Sunday Washington globe., 1902-02-02


the supreme appeal which she krew her
former favorite could not fail to make.
Bitter over a silence which she took Tor
dsdain, the queen allowed Essex to be
executed, but not without having hesitated
a long time before signing the fatal war
rant. Thus Robert DevereuX ascended
the scafold February S, 1901, at the age Of 81.
At the moment of his execution she burst
into tears, complaining, as if by sort Of
intuition, at the overhaste which had been
shown in carrying out the sentence, and
grieving long over the event
When the Countess Of Nottingham felt
her end approach. seized with remorse, She
sent word to Elizabeth Of an important
secret she had to communicate to her. On
the arrival Of the queen at her death bed
she confessed her fault and asked pardon.
Never, exclaimed Elizabeth, withdraw
ing Immediately and overwhelming the
dying Countess with the bitterest re-
proaches.
Henry III. also had passion for rings
and for precious stones. Following the ex-
ample of their king all the women of the
time were passionately fond of them.
According to St. Simon, the ring box Of
the Duchess of Berry was worth 100000
ecus. The Prince Of Conde had 4,ooo. rings,
and every one of them, he used to say, "re-
called a tender recollection" From
the time of Louis XIV rings were slender
and of moderate dimensions, During the
following reign they remained of charming
workship and appearance yet withal they
attained a size out of all proportions.
Bachaumont. in his Secret Memoirs, says
that at the sale of Mile. de Beauvoisin's,
which took place November ~. 1884, there
we're 200 rings, each mole superb than all
the rest
Mercier, laundering in t7sz against the
abuse Of the ring-weanng fashion, said:
when one takes the hand of a pretty
woman one feels nothing but rings and tri-
angular stones; it is actually necessary to
uudress the hand in order to perceive its
outlines and fneness of shape"
In 1855 rings were worn very large. They
were made. for the most part, of a precious
stone, enchased in a plaque of enamel or
composite stone of oval form, square,
lOzenge-shape sometimes colored green,
yellow, sky blue or gray The year follow
ing rings were square, in the English
fashion, forming a buckle "Rebus" rings
we're also in use for time.
Rings, like portrait boxes, snuff boxes,
medals etc, we're long among the number
of articles used as diplomatic presents In
I77S, when XIV. married Marie I.eczinska,
the Polish gentlemen and all persons form.
ing the encourage of King Stanislas re.
ceived very beautiful presents. The Elector
of Cologne, arriving to assist in the fetes,
received a magnificent brilliant worth
5000 livres.
Another was offered in I77o to the Prince
de Stahrenberg, charged with the task of
conducting the Archduchess Marie An
toinette TO Strasburg, and Of giving her lin
to the hands Of NJ. de Comte de Noailes." "
This jewel, made Of a large oval brilliant
weighing So grains, cost 10000 livres.
Under Louis XVI several jewellers at
Paris had quite reputation for the beauty
and variety of their rings They included
De La Sale, Dauphine square sign of the
gold medal Delion. St. Louis street
sign of the gold mill" NIaillard, ST. Hon.
ore street, at the Aligre Hotel; Mauricard
Dauphiue square, and Grauchez sign Of
the Little Dunkerque and all these were
mentioned with praise" in 1855 by the
Fashion Cabinet"
After the taking Of the Bastille the Paris
iaus wore Jewels a Ia constitution and
especially the rings chased with tiny bits
OF stouG ldNeu from lhe ola PRISON ALI.
ance" rings were enameled in three. colors.
In order to outdo the Civic Alliance" the
royalist youth wore ecailles rings with
the legend Domino salvum fac regum."
During the worst days of the revolution
large silver rings were made, with por-
traits worked in of Morat, Chalier or Ie-
pelletier St. Fargean.
The jeweleT artists of the last century,
the Falizes and the Laliques, introduced
into rings in the modern style that ex.
quisite fancy which makes these playthings
Of art Incompatible. To the caprice of
heurets and arabesques, to the miugling of
light coils and graceful curves these artists
seem to have added within the limitation
Of the faintest touches all the imagination,
all the dreaming all the subtlety of the
dainty hands Of our contemporaries.
To the craving of metal the symbolism of
precious stones adds its brilliancy of hue,
and nothing is more graceful on the back.
ground Of velvet in the box at the theater,
in the Garage or on the promenade than
these thousand fires which on the fingers
Of Parisian woman make fairy rainbow
Of color.