Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-11-05
Finger-Rings.

uncivilized nations, but it would proba-
bly, be impossible to point to any single
ornament connected with which so much
interest attaches as to the lingering it
is Of great antiquity, and during centu-
rles OF years has been associated with
the most important concerns of life, both
IN matters of ceremony and affairs of
the heart. It has been used as a means
OF recognition, as a credential and as a
form OF introduction which insured hos
pltalty to the bearer of it. Royal edicts
were promulgated through its medium,
and power was transferred by its means
When Pharaoh committed the govern
ment Of Egypt to Joseph he took his ring
from his finger and gave it to the young
lsraelte as token of the authority he
bestowed upon him. So also when Aha
suerus agreed to Hamans cruel scheme
Of killing the Jews in all the Kings
provinces, he took the ring off his hand
and gave it to Hannah as his warrant,
and afterward, when he commanded
Mordecai to write letters annulling the
former decree, he ordered them TO be
sealed with his ring.
a ring formerly marked the rank and
authority Of a man, and the Kings ring
was as important a part of the insignia
OF royalty as his sCepter or his crown.
Fingerrings 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.
Among the Jews the middle or little
finger Of the right hand was that upon
which the ring was worn, and the signet
was always upon the right hand, as ap-
pears by the passage in Jeremiah, q" AS [
live, saith the Lord, though COniah, the
son OF Jehoiakim, King of Judah, were
the signet on my right hand, yet would l
pluck thee hence" Bishops, probably
following Biblical precedent, wore their
official rings upon the right hand. This,
however, was opposed to the practice of
the Egyptians, who considered the fourth
finger Of the left hand as the ring-fnger
Still they did not cOnt1ne themselves to
that finger, for there is a woman in q
mummy case in the British Museum in
which the fingers and thumbs of both
hands are covered with rings.
The Pope's seal-ring is not worn by
him, but has been used for sealing briefs
apostolic from the fifteenth century,
the private letters Of the Popes. The
ring of the fisherman, 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 new one made for the
new Pope. The use of the ring was
granted to Cardinals about the Twelfth
century. \ Cardinals ring is set with
sapphire, to denote the high priesthood,
and is given when 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 Cardi-
nails 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. 1t was
the custom to bury the Cardinal with
his 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 on the finger of the
defunCt. Thus it was with our Henry
IL, 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 rob-
bers 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 differ
ent times come under the Jan of the re-
ligious as vanities and snares, but rings
have always been looked upon with
favor by the church.
Whatever may have been the origin of
the wedding-ring the church took care
that it should be considered a holy thing.
The Doctrine Of the Masse Booke"
Q554) contains form for the " halOwing
of the woman's ring at wedding" in
which are the following prayers:
Thou maker and cOnserver of mankind, giver
of spiritual grace and graunter of eternal saliva
ton, Lord send thy blessing upon this ring, that
she which shall weare it maye be armed wyth the
vertue of the heavenly defence and that it may
profit her to eternal salvation thOrOwe Christ, etc.
Halow thou Lord this ring which we blesse in
thy holy name; that what woman socver shall
weare it may stand fast in thy peace and continue
IN thy wyl and live and grow and wake old in thy
love. etc.
Holy water was then to be sprinkled
upon the ring.-Brttjsh Quarterly ReUieao.
A LITTLE episode recently occurred in
a Chicago courtroom which will bear
relating. In the prosecution of a case
before the Superior Court a Mr.. Alexan-
der, attorney for the defendant, took oc-
casion to apply for change of venue
An affidavit was prepared in the usual
form as prescribed by the statute, setting
forth that the affiant did not believe he
could have fair and impartial hearing,
and this document was read to the court.
This simple and perfectly regular pro-
ceeding provoked the wrath of Judge
Jameson, who forthwith launched out
into TRADE against the witness, openly
accusing him of perjury and asserting that
the counsel in the case, if not as guilty
as the witness was at least chargeable
with subordination of perjury. This
charge seemed to strike Mr.. AleXander's
sensitive feelings with terrible force.
He turned deathly pale and with diff
Guilty rose to his feet and managed to
stand long enough to inform the court
that it was the first time in his life that
any such imputation had been cast upon
his character and then fell fainting to
the floor. In the ante-roOm to which he
was taken he again revived, but retained
consciousness only for a moment, when,
muttering the words perjury" per
jury" he again tainted and was removed
to his residence as speedily as possible.
Mr.. Alexander is a well-known member
OF the Chicago bar and is respected by
everybody as most conscientious and
scrupulous gentleman--Chicdg0 Times