The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-11-14
USES OF RINGS.
Ancient and Modern Significance
Of Small Bands.
History of Rings from the Time of the
Pharaohs to the Present Day-Of-
hcial Ring OF the Romans
Their Various Charms
Yankee Blade

From the most ancient time rnGs
have been worn either as person j
adornments or as insignia OF Office. Fin.
gers and toes, arms, legs and feet, neeks,
ears, lips and noses, all are or have been
decorated with this universal ornament.
We read of Pharaoh tnyest ting Joseph
with n ring when he made him a ruler
over Egypt; we read OF the men and
women of Israel contributing their ear
ringS-part, no doubt, of tho Egyptian
spoil-to the making of the golden calf.
In all times the ring seems to have been
symbol OF dignity and authority.
In the early days Of the Roman Re-
public ambassadors wore golden rings
rs part of their official dress. Later on
overy free Roman wore one as right,
although some who affected the sim
Hlicity of olden times wore iron fings.
In moro degenerate days the lux urious
Romans loaded their fingers with rings.
some OF tho moro exquisite dsndios oven
going SO far as to havc different rings for
win ter and summer wear The LacedR-
mouians, as became their rugged sim
plicity, wore rings of iron
Caesar mentions gold and iron. rings as
used in Gaul and Britain for moneys
thing customary among ancient peoples,
and practiced even in Sweden and Nor
way down to the twolfth century, as 1t
is NOW amongst some OF tho tribes of
Africa
In days when writing was rare &C
complishment q seal or signot-ring was
necessity to kings and mobiles; and
such rings were never parted with. oven
temporarily, save to persons IN whom
implicit confidence was placed. These
rings would pass from father to son for
generations. and were, in fact, the sign
manual of they head of the house. In
"All's Well that Ends Well" Shakes.
seare makes such ring the principal
turning-poi in the plot:
" A ring the county wears
That downward hath succeeded IN his house
From son to son, some four or five desccnts
Since the first father wore IL"
We must suppose that old Jack Fal
staff made some pretensions to gentle
ancestry in that scene at the 'B ores
Head" where he complains of having
been robbed during his vinous sleep be-
hind the arras: g..
Shall not take mine ease IN mino
inn. but shall have my pocket picked
1 have lost a seal-ring of my grandfa.
theirs worth forty mark
At which old Dame Quickly re'
marks:
81 have hoard the Prince tell him, I
know not how oft, that that ring waS
copper" -.-.-> - =
All tho old romancers and dramatists
have illusions to tho customs of wexr
ing and giving rings. When lovers
parted they made an interchange of
rings. At betrothal rings web tho
sign and evidence of troth-plight In
Twelfth Night" q betrothal is de-
scribed in the priests answer to Olivia
"A compact OF eternal bond OF love-
Confirmed by mutual ioinder OF your hands,
Attested by the holy close OF lips,
Strengthened by interchangement of you,
rings;
And oil the ceremony of this compact -,
Sealed in my function, by my testimony"
In "Troilus and Cressida," there Is
reference to the interchange of rings.
In "Cymbeline," Imogen, parting with
Posthumous, gives him diamond ring.
This diamond was my mothers; take II
heart;
But keep II TIL you WOO another wife,
Similarly, in the Two Gentlemen OF
Verona" Proteus and Julia exchange
rings as pledge Of constancy.
Even Shylock, that "currish jew"
had, in his youth, wandered into
the realms of loves romance. One
can not but sympathize with him when.
mad with grief and rage for the loss OF
his daughter and his ducats, he meets
with his friend Tubal, who, with other
news, tells him:
Zone of them showed me a ring that
he had of your daughter for a monkey"
The poor old Jew replies:
''Out upon herl Thou tortnrest me,
Tubal. 1t was my turquoise i had il
of Leah when 1 was a bachelor"
This heartless action of his migrate
full daughter cuts him to the quick, and
there is touch OF pathQfs in the mental
torture of the poor, lonely old Jew as he
thinks of the gift OF his dead wife thus
lightly cast to mocking enemies. In
the same play Shakespeare makes other
references TO the customs Of his time
concerning rings. Portia, as q reward
for saving Antonio, demands q ring from
Bassanio, who says:
Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife;
And when she put It on, she made me vow
That should neither sell, nor give, nor lose
it."
Nerissa also obtains Gratiano's ring,
and nice quarrel arose thereafter, as
he explained:
About hoop OF gold, paltry ring
That she did give me; whose poesy was,
For all the world like cutters poetry
Upon knife: Love me and leave me not"
These posy rings, as they were called
were at one time very popular, though
the rosies were not of great poetical
merit We may quote as specimens;
In thee, my choice
do rejoice"
Again:
"Constancy and Heaven are round.
And in this the Emblem's found.
Perhaps the most important ring
certainly in the opinion of the fair sex