The Washington herald., 1909-06-27

Elizabeth with ring 70 protect her from
the risks OF infectious air" THIS ing
however. was not 10 BE- worn unon ne
finger. but was 10 be placed en- the
bosom. "the chsste nest OF pure con-
stancy,' and Lord Ruthven offered Msrv
Queen Of Scots ring TO preserve her
from the III effects Of poison
The ceremony attendant upon being
made a sergeant was formerly a very ex-
penslve one, for not only vas the lucky
lawyer expected % give a dinner. de-
scribeG as like 20 the feast OF a kings
coronation" but also 20 bestow a gold
ring. with a suitable motto, upon every
person connected with the law courts
who was present On the admission OF
fourteen sergealts IN 1l57. 1&S rings are
said 70 have been thus given away, a. a
cost OF E773- but in I7S7 this custom un-
derwent modification. ansd rings for the
/ judges bar. and attorneys were not sub
4 sequently provided.
The wedding ring was well nigh sbol-
ished IN the days OF the Commonwealth.
az Butler tells Us in '-HudIbras:~ Others
were for abolishing that tool Of metri-
mony, ring, with which the unsancti-
/ fed bridegroom Is married only 10 n
, thumb Within ne hoop OF the ring 4;
was customary % inscribe a motto or
[
r~ent IN rhyme. Lady Cathcart, on mar
| ryihg her fourth husband IN 171s. caused
the following poesy 70 be inscribed on
her Wedding ring IF I survive I win
have i've" Ny LADY Rochfort." writes
I Horace Walp0le. desired me t'other day
/ 70 give her a motto for ruby ring which
+ had been given by a handsome woman or
quality 20 a nne man, proving the late
continuance OF this custom. and that dur
/ ing he last century pOesies had ceased 10
be confined 70 wedding rings
Among the Romans Il was customary
that the favorite rings OF the deceased
/ should be burnt together with the corpse.
a facr which explains the calciaed ap-
( pearance which many fine intagi are. not
i unfrequently. found al present A deaths
head and crossbones were sometimes en-
i graved upon memorial rings and thus We
read IN Beaumont and Fletcher III
I keep i as they keep deaths heads IN
rings 10 CRY mementO TO ne" such de-
( vices also. were occasionally worn upon
f ordinary rings by persons who affected a
more than usual degree of gravity. Thus
Luther wore a gold ring with a small
| deaths head IN enamel. now preserved a.
/ Dresden
Shakespeare bequeathed twenty % sir
shiuings and eight pence spiece 70 buy
them rings 70 his br0ther-plsyers. whom
he aHecuouately terms my poor fellows %
IZaak Walton directed a distribution Of
memorial rings 70 be made 20 several OF
his friends and relations, with the motto
"A Friends Farewell" Nary Queen OF
Scots. Just previous 10 her execution, dis
tributad such jewels as remained 20 her
among her faithful adherents and. with
her memorials. sent a sapphire ring.
which she removed from her fnger. 70
her k1nsuan. Lord Claude Hamilton This
ring is now. Il Is believed. in the posses
sion OF the present Duke OF Hamilton
AfJer the execution Of Dr. John HeVett
chaplain 10 Charles I. and the object az
/ CrOmWell's vindicrive cruelty. a mourning
ring. inscribed "He-odes necuit Jchs1-
nem.~ was worn BY sorrowing Royalists
In times comparatively recent a touching
J instance OF the presentation OF memorial
rings occurs in the case OF Princess
Amelia. who. almost on her dying bed
placed upon her fathers finger a ring
2 containing a lock OF her hair. mark o.
affection which is said 10 have fastened
a renewal OF the mental disorder from
which the King had suffered some years
previously
A rnodern example of the ancient Gus
tom OF throwing into the graves OF de-
parted friends rings removed from the
fingers OF the survivors occurred on The
/ occasion OF the funeral OF the late Lord
Palnerstoa. al Westminster Abbey. Oc-
robe- q. 1Ss5 when the chief rnOurner. as
a precious Offering 20 the dead" threw
into TIE open grave several gold and
. Tf----r-- ~frrg