The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-10-12 00:00:00

tittUltUrt.

THE WEDDI NG-RINI:1.

The cuetous of weering Aims in general is so
stirielit that it is hewed upon fable. Although
there is no mention in the Bible of betrothal finger.
tines, we find that a ring Is mentioned therein as a
token of fidelity rind friendship (Gen. all. 42). and of
Wel-time (Luke iv. 22). no ancient Greeks and
Simons wore ring., awl the latter oettainly employed
then in their betrothals. Whenever and by whom..-
.rev the nuptial ring was originslly used, it &meters to
be *leer that it was first employed at the coremooy of
betrethel, and net necessarily at the mound oereniony,
er the Leu“lictiou or completion of the 'manage.
Them two 04111SCIODi421 were, in the earliest times, and
with many nations distinct from each other, hut in later
dais they have becitne united into one. Miratore,
orilii got ilie ancient Italians. says "In the ninth
century a man who wished to pledge his faith as the
luture lowland of a woman placed • ring upon her
which is al the present day preserved for the
beeediction of marriage.
Aftei the custom of keeping distinct the betrothal
end the marriago ceremony fell into deeuetuile, the
betrothal ring WWI still retained under the Dame Of
the eugagement.rog. but it wee not always used f r the
thud err. mien,. The nuptial rings, which were used
1., the lionians, ware mide of matte metals, as itoe,
lima copper. and gold • and it seems that, while the
ceremony of betrothal was distinct from that of
mereinge..the rings use,' were ornauseutoet in various
warg nut when formal betrothal Meanie obsolete. the
ring tiStil at nuirriage took a plain shape, sue was
gmeerally a simple hoop of gold, as at the present time.
New that betrothal and matting. are one end the
moo ceremony, all the ornunentatioli is bestowed on
lie engagement ring.
In eezlyi times, among the eleadeal ancients, the
betrothal ring was worn, aie by on at the present time,
on the left hand. on the finger next to the last, because
of an erroneous idea that a vein or nerve ran from that
finger directly to the hes. t, and therefore it was thought
that the outward sign of matrimony ought to be plated
iii nose connection with that seat of life. Another
name why this particular hand and finger were used
la. been given as follows: namely, the left bend is less
employed than the right, end the finger next the last
In ne•re prote-cted than any other one. Another reason
why woolen weer their weileling-rinp upon their left
band is mail tote because that band is •sigu of inferiority
or 14'Lp-colon.
In ancient days the ring appear. to bays been put
npoo the bride's right baud. Thus according to the
"Salisbury Manual," the bridegroom warn to receive
the ring from the priest with the three principal fingers
of In. right hand, and then, holding the right hand of
the bride with his own left hand, he was to my, 'With
tine ring I thee wed." Ile was than to place the ring
efl. her right hand thumb and say, " In the name of
• the Feeler ;" then on the second finger, and say, and
on," then on the third finger sod say " end
fluty < :beet ;" and finally on the fourth finger, and sty,
" Anon ;" where it was to remain. An eminent Poeta-
fical ordered tte bridegroom to plasm the ring sucot s•
eively on three fingers of the right, and then to leave it
ea the fourth finger of the left hand.
When children wete betrothed by the AngloeSexons,
the bridegeemo gave a pledge or wed, parted which cem-
ented of a ring which was placed on the maiden's right
hand, where it remained until the actual marriage,
when it was tranderred to the left bend. The Anglo-
Normans eut the nog on the middle finger of the right
hand. Liming the reigns of George I. and George IL,
the wedding-ring, although planed on the usual finger
at the time of marriage, was sometimes afterwards worn
on the thumb, in which poeitiou it is represented in
the portrait of Lady Ann Clifford, Counted. of Poem
bribe, end in other contemporary paintings.
It n now absolutely necessary that a wedding-ring
eliould be used at a marriage in the English Church.
To. Rubric direets that "the man shall give unto the
llt-lII4n a ring, laying the same upon a book with the
aceustoined duty to the priest and the clerk; and the
'mien taking the ring, shall deliver it onto the man, to
put it on the toroth finger of the woman's left hand ;
and the man, holding the ring there, sad taught by the
priest, shell say, "With this ring I thee wed, with my
holy] thee worehip, and with all my worldly goods I
thee endow." The placing of the ring on the book, and
,leliveutsg it into the Lands of the minister, is • remnant
of the ancieut cuetore of the hallowing of the ring by
the priest before it was placed by the bridegroom on the
finger of the bride. 'flits custom is still retained by
the Boman Catholics, among whom the ring is conse-
crated by the priest, sprinkled with holy WilaST in the
t'onn of a arum, awl then returned to the bridegroom.
The ',Metiers reject the ogee( a ring in their weddiege,
bestow of ito tie:akin:emit origin, but many ladies of Cm
beriety of Friends weer • wedding-ring niter the
ceremony. The Protootant Church in Switzerland.
and Mormon... do not use 5 ring at their nuptials.
Although • ring in absolutely neoessary in • Church
of Foolacii nonnage, it "ley le- of any metal, and of
sty years wince a ring of beam was uso I at
oreeeter wedding before tin. registrar, who was
...neatened with promo-dings for not compelling a gold
one to be employed. A story is ceid of the wedding of
two paupers, who *SUNS to the church and requested to
be married by the church key, mi the parochial
authorities had not provided them with • ring. The
clerk, feeling wean delicacy about using the key,
fetched an old (wenchn ring node his own house, and
with tlmt article the inarriege was celebrated. The
church in y was used In lieu of • wedding-ring at a
church sear l'eleliester Sally iii too present century ;
and that was not a soltary instance within the pint
one hundred years in this nointry. The Duke of
Hamilton was men.. .1 at May ['sir with • bed-eurtan
ring. Note:sand Veer-ire for October, 1660, relates that
a ring of leather, out treversley front • linger of the
bnilegrooto's glove, ea. used 11/ substitute for the
weitlisig-ring on one. OecsolOn. A clergyman us-
juetinebly stepped a wohlitig in India, because the
bridegroont offered a diamond ring instead of one
geneialle iri 'i.e. In Iseieed the use of • gold ring is
superatitieuely required.
t Is,,iif the earliest and prettiest forms of betrothal
rings was the Rummel or giumiel zing, which is said to
have Luen in %no among the Anglo-sazons. and
also to base been der.ved how the French. Probably
it was at first it mere lose token. but at length it was
converted into • ring of arioue. affiance. It was, as its
name imports, a twin or double ring, being am:wooed
of one or more intechmed holm, which turned upon •
pivot or hinge. Theae arena links could be 'Mut up
intis one solid ring. Bach hoop had one of its sides fist,
and the ethet ournex ; a,',, the two fiat sides were
.acougLitim eeeee the links funnel one ring. elometimee
each of the hoops Lad upon teem a Laud taming from
a sleeve, and when they were united they formed a
file, or elesped hands. Sometime. a heart was repro-
muted upon the Lands, the whole device suggesting
love, fidelity, and union. Frequently mottoes or posies
• were engraven on the ilet or inner ads of the ring.
It was customary at the time of betrothal for the man
to put his finger through one of the hoops. end for the
an to put hers %breach the others. They were
thus rymbeheally yoked lomat or. The links were then
broken asunder, and each of the parties kept a link
until the time of intent marriage. This mode of
betrothal was frequently performed in • eoleann meaner
over the Bible, and in the presence. of • witness. If
the stemma consisted of three Luke, the middle one
was telten by the whom., aud the upper and lower Once
by the lovers. When the marriage contract woe ful-
filled at the church, the three portions of the ring were
again ituited, mid sometimes it was used on the nuptial
ceremony. Oocalionally one hoop was composed of
gold and the oth.r of silver, • difference evidently
meant to distinguish the bride and bridegroom from
each otlim .
Intl.. middle ages solemn betrothal before matrimony
we. effSeteXllAtlllaial lovers by means of • ring not being
a inflame'.
The betrothing one-jointed rings of the early
Cluutti&ni are said to have had repreeentstioue of
two bands joined together
pigc-ons, fish, or, more often,
omen them.
Weediug-rings were not always worn plain, as now,
but in olden times more nearly resembled the betrothal
rings which we have before deeenbed, in being chased,
set with atones, and hoed-Med with emblems, mottoes,
and the initials or nulles of the husband and wife.
The most common emblem was the Owned hands, as
on the gamma and other more gelid betrothal rings.
P 0•1411 or mottoes were mote frequent than emblematical
devices or jewels-
• The following are. few eziemploe of the sentimental
Inscriptions with whieh it was always customary,
during the middle ages, and even to the close of the
seventeenth century, to debirate betrothal and wedding'
rings. It will be seen that the sentiment WU often
a:premed in eery simple words. and in commonplace
rhyme:
- -

"I Our ennttset trio hmeen's act."
"In thee, toy choice, Ido 'Otte. 16r7."
•• God obnce Inc. ...our tote.
•• I.ove thy eta... Made he y.. 11,1 thy Me. 1601 "
•• Pray to lore, and bon to Ica,. 1.147."
, • larluely bolt by gram aro lox ;
Late two note one ; the Ih.bre here us.
lone soul Hee harpy. Innil."
"In loving wile open.l 01l thy Mc. 110+7."
"Ijoll no (hi. Mall be our 1,11.0. 1719."
"AdVSCI choice adtolte no thatore."
•• Etc? tote."
". Lore ilia gitti."
"I.sosO,LUSCY I lite and alt."
" My pl,tltiur ptM haII alwayo 1.4."
•• -1,1 •• e• ••d-rt hr"
lo re bk.. In
i1..1 &snood... re
—11•Plo to thou boo tool wane sta."
! eur hr. tour I'S .541
•• 1 0511 'SO /•rt ath
• .41 info."
•• 1..• I•Ad 1 •• •no Ibould a,:rt•CA"
••10.5C0.0 411.1 I. bopt.).."
.lo.n, tan gort.v.dit the L. rat', llItOLL"
'' Virtu, .urpbou, rich, ''
••Tbinh inc."
•• Thl) Aod the Kite, An. than,: 14100,f "
•• bet I) Imo 'ode...
"Juit ss,thout ord."
•• Lot 'Mae 504 ottitin thy trawl "
"1150. 1...... nett, 1.54 soy 1...."
•• (nail Macout lo Aft:
•. .(01,so .111,1,. i'hno alone."
pr.. itkotok• o, oh inhOrnilBll.3.
•• bly InAlt 11101 I. 111501 I dye."
•• bat no. tall Id. to. rust."
%Admit thb. you r...a.ciator ca.."
Tau death (Made.-
" Till any
•• lot mown rule affect,. ••
•• God continue love to u..."
••01.4 in mytello,sl heart." .
1.,41i5't from you 1.4 to deport."
• .1 eirtuouo wife that lona!! ore."
Lit) and dye In conettuoy.
• '1..1,, loon, ru ne'er depart."
" 1 moot her me my wilt, tor.••
" Tie .1, ith no ewl, tuy fr+7.l;
i•ur lotto he to, DO coding anus •
" Vaithlel ever ; deeeithil
I 01,.. I is., 0.1 0111le.lore.
.1• ,r 5 Ills pure, e. lose lo one.
• .LI NI lost Mtn. )1 pp,: In Inv,lf "
) deny, LLAn sun. I dye."
." 1 our onrht I. to) delight.'
••Mi Me 1•14/1:e wh.othoU 51t1(0551
I.ike Phillh, Own: js now.:
*he truly how leC l'horidon."
`On: loomy. Meths, :no! brown." •
Thi. in.& her 165•111 ray own
`• Asr. Ise jo
• • •• .....as. de..14
site Tau V. morn j"
" 7•.• r •Itesq shall rhan ,11 us) 1.5005
• I 1.•1 .... 60 10, .1 lolly,
WI.. I ...Arm .1 my 11Vit,51 Von). ••
• Ti,,- i• token I Meet the,-,
11 I. '1 o• tohrio h spin tor 51.."
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