National Republican., 1885-04-18
ODD FACTS ABOUT RINGS.

A story of ring being tho price Of n
kiss is related In tho Ieelandic Kormak's
Saga, showing in what light the fair sex
was regarded these in ancient times. |
Allusion is made to duel in which Thor
ward, as the wounded person, is obliged |
to give his antagonist gold ring, equiva.
lent to the legal 1no of three marks. In
another duel with Kormak. in love
affair. he Is again overcome, and is obliged
to give another gold ring, and finds that
dueling Is not only dangerous, but it is
also an expensive amusement. Kor-
maxi before setting sail for Norway, pays
q visit to the Lady Keingarda, for whom
he had battled, aud he gives her two
kisses. Thorvard declares that ho must
pay the legal fine for his audaoity.
What do you demand ?" asks Kormak.
| Tho two rings" replies Thorvard,
which l had to give thee by virtue of
| the Holmgang regulatious"--a penalty
attached for this breach of good manners.
BE 1t So" said Kormak, giving him
tho two rings, and extemporizing a strophe
which runs somewhat as follows:
For two kisses impressed
With glowing desire
| ON n woman's sweet lips
Two gold rings ye require.
| Inc gems snail DC yours,
Though methinks It's not meet
To tax poor wight
| For so luscious trent.
Mr.. Shaw, in his visits TO High Tar
tary, Yarkand, and Kashgar, gives an
instance of the efficacy of seal ring in
reducing an elephant to obedience. "The
king of Bokhara marched to Khokand
and established his protegc. koodah Var.
The Khokandees were much struck by
two elephants which ho brought with
him. These are the envy of all other
Central Asian potentates. 1t was gravely
related to me that one of these elephants
having got loose, set off on the road to
Bokhara. Attempts were made. but
vainly, to stop him. The servants re-
ported tho matter to their master. The
Ameor took of his signet ring, the symbol
of his authority, and dispatched 1t by the
lands of courier on horseback, saying,
when you have overtaken the elephant
put IL before him. and IN my name tell
him to return to Khokand.' Tho man
did 80, whoreupon the elephant paused,
turned round, and slowly returned to the
city"
The salutary virtues of q ring, inde-
pendent Of the enchautments and occult
powers grated on 1t in olden times, are
strikingly exemplifed in tho followin <
anecdoto: In the Histories ct Parraboles
of Father Bonaventure Girandeau (edit.
1S13) is the story of rich man, whose re-
morse for an ill-spent life led him to Rome
to beseoch the pope to convert him. Tho
pope suggested various penances THAT ho
should undergo, but none seemed to meet
his case; fasting was detrimental to
his health; no had no time to read
or pray; to undertake pilgrimage would
interrupt his worldly affairs.--in fact, to
every recommendation of tho pope he had
some excuse for not carrying it out. The
pope heard him patiently, and on his
leaving gave him a gold ring. on which
. was the inscription, "Nemento mori'-
Remember you must die-and told him
that he should always wear the ring and
read the inscription at least once day.
, The rich man retired, congratulating
: himself on having SO light q task imposed
upon him. but, in a short time the words
fell and deeper on his mind, and he said
to himself "As must die. what else have
, In the world to prepare myself for it ?
j Why regard my health that death must
destroy, or think of riches that will pass
, awayY The conclusion of these though hts
led to his pursuing life of rigorous self
4. denial and doing worthy actions, which
D made him beloved by all to his dying
day.
: In one of Hawthorne's American notesl
/, he relates q singular incident that befel
: his friend, DR.. Harris, while Junior at
! college. Being in want of money to pur-
: chase shirts and other necessaries, and
y not knowing how to obtain 1t he set out
4 on walk from Cambridge to Boston. On
J. the way he cut stick, and after walk
J. ing u short distance perceived that some
thing. had become attached to the end o
1t. This proved to be a gold ring, bearinI
(, the motto. God speed thee, friend p al
!. encouragement to preseyere in his effort
J. for improvement and a salutary assist
ance to him.
Rings, as we know, in former times
II were sometimes officially used in the
" conveyance of property, and were legally
. recognized as part and parcel of sucl
}; transfers. In tho eighteenth year o
!, Queen Elizabeth's reign Sir Francis En-.
o glefeld settled his manor and estate al
a Engle6eld, in Berkshire, on Francis. hi,
g nephew, with power, Notwithstanding, o.
u revoking his grant "if he during his
. natural life, should deliver or tender tc
= his nephew gold ring" with intent
E. says Burke, ''to make void the uses OF
q his said settlement, various disputes and
z, points of law arose (the manors, lands
z and vast possessions having been for.
Z; feited to the queen in the twenty Gig htt
{, year of her reign whether the said manor
~ anu esthle Ol WeTO u
the queen" In order to settle the dis.
8 pute oti-hand Elizabeth, in the ensuing
d session, had special act passed estab
>; fishing the forfeiture of Englefeld tc
a. herself, her heirs, and assigns, and
y backed by the enactment, she came upor
i, tho scene, tendered gold ring to Sil
Francis, and seized aud conhscated tn,
said manor and estate and many othel
possessions.
o By the ingenious, If not cunning devic,
o by which Queen Elizabeth cOnfiscated tn,
}. estates of the Engelfelds, this ancien
Is family was stripped of an inheritance or
o which they had tlourished for 750 years
% The queens love for jewelry was un
r bounded, and her willy courtiers availet
j. themselves of this passion by giving he
a numerous jewels rs New Year presents
o but among the costly rings, in which sh,
n took especial delight none could bring
b her such good fortune however equivo
a caliy employed) as the gold ring tina
). turned the fortunes of the Englefields.-
IS Al The Year Round.
:, BOYS spring suits, Eiscman, 7th and Z.
- -----s------
u lie Didn't Want the Boots Any Way