Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 November 1874 — Finger-Rings. [ARTICLE]

Finger-Rings.

Ornaments of various kinds have been worn from all ages, both by civilized and uncivilized nations, but it would probably be impossible to point to any single ornament connected with which so much interest attaches,as to the finger-ring. It is of great antiquity, and during centuries of years has been associated with the most important concerns of life, both in matters of ceremony and affairs of the heart. It has been used as a mqans of recognition, as a credential, and as a form of introduction which insured hospitality to the bearer of it. Royal edicts were promulgated through its medium, and power was transferred by its means. When Pharaoh committed the government of Egypt to Joseph be took his ring from his finger and gave it to the young Israelite as a token of the authority he bestowed upon him. So also when Ahasuerus agreed to Hainan's cruel scheme of killing the Jews in all the King’s provinces, he took the ring off his hand and gave it to Human as his warrant, and afterward, when he commanded Mordecai to write letters annulling the former decree, he ordered them to be sealed with his ring. A ring formerly marked the rank and authority of a man, and the King’s ring was as important a part of the insignia of royalty as his scepter or liis crown. Finger-rings are mentioned in the first book of the Bible, and they appear to have been much worn by the Jews in all ages. The ladies oi Palestine adorned their hands with glittering rings, and chiefly valued those which were set with rubies, emeralds and chrysolites. Among the Jews the middle or little finger of the right hand was that upon which the ring was worn, and the signet was always upon the right hand, as appears by the passage in Jeremiah, “As I live, saitli the Lord, though Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, King of Judah, were the signet on my right hand, yet would I pluck thee hence.” Bishops, probably following Biblical precedent, wore tneir official rings upon the right hand. This, however, was opposed to the practice of the Egyptians, who considered the fourth finger of the left hand as the ring-finger. Still they did not confine themselves to that finger, for there is a woman in a mummy case in the British Museum in which the fingers and thumbs of both hands are covered with rings. The Pope’s seal-ring is not worn by him, but has been used for sealing briefs apostolic from the fifteenth century. Prior to that period it was employed for the private letters of the Popes. The ring of the fisherman, a signet-ring of steel, is in the keeping of the Cardinal Chamberlain, or chancellor, and is broken with a golden hammer on the death of every Pope, and a new one made for the new Pope. The use of the ring was granted to Cardinals about the twelth century. A Cardinal’s ring is set with sapphire, to denote the high priesthood, and is given when a title is assigned to him. The gift, however, is not free, for the new prince of the church has to pay a large fine on receiving it. The Cardinals w’ear their rings at all times, but on Good Friday they lay them aside, as a sign of the mourning in which the church is placed for her spouse.—lt-was-the custom to bury the Cardinal with his ring on his finger, as was done with the King and other great men. When tombs have been opened the ring has usually been found on the finger of the defunct. Thus it was with our Henry 11., Richard 11. and Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror; and in France the body of Childeric was discovered with his regalia and coronation ring. Graves w ere sometimes violated by robbers in order to obtain the treasures within, and assaults were even made upon the corpse as it was carried to be buried. Most ornaments have at different times come under the ban of the religious as vanities and snares, but rings have always been looked upon with favor by the church. Whatever may have been the origin of the wedding-ring the church took care that it should be considered a holy thing. The “Doctrine of the Masse Booke” (1554) contains a form for the “ halowing of the woman’s ring at w’edding,” in w hich are the follow ing prayers: Thon maker and conserve!’ of mankind, giver of spiritual grace and grannter of eternal salvation. Lord send thy blessing upon this ring, that she which shall weare it mare he armed wyth the vertue of the heavenly defence, and that it may profit her to eternal salvation thorowe Christ, etc. Halow thou Lord this ring which we blesse in thy holye name; that what woman soever shall weare it may stand fast in thy peace and continue in thy wyl and live and grow and wave old in thy love. etc. Hqlv water was then to be sprinkled upon the ring. —British Quarterly Review.