The Washington times., 1901-12-01

again UUfuluS INTO ldSHiOn Inc custom
prevailed from the middle Of the sixteenth
to the close of the seventeenth century.
Specimens of the posies, or rhymed mot
tees engraved within the hoop Of the ring
during TiIe period named are as follows:
"our contract
Was heavens act"
'In thee. my choice,
/ do rejoice"
God above
Increase our love-
The posy was always on the fiat inner
side of the ring. Shakespeare has alluded
more than once in contemptuous terms to
these rhyming effuslons In the ''Mer-
chant Of Venice" act 5. scene /. when Por--
tia asks Gratiano the reason OF his quar-
rel with Nerissa, he answers:
About hoop of gold paltry ring
That she did give me; whose posy was
For all the world like Cutters poetry
Upon knife. Love NE, and leave me not'
Hamlet asks at the conclusion of the
triple lines OF rhyme uttered by the play
ers at the commencement Of their trag-
edy: rs this a prologue. or the posy of
ring2" Yet the composition of such
posies appears to have exercised the wits
Of superior men OCCASIONALLY, and they
were sometimes terse and epigrammatic.
In 1924. a small collection Of them was
printed, with the quaint title. Loves
Garland: or Posies for Rings. Handker-
chiefs. and Gloves, and such pretty to-
kens, thas lovers send their loves
Lily. in his address to the ladies, pre-
fixed to the second part OF his "Euphues,"
1897. hopes they will be favorable to his
work, writing their judgments as you
do the posies in your rings. which are
always next 10 the finger, not to be seen
Of him that holdeth you by the hand and
yet known BY you that wear them on
your hands,
AnnsrEm Posies.
The Rev Giles Moore notes In his jour-
nal. 1874: Il bought for Ann Brett 3
gold ring. this being the posy: When thia
you see. remember me-
One Of the most whimsical of these in
scriptions was used by DR.. John Thomas,
Bishop Of Lincoln. England. in 1858. who
had been married three times. On his
fourth marriage he placed as a motto on
the wedding ring:
L
I'll make them fvei'
my Lady Rockford, writes rioraee
Walpole. desired me t'other day 10 give
her motto for ruby ring, proving that
the custom prevailed as late as the mid
die of the eighteenth century.
The motto of a ring may be formed by
the arrangement of the stones around the
hoop. a device Invented by the French
jewelers. at the beginning Of the nine
teenth century. By this method the in
itial letter of the name OF each stone
combines to form amatory words as fol-
lows.
uby.
merald.
G arnet
niethyst-
uby.
D iamond.
apis Lazuli
o pal
erde antique.
Z merald.
NJ aiachite.
E merald
1t may be said that mystic significance
has, from the earliest period. been asso-
ciated with the ring. In its circular con-
tinuity it was accepted as type of eter-
nifty. and hence of the stability of affec-
tion. The Greek aud Roman rings are
often inscribed with sentences typical OF
this feeling MAY you live long" is en-
graved one one. II bring good fortune to
the wearer' was another usual inscrip-
ton Sometimes stone was inserted in
the ring upon which was engraved an in
taglio, representing a hand fondling the
lobe of an ear, with the one word, Re
member" above it. Others have the wish.
Live happy or II give this love pledge"
They we're lavishly displayed by the early
nations; but except as an indication of
gentility or wealth they appear to have
been little valued until the sentimental
ism gave them a deeper significance.
The Ring in History.
AS a gift of love or sign OF betrothal.
the ring came into ancient use. The Jews
make it a most important feature OF the
betrothaI in the marriage ceremony. The
rings used in the Jewish marriage rite
were sometimes of large size, and much
elaboration of Workmanship. Some curl
Gus specimens may be seen in the fine col
lection of Hebrew curios in the National
Museum.
According to the Jewish law. it is nee
essary that the rings be OF certain
value. 1t is therefore examined and GER
tilted by the officiating rabbi and chief
officers Of the synagogue. when it is re-
ceived from the bridegroom. whose abso-
Lutte property 1t must be, and not obtain
ed by credit or by gift. When this is
properly certified the ring is returned to
him. and he places it on the BRIDES finger.
calling attention to the fact that she is,
by means of this ring, conseerated to him,
and SO completely binding is this action
that, should the marriage not be further
c0nsecrated, no other could be contracted
by either party without legal Gtvorce
In the Middle Ages. solemn betrothai
by means Of the ring often preceded mat
rimony. and was sometimes adopted be-
tween lovers who were about to separate
for long periods. Chaucer, in his .'Troiius
and Cresseide," describes the heroine as
giving her lover a ring. upon which
love motto was engraved. and receiving
one from him in return Shakespeare has
more than one allusion to the CUSTOM
which is absolutely enacted in his TWO
Gentlemen Of Verona" when Julia gives
Proteus a ring saying Keep you this
remembrance for thy Julia's sake. and
he replies: why then. Wen make ex-
change Here. take You this
The fourth finger of the left hand mas
from long usage been consecrated to the
wedding ring. from an ancient belief that
from this finger nerve went direct TO
;he heart So comnletely was this fanct-