Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-04-05
There's the ducal ring,
And there's the ducal diadem. And so
The Adriatic's free to wed another.


known before medieval times. for Hanni-
bal carried this means of speedy death
about with him, and when ali hope of vic
tory or successful retreat was lost. swal-
lowed the poison and died. But the prac-
tice became chiefly known through the in
famous assassinations thus committed in
the middle ages. One of Cesar Borgia's
poison rings is now in the possession OF an
English clergyman. 1t has small box
set in the front OF the ring and behind it
is slide, within which this handsome old
villain was in the habit of dropping into
the wine of his unsuspecting guests.
Another member of this same family.
Pope Alexander W., had habit quite as
dsagreeable. An old form of ring had a
key attached to or carried upon the seal.
This Pope had one of these which was
hollow in the handle of the key and filled
with poison, and also provided with a very
small hollow pin, which, by a slight
puncture, injected poison under the skin.
! When this ecclesiastic desired to remove
a superfluous friend he would politely re,
quest him to open the Papal cabinet. The
lock being rather hard to open the pressure
upon the key was usually sufficient to
give the fatal prick.
Not more than ten years ago an Ameri-
can gentleman who was purchasing some
objects OF art in the Rue st. Honore. Paris,
noticed very curious medieval ring. On
the inner part of the ring were what hap
| pened to be two sharp claws. and while
examining these the gentleman inflicted a
slight scratch on his hand. A few minutes
later he felt a strange numbing sensation
creeping over him, and then sudden
| " became so i'll that a doctor was
quickly summoned. His symptoms
/ being evidently those of poisoning
strong antdotes were administered
and The gentleman recovered. The ring
mentioned was again examined and found
to be one of the 'death rings" of the
/ it were filled with a violent poison. SC
violent, indeed. that though thus concealed
some two hundred years it still retained
its deadly properties. as the American
| gentleman had proved. well-nigh fatally
This ring was probably worn by the
/ Italian politician for the express purpose
of shaking hands with the rival candi
date'I
/ The marriage ring has always beer
placed on the fourth finger of the left hand
counting from the thumb. custom saiC
to have its crigen in an ancient belief that
a nerve from that finger was directly con,
nected with the heart. More probably il
was chosen because that finger is less used
than others. and it can be moved bu
slightly without the aid of the other fin.
gers OF the hand. This beingnthe case. il
was strange fashion which prevailed fol
a long time in England. tor the ring to be
removed from the fourth finger after the
ceremony and worn upon the thumb.
custom which explains the curious verse
in Hudihras. alludlng to the Puritan pre-
judice against the marriage ring:
| Others were for abolishing
/ That tool of matrimony. a ring
/ With which the unssnctifed bridegroom
Is married only TO a thumb.
There has always been prejudice il
favor OF plain gold ring for the marriage
ceremony. In Ireland ring of this ma
terial is regarded as essential to the lie
gality of the ceremony, and as man,
couples are too poor to purchase one. it il
a common thing for priests to keep one t,
loan tor the purpose In England pune
tilious clergyman of the Establishe,
/ Church has been known to refuse to per
form the ceremony when diamond rims
was offered, but such objection is no
sanctioned by law.