Sunday Washington globe., 1902-02-02

Rings, plain or ornamental; rings, en-
riched with diamonds or gliuering with
precious stones modest silver ring which
poor hance has given to his artisan sweet
heart - how many thoughts, how many
memories do you not call up. In the hours
of old age we see reflected in you our lifes
destiny Your circle is riveted to the chain
of the whole round of Joy and sadness
in which our existence consists. You sym.
bolize the pledges our heart has given, the
ties that bind US, the oaths we have taken
and the duties by which we are held. This
little round of metal is the circle OF our
life.
From the earliest ages the ring, the sym
bolic coil, has been known among men.
The museum of the Louvre contains rings
which date from the FIRST of the Egyptian
dynasties. In those days this trinket was
the sign of power. The King Of Egypt in
transferring his authority to Joseph, placed
a ring on his finger The Egyptians, the
Phoenicians and the Babylonisns wore their
rings sometimes on the fourth finger Of
the right hand, sometimes attached to a
ribbon hung around the neck and descend.
ing to the breast.
The Greeks and the Romans wore the ring
on their left hand. 1t was customary among
them for every one to carry ring as a seal;
on the stone was engraved the image of
god or of some great man, or even the pic
ture of an event in which the vain could see
an allusion TO themselves. The ring Of
Sylla showed Bacchus surrending Jugurtha
10 him; that Of Pompey had lion on H.;
that Of Caesar a head Of Venus, and that
Of August a sphinx Of a profile of Alex.
ander
The Romans gave the name of "annuli"
(sigillarius-sesl ring) to rings Of gold thus
engraved. Their cavaliers wore them
long time after the battle of Cannes Hauni-
bal had brought to Carthage three bushels
of these rings. Under the Roman empire
the luxury and profusiou Of rings had no
limit At first content to wear one, men
began to initiate women, and loaded their
hands with rings, excepting only the
middle finger There were then rings for
every season, light for summer, heavier for
winter wear. Among the maddest Of these
effeminates, Heligobale distinguished him
self for his custom of never wearing the
same ring twice.
The signet of these rings was usually pro-
vided with costly stones, usually intaglios
For this purpose the makers chose, among
gems properly sO-called, the amethyst. the
hyacinth and the opaque emerald among
hard stones were used the corneliau and the
chalcedouy, more rarely the jasper, lapis-
lazuli, the wavy agathe and the nicolo ONYX,
with superpOsed layers of blue and black.
The sardonyx, obtained from India and the
desert of Nubia, was chiefly employed for
canoes in relief in which alternating
shades produced the happiest effects.
Among the Greeks the wearing of canoes
developed itself at the court of Selencides
and the Ptolemies; on the other hand il
showed brilliant results among the Romans
especially in the century of Augustus. The
majority of the intaglios and the canoes
which have come down to as could only
have been preserved from destruction BY
the fact that at certain epoch they were
used to ornament relics, sacred vases,
church vestments, missals, etc.
Instead of an engraved stone certain
rings had plaque of gold as finely et-
graved in intaglio as the hardest material,
and carrying the impression of the seal
These engraved rings were much liked by
the Greeks, but it was among the Etrus.
cans that the fashion of their manufacture
and use was developed.
The Etruscans did not work precious
stones in the same way as the Greeks; but,
like the Phoenicians, working them in the
form Of small scarabees, carrying on their
fiat surface an engraving in intaglio, they
preferred to mount these stones in collars
rather than enchase them in rings.
From the beginning Of the middle ages
all Kings wore on their finger a craven ring,
which served the purpose Of a seal. The
doges Of Venice, who regarded themselves
as masters, and, at the same time, spouses
of the Adriatic, cast into the sea, on the day
of their nuptials, large ring, in token of
tleir marriage. These rings, afterward
found by fishermen, have become objects Of
great historical curiosity
Toward the end Of the fifteenth century.
at the time when pOisonings we're frequent,
people made use-in Italy and especially at
Venice-of a model ring called ring of
death, containing a subtle poison, com.
muuicating with two invisible points Of
steel, the lightest touch of which suficed to
cause death by mere hand shake.
In the sixteenth century Venice had also
brought into fashion the 'ricordini," ;" which
sweethearts exchanged with each other.
They were rings of various shapes, fixed in
the mouths of small masks, whence issued
forth ribbons decorated with Eve pearls.
Certain other 'ricordini, worn by lovers in
sign Of triumph, we're slipped on the little
toe. the shoe at this point having been first
cut away
The ring Of Bayard had on it Sans beuy
et sans rebr0che. Without fear and without
reproach.") Charles /. of England wore
ring ornameuted with his portrait. in
enamel, sufmounted with a deaths head,
with a crown and the initials, &C R." On
the eve Of his execution he gave this ring
20 Colonel Yates. Only few years ago the
descendants Of Yates caused this ring to be
sold at auction In London
The ring Of Devereux Count of Essex.
also had its legend-a legend Of love and Of
blood. Albert Devereux young aud ele.
giant in manners, made profound impress
sion on Elizabeth, and soon became her
favorite Elizabeth gave him her ring,
telling him that there was no fault he could
ever commit for which she would not, at the
sight Of that pledge Of her affection, in.
stantly pardon him
When Essex was condemned to death for
having taken part in a revolt against the
government of the queen he commissioned
fha Couufeea of Mofffngh.r, 20 ST. a.