Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-10-16
USES OF RINGS.
Ancient and Modern Significance
of Small Bands.
History of Rings from the Time of the
Pharaohs to tho Present. Day-Of-
fetal Ring of the Romans
Their Various Charms.

Their Various Charms.
From the most ancient time rings
have been worn either as personal
adornments or as insignia of Office. Fin
gers and toes, arms, legs and feet, necks,
ears, lips and noses, all are or have been
decorated with this universal ornament
We read of Pharaoh investing Joseph
with 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 the 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
as part of their official dress. Later on
every free Roman wore ono as a right,
although some who affected the SIM
plicity of olden times wore iron rings.
In more degenerate days tho luxurious
Romans loaded their fingers with rings,
some of the more exquisite dandies even
going so far as to have different rings for
win ter and summer wear. The Laced@-
monians, as became their rugged SIM
plicity, wore rings of iron.
Caesar mentions gold and iron rings as
used in Gaul and Britain for money-a
thing customary among ancient peoples,
and practiced even in Sweden and Nor
way down to the twelfth century, as it
is now amongst some of the tribes Of
Africa.
In days when writing was a rare ac-
complishment seal or signet-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 the head of the house. In
"All's Well that Ends WELL" Shakes
peare makes such ring the principal
turning-point in the plot;
"a ring the county wears
That downward hath succeeded in his house
From son to son, some four or five descents
Since the first father wore it,"
We must suppose that old Jack Fal-
| bldD uldut oOnO w HVhblO
ancestry in that scene at the "Bore's
Head" where he complains of having
been robbed during his vinous sleep be-
hind tho arras:
"Shall ! not take mino case in mino
inn, but shall have my pocket picked?
l have lost seal-ring of my GRANDPA
ther's worth forty mark"
At which old Dame Quickly re-
marks: ~.
81 have heard the Prince tell him,
know not how oft, that that ring was
copper. %
All the old romancers and dramatists
have illusions to tho customs. of wear.
ing and giving rings. When lovers
parted they made an Interchange of
rings At a betrothAl rings were the
sign and evidence of troth-plight In
. 'lrwelfth Night" betrothal is de-
scribed in tho priests answer to Olivia
IA compact of eternal bond of love,
Confrmedby mutual ioinder of your hands,
Attested by the holy close of lips,
Strengthened by interchangement of you
rings;
And all the ceremony Of this compact
Sealed in my function. by my testimony"
In "Troilus and 'Cressfda," there i.
reference to the interchange of rings
In "Cymbeline," Imogen, parting with
Posthumous, gives him adiamond ring
"This diamond was my mothers; take ii
heart;
- But keep IL till you WOO another wife"
Similarly, in the 1.-Two Gentlemen o
Verona" Proteus and Julia exchang
rings as pledge of constancy
Even Shylock, that ''currish jew,
had, in his youth, wandered int
the realms of loves romance. On
, can not but sympathise with him when
mad with grief and rage for the loss O
, his daughter and his dueats, he meet
with his friend Tubal, who, with othe
news, tells him:
! zone of them showed me q ring tina
: he had of your daughter for monkey.
|, The poor old jew replies:
: "Out upon herl Thou torturest me
l. Tubal. 1t was my turquoise. ] had
: of Leah when l was bachelor"
/ This heartless action of his migrate
!; full daughter cuts him to the quick, an
there is touch of psthos in the menta
torture of the poor, lonely old jew as h
z thinks of the gift of his dead wife thu
= lightly cast to mocking enemies.
= the same play Shakespeare makes othe
: references to tho customs of his tim
q concerning rings Portia, as a rewar
! for saving Antonio, demands ring frol
+ Bassanio, who says:
GOOD sir, this rims, was given ne byiny wifi
And when she put it on, she made me vow
That 1 should neither sell. nor give, nor 10:
it,
Nerissa also obtains Gratiano's rim.
and a nice quarrel arose, thereafter, Z
he explained:
"About a hoop cf gold paltry ring
p That She did give me; whose pcesy was.
Sor all The world. ike cutters poetry
! Upon knife: Love re and leave me not