Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/288

 268 Hijiory of DoJiieJiic Manners his way to Babylon, arrives at a bridge, the keeper of which has a brother in the great city, to whofe hofpitality he willies to recommend Floire, and for that purpofe he gives him his ring. "Take this ring to him," he fays, " and tell him from me to receive you in his befl manner." The meffage was attended with complete fuccefs. In our cut No. 193, taken from a manufcript of the fourteenth century in the Britifh Mufeum (MS. Reg. 10 E. iv.), the melTenger arrives with the letter of which he is the bearer, and at the fame time exhibits a ring in the place of credentials. There was another circumftance which gave value and importance to rings in the middle ages. Not only might rings be charmed by the No. 193. The Delivery of the Ring. power of the magician, but it was an article of general belief that the engraved ftones of the ancients, which were found commonly enough on old fites, and even the precious ftones in general, without any engraving, poffeffed extraordinary virtues, the benefit of which was imparted to thofe who carried them on their perfons. In the romance of "Melufine" (p. 357), the heroine, when about to leave the houfe of her hulband, gives him two rings, and fays, " My fweet love, you fee here two rings of gold, which have both the fame virtue ; and know well for truth, that fo long as you poflefs them, or one of them, you fliall never be overcome in pleading nor in battle, if your caufe be rightful ,: and neither you nor others who may poflefs them, fliall ever die by any weapons." In a ftory amonsf