - - - Bailewski Collection, Jewish betrothal ring in the, 300 - - Bards rewarded with rings, 192 - - Bavarian peasant's ring, 84 - - Becket, ring from the shrine of Thomas a, 247 - - 'Beef Steak' Club, ring of the, 193 - - Bequests of rings, 355 - - Berquem, rings engraved by Louis de, 450 - - Berry, Lady, the fish and the ring, 100 - - Bessborough Collection of gem-rings, 462 - - -- -- religious ring in the, 258 - - Betrothal and wedding rings, 275, 526 - - -- -- -- -- of the Jews, 298, 299 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Romans, 303 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Anglo-Saxons, 306 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Germans, 310 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Italians, 310 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Middle Ages, 307 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Armenians, 312 - - -- -- -- -- in the North, 305 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- of Sir Thomas Gresham, 318 - - -- -- -- -- -- -- Martin Luther, 481 - - -- rings divided, 309, 316 - - Bishops buried with rings, 203 - - -- rings used to seal baptismal fonts, 212 - - Bishops' rings, manner of benediction, 219 - - -- -- -- of investiture, 209, 213 - - -- -- engravings on, 212 - - -- -- used as signets, 213 - - -- -- importance attached to, 213 - - -- -- how worn, 218 - - -- resignation of, by the ring, 211 - - -- rings taken from degraded, 218 - - Bitton, ring of Bishop de, 228 - - Blaize, rings on the fingers of St., 221 - - Blessing of coronation-rings, 179 - - -- -- cramp-rings, 163, 522 - - Boccaccio's fable of the three rings, 451 - - Bonomi, M., on Pharaoh's ring, 1 - - Borgias, poison rings of the, 434 - - Bowet, ring of Archbishop, 225 - - Braybrooke Collection, Jewish marriage rings in the, 299 - - -- -- Gemmel ring in the, 321 - - -- -- rings with death's-heads in the, 372 - - -- -- ring of Pope Boniface in the, 207 - - -- -- pilgrims' rings in the, 265 - - -- -- Roman and Romano-British rings in the, 41 - - -- -- Royalist mourning ring in the, 371 - - -- -- mourning rings of Mary and William III. in the, 374 - - -- -- mortuary ring in the, 383 - - -- -- ring of Tippoo Saib in the, 490 - - -- -- nun's ring in the, 240 - - -- -- thumb-ring in the, 89 - - Bribe rings, 444 - - Bride-cake, rings placed in, 171 - - British Museum, gem-rings in the, 459 - - Brooches and rings, 74 - - Bunyan, ring of John, 495 - - Burnet, bequest of ring by Bishop, 363 - - Bursting of rings a bad omen, 168 - - 'Bury' wills, bequests of rings in the, 356 - - Byron, lines by, on the wedding-ring, 277 - - - Cabalistic ring, 139 - - Cantelupe, ring of Bishop de, 229 - - Carbuncle rings, 159 - - Cardinals buried with rings, 203 - - -- -- invested with rings, 215 - - -- -- rings laid aside on Good Friday, 216 - - Castellani Collection, rings in the, 46 - - Catherine, legend of the spousal ring of St., 238 - - Chaplet, origin of the, 252 - - Chariclea, famous ring of, 463 - - Charles I., signet ring of, 461 - - -- -- memorial rings of, 366 - - Charles II., rings stolen from, 452 - - -- -- signet-ring of, 461 - - -- -- mourning-ring of, 371 - - Charlemagne charmed by a ring, 115 - - Charm rings of the Greeks and Romans, 103 - - -- -- Benvenuto Cellini on, 105 - - -- -- of the Oxford Conjurer, 132 - - Charms, Sigil, 113 - - Charters confirmed by rings, 184 - - Chichester, rings belonging to the Dean and Chapter of, 225 - - Childeric, ring of King, 386 - - Christ, espousals to, 233 - - Christian rings, representations on, 38, 258 - - Claddugh wedding-rings, 320 - - Clerical fondness for rings, 220 - - Clovis, ring-token of King, 323 - - Cockatrice, mystic properties of the, 152 - - Cologne, legend of the Three Kings of, 143 - - Colour, change of, in jewels evil portents, 160 - - Commonwealth, rings during the, 288 - - Cork, ring-token to the Earl of, 351 - - Cornwall, ancient signet-ring found in, 266 - - Coronation rings, 177 - - -- ring of Queen Elizabeth, 165 - - -- -- -- James II., 177 - - Coronets on rings, 475 - - Cotterell, curious ring bequeathed by Sir Charles, 361 - - Cramp-rings, 162, 522 - - Cranmer, ring of Archbishop, 217 - - Cromwell crest, ring on the, 421 - - Cross, the true, wood of in rings, 141 - - Crystallomancy, 100 - - Cuerdale, Saxon rings found at, 63 - - Curious advertisements of rings in cakes, 173 - - Custom, curious Russian ring, 447 - - - Dactylomancia, or ring divination, 111 - - Dancas, a thank-offering ring, 247 - - Darnley ring, the, 460 - - Days, rings worn on particular, 165 - - Decade rings, 248 - - Deae Matres, worship of the, 107 - - Devereux ring, the, 338 - - Device rings illustrative of death, 372 - - Devonshire gems, the, 458 - - Diamond-pointed rings, 76 - - Diplomacy, rings given in, 184, 422 - - Divinating power in a ring, 450 - - Divination by prayer-book and ring, 172 - - -- -- sounds, 113 - - -- -- rings in wedding-cakes, 170 - - Doctors' rings, 191 - - Doctors' Commons, rings mentioned in wills at, 356 - - - Earliest materials of rings, 3 - - Early Christian rings, 258, 259, 268 - - Ecclesiastical mortuary, or 'corse-present,' 221 - - -- usages, rings in connection with, 198 - - Edgcumbe, Lady, and the ring, 429 - - Edward I., token-ring of, 324 - - Edward the Confessor, 'pilgrim' ring of, 116, 516 - - Egyptian rings, 5 - - -- -- exhibited at the South Kensington Museum, 12 - - -- -- -- at the Louvre, 13 - - -- -- representations on, 11 - - -- glass rings, 13 - - -- ring with double keeper, 17 - - Egyptians, their fondness for rings, 10 - - -- modern rings of the, 16 - - Eldon, memorial ring of, 375 - - Elfric's canon against clerical rings, 220 - - Elizabeth, token-ring of Queen, 343 - - Eloy, rings of St., 232 - - Enchanted rings of the Greeks, 113 - - Engagement-ring of the Prince Regent, 284 - - Epilepsy, rings to cure, 153 - - Episcopal rings, 209, 225, 230, 239 - - -- -- engravings on, 212 - - -- -- fashion of, 216 - - -- -- formula of investiture with, 214 - - -- -- usually set with sapphires, 217 - - -- ring of St. Loup, 217 - - Episode in ring history, 453 - - Escutcheon ring, French, 81 - - Espousals to Christ, 233, 259 - - Essex ring, the, 336, 528 - - Ethelswith, Queen of Mercia, ring of, 55 - - Ethelwulf, ring of King, 54 - - Etruscan rings, 18 - - -- -- in the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris, 20 - - -- -- -- -- British Museum, 15 - - -- -- -- -- Waterton Collection, 15 - - 'Evil eye,' rings to preserve from the, 151 - - Evil portents connected with rings, 165 - - - Fish and the ring, legends of the, 98, 510 - - Fishes, rings found in the bodies of, 439 - - Fisherman's ring, the, 198 - - Fleet marriages, 282 - - Forensic order of knighthood, 191 - - Formula for blessing cramp-rings, 164 - - -- -- investing bishops with rings, 215 - - Fotheringay, ring-relic of, 475 - - French 'escutcheon' ring, 81 - - -- Regard, Souvenir, and Amitie rings, 414 - - -- rings, 79, 81 - - -- episcopal rings, 228 - - Funerals, rings given to attendants at, 364 - - - Gardiner, ring of Bishop, 226 - - Garter rings, 193 - - Gems mounted in Roman rings, 30, 40 - - Gemmel rings, 313, 318 - - Gentlemen formerly distinguished by rings, 446 - - George III., ring-token to, 352 - - German 'liberation' rings, 448 - - Germans, interchange of rings among the, 310 - - 'Gesta-Romanorum,' ring stories in the, 124 - - 'Giardinetti' rings, 79 - - Gift-rings of the Romans, 46 - - Glasgow, ring in the arms, of the city of, 98 - - Gnostic rings, 107 - - Gold ring at Irish weddings, 173 - - Gray the poet, bequest of rings by, 374 - - Greece, interchange of rings in modern, 311 - - Greek Church, rings how worn in the, 293 - - Graeco-Egyptian gold rings, 7 - - Greek ring in form of a crescent, 26 - - -- and Roman rings, 18, 50 - - -- -- -- charm rings, 103, 113 - - Gresham, wedding-ring of Sir Thomas, 319 - - Gretna Green marriages, 283 - - Grey, linked rings of Lady, 317 - - Gundulf, ring of Bishop, 213 - - Gyges, ring of, 96, 508 - - - Hatton, charm ring of Lord Chancellor, 161 - - Hebrew betrothal and marriage-rings, 298 - - Henrietta Maria, ring of Queen, 493 - - Henry VII., charm ring of, 133 - - Henry of Worcester, ring of, 230 - - Henry IV. of Germany, ring-token sent by, 326 - - Heraldic ring, 481 - - Hereford Cathedral, rings found in, 227 - - Herrick on the wedding-ring, 276 - - 'Heth,' the sacred name inscribed on rings, 140 - - Hilary, ring of Bishop, 225 - - Hoof-rings, charmed, 153 - - - Identification by means of rings, 426 - - Incidents and customs in connection with rings, 419 - - Indian rings, 78, 84 - - Inscription rings, 390, 417 - - Inscriptions on glass with diamond rings, 77 - - Interchange of rings among the Germans, 310 - - Investiture of Abbots with rings, 231 - - -- -- Bishops with rings, 215 - - -- -- Cardinals with rings, 215 - - -- -- Novices with rings, 232 - - -- secular, by the ring, 177 - - Ipomydon, ring-token given to, 327 - - Irish Academy, episcopal ring in the Royal, 230 - - Irish, early, rings, 61, 65 - - -- weddings, gold rings at, 173 - - Iron rings of the Romans, 25, 303 - - -- -- French lines on, 303 - - Ishtar, legend of, 7 - - Italian rings, 76, 310 - - Ivory Egyptian rings, 8 - - -- Trinity rings, 487 - - - James of Scotland, ring-token sent by King, 327 - - Jasper amulet-rings, 148 - - Jeffreys, token-ring given to Judge, 351 - - Jet, talismanic virtues of, 106 - - Jews, betrothal and marriage-rings of the, 298 - - -- covenant-rings of the, 297 - - -- ring worn by the High Priest of the, 91 - - John, token-rings sent to, 325 - - -- ring of the Order of St., 193 - - Johnson, wedding-ring of Dr., 279 - - Josephus, account of charm-rings by, 92 - - -- on the rings of the Israelites, 3 - - Jupiter, the planet, propitious for weddings, 94 - - - Kenilworth Castle, ring found at, 473 - - Kensington Museum, memorial rings in the, 388 - - Kentigern, legend of St., 98 - - Key-rings, Roman, 45, 51, 293 - - Keys delivered at weddings, 294 - - Kilsyth, loss of a ring by Lady, 167 - - Kings buried with their rings, 385 - - Kirchmann on episcopal rings, 210 - - Knight Hospitaller, ring of a, 196 - - Knight, legend of the cruel, 99 - - Knighthood, rings of, 181 - - - Lacedemonian rings, 18 - - Lawsuits, rings an authority in, 184 - - Legacy of rings to shrines, 244 - - Legend of St. Agnes and the ring, 239 - - -- -- -- Catherine and the ring, 238 - - -- -- the fish and the ring, 98, 510 - - -- -- -- 'Royal of France' jewel, 133 - - -- -- Marianson and the rings, 354 - - -- -- St. Mark's ring, 119 - - -- -- a ring derived from the North, 131 - - -- -- the 'Pilgrim' ring, 117, 516 - - -- -- -- Three Kings of Cologne, 143 - - -- -- -- Lady of Toggenburg, 354 - - -- -- a ring of espousals received from Our Saviour, 237 - - -- -- -- -- on the statue of Venus, 129 - - Lines on wedding-rings, 276 - - Lion, King-at-Arms, ring given to, 194 - - Loadstone set in wedding-rings, 304 - - Londesborough Collection, charm-ring against the 'Evil Eye' in the, 153 - - -- -- decade ring of Delhi work in the, 253 - - -- -- early Christian ring in the, 47 - - -- -- episcopal ring in the, 230 - - -- -- gemmel rings in the, 319 - - -- -- Jewish marriage-rings in the, 298 - - -- -- jointed betrothal ring in the, 314 - - -- -- Irish rings in the, 61 - - -- -- Italian rings in the, 76 - - -- -- later period rings in the, 75 - - -- -- love gift ring, 47 - - -- -- 'Lucretia' ring in the, 318 - - -- -- magical thumb-ring in the, 89 - - Londesborough Collection, mechanical mystic ring in the, 147 - - -- -- memorial and mortuary rings in the, 373 - - -- -- Moorish rings in the, 83 - - -- -- mortuary rings in the, 383 - - -- -- motto ring in the, 416 - - -- -- Papal ring in the, 208 - - -- -- 'religious' ring in the, 251 - - -- -- ring of Bishop Thierry in the, 204 - - -- -- toadstone rings in the, 157 - - Lost rings, singular recovery of, 436 - - Louis XII., rings of, 461, 469 - - Love-knots, rings with, 414 - - Love-pledges, rings as, 283 - - Lucretia, rings with representations of, 318 - - Luther, betrothal and marriage-rings of Martin, 481 - - Lynnoch, Turlough, signet-ring of, 194 - - - Magi, rings of the, 143 - - Magical thumb-rings, 89 - - Maintenon, ring of Madame de, 469 - - Man, ring-custom in the Isle of, 443 - - Mantle and ring, vows taken with, 241 - - Mark, ring of St., 119 - - Marlborough gem-rings, 461 - - Marriage-ring of the Doge of Venice, 99, 419, 529 - - Marriages, fleet, 282 - - -- Gretna Green, 283 - - Marriage ring of Joseph and the Virgin Mary, 93, 505 - - -- of prelates, 234 - - -- -- Archbishop Rich to the Virgin, 237 - - Martin, rings of St., 285 - - Martyrs and saints, relics of, in rings, 142 - - Mary, Queen of Scots, investiture rings of, 182 - - -- -- -- -- signet-ring of, 459, 478 - - Massinissa and Sophonisba, figures of, on a ring, 38 - - Materials of wedding-rings, 285, 377 - - Mayhew, ring of Bishop, 227 - - Mecca, rings of, 17 - - Mechanical mystic ring, 147 - - Medical amulet-rings, 147, 161 - - Medici, rings of the, 471 - - Mediaeval romances, charmed rings in, 121 - - 'Memento mori' rings, 372 - - Memorial and mortuary rings, 355, 377 - - -- ring of the Princess Amelia, 375 - - -- rings, Charles I., 366 - - -- -- Charles II., 371 - - -- -- Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, 361 - - -- -- Countess of Hartford, 366 - - -- -- Mary, Queen of Scots, 365 - - -- -- Royalist, 371 - - Merchant's 'mark' rings, 84 - - Meridian rings, 451 - - Merovingian rings, 69 - - Modern French, 83 - - Montfaucon's theory of the zodiac, 109 - - 'Month' rings of the Poles, 115 - - Morgan, Papal ring in the collection of Mr. Octavius, 207 - - Moore's poem on the 'Ring,' 129 - - -- allusion to his mother's wedding-ring, 281 - - Moorish rings, 83 - - Motto-rings, 390 - - Mourning rings, 360 - - Mourning ring of Queen Anne, 374 - - -- -- -- Lord Eldon, 375 - - -- -- -- Queen Mary and William III., 374 - - -- -- -- Lord Nelson, 375 - - -- -- -- the Emperor Nicholas of Russia, 384 - - Mummy, rings on the fingers of a, 10 - - Museum, Egyptian rings in the South Kensington, 12 - - -- -- -- -- -- British, 5 - - -- Etruscan ring with chimerae in the British, 15 - - -- Prince of Canino's ring in the British, 14 - - -- ring of Queen Sebek-nefru, 7 - - -- -- -- Sennacherib in the British, 9 - - -- Egyptian rings in the Louvre, 13 - - - Names on rings, 416 - - Necromantic rings, 146 - - Nelson, memorial rings of Lord, 375 - - New Year's Gift rings, 421 - - Nobility, rings badges of, 195 - - Northmen, wedding-keys of the old, 294 - - Novices invested with the ring, 232 - - Nuns forbidden to wear rings, 240 - - Nuptial ring of the Virgin Mary, 93 - - - Omens, blood-dropping from the ring-finger, 168 - - -- breaking of rings, 168 - - -- bursting of rings, 168 - - -- fall of rings, 167 - - -- loss of rings, 167 - - -- taking off rings, 171 - - Oriental rings, 90, 491 - - Origin of merchant's 'mark' rings, 192 - - Orpine plant, rings with devices of the, 169 - - Oswald, token-ring of, 325 - - - Pagan graves, rings found in, 69 - - Paradise rings, 257 - - Parthenon, rings in the treasury of the, 43 - - Pedlar's rings, 73 - - Pendrell, token-ring given to, 350 - - Pepys, bequest of rings by, 363 - - Perceval of Galles, bequest of rings by, 328 - - Perrot, bequest of rings by, 344 - - Persian rings, 17 - - Perugia, nuptial ring of the Virgin at, 93 - - Perugino's picture of the marriage of the Virgin, 94 - - 'Pilgrim' ring of Edward the Confessor, 116, 516 - - Pilgrim rings, 264 - - Planetary rings, virtues ascribed to, 108 - - Poets Laureate, rings given to, 191 - - Poison-rings, 432 - - Poles, 'month' rings of the, 115 - - Polycrates, ring of, 96 - - Pontifical rings, 205, 207 - - Pope, bequest of rings by, 374 - - Pope Boniface, ring of, 207 - - -- Pius II., ring of, 207 - - -- -- IX., ring of, 201 - - Popes buried with their rings, 202 - - Popes, their sanctity disregarded, 202 - - Porcelain rings, Egyptian, 8 - - Portrait-rings, 496 - - Posy-rings, 390 - - Power of the royal ring, 182 - - 'Poynings,' the charter of, confirmed by a ring, 186 - - Precious stones, episcopal rings enriched with, 216 - - Prometheus, the ring of, 95 - - Property conveyed by a ring, 185 - - Puzzle-rings, 322 - - - Ring, Alhstan, the, 62 - - -- of Angelo, Michael, 470 - - -- -- Bitton, Bishop, 228 - - -- -- Pope Boniface, 207 - - -- -- Bowett, Archbishop, 225 - - -- -- John Bunyan, 495 - - -- -- Cantelupe, Bishop, 229 - - -- -- Chariclea, 463 - - -- -- Charles I. and Charles II., 461 - - -- -- Childeric, 386 - - -- -- Cranmer, Archbishop, 217 - - -- found in the grave of St. Cuthbert, 227 - - -- the Darnley, 460 - - -- of Eloy, St., 232 - - -- -- Ethelswith, Queen of Mercia, 55 - - -- -- Ethelwulf, King, 54 - - -- -- Gardiner, Bishop, 226 - - -- -- Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, 213 - - -- -- Gyges, 96, 508 - - -- -- Queen Henrietta Maria, 493 - - -- -- Henry of Worcester, 230 - - -- -- Hilary, Bishop, 225 - - -- -- Lion King-at-Arms, 194 - - -- -- Louis XII., 461, 469 - - -- -- Loup, St., 217 - - -- -- Turlough Lynnoch, 194 - - -- -- Madame de Maintenon, 469 - - -- -- Mary, Queen of Scots, 459, 478 - - -- -- Mayhew, Bishop, 227 - - -- -- the Great Mogul, 491 - - -- -- Lorenzo de Medici, 471 - - -- -- Pius II., 207 - - -- -- Pius IX., 201 - - -- -- Polycrates, 96 - - -- -- Sir Walter Raleigh, 486 - - -- -- Cola di Rienzi, 465 - - Ring of Seffrid, Bishop, 225 - - -- the Seymour, 479 - - -- -- Shakspeare, 484 - - -- of Solomon, 91, 503 - - -- -- Roger, King of Sicily, 465 - - -- -- the Stuarts, 492 - - -- -- Thierry, Bishop of Verdun, 201 - - -- -- Tippoo Saib, 490 - - -- -- William of Wyckham, 226 - - -- the Worsley seal, 467 - - -- American gigantic, 488 - - -- amulet, of Prince Charles Edward, 166 - - -- -- found at Eltham Palace, 126 - - -- authority of the, in law suits, 184 - - -- of the 'Beef Steak' Club, 193 - - -- Byzantine betrothal, 304 - - -- charm of the 'Oxford Conjurer,' 132 - - -- charters confirmed by the, 184 - - -- Claddugh wedding, 320 - - -- found in Cornwall, 266 - - -- Queen Elizabeth's coronation, 165 - - -- given to the 'Admirable' Crichton, 194 - - -- on the Cromwell crest, 421 - - -- devices of the Medici, 473 - - -- diplomas sanctioned by the, 184 - - -- divination, 100, 172 - - -- of Edward the Confessor, 116, 516 - - -- escutcheon, French, 81 - - -- superstition of Henry VIII., 133 - - -- history, episode in, 453 - - -- the 'Fisherman's,' 198 - - -- relic of Flodden Field, 478 - - -- -- of Fotheringay, 475 - - -- heraldic, 481 - - -- diamond-pointed Italian, 76 - - -- of the Grand Master of the Order of St. John, 193 - - -- found at Kenilworth Castle, 473 - - -- of knighthood, 181 - - -- legend, 130 - - -- of Martin Luther, 481 - - -- legends of the Fish and the Ring, 98, 510 - - -- of St. Mark, 119 - - -- mourning, of Charles II., 371 - - -- -- Royalist, 371 - - -- -- of the Princess Amelia, 375 - - -- -- -- Queen Anne, 373 - - -- -- -- Lord Eldon, 375 - - -- -- -- Marie Antoinette, 374 - - -- -- -- Mary and William III., 374 - - -- -- -- Lord Nelson, 375 - - -- -- -- the Emperor Nicholas of Russia, 384 - - -- memorial, of the Countess of Hertford, 366 - - -- of a nun, 240 - - -- kissing the Pope's, 201 - - -- Russian customs of the wedding, 174 - - -- secular investiture by the, 177 - - -- small wedding, 287 - - -- tragical incident of a, 449 - - -- marriage, of the Doge of Venice, 89 - - -- legend of a, on the statue of Venus, 128 - - Rings, Abbots invested with, 231 - - -- the mystic word 'Agla' on, 137 - - -- amulet, 148 - - -- Anglo-Saxon betrothal, 306 - - -- prizes for archery, 444 - - -- Arundel and Bessborough Collection of gem, 462 - - -- from Ashantee, 455 - - -- astrological, 108 - - -- Bavarian, 84 - - -- bequests of, 355 - - -- engraved by Berquem, 450 - - -- betrothal and wedding, 275, 526 - - -- dividing betrothal, 316 - - -- bursting on the fingers, 168 - - -- importance of Bishops', 213 - - -- taken from degraded Bishops, 218 - - -- on the fingers of the arm of St. Blaize, 221 - - -- Boccaccio's fable of the three, 451 - - -- offered as bribes, 444 - - -- of British, Saxon, and mediaeval times, 53 - - -- British Museum collection of gem, 459 - - -- Byzantine, 48 - - -- carbuncle, 159 - - -- stolen from Charles II., 454 - - -- charm, 105, 115, 121 - - -- of espousals to Christ, 233, 241 - - -- early Christian, 258, 268 - - -- clerical extravagance in, 220 - - -- coronation, 177 - - -- claimed as 'corse' present, 221 - - -- during the Commonwealth, 288 - - -- coronets on, 475 - - -- cramp, 162, 522 - - -- customs and incidents in connection with, 419 - - -- with wood of the true cross, 141 - - -- with devices of death, 372 - - -- decade, 248 - - -- buried with the dead, 377 - - -- Devonshire gem, 458 - - -- given in diplomacy, 422 - - -- divination, powers of, 450 - - -- doctors', 191 - - -- taken from the finger, an ill omen, 171 - - -- in connection with ecclesiastical usages, 198 - - -- engravings on Bishops', 212 - - -- to cure epilepsy, 153 - - -- attached to episcopal charters, 211 - - -- episcopal investiture with, 215 - - -- -- how worn, 218 - - -- -- French, 228 - - -- found in the bodies of fishes, 439 - - -- French, 82, 415 - - -- garter, 193 - - -- gemmel, 313, 318 - - -- German 'liberation,' 448 - - -- in the 'Gesta Romanorum,' 124 - - -- Gnostic, 107 - - -- gold wedding, 84 - - -- at marriages of modern Greeks, 311 - - -- harlequin, 414 - - -- discovered at Herculaneum and Pompeii, 49 - - -- charmed 'hoof,' 153 - - -- identification by means of, 426 - - -- incidents in connection with, 419 - - -- inscription, 390 - - -- antique intagli motto, 417 - - -- in the Royal Irish Academy, 65 - - -- at Italian marriages, 310 - - -- talismanic virtues of jet, 107 - - -- Jewish betrothal and marriage, 298 - - -- used in Jewish covenants, 297 - - -- -- -- -- synagogues, 302 - - -- given in lieu of dowry by the Jews, 298 - - -- key, 294 - - -- love 'pledge,' 283 - - -- loss of, an ill omen, 167 - - -- love-knot, 414 - - -- denoting love's telegraph, 293 - - -- linked, 317, 322 - - -- life saved by, 427 - - -- with representations of Lucretia, 318 - - -- of the Magi, 143 - - -- Marlborough gem, 461 - - -- -- St. Martin, 285 - - -- materials of wedding, 286 - - -- medicinal, 161 - - -- 'Memento mori,' 372 - - -- memorial and mortuary, 355 - - -- -- of Charles I., 366 - - -- -- -- Mary, Queen of Scots, 365 - - -- merchant's 'mark,' 84 - - -- meridian, 451 - - -- Merovingian, 69 - - -- month, of the Poles, 115 - - -- Moorish, 83 - - -- motto, 390 - - -- mourning, 360 - - -- -- given at funerals, 364 - - -- necromantic, 146 - - -- New Year gift, 421 - - -- an ancient mark of nobility, 195 - - -- of the old Northmen, 305 - - -- novices invested with, 232 - - -- Oriental, 90 - - -- origin of 'merchant's marks,' 192 - - -- with device of the orpine plant, 169 - - -- in Pagan graves, 68 - - -- Paradise, 257 - - -- of a later period, 75 - - -- pilgrim, 264 - - -- planetary virtues of, 108, 112 - - -- poison, 432 - - -- conferred on Poets Laureate, 191 - - -- pontifical, 205, 207, 209 - - -- buried with popes, 202 - - -- portrait, 496 - - -- posy, 390 - - -- profusely worn, 72 - - -- property conveyed by, 185 - - -- recovery of lost, 436 - - -- 'Regard,' 414 - - -- religious, 133, 138, 248, 254 - - -- reliquary, 142, 257 - - -- remarkable, 457 - - -- 'Reynard the Fox' on magical, 145 - - -- Roman amber and glass, 48 - - -- -- in the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris, 32 - - -- -- in the Castellani Collection, 46 - - -- Roman devices and inscriptions on, 41 - - -- of a Roman lady, 33, 43 - - -- gems mounted in Roman, 30, 40 - - -- Roman gift, 46 - - -- gold, when first worn in Rome, 26 - - -- Roman and Greek huge, 28 - - -- -- iron, 25 - - -- -- key, 45, 51 - - -- -- legionary, 47 - - -- in the treasury of the Parthenon, 43 - - -- profusion of, worn by the ancients, 28, 30 - - -- Roman rock-crystal, 31 - - -- -- 'season,' 28, 30 - - -- -- signs engraved on, 33 - - -- -- thumb, 29 - - -- -- used for various purposes, 42 - - -- -- votive, 44 - - -- -- and Greek, in the Waterton Collection, 50 - - -- Runic characters on, 148, 150 - - -- rush, 284 - - -- at Russian marriages, 311 - - -- Russian customs with, 447 - - -- Saxon wire, 59 - - -- -- found at Cuerdale, 63 - - -- mode of securing, 449 - - -- Serjeants', 186 - - -- at shrines, 259 - - -- sigil charm, 113 - - -- signet, 25 - - -- at Spanish marriages, 312 - - -- gold, to cure sties, 174 - - -- superstitions in connection with, 91 - - -- magical 'suspended,' 112 - - -- talismanic, 91, 134, 140, 147, 151, 166 - - -- mystic 'Tau,' 155 - - -- toadstone, 155 - - -- given at tournaments, 197 - - -- discovered on the (presumed) site of Troy, 32 - - -- thumb, 87, 89, 139, 501 - - -- thank-offering, 247 - - -- the Three, 352 - - -- token, 323 - - -- tooth, 495 - - -- Trinity, 248, 254 - - -- given on St. Valentine's Day, 422 - - -- at Venetian marriages, 311 - - -- 'Vertuosus,' 162, 355 - - -- offered to the Virgin, 130 - - -- watch, 494 - - -- in wedding cakes, 170 - - -- -- -- possets, 173 - - -- given at wrestling-matches, 195 - - -- wedding, how worn, 291, 293 - - -- blessing wedding, 288 - - -- of espousals to the Virgin, 237 - - -- mentioned in wardrobe books, 228 - - -- thumb wedding, 289 - - -- of the Virgin in Raphael's Sponzalizio, 291 - - -- ancient origin of wedding, 297 - - -- whistle, 494 - - -- worn on particular days, 165 - - -- zodiacal, 110 - - - Sanctity of the Popes disregarded, 202 - - Sapphires, episcopal rings set with, 217 - - Saxon rings found at Cuerdale, 63 - - Scarabaeus on rings, 5 - - Schliemann's, Dr., discoveries at Troy (?), 32 - - Scots, wedding-ring of Mary, Queen of, 280 - - Scott, Sir Walter, on superstitious charms, 132 - - Season-rings of the Romans, 28, 30 - - Sebek-nefru, signet-ring of, 7 - - Secular investiture by the ring, 177 - - Seffrid, ring of Bishop, 225 - - Serjeants' rings, 186 - - Seymour ring, the, 480 - - Shakspeare, rings bequeathed by, 359 - - -- the ring (presumed) of, 484 - - Shrine of Thomas a Becket, ring from the, 247 - - -- -- the Magi, 144 - - Shrines, legacies of rings to, 244, 259 - - Sicily, supposed ring of Roger, King of, 465 - - Sidney, rings bequeathed by Sir Philip, 358 - - Sigebert, supposed ring of King, 70 - - Sigil charms, 113 - - Signet-ring of Sennacherib, 9 - - Singer, collection of posy-rings by Mr. J. W., 394 - - Singular mode of securing rings, 449 - - Soden Smith, rings in the collection of Mr. R. H., 230, 502 - - Solomon's ring, 91, 503 - - Southey on zodiacal signs, 109 - - Spain, ring-customs in, 312 - - Spanish rings, 79 - - Squirt rings, 493 - - Stone and silver rings of the Romans, 31 - - Stuart rings, the, 492 - - Suckling, lines on a wedding-ring, by Sir John, 287 - - Superstitions connected with the carbuncle, 159 - - -- -- -- change of colours in jewels, 160 - - -- -- -- gold rings, 175 - - -- -- -- rings generally, 91 - - -- -- -- toadstone, 156 - - -- -- -- turquoise, 159 - - - Talismanic ring, remarkable gold, 95 - - Tau-rings, mystic character of, 155 - - Thierry, ring of Bishop, 204 - - Thumb-rings, allusions to, 88 - - -- -- magical, 89 - - -- -- of the Romans, 29 - - -- -- worn in token of widowhood, 364 - - Tippoo Saib, rings of, 490 - - Toadstone rings, virtues of, 157 - - Token-rings, Charles II., 350 - - -- -- Earl of Derby, 348 - - -- -- Duke of Dorset, 347 - - -- -- Edward I., 324 - - -- -- Queen Elizabeth, 340 - - -- -- Earl of Essex, 336, 528 - - -- -- George III., 352 - - -- -- Queen Henrietta Maria, 349 - - -- -- Henry VIII., 334, 335 - - -- -- Henry IV. of Germany, 326 - - -- -- James of Scotland, 327 - - -- -- King John, 325, 332 - - -- -- Margaret of Scotland, 333 - - -- -- Queen Mary, 335 - - -- -- Mary, Queen of Scots, 340 - - -- -- Viscount Melgum, 350 - - -- -- King Oswald, 324 - - -- -- Sir John Perrot, 344 - - -- -- Earl of Toulouse, 327 - - Tooth rings, 495 - - Tournaments, rings given at, 197 - - Trinity rings, 248, 254 - - -- ivory rings, 487 - - Troy, discoveries on the (presumed) site of, 32 - - Turquoise rings, the _gage d'amour_ of the Germans, 159 - - -- -- their magical virtues, 158 - - - Valentine's Day, rings given on St., 422 - - Venetian rings, 76 - - -- weddings, rings at, 311 - - -- reliquary ring, 143 - - Venice, marriage-ring of the Doge of, 99, 419, 529 - - -- saved by St. Mark's ring, 119 - - 'Vertuosus' rings, 162, 355 - - Virgin, gifts of rings to the, 130 - - Virtues of a loadstone ring, 156 - - -- -- -- turquoise ring, 158 - - -- -- the ring-finger, 155 - - Votive rings of the Romans, 44 - - Vow of chastity with mantle and ring, 241 - - - Wales, the Prince of, invested with a ring, 183 - - Walton, rings bequeathed by Izaak, 360 - - Wardrobe books, rings mentioned in the, 228 - - Warwick, ring-token sent by Guy, Earl of, 331 - - Washington, bequest of rings by, 363 - - Watch set in a ring, 494 - - Waterton Collection, curious South Saxon ring in the, 60 - - -- -- ecclesiastical ring with figure of Christ, in the, 264 - - -- -- Egyptian rings in the, 13 - - -- -- episcopal ring in the, 230 - - -- -- Etruscan ring in the, 15 - - -- -- Gnostic rings in the, 107 - - -- -- Greek and Roman rings in the, 50 - - -- -- Papal rings in the, 207 - - -- -- ring on the forefinger of a statue in the, 291 - - Wedding-rings, ancient origin of, 297 - - -- -- mentioned in ancient rituals, 290 - - Wedding-ring, blessing the, 288 - - -- -- of the 'Claddughs,' 320 - - -- -- during the Commonwealth, 288, 290 - - -- -- given by the Prince Regent, 296 - - -- -- -- -- -- Princess Royal, 296 - - -- -- -- -- -- Queen Victoria, 296 - - -- -- plain gold, 295 - - -- -- how worn, 291 - - -- -- several, worn at marriages, 289 - - -- -- worn on the thumb, 289 - - -- -- one of the smallest, 287 - - -- -- of the German Jews, 302 - - -- -- in cakes, 170 - - -- ring of the Rev. George Bull, 290 - - -- -- -- James II., 281 - - -- -- -- Mrs. Johnson, 279 - - -- -- -- Mary, Queen of Scots, 280 - - -- -- -- Mrs. Moore, 280 - - -- -- -- Baron Rosen, 281 - - -- -- lines by Suckling on a, 287 - - -- -- -- -- Woodward on a, 277 - - -- -- Customs of the Russians, 174 - - Wells, rings belonging to the Dean and Chapter of, 231 - - Whistle rings, 494 - - William of Wyckham, ring of, 226 - - Winchester Cathedral, rings belonging to the Dean and Chapter of, 226 - - -- -- ring found in the tomb of William Rufus in, 385 - - Wire-rings of the Saxons, 58 - - Worcester Cathedral, Pontifical rings found in, 209 - - 'Worsley' seal-ring, the, 467 - - Wotton, rings bequeathed by Sir Henry, 359 - - Wrestling, prize-rings for, 195 - - - Xerxes, a great gem-fancier, 16 - - - Zodiac, astrological definition of the, 109 - - -- Montfaucon's singular theory of the, 109 - - Zodiacal signs, Southey on, 109 - - - LONDON: PRINTED BY - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE - AND PARLIAMENT STREET - - -[Illustration] - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] In 1841 Mr. Joseph Bonomi read a paper before the Royal Society of -Literature on an ancient signet-ring of gold, resembling in every respect, -except the name of the king, the ring which Pharaoh put on the finger of -Joseph. The account of its purchase, loss, and subsequent recovery is very -interesting. It was bought by Lord Ashburnham at Cairo in 1825. In the -spring of the same year his Lordship embarked a valuable collection on -board a brig he had chartered at Alexandria, to carry his heavy baggage to -Smyrna. This was attacked and pillaged by Greek pirates, who sold their -booty in the island of Syra. The ring then became the property of a Greek -merchant, in whose possession it remained until it was sold at -Constantinople, and was brought to England in 1840. It then passed from -the hands of Mr. Bonomi into those of Lord Ashburnham, its former -possessor. It is conjectured, from evidence peculiar to Egyptian -antiquities, that this ring belonged to the age of Thothmes III. - -[Illustration: Egyptian Gold Signet-ring.] - -In the winter of 1824 a discovery was made in Sakkara of a tomb enclosing -a mummy entirely cased in solid gold (each limb, each finger of which had -its particular envelope inscribed with hieroglyphics), a scarabaeus -attached to a gold chain, a gold ring, and a pair of bracelets of gold -with other valuable relics. This account was wrested from the excavators -_a coups de baton_ administered by Mohammed Defterdar Bey, by which means -were recovered to Signor Drovetti (at whose charge the excavation was -made) the scarabaeus and gold chain, a fragment of the gold envelope, and -the bracelets, now in the Leyden Museum, which bear the same name as this -ring. From the circumstance of the bracelets bearing the same name as this -ring, and from the word Pthah, the name of the tutelar divinity of Memphis -(of which city Sakkara was the necropolis) being also inscribed upon it, -there is little doubt it was found in that place, and, from the confession -of the Arabs, a great probability that it came out of the same excavation. -The discovery of so much gold in a single tomb, which, from the nature of -the ornaments, must have belonged to the Pharaoh himself, or to a -distinguished officer of his household, accords well with Mr. Cory's -system of chronology, which places the death of the patriarch Joseph in -the twenty-first year of the reign of Thothmes III., at which period the -treasury of Pharaoh must have been well stored with the precious material -of these ornaments accumulated by the prudent administration of the -patriarch. Assuming, therefore, that Mr. Cory's system is correct, this -ring may be regarded, not only as an excellent specimen of that kind -called Tabat (a word still used in Egypt to signify a stamp or seal), but -also as resembling in every respect, excepting the name, the ring which -Pharaoh put on the hand of Joseph. - -[2] Mr. Layard, in 'Nineveh and Its Remains,' describes the wife of an -Arab Sheikh, whom he met, as having a nose adorned with a prodigious gold -ring, set with jewels of such ample dimensions that it covered her mouth, -and was obliged to be removed when she ate. - -[3] The Egyptians made the scarabaeus the symbol of the world, because it -rolled its excrements into a globe; of the sun; of the moon, from horns; -one-horned, of Mercury; of generation, because it buried the bowls in -which it included its eggs, &c.; of an only son, because they believed -that every beetle was male and female; of valour, manly power, &c., whence -they forced all the soldiers to wear a ring upon which a beetle was -engraved. All these superstitions are very ancient, for they occur upon -the sepulchres of Biban-el-Molook, and are traced to the Indians, -Hottentots, and other nations. In the hieroglyphs it is used for the -syllable _Khepra_, and expresses the verb 'to be, exist.' In connection -with Egyptian notions, the Gnostics and some of the Fathers called Christ -the Scarabaeus. - -'The usual mode of mounting the scarab,' observes the Rev. C. W. King, in -'Antique Gems,' 'as a finger-ring, was, the _swivel_, a wire as a pivot -passing through the longitudinal perforation of the stone (the edge of -which was generally protected by a gold rim), and then brought through -holes in each end of a bar of gold, or else of a broad, flat band of -plaited wire, and bent into a loop of sufficient size to admit the finger, -which was usually the fore-finger of the left hand. For the sake of -security, the ends of the loop were formed into small disks, touching each -extremity of the scarabaeus. This loop, or ring shank, as it may be -considered, was treated in a great variety of fashions, and sometimes was -made extremely ornamental. One that I have seen terminated in rams' heads, -the pivot entering the mouth of each; in another the shank was formed as a -serpent, the head of which was one of the supporting points, and the tail -tied into a knot. Occasionally the form of the shank was varied by bending -the bar upon itself, so as to form a bow in the middle of its length; the -ends were then beaten to a point, which, being twisted inwards, passed -into the opposite holes of the stone, and thus formed a handle to the -signet. This last manner of mounting the scarabaeus was often used by the -Egyptians, the shank being made of every kind of metal; it was also the -common setting of the Phoenician stones of this form.' - -[4] Appendix. - -[5] Cellini, in his 'Memoirs,' says that Pope Clement VII. showed him a -gold Etruscan necklace of exquisite workmanship, which had just been -discovered in the ground. On examining it, 'Alas,' cried he, 'it is better -not to imitate these Etruscans, for we should be nothing but their humble -servants. Let us rather strike out a new path, which will, at least, have -the merit of originality.' - -[6] Appendix. - -[7] Addison remarks that when at Rome he had 'seen old Roman rings so very -thick about, and with such large stones in them, that it is no wonder a -fop should reckon them a little cumbersome in the summer season of so hot -a climate.' - -A Roman ring found in Hungary contained more than two ounces of gold. - -[8] 'As soon as the despotic power of the Caesars was established,' remarks -the Rev. C. W. King ('Handbook of Engraved Gems'), 'it became a mark of -loyalty to adorn either one's house, or one's hand, with the visible -presence of the sovereign. Capitolinus notices that the individual was -looked upon as an impious wretch, who, having the means, did not set up at -home a statue of M. Aurelius; and, a century later, the Senate obliged by -an edict every householder to keep a picture of the restorer of the -Empire, Aurelian. That official swore such portraits in their rings as an -indispensable mark of distinction may be deduced from the negotiations of -Claudius (preserved by Pliny) confining the _entree_ at court to such as -had received from him a gold ring having the imperial bust carved on it.' - -[9] Xenophon, in his 'Economics,' states that the Greek matrons had the -power of sealing up, or placing the seal upon the house-goods, and at -Rome, Cicero's mother was accustomed to enhance to consumers the merits of -some poor thin wine, _vile Sabinum_, by affixing to each amphora her -official signet. - -It appears that the women of Greece did not use the ring as frequently as -the men, and that theirs were less costly. - -[10] Amber rings were worn in our own country to a late date; thus Swift, -writing to Pope respecting Curll and the 'Dunciad,' says:--'Sir, you -remind me of my Lord Bolingbroke's ring; you have embalmed a gnat in -amber.' - -[11] At the exhibition of antiquities and works of art at the -Archaeological meeting of January 5, 1849, Major Ker Macdonald produced a -ring supposed to be a recent imitation of the ring of Ethelwulf. - -[12] I am much indebted to Mr. R. H. Soden Smith, F.S.A.--a gentleman so -distinguished in art circles, and the possessor of a remarkably fine and -rare collection of rings--for information on some points connected with -this work. - -[13] There is the well-known anecdote of Francis the First, who, in order -to let the Duchess d'Estampes know that he was jealous, wrote with a -diamond these lines on a pane of glass, 'which,' says Le Vieil, in his -'Peinture sur Verre,' 'may be still seen in the Chateau Chambord':-- - - Souvent femme varie, - Mal habil qui s'y fie. - -A similar story is recorded of Henry the Fourth of France and the Duke of -Montpensier. The latter had written with his diamond ring on a pane of -glass the following, in allusion to his love for the aunt of the King:-- - - Nul bonheur me contente, - Absent de ma Divinite. - -Henry, in the same manner, wrote under it:-- - - N'appellez pas ainsi ma tante, - Elle aime trop l'Humanite. - -It was on the pane of a window in Hampton Court Palace that, during one of -the festivals given there by Henry the Eighth, the ill-fated Earl of -Surrey wrote with his diamond ring the name of fair Geraldine, and in -quaint verse commemorated her beauty. - -[14] Calmet, in his 'Dictionary,' states that the Arabian princesses wore -golden rings on their fingers, to which little bells were suspended, as -well as in the flowing tresses of their hair, that their superior rank -might be known, and that they might receive in passing the homage due to -them. - -[15] Montfaucon, in his 'L'Antiquite Expliquee,' describes the -representation of a trading seal 'as one of the most extraordinary that -has yet been seen.' It was given to him by a monk of St. Victor, at -Marseilles. The form was oblong, and the inscription was in three lines, -the first of which is P. Hileyi, Publii Hileyi, at the end of which words -was a well-formed _caduceus_. The second and third lines were Sex. Maci -Paullini, Sexti Maci Paullini. The _caduceus_, which was a symbol of -traffic, denotes that these were two merchants and co-partners, and the -anchor, that they were adventurers by sea. One thing remarkable is that -the first name, P. Hileyi, was taken by design, but yet so that it might -be read; the letters being cut very deep, they contented themselves with -taking out so much of them only as would spoil that part of the impression -upon wax, or any other matter, and leave the other name to be impressed -alone. That this was done by design appeared from the varnish seen in -these traces, as well as in the rest of the seal, and was probably done by -Sextus Macius Paullinus at the death of his partner Publius Hileyus. - -[16] Appendix. - -[17] Chaucer, in his 'Squire's Tale,' says:-- - - 'Then speaken they of Canace's ring - And saiden all that such a wondrous thing - Of crafte of ringes heard they never none, - Save that he, Moses, and King Solomon - Hadden a name of cunning in such art.' - -[18] Among the Mohammedans at present a talisman, consisting generally of -a formula on a scrap of paper, or sentences from the Koran, is placed in a -piece of stuff and put into a ring between the stone and the metal. -Although the Mussulman doctors generally concur in considering these -practices vain, and many Asiatics do not use them, yet the multitude still -retain a predilection for them. - -[19] Appendix. - -[20] Appendix. - -[21] Plato relates the story of Gyges differently to that by Herodotus. He -tells us that Gyges wore a ring, the stone of which, when turned towards -him rendered him invisible, so that he had the advantage of seeing others -without being seen himself. By means of this ring he deprived Candaules of -his throne and life, with the concurrence of the queen. 'This,' remarks -Rollin, 'probably implies that in order to compass his own criminal design -he used all the tricks and stratagems which the world calls subtle and -refined policy, which penetrates into the most secret purposes of others -without making the least discovery of its own.' This story, thus -explained, carries in it a greater appearance of truth than what we read -in 'Herodotus.' - -Cicero, after relating the fable of Gyges' famous ring, adds, that if a -wise man had such a ring he would not use it to any wicked purpose, -because virtue considers what is honourable and just, and has no occasion -for darkness. - -[22] See chapter on 'Customs and Incidents in Connexion with Rings.' - -[23] Dr. Gordon, in his 'History of Glasgow,' quotes the legend thus, from -the 'Aberdeen Breviary:'--'The Queen of Cadzow was suspected by her -husband, King Roderick, of being too intimate with a knight whom he had -asked to hunt with him. The King waited his opportunity to abstract from -the satchel of the knight, when asleep, a ring which the Queen had -presented to him. King Roderick, in furious jealousy, threw it into the -Clyde. When they returned to the palace of Cadzow from the day's hunting, -the King, in the course of the evening, asked her where her ring was. It -could not be produced. Death was threatened if it were not forthcoming. -The Queen sent one of her maids to the knight for the ring, and being -unsuccessful, a bearer was sent to _Cathures_ (Glasgow), to St Mungo, -making a full confession of all. The Apostle of Strathclyde commiserated -the Queen. Forthwith he sent one of his monks to the river to angle, -instructing him to bring home alive the first fish that he caught. This -was done. St. Mungo (_dear friend_) found the annulet in the mouth of the -miraculous fish, and speedily sent it to the Queen, who restored it to her -husband, and thereby saved her life.' - -[24] Appendix. - -[25] 'A Berril,' observes Aubrey in his 'Miscellanies,' 'is a kind of -crystal that hath a weak tincture of red. In this magicians see visions. -There are certain formulas of prayers to be used before they make the -inspection which they term a _Call_. In a manuscript of Dr. Forman, of -Lambeth (which Mr. Elias Ashmole had), is a discourse of this and the -prayer; also there is a Call which Dr. Napier did use. James Harrington -(author of "Oceana") told me that the Earl of Denbigh, then ambassador at -Venice, did tell him that one did show him three several times, in a -glass, things past and to come. When Sir Marmaduke Langdale was in Italy -he went to one of these Magi, who did show him a glass where he saw -himself kneeling before a crucifix.' A 'Berrill' belonging to Sir Edward -Harley is thus described by Aubrey:--'It is a perfect sphere; the diameter -of it I guess to be something more than an inch; _it is set in a ring_ or -circle of silver resembling the meridian of a globe; the stem of it is -about ten inches high, all gilt. At the four quarters of it are the names -of four angels, viz., Uriel, Raphael, Michael, Gabriel. On the top is a -cross _patee_. This, it appears, was efficacious in detecting thieves; it -also forewarned death.' - -Dr. Dee's famous crystal, now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, will be -remembered. (See discoveries in the tomb of Childeric, at Tournay, in -chapter on 'Memorial and Mortuary Rings.') - -[26] The superstitious custom of carrying the medals of Alexander the -Great, as if they had some salutary virtue in them, was frequent among the -Christians of Antioch, as is evident from St. John Chrysostom's -declamation against the practice:--'What shall we say of those that use -enchantments and ligatures, and bind upon their head and feet brass medals -of Alexander of Macedon? Are these our hopes? And shall we, after the -passion and death of our Saviour, place our salvation in an image of a -heathen king?' - -[27] Montfaucon, in his 'L'Antiquite Expliquee,' has a singular theory in -regard to the signs of the Zodiac. He mentions a fine gem on which were -represented the figures of Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus, included in a -large circle which contained the twelve signs of the Zodiac. These he -conjectured to signify the days of the week, Wednesday, Thursday, and -Friday. 'But, why,' he observes, 'do the three gods in this image indicate -so many days of the week? Some ancient and particular custom is referred -to and expressed, without doubt. Ausonius, in his "Eclogues," inserts a -verse current in his time preceded by this question:--"Quid quoque die -demi de corpore oporteat?" On what days is it most proper to cut the -beard, nails, or hair? "Ungues Mercurio, barbam Jove, Cypride crines." -That is, on Wednesday pare your nails, shave your beard on Thursday, and -on Friday cut your hair. This usage Ausonius rallies in eight pleasant -verses. "Mercury," says he, "a pilferer by trade, loves his nails too well -to let them be pared. Jupiter, venerable by his beard, Venus adorned by -her hair, are by no means willing to part with what is so dear to -them."... I think it certain that these deities are represented as -presiding over Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, without being able to -assign the certain reason why they are pictured upon this gem.' - -A very extraordinary form of oath, by which the astronomer Vettius Valens -bound his disciples to secresy, is quoted by Selden. 'I adjure thee, most -honoured brother and your fellow-students, by the starry vault of heaven, -_by the circle of the zodiac_, the sun, the moon, and the five wandering -stars (by which universal life is governed), by Providence itself, and -Holy Necessity, that you will keep these things secret, nor divulge them -except to those who are worthy and are able to make a just compensation to -me, Valens.' - -[28] According to the ancient lapidaries, a ram with the half-figure of an -ox, or any stone set in a silver ring, whoever was touched with should be -immediately reconciled. A woman, one half a fish, holding a mirror and a -branch, cut on a marine hyacinth (pale sapphire), set in a gold ring, the -signet covered with wax, procured any desire. A man ploughing, and over -him the hand of the Lord making a sign, and star, if cut on any stone, and -worn in all purity, ensured safety from tempest and immunity to crops from -storms. Head, with neck, cut in green jasper; set in a brass or iron ring -engraved with the letters B. B. P. P. N. E. N. A.: wear this, and thou -shalt in no wise perish, but be preserved from many diseases, especially -fever and dropsy; it likewise gives good luck in fowling. Thou shalt be -reasonable and amiable in all things; in battle and in law-suits thou -shalt be victor. Man standing and tall, holding an obolus (patera) in one -hand and a serpent in the other, with the sun over his head, and a lion at -his feet: if cut on a diacordius (diadochus) set in a leaden ring and put -underneath wormwood and fenugreek, carry it to the bank of a river and -call up whatsoever evil spirit thou pleasest, and thou shalt have from -them answers to all thy questions. A youth having a crown on his head and -seated on a throne with four legs, and under each leg a man standing and -supporting the throne on his neck; round the neck of the seated figure a -circle, and his hands raised up to heaven; if cut on a white hyacinth -(pale sapphire) ought to be set in a silver ring of the same weight as the -stone, and under it put mastic and turpentine; make the seal in wax and -give it to any one, and let him carry it about on his neck or person, -either the wax or the ring, and go with pure mind and chastity before -king, noble, or wise man, and he shall obtain from them whatsoever he may -desire. A bearded man holding a flower in his hand cut on carnelian, and -set in a tin ring, the ring being made on the change of the moon on a -Friday, the 1st or the 8th of the month, whomsoever thou shalt touch -therewith he shall come to do thy will. Man standing on a dragon, holding -a sword, must be set in a leaden or iron ring; then all the spirits that -dwell in darkness shall obey the wearer, and shall reveal to him in a -low-toned song the place of hidden treasure and the mode of winning the -same. Man riding and holding in one hand the bridle, in the other a bow, -and girt with a sword, engraved on pyrites set in a gold ring, it will -render thee invincible in all battles; and whosoever shall steep this ring -in oil of musk and anoint his face with the said oil, all that see him -shall fear him, and none shall resist. Man erect in armour, holding a -drawn sword, and wearing a helmet, if set in an iron ring of the same -weight, renders the wearer invincible in battle. Capricorn on carnelian, -set in a silver ring and carry about with thee, thou shalt never be harmed -in purse or person by thine enemies, neither shall a judge pass an unjust -sentence against thee; thou shalt abound in business and in honour, and -gain the friendship of many, and all enchantments made against thee shall -be of none effect, and no foe, however powerful, shall be able to resist -thee in battle. (Extracts from 'Sigil-charms,' 'History of the Glyptic -Art,' 'Handbook of Engraved Gems,' by the Rev. C. W. King.) - -[29] 'The Hermetic Brethren had certain rules that they observed in -relation to the power of precious stones to bring good or bad fortune -through the planetary affinities of certain days, because they imagined -that the various gems, equally as gold and silver, were produced through -the chemic operation of the planets working secretly in the telluric -body.... All yellow gems and gold are appropriate to be worn on Sunday, to -draw down the propitious influences or to avert the antagonistic effects -of the spirits on this day, through its ruler and name-giver, the Sun. On -Monday, pearls and white stones (but not diamonds) are to be worn, because -this is the day of the Moon, or of the second power in Nature. Tuesday, -which is the day of Mars, claims rubies and all stones of a fiery lustre. -Wednesday is the day for turquoises, sapphires, and all precious stones -which seem to reflect the blue of the vault of heaven.... Thursday demands -amethysts and deep-coloured stones of sanguine tint, because Thursday is -the day of Thor--the Runic impersonated Male Divine Sacrifice. Friday, -which is the day of Venus, has its appropriate emeralds, and reigns over -all the varieties of the imperial, yet, strangely, the sinister, colour, -green. Saturday, which is Saturn's day, the oldest of the gods, claims for -its distinctive talisman the most splendid of all gems, or the queen of -precious stones, the lustre-darting diamond.' (The 'Rosicrucians,' by -Hargrave Jennings.) - -[30] There is a tradition that this ring found its way to the chapel of -Havering (have the ring), in the parish of Hornchurch, near Romford, and -was kept there until the dissolution of religious houses. Weaver says he -saw a representation of it on a window of Romford church. The legend is -also displayed on an ancient window in the great church of St. Lawrence, -at Ludlow, to which town the pilgrims who received the ring from the saint -are said to have belonged. A tradition to this effect was current in the -time of Leland, who notices it in his 'Itinerary.' - -[31] Appendix. - -[32] To understand the language of birds was peculiarly one of the boasted -sciences of the Arabians. Their writers relate that Balkis, the Queen of -Sheba, or Saba, had a bird called _Huddud_, a lapwing, which she -despatched to King Solomon on various occasions, and that this trusty bird -was the messenger of their amours. We are told that Solomon, having been -secretly informed by the winged confidant that Balkis intended to honour -him with a grand embassy, enclosed a spacious square with a wall of gold -and silver bricks, in which he ranged his numerous troops and attendants, -in order to receive the ambassadors, who were astonished at the suddenness -of these splendid and unexpected preparations. - -[33] Moore, in his juvenile poem of the 'Ring,' has made use of this -legend, and added considerably to its fanciful conceptions:-- - - 'Young Rupert for his wedding-ring - Unto the statue went, - But, ah! how was he shock'd to find - The marble finger bent! - - 'The hand was closed upon the ring - With firm and mighty clasp; - In vain he tried, and tried, and tried, - He could not loose the grasp.' - -Austin is the hermit that Rupert seeks, and whose aid enables him to -regain the ring from the female fiend:-- - - "In Austin's name take back the ring, - The ring thou gav'st to me; - And thou'rt to me no longer wed, - Nor longer I to thee." - - 'He took the ring, the rabble pass'd, - He home returned again; - His wife was then the happiest fair, - The happiest he of men.' - -[34] Appendix. - -[35] Appendix. - -[36] A curious legend is connected with this famous jewel. The French -monarch had visited the shrine of the saint to discharge a vow which he -had made in battle, and he knelt before it with the stone set in a ring on -his finger. The officiating prelate entreated the King to bestow the jewel -on the shrine, but as the jewel ensured good luck, Louis hesitated, but -offered, in compensation, one hundred thousand florins. The prelate was -satisfied, but the saint evidently was not, for the stone leaped from the -ring and fastened itself to the shrine. So bright was the stone that it -was impossible to look at it distinctly, and at night it burned like fire. - -[37] Abraxas-stones were so called from having the word _Abraxas_ or -Abrasax engraved on them. They are cut in various forms, and bear a -variety of capricious symbols, mostly composed of human limbs, a fowl's -head and serpent's body. These gems are represented as coming from Syria, -Egypt, and Spain. It is certain that the use of the name Abraxas was at -first peculiar to the Gnostic sect of the Basilideans. There is little -doubt that the greater part of the Abraxas-stones were made in the Middle -Ages as talismans. - -[38] The shrine of the Magi, in Cologne Cathedral, dates from the twelfth -century. The central subject is the Virgin with the infant Jesus; on the -left, the Adoration of the Three Kings, accompanied by the Emperor Otho -IV. On the right, the Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, in presence -of an angel. All these figures are of pure gold, and in full relief. The -architectural decorations are covered with enamels and precious stones. -Above these figures is a cover of silver-gilt, on removing which the -skulls of the Three Kings are seen, with their names, Gaspar, Melchior, -and Balthazar, traced in rubies. The crowns of copper gilt replace those -of massive gold, which disappeared during the revolutionary storms. They -weighed each six pounds, and were enriched with fine pearls and an -aigrette of diamonds. Above the relics is the figure of Christ, as the -Judge of men, between two angels, who hold the instruments of the Passion. -This reliquary is 5-1/2 feet long, by three wide, 5 feet high. It was -begun in 1170, and made by order of Archbishop Philip von Heinsberg. In -the Rosicrucian theory, Caspar, or Gaspar, is the 'White One;' Melchior is -the 'King of Light;' Beltasar, the 'Lord of Treasures.' Balthasar, or -Balthazar, is the septuagint spelling of Belshazzar. Talismanic rings and -other objects were manufactured largely for sale to the pilgrims at the -shrine of the 'Three Kings.' - -Mr. Thomas Wright, M.A., has, in his edition of the 'Chester Plays,' -described, at length, this popular legend. - -A magic ring was found a few years ago at Dunwich, with this -inscription:-- - - 'Jasper fert myrrham; thus Melchior; Balthasar aurum, - Haec tria qui secum portabit nomina Regum, - Solvitur a morbo, Christi pietate, caduco.' - -Bishop Patrick, in his 'Reflections on the Devotions of the Roman Church,' -1674, asks, with assumed _naivete_, how these names of the Three Wise -Men--Melchior, Balthazar, and Jasper--are to be of service, 'when another -tradition says they were Apellius, Amerus, and Damascus; a third, that -they were Megalath, Galgalath, and Sarasin; and a fourth calls them Ator, -Sator, and Peratoras; which last I should choose (in this uncertainty), as -having the more kingly sound.' - -[39] The horn of the narwhal (which in the Middle Ages passed for the horn -of the unicorn) was supposed to possess, among other virtues, that of -neutralising and detecting the presence of poison. Various old writers -relate that it became agitated when placed in contact with a poisoned -body, and the most efficacious antidote to poison was the water in which -it had been steeped. A piece of the horn was attached to a chain of gold, -in order that it might be plunged into a dish without putting in the -fingers. - -[40] The Runic characters are of very remote antiquity, and of entirely -pagan origin. They are attributed to Odin, whom tradition asserts to have -been eminently skilful in the art of writing, as well for the common -purposes of life, as for the operations of magic. It is the earliest -alphabet in use among the Teutonic and Gothic nations of Northern Europe. -The name is derived from the Teutonic _run_, a mystery; whence _runa_, a -whisper, and _helrun_, divination. They were distinguished into various -kinds: the _noxious_--or, as they were called, the _bitter_--employed to -bring various evils on their enemies; the _favourable_ averted -misfortunes; the _victorious_ procured conquest to those who used them; -the _medicinal_ were inscribed on the leaves of trees for healing; others -served to dispel melancholy thoughts; to prevent shipwreck; were antidotes -against poison; preservatives against the anger of enemies; efficacious to -render a mistress favourable--these last were to be used with great -caution. If an ignorant person had chanced to write one letter for -another, or had erred in the minutest stroke, he would have exposed his -mistress to some dangerous illness, which was only to be cured by writing -other runes with the greatest niceness. All these various kinds differed -only in the ceremonies observed in writing them, in the materials on which -they were written, in the place where they were exposed, in the manner in -which the lines were drawn, whether in the form of a circle, of a serpent, -or a triangle, &c. - -'In the strict observance of these childish particulars consisted' -(remarks Mallet in his 'Northern Antiquities') 'that obscure and -ridiculous art which acquired to so many weak and wicked persons the -respectable name of priests and prophetesses, merely for filling rude -minds with so much jealousy, fear, and hatred.' - -Grimm states that the Anglo-Saxon Runic alphabet was derived from the -Scandinavian at a period when it had only sixteen letters, the -complementary letters of the two alphabets having been formed on -principles that offer not the slightest analogy. While on the subject of -Runic calendars I may mention (although unconnected with rings) a singular -Runic almanack which was exhibited at the Winchester meeting of the -Archaeological Institute in 1845. It is in the form of a walking-stick, -called in the north of Europe a 'rim-stok,' or 'primstaf.' The symbols and -figures which ornament this calendar relate to the saints' days and the -successive occupations of the seasons. The staff is of a fashion rarely to -be found in the north, and appears to be the same which was procured at -Trondheim, in Norway, by Mr. Wolff, formerly Norwegian consul at London, -who published an account of it. - -[41] A modern poet thus apostrophises the turquoise and its changeful -properties in the following beautiful sonnet:-- - - 'In sunny hours, long flown, how oft my eyes - Have gazed with rapture on thy tender blue! - Turquoise! thou magic gem, thy lovely hue - Vies with the tints celestial of the skies. - What sweet romance thy beauty bids arise, - When, beaming brightly to the anxious view, - Thou giv'st th' assurance dear that love is true! - _But should thy rays be clouded_, what deep sighs, - What showers of tenderness distress the heart! - Ah! much of joy I owe thee, but no woe. - As to my mind, thou ever didst impart - That feeling blest which made my pale cheek glow - (For love was mine, shorn of his wings and dart). - Turquoise! in warmest strains thy praise should flow, - Such as some gifted minstrel could bestow.' - -[42] A more homely remedy for the same disorder is given in Wittal's -'Little Dictionary,' where we find that-- - - 'The bone of a hare's foot, closed in a ring, - Will drive away the cramp, whenas it doth wring.' - -[43] Appendix. - -[44] Queen Bertha, consort of King Louis the Seventh, of France, was -crowned by the Pope, who also placed a ring on her finger, saying: -'Receive this ring, emblem of the Holy Trinity, by which you may resist -heresy and bring the heathen to a knowledge of the faith by the virtue -thus given. God, the source of all dignity and honour, give to thy -servant, by this sign of the faith, grace to persevere in His sight, that -she may evermore rest firm in the faith by the merits of Jesus Christ.' - -[45] The ruby, according to De Laert (1647), appears to have been very -generally used for rings, and unpolished; for, 'unlike the diamond that -hath no beauty unless shaped and polished, the ruby charms without any aid -from art.' True rubies, and of good colour uncut, but with their natural -surface polished, set in rings, date from the earliest times. Gesner -states that Catherine of Arragon used to wear a ring set with a stone -luminous at night, which he conjectures was a ruby. - -[46] A MS. account of the 'Conveyance of Great Estates into the King's -presence at the time of their creation' (British Museum, Additional MSS. -No. 6,297) gives the preparation for a creation of the Prince. After the -rich habits given on this occasion, we read: 'Item, a sword, the scabbard -covered with crimson cloth of gold, plain, and a girdle agreeable to the -same. Item, a coronal. Item, a verge of gold. Item, a ring of gold to be -put on the third finger.' - -[47] The use of a seal, or signet-ring, for the purchase of property is -mentioned in the Bible. In Jeremiah the formalities are thus given: 'And I -bought the field of Hanameel, and weighed him the money, even seventeen -shekels of silver. And I subscribed the evidence, _and sealed it_, and -took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. So I took the -evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed, according to the law -and custom, and that which was open' (chap. xxxii.). - -[48] In the Braybrooke Collection is a gold band-ring with a similar -inscription, found at Wimbish, in Essex. It is noticed in the seventh -volume of the 'Archaeological Institute Journal,' p. 196, and is described -as a serjeant-at-law's gold ring, the hoop 3/8 of an inch in width, and of -equal thickness; the motto 'Lex regis praesidium.' - -[49] Horace Walpole, in one of his letters, alludes to the 'Fisherman's -Ring' in his usual lively manner: 'Mr. Chute has received a present of a -diamond mourning-ring from a cousin; he calls it _l'annello del -Piscatore_. Mr. Chute, who is unmarried, meant that his cousin was -_fishing_ for his estate.' - -[50] To show how little, in former times, the sanctity of the Popes was -regarded after death, Aimon, in his 'Tableau de la Cour de Rome,' relates -that 'when the Pope is in the last extremity, his nephews and his servants -carry from the palace all the furniture they can find. Immediately after -his death, the officers of the Apostolic Chamber strip the body of -everything valuable, but the relations of the Pope generally forestal -them, and with such promptitude that nothing remains but bare walls and -the body, placed on a wretched mattress, with an old wooden candlestick -and a wax end in it.' - -[51] In the 'Archaeologia,' vol. xxxvi., Mr. Octavius Morgan remarks 'that -in the beginning of the seventeenth century some attention seems to have -been paid to the subject of rings in general, and several persons wrote -concerning them. John Kirchmann, a learned German of Lubeck, published a -treatise "De Annulis;" and about the same time Henry Kornmann wrote -another small treatise "De Triplici Annulo." Kirchmann appears to have -made deep researches on the subject, and in the chapter on "Episcopal -Rings" he gives their history as far as he was able to trace it, though he -cannot find in ancient writers any facts relating to them earlier than the -reign of Charlemagne. In gratitude to this monarch for the important -services he had rendered the Church, it was decreed in the eighth century -that the Emperor should have the power of electing the Popes and ordering -the Holy See, and that in addition the archbishops and the bishops of the -provinces should receive investiture from him. No newly-elected prelate -could be consecrated until he received from the Emperor the ring and the -staff; these were to be returned on the death of the prelate. But this -practice was disused for a time; for we find enumerated in the old -chronicles of Mayence, among the jewels in that city, "sixteen large and -good pontifical rings--one of ruby, with other gems, one of emerald, one -of sapphire, and one of topaz."' - -[52] The mode of giving the benediction differs in the two Churches. In -the Greek it is given with the forefinger open, to form an I, the middle -finger curved like a C, the ancient _sigma_ of the Greeks, the thumb and -annulary crossed form an X, and the little finger curved represents a C. -All this gives IC XC, the Greek monogram of Jesus Christ. Thus, as the -author of the 'Guide of Painting,' of Mount Athos, observes:--'By the -Divine providence of the Creator, the fingers of the hand of man, be they -more or less long, are arranged so as to form the name of Christ.' - -The Latin benediction is more simple, being made with the annulary and the -little finger closed, the three first fingers open, symbolical of the -Trinity. - -'Formerly, bishops and priests blessed alike; latterly, bishops reserved -to themselves the right of blessing with their fingers, the priest with -the open hand; the bishops facing the congregation, the priests in -profile, with the hand placed edgeways. The sign of the cross was formerly -made with three fingers open, but now with the open hand, from the -forehead to the breast, and from the left to the right shoulder by the -Latins, but from the right to the left by the Greeks' (Didron, -'Iconographie Chretienne'). - -[53] The reader will be reminded of the anecdote of Queen Elizabeth, who, -drawing from her finger the coronation ring, showed it to the Commons, and -told them that when she received that ring she had solemnly bound herself -in marriage to the realm, and it would be quite sufficient for the -memorial of her name, and for her glory, if, when she died, an inscription -were engraved on her marble tomb: 'Here lyeth Elizabeth, which (_sic_) -reigned a virgin, and died a woman.' This coronation ring was filed off -her finger shortly before her death, on account of the flesh having grown -over it. - -[54] In 'A Relation, or rather True Account of the Islands of England,' -about the year 1500 (Camden Society), the author, after describing the -shrine of St. Thomas, at Canterbury, adds: 'Everything is left far behind -by a ruby not larger than a man's thumb-nail, which is set to the right of -the altar. The church is rather dark, and particularly so where the shrine -is placed, and when we went to see it the sun was nearly gone down, and -the weather was cloudy, yet I saw the ruby as well as if it had been in my -hand. They say it was a gift of the King of France.' - -[55] See Appendix. - -[56] The gilding and silvering of locks, _rings_ (firmalx anelx), and -other articles of a similar nature made of copper or latten (faitz de -cupre ou laton) having been prohibited by the statute 5th Henry IV. c. 13, -under what was then a heavy penalty, the 'disloyal artificers,' against -whom this enactment was made, appear to have taken refuge in the sanctuary -of St. Martin's-le-Grand, where they were able to labour in their vocation -unmolested by the marshal or the sheriff. This may be inferred from 3 Edw. -IV. c. 4, by which it was declared unlawful to import various articles of -foreign manufacture, including _rings_ of _gilded copper or laten_, but -with an express declaration that the Act was not to extend to or be -prejudicial or hurtful to Robert Styllington, clerk, dean of the King's -Free Chapel of 'St. Martin's le Graunt, de Londres,' nor to his -successors. - -[57] English ladies at one time wore the wedding-ring on the thumb. At -Stanford Court, Worcestershire, may be seen the portraits of five ladies -of the Salway family, in the days of Queen Elizabeth, all of whom have -their wedding-rings on their thumbs. According to the 'British Apollo,' -the brides of George the First's time used to remove the ring from its -proper abiding-place to the thumb as soon as the ceremony was over. - -In Southerne's 'Maid's Last Prayer' (Act iv. vol. i. p. 67) we -find:--'Marry him I must, and wear my wedding-ring upon my thumb, too, -that I'm resolved.' - -An instance of several wedding-rings being used at the bridal ceremony is -related by Burcard, master of the ceremonies to the Pope's Chapel from -Sixtus IV. to Julius II. At the marriage of a daughter of Pope Innocent -VIII. to Lewis of Arragon, Marquis of Geracio (January 3, 1492), the pair -approached the Pope, and, both being on their knees, the husband put the -ring on the proper finger of the left hand of his spouse, then several -rings on the other fingers of both hands. - -[58] In the Waterton Collection, at the South Kensington Museum, a -forefinger, from a bronze statue of late Roman work, wears a large ring -upon the second joint. In Germany it is still customary to wear the ring -in this fashion, a custom borrowed from their Roman subjugators. - -[59] A correspondent to 'Notes and Queries' (vol. viii. series i. p. 575) -observes, with regard to the ring being placed on the third finger of the -right hand of the Blessed Virgin in Raffaelle's 'Sponsalizio,' at Milan, -and in Ghirlandais's fresco of the same subject in the Santa Croce, at -Florence, 'that it has been customary among artists to represent the -Virgin with the ring on the right hand, to signify her superiority over -St. Joseph, from her surpassing dignity of Mother of God. Still, she is -not always represented so.' - -[60] A bishop, in the thirteenth century, gives the following reasons why -the ring should be of gold. He says that 'one Protheus made a ring of iron -with an adamant enclosed therein, as a pledge of love, because as iron -subdueth all things, so doth love conquer all things, since nothing is -more violent than its ardour, and, as an adamant cannot be broken, so love -cannot be overcome, for love is strong as death. In course of time gold -rings set with gems were substituted for the adamantine ones of baser -metal, because, as gold excelleth all other metals, so doth love excel all -other blessings, and as gold is set off with gems, so is conjugal love set -off by other virtues.' - -[61] In the reign of George the Fourth, a limited number of plain gold -rings were made, having a well-executed miniature medallion of that King -set beneath a large diamond. One of these was in the possession of the -late Lady Fellows. - -[62] It was formerly the custom in Brittany that, on the night after the -marriage, the husband presented his wife with a ring and act of dowry. - -[63] Latour St. Ybars, in his tragedy of 'Virginius,' alludes to the iron -ring:-- - - Alors qu' Icilius ne m'a jamais offert - Pour gage de sa foi que cet anneau de fer, - Claudius, sans respect pour l'amour qui m'anime - Par cet appas grossier croit m'entrainer au crime, - Et ces ornaments vils qu'il m'ose presenter - Sont fait de ce metal qui sert pour acheter! - Va rendre a Claudius tous ces dons, et sur l'heure - Les presents de cet homme ont souilles ma demeure, - Et ce seroit blesser notre honneur et nos dieux - Que d'y porter la main, que d'y jeter les yeux. - -[64] The 'betrothing penny' given at the ceremony of marriage was in olden -times a common usage both in England and in France, representing either -earnest-money, or the actual purchase of the bride. In the pontifical of -Amiens, the bridegroom is to say: 'De cet anneau t'espouse, et de cet -argent te hounoure, et de mon corps te doue.' In an ancient manuscript of -the Salisbury Missal, in the Harleian Collection, the bridegroom says: -'Wyth thys rynge y the wedde, and thys golde and selvir the geve, and with -my bodi y the worshippe, and with all my worldith catel y the honoure.' - -[65] Pitscottie says 'the Queen of France wrote a love-letter to the King -of Scotland, calling him her love, showing him that she had suffered much -rebuke in France for defending his honour. She believed surely that he -would recompense her with some of his kingly support in her necessity; -that is to say, that he would raise her an army and come three foot of -ground on English ground for her sake. To that effect she sent him a ring -off her finger, with 14,000 French crowns to pay his expenses.' - -[66] Appendix. - -[67] Lady Moray, the wife of the Scottish Regent, had appropriated, during -the Queen's troubles, many of her most valuable jewels. She wrote to her -from Tutbury, March 28th, 1570:-- - -'We are informed that ye have tane in possession certain of our jewels, -such as our Henry of dyamant and ruby, with a number of other dyamant, -ruby, perles, and gold worke, whereof we have the memoir to lay to your -charge, which jewels incontinent, after the sight hereof, ye sall deliver -to our right trusty cousins and counsellors, the Earl of Huntley, our -lieutenant, and my Lord Setoun, who will, on so doing, give you discharge -of the same.' - -Lady Moray paid no attention to Queen Mary's request for the return of her -jewels, well knowing that she was in no condition for enforcing her -demands. - -[68] 'The skull and skeleton decorations for rings' (remarks Mr. Fairholt) -'first came into favour and fashion at the obsequious court of France, -when Diana, of Poictiers, became the mistress of Henry the Second. At that -time she was a widow, and in mourning, so black and white became -fashionable colours; jewels were formed like funeral memorials; golden -ornaments, shaped like coffins, holding enamelled skeletons, hung from the -neck; watches, made to fit in little silver skulls, were attached to the -waists of the denizens of a court that alternately indulged in profanity -or piety, but who mourned show.' - -[69] _Biblical Monuments_, by William Harris Rule, D.D., and J. Corbet -Anderson; 1871, 1873. - -[70] This great founder of the Merovingian dynasty, the father of Clovis, -died in 482, and was buried with his treasures, weapons, and robes. Nearly -twelve hundred years afterwards, a labourer, a poor deaf and dumb man, -accidentally discovered the royal grave, and was astonished, and almost -terrified, at the sight of the treasures it contained. Among them was the -signet-ring alluded to, which, with a considerable number of the other -treasures of the tomb, were deposited in the Bibliotheque, then 'Royale,' -at Paris, which was broken into by burglars in 183-. An alarm being given, -in their hasty flight they threw the objects into the Seine; the ring was -not recovered. - -In the tomb were found, besides the skeletons of his horse and page, his -arms; a cornelian Etruscan scarab, doubtless deposited therein as an -amulet of wondrous virtue; also a crystal divining-ball, two inches in -diameter, and more than three hundred little _bees_, of the purest gold, -their wings being inlaid with a red stone like cornelian. - -On the authority of the historian Augustin Thierry, it is stated that -these ornaments resembling bees were only what in French are called -_fleurons_ (supposed to have been attached to the harness of his -war-horse). Montfaucon is of the same opinion. - -[71] I am greatly indebted to this gentleman for the loan of a manuscript -catalogue of ring mottos and inscriptions on wedding-rings, of -which--besides those exhibited at the Kensington Museum--I have availed -myself in the following pages of this chapter. Mr. Singer has, I believe, -the finest collection of inscribed wedding-rings known, numbering two -hundred and forty-five specimens of every kind, in gold and silver, each -weighing from three dwts. and upwards, and none less than a hundred years -old, some dating from five hundred years. - -Mr. Singer's collection is also enriched with some interesting betrothal -rings, and there are fourteen double-line motto-rings which are matchless. -This collection has been accumulated during the last quarter of a century, -at a very considerable cost. - - -[72]This play upon words has been applied in a political sense. 'So,' as -the late Mr. Crofton Croker observed, 'when the Repeal question was -agitated in Ireland, rings and brooches, set in precious stones, made to -represent the word "Repeal" were popular:-- - - R uby - E merald - P earl - E merald - A methyst - L apis lazuli. - -One of these was given to a gentleman as a relic of this memorable -agitation, but the bit of lapis lazuli had dropped out, and he took it to -a working jeweller in Cork to have the defect supplied. When it was -returned, he found that a topaz had been substituted for the missing bit -of lapis lazuli. "How is this?" he inquired, "you have made a mistake." -"No mistake, sir," said the witty workman, whom he afterwards discovered -to be an ardent Repealer, "It is all right: it _was_ repea_l_, but let us -repea_t_ that we may have it yet."' - -[73] Appendix. - -[74] In Knight's 'Pictorial Shakspeare' is the following note on the dial -which Touchstone drew 'from his "poke:"' '"There's no clock in the -forest," says Orlando; and it was not very likely that the fool would have -a pocket-clock. What then was the _dial_ that he took from his poke? We -have lately become possessed of a rude instrument kindly presented to us -by a friend, which, as the Maid of Orleans found her sword, he picked "out -of a deal of old iron." It is a brass circle of about two inches in -diameter. On the outer side are engraved letters, indicating the names of -the months, with gradual divisions; and on the inner side, the hours of -the day. The brass circle itself is to be held in one position by a ring; -but there is an inner slide in which there is a small orifice. This slide -being moved, so that the hole stands opposite the division of the month -when the day falls of which we desire to know the time, the circle is held -up opposite the sun. The inner side is then, of course in shade, but the -sunbeam shines through the little orifice and forms a point of light upon -the hour marked on the inner side. We have tried this dial and found it -give the hour with great exactness.' - -A correspondent of 'Notes and Queries' (vol. xii. 3rd series, p. 79) -mentions that rings to ascertain the time are regularly sold at the Swiss -fairs. They are called _cadrans_. The price of one is twenty centimes. - -[75] This magnificent collection was sold, in one lot (June 28th, 1875), -to Mr. Bromilow, of Battlesden Park, for 35,000_l._ - -[76] In Montfaucon's 'L'Antiquite Expliquee' there is a fine illustration -of this beautiful seal. My edition of the work is in English (1721), and -the engraving is in vol. i. page 145. It is thus described: the child -Bacchus is in the arms of his nurse. She is generally thought to have been -Ino, called also Leucothea, or the daughters of Ino (according to others) -brought him up. A nymph, or perhaps another nurse, is sitting by. The old -man is either Silenus, or it may be Athamas, Ino's husband. Several other -nymphs have on their heads baskets full of flowers and fruits. Two Cupids, -or Genii, stretch a canopy over Bacchus and the company that are about -him. A nymph presents a cup to one of the Cupids. On the side of the -figure is an old satyr leaning against a tree. He is playing on a kind of -crooked hautboy. At the end, behind the tree, is a young boy, holding with -both hands a bason, in which a goat seems to be going to drink. It is not -easy to say who a naked man is with the crown on, and holding a cup in one -hand, and in the other the bridle of a horse that is prancing. Some have -taken it for Apollo. - -[77] A curious story of a _squirt_-ring is mentioned in Thiebault's -'Original Anecdotes of Frederick II.' M. de Guines, ambassador of France -at Berlin, had greatly mortified the Prussian nobles, and especially the -other foreign ministers, by the ostentatious pomp which he displayed. -Those whose limited means he thus eclipsed longed for some opportunity to -wound the vanity of the proud man who daily humbled theirs, and excited -their envy. At this crisis a Russian ambassador, who was returning home to -present at his own court his newly-married bride, stopped on his way at -Berlin. Prince Dolgorouki, the Russian ambassador there, did the honours -of the Russian court to his countryman, and gave him and his wife a -dinner, to which were invited all the corps diplomatique. M. de Guines was -seated next to the bride. The lady, who had been initiated into all the -court gossips, had enlisted under the banner of the malcontents, and taken -upon herself the task of vexing the magnificent Frenchman. She had placed -upon her finger a ring of very exquisite and curious workmanship, to which -she called the attention of her neighbour during the course of the dinner. -As he stooped to examine the jewel, the wearer pressed a spring concealed -in the side of the ring within her hand, and jerked a small quantity of -water into the eyes of the ambassador. The ring contained a syringe. The -minister wiped his face, jested good-humouredly on the diminutive little -instrument, and thought no more of it. But his fair enemy had not yet -accomplished her purpose of mortifying the ambassador. Having refilled the -squirt unperceived by him, she called his attention to herself, and again -discharged the water in his face. M. de Guines looked neither angry nor -abashed, but, in a serious tone of friendly advice, said to his foolish -aggressor: 'Madame, this kind of jest excites laughter the first time; -when repeated it may be excused, especially if proceeding from a lady, as -an act of youthful levity; but the third time it would be looked upon as -an insult, and you would instantly receive in exchange the glass of water -you see before me: of this, madame, I have the honour to give you notice.' -Thinking he would not dare to execute his threat, the lady once more -filled and emptied the little water-spout at the expense of M. de Guines, -who instantly acknowledged and repaid it with the contents of his glass, -calmly adding, 'I warned you, madame.' The husband took the wisest course, -declaring that the ambassador was perfectly justified in thus punishing -his wife's unjustifiable rudeness. The lady changed her dress, and the -guests were requested to keep silence on the affair. [Madame de Barrera.] - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - -Passages in italics are indicated by _italics_. - -Passages in Gothic font are indicated by =font=. - -Superscripted characters are indicated by {superscript}. - -The original text contains letters with diacritical marks that are not -represented. - -The original text includes Greek characters that have been replaced with -transliterations. - -The original text includes Hebrew characters that are indicated by -[Hebrew]. - -The original text includes various symbols that are represented as -[Description]. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Finger-Ring Lore, by William Jones - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FINGER-RING LORE *** - -***** This file should be named 43707.txt or 43707.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/7/0/43707/ - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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