The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-12-10
RoMANCEs OF ROYAL RINGS.

Mystic Power Attributed to Orna-
 ments Worn by Monarchs.
 King Alfonso of Spain is the pos sessor of a ring of strange and ave- some history It was presented by his predecessor and namesake, AL fonso XII, to his consort, Queen Mer cedes, who died within month af- terward Ere the funeral had taken place the King bestowed the ring on his sister-in-law, Princess Christina, in a few days
 The fatal circlet then coming again into his possession he presented it to his siter-in-laW, Princess Christina, who only survived for three months Thereupon the King resolved to wear the ring himself, and in short time he too had passed away. The Queen Regent was not disposed to run any risk, and she refused to accept such deadly possession Instead she had it attached to golden chain, which she hung around the neck of the statue of the Virgin of Almundena of Madrid.
 Spaniards believe this ring to be possessed of mystic powers by which unworthy wearers of it are slain To worthy sovereign they claim it will assure prosperity and lorg life, and to it's magic influence they attribute the young Kings escape from injury in the bomb expldaion on his wedding day.
 He was said to have be.n praying to the Virgin on the evening of his marriage, and further That before leaving the cathedral he revently pressed the ring to his lips.
 There is another and move pleasing ring romance associated with the royal family of Spain One of the pr1udest possession of the present Kings purse is a gold ring in which is set the first tooth lost by his Ma jesty when boy. The ring bears the inscription, My tooth, To my nurse Alfonso XIII"
 The Czar of all the Russias has a ring which he believes it Is necessary i h. should always have about him. In | its absence he will not move step from the palace The ring contains what is supposed to be a small piece | of the cross on which the Savior was crucifed, The fact that when he was assassinated Czar Nicholas's grand father had not the precious ring with him enormously strengthened the be- lief in its protective virtues.
 The German Emperor has a ring which he wears at all times and re- gar1s as his own peculiar talsman l though few are aware of the fact.
 As absurd though curious history is told of this ring. It is to the effect that in the days of the Elector John , of Brandenburg a toad entered that worthy's room one night and placed a small stone on the bed. It then dis appeared, and ever since the stone 1 which has no real value, has been treasured as one of the most precious 1 possessions of the house of Hohen- zolern. By the father of Frederick the Great it was set in a ring, which since nat time has always adorned ] the finger of the head of the family
 The late Ameer of Afghanistan was another potsntate who put faith In ring. He invariably wore this potent charm against the plottings of his enemies, and although he was more often reported dead than any other monarch of his day, this ring accord ing to his own belief, enabled him to live great deal longer than he would have done without it.
 Napoleon I was, if possible, more Nf Faf fa1 lot, tho iDNnrac- sionable Turk, yet strange to say he wore @ couple of rings to which he ascribed mysterious powers. In course of time both these rings came into the possession of Napoleon III, who wore them constantly down to the time of his death It was then pro- posed that they should be removed from his finger, but for some reason or other his son, the late Prince Inn perial refused to accept them,
 The rings were therefore inferred with the remains, at Chislehurst though the Princes decision did not commend itself to the retainers of the deceased Emperor. Oh the contrary, they strongly dissented from it, and expressed the belief that for his dis carding of the rings he would come to an untimely end.
 It is about 27 years since the Prince Imperial was killed by the Zulus, soon after his arrival at the seat of war to fight for the country that had befriended his parents and provided them a home.
 What could be more romantic than the history of the famous coronation ring? According to the story it was originally an ordinary royal ring which was bestowed by Edward the Confessor on an aged mendicant in the street. who begged alms to help him on his journey to Jerusalem,
 On the beggars arrival in the Holy City the story of the ring somehow came to the knowledge of St. John the Divine who blessed the circlet and bade the wanderer return 1t to his sovereign. This he accordingly diC through two English pilgrims who were returning from a visit to the Holy Land. The ring was afterward carefully preserved at the Confes- sor's shrine at Westminster, and the story was painted on glass, which was fixed in a window of the south aisle of the venerable abbey.-London Tit Bits.
 A Positive GnThRRH