Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/819

 791 LOVI BETROTHAL RINGS O'SHEA Why Betrothal Rings are "Worn on the Third Finger- Origin oE the Ring— Puzzle Rings- Some old Betrothal Rings — Posy Rings — fp . The True'lovC'knot Ring % It would probably be difficult to find a subject more full of ^ interest, at least to feminine minds, than that of rings, and particularly betrothal and wedding rings, since from earliest ages love has been ever busy with his shuttle weaving a web oi happy dreams and tender associations round these shining circlets. In bygone days the circular form of the ring was accepted as the symbol of eternity, and thus indicative of the durability of affection. The follow;ing paragraph from the pen of an eminent divine of a former century is worthy of repetition. "The matter of which this ring is made is gold, signifying how noble and durable our affection ; the form is round to imply our respects (or regards) shall never have an end ; the place of it is on the fourth finger of the left hand, whence the ancients thought there was a vein which came directly from the heart, and where it may be least subject to be worn out. But the main end is to be a visible and lasting token of the covenant, which must never be forgotten." An old Latin work, which ascribes the invention of the ring to Tubal-Cain, concludes with this explan- ation, "The form of the ring being circular, that is, round, and without end, importeth this much, that mutual love and hearty affection should roundly flow from one to the other, as in a circle, and that continually for ever.'' The ring was chosen as the pledge of an en- gagement or pre-marriage contract from the old Jewish custom of exchanging or giving something as ratification of an agreement or bargain, and also from the Roman practice of the giving of a ring as earnest upon the conclusion of a bargain. So much for its shape and meaning ; but before proceeding to give illustrations of the various ways in which the circle has been ornamented and adorned in different times and countries the following little anecdote may be permitted. The Unending Circle A certain enamoured swain, who was desirous of impressing the lady of his choice with his poetic ability, once proffered her a ring with these words, " Sweet maid, in this ring behold the symbol of my love for thee, in that it hath no ending." But, as the maiden's choice had not fallen upon him, she looked her admirer up and down in a somewhat disconcerting fashion, then quietly replied, " Good sir, in this ring also behold the symbol of my love for thee, inasmuch as it hath no beginning." Some Old Betrothal Rings Rings have been made of practically every substance possible, from bone, ivory, crystal, lead, and tin, to bronze, silver, and gold, and then encrusted with precious stones. Naturally, it was in primitive times, and among less civil- ised races, that bone and the less valuable metals were used for their construction. One would naturally suppose that, as the ages have passed, the earlier forms of ring have become extinct ; but this is really not so, and it is very interesting to compare several of the forms used at the present day with their remote prototypes, and notice that often there is a striking resemblance between them. Since this article is intended to embrace only those rings used in the United Kingdom, we will omit mention of those found in old earthworks