The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-05-03
Love Gifts.

From time immemorinl the most
usual love gifts have been rings, brace
let's Of hair, flowers, birds, scented
gloves, embroidered handkerchiefs,
and such like articles. Autolycus has,
IN his ''pedler's pack:''
Golden qnoits and stomachcrs
| For my lads to give their dears."
In ancient Greece pretty birds were
generally love gifts; Gagged birds were
SOLD IN the market at Athens tor that
purpose. Among the Romans rings
were exchanged and this custom seems
to have prevailed in all ages and every
country. Chaucer describes Cressila
as giving Troilus ring with a ''posy, -
ana receiving one from him in ex-
change; Shakespeare frequently al
ludes to such tokens. The rings that
''Portia" and '.Nerissa" present To
their betrothed husbands play a con-
spicuons part in the last act of "The
Merchant of Venice" and in "Thc
Two Gentlemen of Verona" "Julia,
says:
This ring gave him when he parted
from me,
~ ".In,. MIN TO remember my good
will"
Swinburne, in his "Treatisc on
Spousals," gives the following reasons
Tor the ring being the chosen emblem
OF love: "The form of the ring being
circular, that is, being round and
round without end, importeth this
much: that mutual love aud hearty
affection should roundly flow from one
to the other as in circle, and that
continuously and forever In the
most remote ages the ring or circle
was used as an emblem of eternity in
Egypt and Greece, a usual form ofem-
blematic circle was the serpent with
Its tail in its mouth, and this form has
been frequently adopted in rings and
bracelets.
The custom of breaking gold or
silver coin between lovers is also very
ancient, and may probably have been
derived from the old Athenian symbol.
A piece of metal or wood was cut into
two parts, one-half being retained by
the native Of Attica, the other given
TO stranger whose acquaintance he
had made. The bearer of the symbol,
whether one of the original parties or
only friend, was entitled to all the
rites of hospitality from the owner of
the other halt. Not to acknowledge
this duty was considered scandal ,us
and crime. Coins were no doubt sub
scquently used because of the facility
OF recognizing the token by the device.
A "bowed" or crooked piece of money
was preferred as love token, being
considered more lucky. The broken
coins, pledges of love, are frequently
referred to in poem and story.
Strut mentions small embroidered
handkerchiefs among the lovers in
yogce in England in the olden time.
| They were about three or four inches
square, "wrought round about" with a
button or tassel at each corner, and
another in the center. Some were
edged with narrow gold lace or twist,
and then folded so that the middle
might be seen they were worn by az.
cepted lovers in their hats or at the
breast. These were so fashionable in
Queen Elizabeth's days that they were
sold in the shops at from sixpence to
sixteen pence apiece.
Camden in his "Ancient and Modern
Manners of'the Irish," speaks of lovers
presenting their mistresses with brace
let's of woven hair; and among North
ern nations knot was symbol O
love aud fidelity. The origin of tn,
expression "true love knot" is not from
true love, as might be supposed, bu
from the Danish Trulo ia f2en do.
plight my TRUTH Exchange.