RINGS.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 166, 22 October 1880, Page 2 (Supplement)

RINGS.

Capricious as are the freaks of fashion in dress and personal ornaments, it has been able to work little change in the habit of Wearing rings, since the world first took a fancy for them. The material and workmanship alter with the advance of art, but the ring itself, from its regular beauty; apart from all superstitious, sentimental, or mystical associations, must ever be a cherished ornament. Betokening a class which need not labour with its hands, rings have al ways been the favourites of princes and ladies. The history and poetry of finger-rings are laid up in numerous learned treatises, which no one but Dr. Dryasdust w-uld dream of perusing ; we shall endeavour, however, iti the space of a short article, to give a few particulars, as a sample of tiio curious history and interestin • lore connected with rings, and leave the professed archfcologian to disinter as much more as he pleases. Enduring as rings are, their antiquity readies far beyond the oldest we can see in museums. The earliest mention of their use occurs in the Book of Genesis, some 1727 years n.i:.; but it is quite possible that the famous homo d'diirii text is, or even the still more mythical pro-historic man, wore a ring. We afterwards bear in the sacred records of Pharaoh’s ring, and that used by Darius at Babylon ; and Herodotus cells us all. the Babylonians used co wear rings. They were originally intended strictly for use as signet-rings, and not as ornaments, and their use as such soon spread from the East into Europe. Tn the Homeric poems, there are no traces os the custom of wearing rings, and the earliest rings used in Greece (about Solon’s time) were signet rings for use only. They soon became fashionable as ornaments, however, with precious stones sat and engraved in there, dandies crowding their lingers with them up to the nails, like modern Jews or cardplaying' dowagers. The L icediemonians always wore iron rings. Some amongst the German tribes, in the time of Tacitus, wore rings of that metal till they had slain an enemy in war. As for the Homans, the bo d authorities assert (hat they received the fashion of ring-wearing from the Greeks ; but it probably filtered simultaneously through to both nations from the Pulasgiaus, who in very early . times settled on the coasts of the Mediterranean, and kept up friendly intercourse with the orientals. The R >man rings were at first always of iron, and always strictly for use, but increasing luxury corrupted this primitive fashion. Still such men as Marius, and such families as held what wo should call good old Tory principles, never gave up the iron ring. The Roman fast young men made an improvement on the Greek profusion, by introducing light rings for summer wear, and heavier ones for the winter. From the rings of the Roman knights, and the officer who had the care of the emperor’s state-signet in later days (answering to our Great Seal), the history of rings comes down to our own time without any other very noteworthy remark. Bings play an important part in many oriental legeuds, especially Solomon’s ring, which, amongst other marvels, sealed up the refractory Jins in jars, and cast them into the Bed Sea. A Lydian hero, Gyges, possessed a famous ring which rendered him invisible whenever its stone was turned inwards. As Plato tells of the marvellous manner in which he acquired it, we could almost fancy lie had heard the story told by some eastern Scheherazade, so exactly is it like an Arabian night’s entertainment. It is remarkable, as shewing the universality of legends which often are the fairy tales of rising nations, that this very same story comes up again in the Welsh romance of Morte d’Arthur. One is there said to have a ring which possessed this virtue when so handled, and which, with Cuendolen’s chessboard, was reckoned among the thirteen wonders of Britain. Another famous Greek story tells of the ring of Polycrates. He was warned in the time of his greatest prosperity by a pious king of Egypt to sacrifice whatever article he most valued, in order to propitiate Nemesis. Manning a boat, therefore, lie rowed out to the open sea, and flung into the depths his ring, which was of gold with an emerald gem, the setting of the renowned Theodoras. This being very dear to him, he grieved much over liis loss. Five or six days after, however, a fine fish was brought him, and inside this the royal cooks found, the ring, much to their master’s delight. The chronicler naively adds, that his Egyptian friend ‘seeing it was impossible to rescue another from destiny,’ broke off their alliance, on hearing of this piece of goodfortune. It is curious that this story also has an eastern parentage. Legend "there accounts for Solomon’s losing his wisdom by connecting it with the possession of a marvellous ring. This he one day, in a fit of fondness, entrusted to one of his wives, who Hung it into the Jordan, and thereby fora long time rendered the king reckless and foolish. Luckily, it too was found inside a fish, and on being restored to t’ne king, his wisdom also returned to him.

We need not speak of the numberless rings of antiquity which possessed magical, musical, or medicinal virtues in the estimation of the credulous ; can we not, even now, purchase galvanic rings i Nor need we tell how universally the ring has been adopted for the symbol of espousals, betokening eternity in its figure, and the surpassing excellence of true love in its material ; and how, being worn on the fourth finger, it thereby (so the ancients believed) pressed a vein that tan straight to the heart, it may be ' noticed in passing from this, that much curious learning attaches itself to the different lingers on which rings are worn. Originally, says that arrant gossip Pliny, rings were worn on the fourth linger, then on the second, afterwards on the least. Our ancestors, who ‘ ran wild in woods ’ seem to have preferred the fourth linger. The monkish verse, Miles, Mercator, Stuitus, Marinis, Am&tor* assigns them, counting from the thumb, to the soldier, the merchant, the fool, the husband (a suspicious closcnc-ss), the lover ; as amusingly as school-boys determine the rank of the wearer of a waiscoat by the number of its buttons, counting him, as it may happen, tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, gentleman, apothecary, plough-boy, thief ; When it is remembered how Hanniba.

c irried enough poison in a ring to kill him when tired of life, no one need suppose that rings which contain hair, perfume, or a watch arc modern discoveries. Ere now, there lias been a ring which held a familiar inside it. Numerous curious rings, or rings which once belonged to celebrated people, are to be found in most museums ; we shall only mention one or two interesting specimens. St. Louis is said to have had a ring of fleur-de-lis and daisies, with the motto, ‘ Can we find love beyond this riug / ’ At a late exibition, a very line ring was shown, which was found by a labourer, in the summer of 1562, when digging among the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey ; supposed to be of the middle of the sixteenth century. It was a massive plain band of pure gold, with a motto engraved within its hoop, nuvx coitus, vx'i! ovK.it, and the initials CM entwined by a true lovers’ knot of peculiar form. What a life-romance lay within that ring ! We must find space for another ring, a remarkable specimen of thirteen th-ce.ntury English gold-work, found early in the last century at G<>dstowe Priory, near Oxford, where Fair Rosamond was buried. Massive, and of diameter small enough to have belonged to a lady, it is supposed to have been enamelled, and has been thus described : 1 Broad gold hoop ring, the surface beautifully chased with a foliated pattern, in which the English rose is tire principal motive: the chasing encloses three lozenges, in which are engraved the Saviour on the Cross, with the Eternal Father above, the Virgin and Child, and Wt. Peter : within the ring is engraved in Go th ic ch arac tevs—

Most in mynd and in myn hertt, Lot best from you forte departs.. ’

Ancient rings were generally massive. Henrietta Maria’s, the queen of Charles 1., is thick enough and largo enough, to be worn on a modern lady’s thumb.

The mottoes on rings form a curious department of archaeology. At the present day, perhaps, because we are less sentimental than our great-great-graud-parents, mi one ever things more than having a few initials engraved within a ring; Imt during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, it was a very common practice to have mottoes inscribed within the hoop of spousal, nuptial, or merely presentation rings. These were sometimes called ‘gipsy rings,' probably from such rings having originally been hawked about the country ly the gipsies or Boliemains, the East having always been famous for such amulets. The motto itself was called the ‘ posy ’ or ‘chanson.’ Numerous collections of such mottoes have been formed, from some of which we will extract a few for the reader's edification. The ring with which Bishop Bull wedded liis wife had a good instance of these ‘ posies ’ upon it : 1 Bene parere parcrc pararc det mihi Dens.’ We must translate this excellent sentiment for the benefit of the fair sex : ‘ God make me a good mother and an obedient housewife.’ If the lady ia question were such a shrew as the judicious Hooker’s wife, it may be feared that the good bishop did not venture to translate to her the portion of it about obedience. Bing posies are either double or single. The double ones are generally serious ; such arc— God our love continue ever, That we in Heaven may live together. Or — Let him never take a wife, That will not love her as his life. Occasionally they take a lighter tone— If I think my wife is fair, What need other people care t Love him who gave thee this ring of gold ; ’Tis he must kiss thee when th’artj old. j 'Tis fit men should not be alone, 1 Vv hick made Tom to marry J one. 1 as for the last double posy we shall quote,! it is to be hoped that the gentleman vvhea gave the ring had not afterwards to repeals of his confidence— j I did then commit no folly, .] When I married my sweet Molly. |j Single posies are very varied. Here are two beautiful ones to head our list— God above, send peace and love. God and thee, my comfort be. Several more worth quoting cannot be classfied ; we will give them all round, as Perdita distributed flowers to her guests Sweet heart I pray, do not say nay. Love me little, but love me long. I bid adieu to all but you. For a kiss, take this. Like and take, mislike forsake. This and my heart. True blue will never stain. One more must bo mentioned in a year when everything turns to Siiakapcare’s honour—JNerissa’s ring,

Whose posy was, h or ah the world, like cutler’s poecrv Upon a knife— JLova me, ami It'.ici iwi not. . Uff all the familiar objects of domestic life, it may be remarked, in conclusion, none arc so intimately connected with our uccpest feelings and most cherished memories as rings. The spousal ring touches the chords of all that is noble and elevated in either sex ; it is • the- enchantment of human life,’ calling up devotion amt cm value tenderness in man, mid mellowing the kindly impulses ivdicc draw the maiden to ail that is good, mi ' the mos intense and self-denying !ov-„ one. friendship and departed relatives have their mementoes with us in rings, : Who cures for a ring that has no fou-i ; memory clinging to it ! The whole life-1 iustory of two souls is compassed in tk J wedding-ring. Love, loss, chastisement 1 endurance, the false life of the pas | dropping away, glimpses of the pence f future revealing themselves, the unfoiuia § of aims and it opes that are the Duds t a our race’s development— such wingc ft thoughts hover around wedding-ring! lf 1 here is no romance for those who can rwfi it line that of an olu worn wedding-rffiii The thoughts it awakes in a contemHatilf mind are precious as its own gold,"brinflf as its lustre, and boundless as the cirow of eternity. |I