New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-04-18

ing such an important step. She and 1, ana
the baby, wish you adeu.
FiHger-Esings-NOte Rings Of An.
ssYuity--Ring SuperstitiOns.
Finger rings are of the greatest antiquity
and of universal fashion. One of the colossal
figures of antiquity is Suphis, or CheOps,
King of Memphis, who. during his lifetime,
caused the Great Pyramid to be built for his
tomb. Every decree connected with the
building of the Great Pyramid, or with the
thousands of men employed upon it, was
sealed with the signet ring of Suphis. No
other finger ring was ever connected with
such a vast human work. The Great Pyra-
mid, which may have cast its shadow over
Alexander and Cambyses, still points sun
ward, monument of one mans vanity and
power; and the same ring which tells all its
marvellous story, CLEANS as brightly to-day
as when it glittered on the hand of Cheops,
more than three thousand years ago. This
is the most valuable ring of antiquity in the
world. This ring is in the highest state of
preservation, and was found at Ghizeh, in a
tomb near that excavation of Colonel Vyse's
called Campbel's Tom. 1t is of fine gold.
The style of the hieroglyphics is in perfect
accordance with those in the tombs about the
Great Pyramid, and the hieroglyphics within
the oval, make the name of that Pharaoh of
whom the Pyramid was the tomb.
Solomon was said to own ring which pos
sessed magical powers. Pharaoh gave ring
to Joseph, the patriarch, as sign of-his
delegated authority. When the Roman am
bassador required the King of Bithynia to
give Hannibal up, the latter, on the point of
the Kings doing so, swallowed poison, which
he always carried about in his ring. In the
time of Alexander the Great, it was custom
AIRY in Athens to wear magnificent rings
with engraved stones. It is recorded that
DemOsthenes was fond of finger rings. The
Romans collected cases of rings, many of
which are mentioned as being at Rome
among these, was that which Pompey the
Great took from Mithridates, and dedicated
to Jupiter in the capital. Upon Pompey's
ring were engraved three trophies, as EN-
blems of his three triumphs over the three
parts of the wOrld-Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Caesars ring bore an armed Venus. On
that of Augustus there was first a sphynX,
afterwards the image of Alexander the Great,
and at last his own, which the succeeding
Emperors continued to use. Nero's signet
bore Apollo Staying Marsyas. This Empe
ror's musical vanity led him to adopt it.
When the practice of defying the princes and
heroes became general, portraits of men took
the place of more ancient types. This GUS
tom gave birth to the cameo, when Greek ar
fists were encouraged to settle in Rome in
order to supply the demand for these beauti-
tul ornaments. Seneca mentions a ring set
with the head of Tiberius in cameo. The
stones principally used by the Greeks and
Romans for cameo-cutting were the agate,
onyx, and the Indian sardonyx; the latter
was most priced on account of variety of tint
in its different beds or layers, and the beauti-
full, warm, transparent cornelian-like ground.
The ring of Nonius contained the largest
opal known to the ancients, on account of
which its possessor was prescribed by Mark
Anthony. 1t was of the size of hazel-nut,
and was valued at a sum equal to 100000 of
our money. When NOnius took to flight he
carried nothing with him but this ring. '"How
marvellous" adds Pliny, Unjust have been the
cruelty. how marvellous the luxurious passion
of Antonius, thus to prescribe a man for the
possession of "A jewel; and no less marvel
lous must have been the obstinacy of NOnills,
who could thus dOte upon what had been the
cause of his prescription" Coming down to
more modern times, we are told that the ring
which George Washington placed on the
finger of his bride (NIrs. Martha Custis) is
still preserved. 1t is a gold ring set with
topaz. The topaz is derived from the Island
TopaZiOn, which was supposed to be situated
in the Red Sea. There are two kinds of
topazes. The superior is a gold color; the
other inclines to a greenish yellow. The
second species was called chrysopase, a name
which indicates the blending of gold and leek
color. In allusion to the latter color, the
stone is called in the Chaldean dialect iarken
(green,) which is the equivalent to praise.
Giving a ring in marriage ceremonies is
supposed to indicate the eternity of the union,
seeing that circle is endless. The Jewish
bridegroom puts the ring on the forefinger of
the brides right hand, and this is the rule in
the Greek Church also. In the Roman and
Anglican, the ring is placed on the fourth
finger of the woman's left hand, the origin of
which has been much disputed. Sir Thomas
Browne apprOpriates chapter to this inquiry.
observing: An opinion there is, which mag
nities the fourth finger of the left hand, pre-
suming therein a cordial relation, that par
ticular vessel, nerve, vein or artery, is con-
fcrred thereunto front the heart; and there
fore, that hath especially the honor to bear
our rings" Sir Thomas then refers to this
practice as common not only in Christian but
heather nuptial contracts. Pliny states that
in the portraits of the gods the rings were
worn on the finger next the thumb that the
Romans wore them on the middle finger, as
the ancient Gauls and BritOns, and some
upon the forefnger, as is deducible from Julius
Pollux, who names that ring Corionas. Since,
therefore, the practice differs in various coun-
tries, we can scarcely refer it to any natural
cause which would alike affect all. Sir
Thomas next examines the anatomical details
ofnerve, vein, and artery; adding that inspec-
ton does not "confirm particular vessel in
his finger" and that I" these propagations
being communicated unto both hands, we
have no greater reason to wear our rings on
the left than on the right" The Laram
Manual, as old as 1885, says: The ring
finger is Certain vein p' which GOES directly to
the heart"
Among the Jews there sometimes was an
exchanging OF rings, the bride first giving
plain ring OF silver, and receiving back ring
of gold. The difference of metal was UNDER
stood to symbolic an Acknowledgement of
inequality on the part of the woman.