it to Kentigern, and vows to be more monly used. Ambassadors wore gold careful of her conduct in future. Finger rings are mentioned in the first book of the Bible, and they appear to have been much worn by the Jews in all ages. The ladies of Palestine adorned their hands with glittering rings, and chiefly valued those which were set with rubies, emeralds, and chrysolites. Signet rings of gold, silver, and bronze were much worn by the ancient Egyptians, and these were frequently engraved with representations of the sacred beetle or scarabæus. This insect was venerated in Egypt when alive, and was embalmed after death. It was worshipped both as the emblem of the sun and as the symbol of the world. The rings of the lower classes were usually made of ivory and blue porcelain. Sir Gardner Wilkinson describes a ring in the possession of a Frenchman at Cairo which was one of the largest he had ever seen. It contained twenty pounds' worth of gold, and amongst other devices engraved upon it was the name of a king, the successor of Amunoph III., who lived about 1400 B.C., and was known to the Greeks as Memnon. There is no reference to rings in Homer, and they do not appear to have been introduced into Greece till a later age than his. The fashion, however, once set, spread fast, and in the time of Solon every freeman throughout Greece wore one signet ring either of gold, silver, or bronze. That statesman, to prevent counterfeits, made a law that no seal engraver was to keep in his possession the impression of any seal ring that he had cut for a customer. At a later period the Greeks used rings set with precious stones, and wore two or three at the same time. They were therefore considered as ornaments, and their use extended to women, who wore them of ivory and amber. Demosthenes wore many rings, and he was stigmatized as unbecomingly vain for doing so in the troubled times of the state. The Spartans took a pride in wearing plain iron rings. rings as a part of their official dress, and afterwards the privilege was extended to senators, chief magistrates, and the equestrian order, who were said to enjoy the jus annuli aurei. The emperors assumed the right of granting this distinction, which was coveted as a sort of patent of nobility. In time, however, its value declined, and the Emperor Aurelian gave the right to all the soldiers of the Empire; and in the reign of Justinian it had become so common that all citizens were entitled to it. The introduction of sculptured animals upon the signets of the Romans is said to have been derived from the sacred symbols of the Egyptians. Afterwards, when the practice of deifying princes and venerating heroes became general, portraits of men took the place of the more ancient types; thus the figure of Harpocrates was a fashionable device at Rome in the time of Pliny. Roman rings were massive and of immoderate size, and were consequently found by the effeminate to be too hot for summer wear, so that different kinds were introduced for the various seasons, Charged with light summer rings his fingers Unable to support a gem of weight. sweat, Dryden's "Juvenal." In times of sorrow the Roman changed his gold for iron rings; and when he died his rings were often burnt with his corpse. Rings were placed upon the statues of the deities and heroes, and were put on or taken off according to the festival that was celebrated. Roman rings were often of great value, thus that of the Empress Faustina is said to have cost the immense sum of £40,000, and that of Domitia the still larger amount of £60,000. The early Christians did not imitate the often indelicate symbols of the Romans, but took devices connected with their faith for their rings, such as the dove, the anchor, fish, palm branch, &c. The ancient Romans wore iron rings, Ring making was an important branch of and purists continued to wear them long the goldsmith's art in the Middle Ages, after more precious metals were com- and a body of artists were called by the French aneliers. Rich enamel in curious | official rings upon the right hand. This, devices usurped for a time the place of however, was opposed to the practice of the gems, and the workmanship was often of the highest character, Benvenuto Cellini being the chief artist in bringing the art to its greatest perfection. In our own country rings have been worn by all the races that have successively inhabited it. Lo! here is a red gold ring, The lady looked on that ring, It was a gift for a king. "Sir Degrevant." (Thornton Romances.) Egyptians, who considered the fourth finger of the left hand as the ring finger. Still they did not confine themselves to that finger, for there is a figure of a woman on a mummy case in the British Museum in which the fingers and thumbs of both hands are covered with rings. Among the Romans plain rings were worn originally on either hand at option, but when gems and precious stones were added they were worn by preference on the left, and it was considered exceedingly The old Celtic rings were usually of effeminate to wear them on the right gold wire. Aildergoidgh, son of Muin-hand. At first only one ring was worn, heamhoin, monarch of Ireland, who then one on each finger, and, lastly, one reigned 3070 A.M., is said to have been on each joint. Charinus, according to the first prince who introduced the wearing of gold rings in Ireland, which he bestowed upon persons of merit who excelled in knowledge of the arts and sciences. Fynes Moryson tells us in his " Itinerary ""that the English in great excesse affect the wearing of jewels and diamond rings, scorning to weare plaine gold rings or chaines of gold." In one of Bishop Hall's Satires we read: Nor can good Myson wear on his left hand Modern rings owe all their beauty to their stones, for goldsmithery is no longer an art, and little attempt is made to obtain elegance of workmanship in the goldwork. In the seventeenth century sharply-pointed pyramidal diamond rings were much used for writing names and verses on glass, and few of the wits and fops of the day were without one. Martial, wore sixty rings daily, or six on each finger, and did not take them off at night, but slept in them. This was an extreme case; but rings were often worn on every finger and also on the thumbs. In Germany rings were frequently worn upon the joints, as was the Roman cus tom. The wife of Sir Humphrey Staf ford (1450) is sculptured in Bromsgrove Church, Worcestershire, with a ring on every finger but the last one of the right hand. Massive thumb rings were supposed to tell of wealth and importance, and Falstaff declared that when young he could have crept into an alderman's thumb ring. The annular finger is now always the fourth finger, counting the thumb as the first, and it is necessary to bear this in mind, for sometimes the mistake is made of counting from the forefinger. Rings have played an important part in the history of the world. They have been used by the king to unite him to his kingdom, by the bishop to his see, and the abbot to his monastery. Special Among the Jews the middle or little interest attaches to the ring with which finger of the right hand was that upon the Doge of Venice married the Adriatic which the ring was worn, and the signet on Ascension Day, when he addressed it was always upon the right hand, as ap-in these words: "We espouse thee, O pears by the passage in Jeremiah, "As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence." Bishops, probably following Biblical precedent, wore their Sea! as a token of our perpetual dominion over thee" -a vaunt that has long been proved to be groundless. We will now, before proceeding further, stop to make note of a few historical rings. One of the most interesting that cess Mary. It is made of gold, set with diamonds, and enamelled black. Outside is engraved “ Honi soit qui mal y pense,” and inside is the posy, "I'le win and wear you if I can." It is doubtful whether this ring was presented before marriage or after; if the latter the motto may be understood as referring to William's design of contesting the crown of England with his wife's father. has come down to our time is the signet | (afterwards William III.) gave to the Prinring of Mary Queen of Scots, now in safe keeping among the treasures of the British Museum. Sir Henry Ellis was of opinion that this was Mary's nuptial ring when she was married to Darnley, and that it affords the earliest instance of her bearing the royal arms of Scotland alone after having discarded the arms of France. When Dauphiness, she and her husband had quartered the arms of England, which gave great offence to Queen The signet ring of Cæsar Borgia was Elizabeth. Within the ring is a mono- exhibited a few years ago at a meeting of gram formed of the letters M and A, the British Archæological Association, by which is of great historical interest, be- the Rev. C. H. Hartshorne. It is of gold, cause Sir Henry Ellis has pointed out slightly enamelled, with the date 1503, that in a letter from Mary to Elizabeth, and round the inside is the motto "Fays written just before her marriage, she used ceque doys avien que pourra." A box the same monogram, probably as a puzzle dropped into the front, having on it Borfor the Queen of England and her Coun-gia, in letters reversed, round which are cillor Burghley. The clue was, however, the words "Cor unum una via." At the given to them when Darnley was created back is a slide, within which it is related Duke of Albany. Another interesting he carried the poison he was in the habit ring is the one which Queen Elizabeth is of dropping into the wine of his unsussupposed to have sent to the Earl of Es-pecting guests. Hannibal carried poison sex, but which was never delivered to him. It is of gold, with the head of the queen cat on hard onyx, and it is now in the possession of the Rev. Lord John Thynne, who is descended from Lady Frances Devereux, Essex's daughter. Aubrey relates that Queen Elizabeth had a double ring, made with two diamonds, which formed a heart when joined. She kept one-half, and sent the other to Mary Queen of Scots, as a token of her constant friendship; but, as Aubrey adds, "she cut off her head for all that." Mary commissioned Beatoun to take back her ring to Elizabeth, when she determined to seek an asylum in England. Before dismissing the maiden queen we may - mention that her coronation ring was filed off her finger a little before her death, on account of the flesh having grown over it. 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. In this prison the worldfamed dreamer, John Bunyan, was confined, and there is little doubt that this was his ring. It bears his initials, J. B., and is engraved with a death's head, and the words "memento mori." The ring was sold to Dr. Abbot, chaplain to the Duke of Bedford, and presented by him, We must now turn to the consideration in his last illness, to the Rev. G. H. Bower, of some official rings. Episcopal rings perpetual curate of Elstow, where Bun-are of great antiquity, and the newly made yan was born. In the Londesborough Collection is the identical ring which the Prince of Orange about with him in a ring, and when all his hopes were gone he swallowed the poison, and died. Pope Alexander VI. (Borgia) possessed a key-ring such as was used by the Romans, which contained poison. When he wished to get rid of an objectionable friend he gave him his ring to unlock a casket, and as the lock was a little hard to open the pin concealed within gave the fatal prick. Rings of the same kind of workmanship, but not with so deadly a design, have been common, and keys intended to open invaluable caskets were often attached to rings. In referring to these singularities, we ought not to omit the mention of a ring made with a watch in the boss, which could be so wound up that it would make a small pin prick the person who wore it at any hour of the night he pleased. Ladies have always been ready to give up their valuables in times of national distress, but they have perhaps never been so nobly rewarded for their devotion as during the great war of Liberation in Germany. The ladies sent their jewels and ornaments to the treasury for the public service, and they each received in return an iron ring, with the emphatic eulogy, "Ich gab Gold um Eisen" (I gave gold for iron). bishop in the Roman Catholic Church is invested with a ring by which he is married to the Church, as a part of his con secration. In the romance of King Athelstan, printed in Hartshorne's "Ancient Metrical Tales," the king says to the offending archbishop: Lay down thy cros and thy staff, In 1194 the fashion of the episcopal ring was settled by Pope Innocent III., who ordained that it should be of solid gold, and set with a precious stone, on which nothing was to be cut. The stones usually chosen were ruby, indicating glory, emerald for tranquillity and happiness, and crystal for simplicity and purity. These rings were usually signets, and were sometimes used for special objects; thus in Spain and France the bishops sealed up with them the baptismal fonts from the beginning of Lent to Holy Saturday. Before the ring is conferred it is blessed, and the ceremonial of investiture takes place before the pastoral staff and mitre are received. If a new pope is already a bishop, as is usually the case, he does not receive a ring, but if not one is presented to him with the usual formula. The ring was formerly worn on the index finger of the right hand when the blessing was given, and then changed to the annular finger at the celebration of mass. It is now always worn on the annular finger of the right hand. As the ring was made large enough to be worn over a glove, a guard ring was often necessary, to prevent it from falling off, when worn without one. The Pope's seal ring is not worn by him, but has been used for sealing briefs apostolic from the fifteenth century. Prior to that period it was employed for the private letters of the popes. The ring of the fisherman, a signet ring of steel, is in the keeping of the cardinal chamberlain, or chancellor, and is broken with a golden hammer on the death of every pope, and a new one made for the new pope. The use of the ring was granted to cardinals about the twelfth century. A cardinal's ring is set with sapphire, to denote the high priesthood, and is given when a title is assigned to him. The gift, however, is not free, for the new prince of the Church has to pay a large, fine on receiving it. The 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. It was the custom to bury the cardinal with his 391 ring on his finger, as was done with the king and other great men. When tombs have been opened the ring has usually been found upon the finger of the defunct. Thus it was with our Henry II., Richard II., and Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror; and in France the body of Childeric was discovered with his regalia and coronation ring. Graves were sometimes violated by robbers, in order to obtain the treasures within, and assaults were even made upon the corpse as it was carried to be buried. Most ornaments have at different times come under the ban of the religious as vanities and snares, but rings have always been looked upon with favour by the Church, Decade rings have sometimes been used in place of the ordinary rosary of beads. They were mostly made of ten, but sometimes of more knobs. Ten knobs or bosses indicate the number of aves; eleven bosses, ten aves and a paternoster, the last being marked by a larger boss than the others. Twelve knobs were intended to express that the creed was to be repeated at the twelfth. Reliquary rings, in which some sacred relique was inclosed, were at one time in common use. To pass from the Church to the law we must not omit to mention the well-known serjeant's ring. Every serjeant-at-law, on being sworn in, presents rings of pure gold, with a motto on them, to such persons as come to the inauguration feast,. to the law officers, and certain other officials of importance. The values of the. various rings are proportioned to the rank of each recipient, and one of very large dimensions, with the motto inscribed in enamel, is given to the sovereign. On the admission of fourteen serjeants, in 1737, 1409 rings were given. away, at a cost of £773, and besides this. number there were others made for each serjeant's own account, to be given away to friends at the bar, attorneys, &c., which came to more than all the rest of the expense. Lists of the mottoes on many of these rings have been printed in "Notes and Queries," but as they are not of any great interest, we do not insert them here, merely mentioning Brougham's suggestion of a motto on a certain occasion. Some barristers that Brougham did not think much of wished to be made serjeants, and the ex-chancellor suggested that the most appropriate motto that could be found for their rings would be the old legal word "scilicet." Lord Rings with punning devices or re August. September. madness. Sardonyx: Conjugal felicity. Chrysolite: Antidote against October. Opal : Hope. As might be expected in so fanciful a matter, the moral qualities attributed to the stones vary greatly according to different authorities, and moreover, other gems than those mentioned above have been set apart as emblems of the different months. buses, heraldic emblems, &c., engraved Pretty in amber to observe the forms Of hairs, or straws or dirt, or grubs or worms; Rings, which were supposed to charm away all the ills of life, were once worn, and the Arabians have a book written exclusively on magic rings called "Salcuthat." The most wonderful of all these rings was that one, which is said to have been found in the belly of a fish, and was transferred in regular succession from Jared, the father of Enoch, to Solomon. This ring of Solomon's was that with which refractory Gins were sealed up in jars before they were thrown into the sea, we read in the "Arabian Nights." The ring of Gyges, king of Lybia, was also of great note. He is said to have found it in a grave, and when he wore it with the stone turned inwards, he was rendered invisible to human eyes. Many other rings, however, have been supposed to possess the same power as that of Gyges, and it was a belief in the Middle Ages that rings with certain cabalistic words upon them rendered their wearers invisible. Rings were used among many different nations as charms and talismans against the evil eye and demons, against debility, the power of the flames, and most of the ills inherent to human nature. Sometimes the virtue existed in the stone, and sometimes in the device or inscription or magical letters engraved upon them. Rings, which are now looked on merely as ornaments, without meaning, except in the cases of the wedding and engaged rings, were formerly considered to be full of occult significance. Certain stones represented virtues, and others were famed for their magical value. The Poles believe that each month of the year is under the influence of a precious stone which exerts its power over the Magic rings made of wood, bone, or destiny of any person born during the other cheap material were manufactured period of its sway. It is therefore cus-in large numbers at Athens, and gifted tomary among friends and lovers to make reciprocal presents of trinkets ornamented with the natal stones. The following is a list of the stones peculiar to each month with their meanings: with whatever charm was required by the purchaser. Execetus, the tyrant of the Phocians, carried about with him two rings, which he struck together to divine by the sound emitted what he had to do or what was to happen to him. The Gnostics engraved gems with mystic figures, all of which were supposed to have their value. The word Ananizapta was a favourite inscription, and the names of the three kings of Cologne, or the wise men of the East, viz., Jasper, Melchior, and Baltazar were used as a |