Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-10-14
MONTPELIER, VERMONT, THURSDAY,

| 0NSN'N0Sht
enriched with costly 0rnamants, and preserving
such fanciu identity with the original fabric, as
could be obtained by perpetual repairs. without
total reconstruction" Gliding through the still
canals Of the singular and beautiful city, be-
tween palaces hung with tapestry and garland
ed with flowers, amid festive shouts and trum.
phal music-silver trumpets and embroidered
banners evidencing on all occasions the pres.
encc of the Doge-" the superb pageant pass
ed on to the shores of Lido, near the mouth of
the harbor, and the priOcely bridegroom, drop
ping gold ring into the bosom Of his betrothed,
espoused her With this brief H. significant
greeting We wed thee with this ring IN token
of our true and perpetual sOvereigaty9"
"Alas Tor time, still more alas for chAuge"
The magnificent edi6ces Of Venice still rise
above the lagoons, and mirror their statelness in
these sleepy shadows but the greatness, vaunt-
ing of perpetuity, through dust and ashes, to the
ever moving sea, is dream--the very name of
Doge word of the past, and the once power.
ful republic igment of the Lombardo Ventian
kingdom
But to return to our subject; the last of the
Trlbunes, Rienzi Gabrini, caused himself to be
presented with hallowed ring by one Of the
Cardinals, in imitation of the ancient senators of
Rome, and also perhaps with superstitOus be.
lief that it would strengthen his alliance with
the imperial city.
In the history Of our own country, from the
miraculous ring of Edward the Confessor, to
comparatively modern times, this trinket in the
hands of royalty has exercised strange power
now sancionng dark deeds-now becoming
passport of safety, like that of Henry the Eighth
in the hands of Bishop Crammer.
Nor must we forget the tragedy clinging to
the ring which his daughter Elizabeth bestowed
on Essex, as warranty that in his utmost need
he should have favor of her. This token Of
tenderness, the Earl, in his extremity, after his
J trial and condemnation, commissioned the wife
of his worst enemy, the Countess Of Noting
ham, to deliver to the Queen but she, pursuad-
ed by her husband, retained it; and Elizabeth,
eXnp peraed at what she thought tho contumacy
of her lavourte, signed his death warrant; nor
knew of the effort he had made to claim her
mercy, till the Countess, on her death bed, re-
vealed it to her. 1t is recorded that Elizabeth
in the violence of her passion, shook the dying
lady, eXclaiming /" That God might forgive her
but she never would" And as she herself
henceforth refused all sustenance. and foil into
the pfofounlest melancholy dis Ss%g u.Ay nai-
rectly be regarded as the instrument of her
death.
Long previous to this reign, seal rings appear
10 have been in general use. Fastaff, at the
tavern in Eustchap, affects to lose one which he
says had belonged to his grandfather and had cost
forty marks Merry Wives of Windsor)
f 1t was also customary to grave mottos within
: such as were given as souvenirs of love or
n friendship. Shakespeare alludes more than once
r to these poses, as they were called, and which
: according to the apologetic expression he puts
t into the lips of Gratano, on the loss of Nerissa's
r ring) 1t must have been the fashion to engrave
: on other articles also. g About hoop Of gold, ;
; eXclaims the delinquent, paltry ring"-
a "That she did give me, whose posy was
i For all the world, like Cutters poetry
Upon knife, love me and leave me nOt!'"
Jacques, too in AS you Like it," observes tc
n Orlando
/. You are full of pretty answers:
, Have yon not been acquainted
/ With GOldsmh's wives,
:, And conned them out Of rngs!"
,r The singular mode of distinguishing Alder
!; men by ring on the thumb, had not exploded
re in these days:
"When was about thy years, Hal, was not
An eagles talons in the waist
could have Crept into an Aderman's thumb ring"
o. excaims the fat Knight, when rallied ut by tn
lie Prince on his personal appearance.
k The serpent ring which we frequently NEE
Sc with in our own days, appears to have been on
tn Of the favourite forms of this ornament in all
III tique times; we meet with it amongst the Egyp
ps tians and Romans, and it was also found on th
ID hand of skeleton at Pompei, relic of jewell
ht nearly two thousand years old. Porcelain an
ne glass rings appear to have been greatly used b
e. the poorer classes in Egypt; buL even these al
If. inscribed with hleroglyphics, and possibly AM
he wcred the purpose of annulets-but gold, silve
cs bronze iron, jaspar and cornelian, were in col
to slant use.
We noticed, amongst the collection of Egyl
o tian fnger-rngs in the Museum, one of tn
nd Roman period, set with negrO's head, exec
ir- lently executed, and two Of cornellan, with tn
he sacred frog in alto.reicvo on the tablet.
ng Shakspear talks of deaths head in ring
lis an unpleasant device, to say the least of
ed though rings have sometimes been made veh
ps cles, as well as symbols, Of this consummation
pe Hannibal, it is said, in terror of falling in
~ the hands of his enemies, always carried poisc
ng in ring, and by means of it, alter his defe
anl flight into Bithynia, disappointed the hoP'
do, of the Romans by destroying himself
lc- That such might have been the case, is clea
ION ly proved by the capabilities of the Russian
his dy's ring Mentioned in ThebauIrs "Ong'n
Ige Anecdotes Of Frederick II.",) which conceai'
md a small syringe, and which she very offensive
lb- made use of as follows While the Fren'
'py minister, NJ dc Guines, was astonishing
wn Court of Berlin with his granduer he cOnterr
has on his legation, IA circumstance extremity NOR
lse fying to men of the same rank, unable to ke
ION pace with his profusion) Russian amosssau'
red on his way to Petersburg with his newly-marrl
ed, wife, arrived at Berlin. The lot ot presen''
aIs him at Court, etc., fell to the Prince Dolgorou'
who gave splendid dinner to all the amoas'
the dors, at which NJ de Guines was placed by t
ope side of the lady, who was aware Of the exist
to rivalry, and anxious, it would seem, as there "
an no competing with him, to render him rldicul"
es Tho r;po olludaI N wHs of great beauty a