Chapter IX (1)

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 Phœnician.
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.’

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

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.

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 Phœnician 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.’)