The Wedding Ring of England.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 23, 5 June 1902, Page 3

The Wedding Ring of England.

The ring to be worn by King Edward at his coronation is (says the Avc Maiia) of great antiquity as an emblem of power, ard is pre-s-orved with the utmost -ar^ at the shrine of the Confes-sor in Wt-et-miristiT Abbey. It is m- taphorioally cilled the 'wedding ring of England.' The Ugtnd concerning it is this quaintly related by ffivon • — When the bU-ssed X nu Edward hid lired many years and wm f lIV/1 int- great nee, it happed he carrif rid nsr bvachurch in Es.°ex ca'l'd Iliverintr. which wa-< an that tune-in hallowing' and bhould b^ dedioitnl in 'h* honor ot Our Lori and J .hn the Evangelist. Wherefore thn King for great devotion light' d down and tarried while Uv chuich was in h-illowint. And in the time of procession a fair old man cam- to the King and demanded of him alms in the worship of God and St. John the Evangelist. Then the Kirn? found nothing ready to give, ne his almoner was not present ; but he took off the ring from his finger at.d gave it to the poor man, whom the poor mm thanked and departed. And within certain years after, two pilgrims of England went into the Holy Ltnd to visit holy places there ; and they had lost their way and were gone from their fellowship ; and the night approached, and they sorrowed greitly oa they that wist not wither to go, and dreaded sore to be perished among wjl i beasts. At the 1 tst th*>y saw a 'air company of men arrayed in white clothing, with two lights b » me afore them ; and behind th^tn there cirae a fair ancient man with white hair for age. 'Ihen the c c pilgrims thought to follow Ih^ light and drew nigh. Then the old man asked them what they were, and of what tegion ; and they answered that they were pilgrims of England, and had lost their fellow.-hip and way also. Then this old man comforted them goodly, and brought them into a fair city where was a fair cenae'e honestly arrayed with all manner of dainties. And when they had well refreshed them and rested there all night, on the morn this fair old man went with them, and brought them in the right way again. And he was glad to hear them talk of the welfare and holiness of their King St. Edward. And when he should depart from them, then he told them what he was, and said : I am John the Evangelist, and say ye unto Edward your King that I greet him right well, by the token that he gave me this ring with his own hands at the hallowing of my church, which ring 1 ye shall deliver to him again. And say ye to him that he dispose his goods ; for within six months he shall be in the joy of heaven with me, where he shall have his reward for his chastity and for his good living. And dread ye not, for ye shall speed right well in your journey, and ye shall come home in short time Bafe and sound. A»d when he had delivered to them the ring he departed from them suddenly. And soon after they came home and did their message to the King, and delivered to him the ring, and said that St. John Evangelist sent it to him. And as soon as he heard that name he was full of joy. and for glidntss let fall te^rs from his eve-i, giving laud aid Lhmksgiving to Almighty G d, and to St. John h'B avowry that ho would vouehsife to l"t him have knowledge of his departing from tins world. Alho he hid another token of St John, ai d that was that the two pilgritn3 should die tofore him ; which thing was proved true, for they livid not loi g after.