Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-02-20
OF RINGS.


How They Were Regarded IN the
Past---Napcleon and the Bene-
diction Ring.
Toronto Mail: The value of a ring
as a messenger of grace was exemplifi.
ed in the stormy days of Queen Mary
of Scotland. Two burgesses had been
condemned to death, but were repriev-
cd at the foot Of the gallows by Her
Majesty. The messenger was sent in
great haste by the Earl of Boutwell,,
land presented the Queens ring to the
Provost's inspection for the safety Of
their lives" This was considered q
sufficient indication Of the royal Glenn
ENJOY, and the "~revival," observes
Knox, in his "History of the Reforma-
ton in Scotland" ''of an ancient Gus
tum practiced by Scottish monarchs
before the date of the earliest sign
manual on record, when everything in
Church and State were represented in
types and symbols"
Swearing by the ring was q practice
of early times. In tho Chronicle of
Florence of Worcester" we read ca.
ID. 876) land in tho same year the
army of the Danes in England swore
oaths to King Alfred upon tho holy
ring. which they would not do to any
natioh, and they delivered to the king
hostages from the most distinguished
men iD the army that they would
speedily depart from mis- kingdom, and
that by night they broke" In illus
tration of this passage, Petrie gives an
extract from Arngrim Jonas, and a re-
ference to Bartholinus Ode Armillis), by
which 1t appears to have been customary
among the early scandinavian nations
to give additional sanctity to an oath
by taking it upon a ring or bracelet,
smeared with the blood OF the sacrifice
offered upon the occasion.
We have a curious instance of the
use Of d ring in the middle ages in the
case of Adelaide, widow of King 10th
aire, who, being besieged by Berenger,
the uccesso Of Lothaire, sent q mes
sage to Ohio, king of Germany to as
sist her. In proof OF his readiness to
do so, an arrow was shot into the place
of her captivity by a skiliful archer.
having suspended to it the reply and
the nuptial ring of the king Of Ger
many, to whom she was afterward
married.
A singular ''memento" ring was
worn by Carl Hoffman, for many years
chief editor of the Wiener Tageblatt,
who died lately at Vienna. Down to
his last hour he wore upon the fore
finger of his right hand an iron ring,
which, some three decades ago. he had
made for him out Of the link Of the
chain he had borne, as a political pris-
oner, during two long and weary years
Of incarceration, varied by hard labor.
Rings, as we know, were given as
prizes at tournaments, athletic sports.
such as wrestling, horse and foot races,
shooting with the bow, etc, in former
times. One OF the most singular re-
wards of this kind was for "grinning"
matches. Addison, in the Spectator,
(No. 1879, quotes an advertisement
from the Post Boy Of prizes to be given
for horse and ass races on Coleshill
Heath, Warwickshire, and Sc god
ring to be grinned for by men," He
says: "The gold ring which is made
the prize for deformity is just the re-
verse Of the golden apple that was
formerly made the prize for beauty.
and should carry for its posie the old
motto inverted, Deiur teriori, or, to
accommodate it to the capacity of the
combatants.
The frightful grinner be the winner.
Rings for hopping" matches were
given in the sixtt oath century, as we
learn from John Heywoode. In his
Proverbs" Q566) he says:
Where wooers hoppe in and out, long time
may bring
Him that hoppeth best at last to have the
ring.