monasteries, or whose notable services in the cause of the Church were
thought to merit some special mark of honor, were sometimes given
the right of wearing the episcopal ring at solemn ceremonies. We are
told that at the deposition of Abbot Rainaldus, head of the great
Benedictine Abbey of Monte Casino, not far from Naples, he publicly
laid his staff and his ring upon the shrine containing the body of St.
Benedict.[455]
The energy with which some of the leading theologians of the twelfth
century protested against the use of episcopal rings by abbots, merits
illustration by an extract from the writings of St. Bernard, who in a
tractate addressed to Henri, Archbishop of Sens, writes:[456]
“Several have clearly enough indicated where were their thoughts
when, having obtained apostolic privileges by many intrigues and by
bribery, they appropriated to themselves and use, in virtue of these
concessions, the mitre, the ring and the sandals, just as do the
pontiffs themselves.... Oh, Monks, whither will this lead you? Have you
banished all fear from your souls? Can the blush of shame no longer
rise to your cheeks?”
[Illustration: ABBESS PRAYING. FRENCH SCHOOL
Seal ring on index of right hand; ring with precious stone
setting on fourth finger of the same hand
Musée du Louvre]
[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF A LADY, BY CONINXBO
Two rings on index of right hand and two on index of left hand;
smaller one on fourth finger of left hand
Musée de Bruxelles]
Not only abbots, but abbesses also, are represented on their monuments
as wearing rings, as for example Agnes Jordan, Abbess of the Bridgetine
Convent of Syon, whose brass figure at Denham, Bucks County,
England,[457] shows a ring on her finger. However, in 1572, the year
of his accession to the papal throne, Gregory XIII abolished this
custom; how long it had endured has not been determined.[458]
Certain other prelates of lesser rank than bishops have the right to
wear rings, such as the protonotaries, for example, but as a rule they
are not permitted to wear them while celebrating an ordinary mass, low
or high; only when officiating pontifically may they wear pontifical
rings. The ring commonly worn is much smaller than that accorded to a
bishop and is set with a single stone, as is expressly ordained in the
constitution _Apostolicæ Sedis_ of Pius IX, dated in 1872.[459]
That the canons of a cathedral should generally be allowed to wear
rings has been repeatedly decided adversely in the Roman Catholic
Church, a recent instance being when the Bishop of Nicaragua submitted
this question to the Sacred Congregation of Rites in Rome, because the
practice had become common in Nicaragua. In reply he was informed that
this must not be tolerated, except in case of a special indulgence from
the pope, and the bishop was required to suppress the abuse. The reply
was dated August 20, 1870, just a month before the entry of the Italian
army into Rome and the cessation of the papal rule over the city.[460]
In a letter written December, 1751, Pope Benedict XIV relates the
finding of a gold ring so small that it would fit the finger of a
three-months’ old babe, and bearing certain characters indicating
a priestly quality of the infant. This the pope understood not as
signifying that it had been made a deacon, but that its parents had
consecrated it to the service of the church, so that it should later
become a monk or priest.[461]
His Grace, the Most Reverend Archbishop Evdokim, the highest dignitary
of the Russian Church in the United States, has stated that neither
the Metropolitan, nor the Archbishops nor clergy of the Russian Church
wear rings of any kind. They use seals but these are not in the form
of signets. In this respect, the usage differs from that in many other
churches.
The ring given to the King of England at his coronation bears a close
relationship to the episcopal ring, and emphasizes the religious
authority of the sovereign. This appears very clearly in the English
ceremonial, where the Archbishop of Canterbury pronounces the following
prayer of consecration:
Bless, O Lord, and sanctify this Ring, that Thy servant, wearing
it, may be sealed with the ring of faith, and by the power of the
Highest be preserved from sin; and let all the blessings which
are found in Holy Scriptures plentifully descend upon him, that
whatsoever he may sanctify may be holy, and whatsoever he may
bless may be blessed. Amen.[462]
The Coronation Ring of the English kings is of pure gold and is usually
set with a large table ruby of a violet hue, the flat surface engraved
with the figure of a St. George’s cross. About the ruby are set
twenty-six diamonds. As the ring is designed to serve for successive
coronations, the circlet is jointed so as to fit a larger or smaller
finger. A queen consort is given at the ceremony of coronation a ring
of pure gold also bearing a ruby, but unengraved; about the stone
are sixteen smaller rubies, so graded as to size that the largest
are placed nearest to the central stone, the size diminishing as
the distance increases. The ruby has been chosen as emblematic of
faithfulness. These rings are put on the fourth finger of king and
queen, and the king’s ring is called by some writers “The Wedding-Ring
of England,” the sovereign being regarded as espoused to the nation
over whose welfare he is to watch.[463]
The coronation ring of William IV of England, although scarcely a
notable example of the jeweller’s art, is striking enough in its way.
In many earlier coronation rings, for which the ruby (or a spinel) was
the stone traditionally favored, a St. George’s cross was engraved on
the ruby, but in the case of William IV’s ring the cross is formed
of five rubies, a square central stone and four oblong ones for
the arms of the cross, all set over a large cabochon-cut sapphire,
this affording a blue background for the red cross, similar to the
blue field of the cross of St. Andrew. There is also a bordering of
brilliants. This ring while effective enough in the sharp contrast of
color, is lacking in harmony and taste.[464]
The insignia of the Prince of Wales include most of the emblems
belonging to royal insignia, and each of them has its especial and
peculiar significance. Unity is typified by the ring; the coronet
is an emblem of friendship. The staff in conjunction with the ring
suggests the religious side of the princely or royal office, for these
emblems form an important part of the episcopal insignia. A special
local association results from the fact that Welsh gold, mined by
Welshmen in the Merionethshire mines, is used in the manufacture of
these ornaments. A gold medal bearing the head of the Prince of Wales
on the obverse, and on the reverse a representation of the Eagle Tower
of Carnarvon Castle, was struck for the present holder of the title.
At the coronation ceremonies of the kings of France, the officiating
ecclesiastic said to the sovereign in handing him the Coronation Ring:
“Receive this ring, a symbol of holy faith and of the stability of the
Kingdom, a sign of power, by which thou shalt be able to defeat all
enemies with triumphant power, to destroy all heresies, to unite all
subjects and to maintain them constantly bound together by the Catholic
faith.” This formula dates back at least as far as 986 A.D.,
and was probably in use at an even earlier date.[465] The close union
of Church and State is strongly emphasized, as well as the necessity
for uniformity of belief, this having been a source of strength for the
State when voluntarily present, but a cause of manifold and dreadful
misfortunes when the religious convictions of the subjects became
discordant.
When a nun is consecrated the priest places a ring on her finger,
reciting the following words from the Roman pontifical:
I espouse thee to Jesus Christ, Son of the Supreme Father, who
will preserve thee from all ill. Accept, therefore, this ring of
faith, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, that thou mayst be called a
spouse of God, and be crowned for ever.
Before the rings are bestowed they are heaped up on the altar and are
collectively blessed by the officiating priest. As the formula used
defines the character and quality of the ring more closely than do the
simple words of presentation, it is here given as follows, this formula
already appearing in the pontifical of Pierre, Bishop of Senlis,
1350:[466]
Creator and preserver of the human race, grantor of spiritual
grace and bestower of bodily health, O God, send forth thy
blessing upon these rings that those who may wear them, shall
possess celestial virtue, perfect faith and true fidelity, shall
maintain, as spouses of Christ, their vow of virginity, and shall
persevere in constant chastity. By Christ Our Lord.
A pretty usage was observed at the reception into the order of the
Augustinian nuns of Saint Thomas, at Villeneueve. On taking the vow,
a ring was placed on the nun’s finger by a poor little girl, who said
at the same time: “Remember, dear sister, that you have become this
day the spouse of Jesus Christ and the servant of the poor.” The
sister, after having respectfully accepted the gift made her by one who
represented the Lord, kisses the child who has reminded her of the poor
to whose service she is consecrated.[467]
According to an old recital, a miraculous ring was once found by a
pious nun in the convent garden. One day when she was engaged in
tending a bed of flowers, there came over her the ardent wish to
receive a divine sign in the shape of a ring, testifying to the reality
of her espousal with Christ. The Lord answered the fervent aspiration
of his handmaiden, for suddenly there appeared before her in the flower
bed an actual ring, no deception of the senses, but a material body.
This story is related by Johann Nider in his Latin work, “Formicarius,”
published in Strassburg in 1517, and the writer asseverates that he saw
the ring, which was of a white substance resembling pure silver.[468]
A Ring of Widowhood, sealing a widow’s vow to remain faithful to the
memory of her dead husband, was not rarely bestowed, three or four
centuries ago, to serve as a mark of the solemn vow. A noteworthy
instance is that of Katherine Rippelingham, who, in her will dated
February 8, 1473, describes herself as “advowes” (“vowed”), and
expresses the wish to be interred in “Baynardes Castell of London.” In
a codicil she leaves to her granddaughter, Alice St. John, “her gold
ring with a diamante therein wherewith she was sacrid,” or consecrated.
In another will, that of William Herbert, Lord Pembroke, the wife
is enjoined to remember her promise that she will take the order of
widowhood, so that, as the testator continues, “ye may be the better
maistres of your owen, to perform my will, and to help my children, as
I love and trust you.”[469]
In view of the bad results of a second marriage when a widow falls into
the hands of some designing man, to the destruction of her children’s
welfare, this usage, so long discontinued, of binding herself by a
solemn vow, had something to recommend it in times far past, when more
stress was laid upon the sanctions and prohibitions of religion than is
generally the case in our day.
At a solemn ceremony of this kind, held at the Priory of Campsey, in
1382, during the reign of Richard II, Isabella, Countess of Suffolk,
took the vow in the presence of the Earl of Warwick, Lords Willoughby
and Scales, and other nobles. The old Norman French form of her pledge
has been preserved and may be given here for its historic interest:
“Jeo Isabella, jadys la femme William de Ufford, Count de Suffolk, vowe
à Dieu, en presence de tres reverentz piers en Dieu, évesques de Ely et
de Norwiz, qe jeo doi estre chaste d’ors en avant ma vie durante.” (I,
Isabella, formerly the wife of William de Ufford, Count of Suffolk, vow
to God in presence of the very reverend fathers in God, the bishops of
Ely and of Norwich, that I shall remain chaste from now on during my
entire life.)[470]
VII
MAGIC AND TALISMANIC RINGS
From their close contact with the person as well as from their symbolic
form, the significance of many designs engraved upon them, and the
supposed virtues of stones set in them, some rings have enjoyed the
repute of possessing magic powers, both in ancient and mediæval
times, and even much later. In a number of cases, we can find some
clue to the attribution of a special virtue to a magic ring; in other
cases, however, the circumstances leading to this are no longer to be
ascertained, and we must content ourselves with the fact that such and
such a ring, or type of rings, has been thought to have such and such a
mysterious influence.
No ancient talisman enjoyed a greater repute in mediæval legend than
the “Ring of Solomon” or “Solomon’s Seal” as it was often called. An
Arab legend tells that by means of the power inherent in his ring,
the Hebrew King was able to succeed in all his undertakings. However,
for the space of forty years he was deprived of its aid, as he once
thoughtlessly took it off his hand when he was in the bath and it was
carried away by a malevolent genius. At the end of the forty years it
was found again in the body of a fish served on the monarch’s table. In
Rabbinical legend this ring is said to have been set with a marvellous
precious stone, perhaps a diamond, which served as a magic mirror
wherein Solomon was able to see reflected the image of any distant
place or of any persons in regard to whom he wished to be informed.[471]
A variant of the legend we have just given is found in another Arabian
tradition, which recounts that Solomon was so much infatuated with a
female prisoner, the daughter of a Gentile prince, and named Aminah,
that he entrusted to her care his precious signet, given to him by
the four angels that presided over the four elements. A mighty Jinn
succeeded in gaining possession of the ring, and, by its power, assumed
Solomon’s form, at the same time changing that unhappy monarch’s
appearance to such an extent that his courtiers no longer recognized
him, and drove him from his kingdom. However, one of Solomon’s
ministers was shrewd enough to see through the disguise of the Jinn,
and proceeded to exorcise the evil spirit by reciting certain verses of
the Law. The Jinn fled affrighted, and dropped the ring into the sea.
Here it was swallowed by a fish, and in due time this fish was caught
by Solomon, who had entered the employ of a fisherman. Once again in
possession of his ring, Solomon soon regained his kingdom.[472]
The great Persian poet Hafiz of Shiraz thus uses Solomon’s Seal to
point a moral:[473]
Matters of beauty other there be, beside sweet speech,
And Solomon-hood by a seal-ring alone is not begot.
The legend of the mystic ring of Gyges is related by Plato in his
Republic.[474] According to this recital the ring was found under very
extraordinary circumstances by “an ancester of Gyges the Lydian,” but
the text seems to be corrupt, and Gyges himself was probably said
to have been the finder. Gyges (or his ancestor) was at the time a
shepherd in the service of the Lydian King. One day a violent storm
occurred, followed by an earthquake which opened up a deep chasm in the
earth, near the place where this shepherd was feeding his flock. Moved
by curiosity, he descended into the chasm and saw therein a hollow,
brazen horse, with openings at the sides; bending down and looking
through these openings, he discerned within the horse the body of a man
of immense size. A golden ring glittered on the finger of the corpse.
This the shepherd removed, and climbing out of the chasm, straightway
took his departure. When, a few days later, all the shepherds assembled
to prepare their monthly reports to the king, the man who had found
the ring was of their number. As he sat with the others he carelessly
turned and twisted the ring which he had placed on his finger,
until, by chance, he turned the bezel toward the inside of his hand.
Immediately he became invisible, and heard the other shepherds talking
of him as though he were absent; but when he turned the ring around
again, so that the bezel was outside, he reappeared. He repeated this
experiment several times until he had assured himself of the strange
virtue of the ring. Realizing then the extraordinary opportunities that
this power afforded him, the shepherd asked and obtained the privilege
of bearing the reports to the king, and soon found means to seduce the
queen, and, by her aid, to slay the king and gain possession of the
kingdom.
Although the legend does not expressly state that the ring was set with
a stone, the use of the term “bezel” (σφενδόνη) suggests that some
precious stone was the seat of the magic power the ring possessed. The
traditions current at a later period with regard to the opal, which was
reputed to render the wearer invisible, make it not improbable that, in
the original legend, the ring of Gyges was represented to have been set
with an opal, or rather perhaps with one of the rainbow-hued specimens
of iridescent quartz. Plato may well have omitted this detail, for he
was making a didactic use of the story and would naturally treat his
material very freely.
An old author conjectures that the stone set in the ring of Gyges was
a serpent-stone from India. In that land brilliant and exceedingly
beautiful stones were said to be found in the heads of certain crested
snakes that abode in the mountains. If such a stone were set in a gold
or silver ring, at the time when the planetary or stellar control of
the stone was in the ascendant, the wearer of the ring was sure to
have the fullest possible benefit from its powers.[475] The idea that
serpents were endowed with supernatural wisdom was held by many ancient
peoples, and in India legend assigned to these mysterious and dreaded
reptiles the guardianship over diamonds, and also over the corundum
gems, chief among which are the fair sapphire and the glowing ruby.
The gold ring of Minos, King of Crete, although of course purely
mythical, is usually ranked among the magic rings. It is said to have
been used by the Cretan, who claimed Jupiter as his father, to test
whether Neptune were really the father of Theseus. Taking his ring
off his finger, Minos cast it into the sea, and commanded Theseus to
bring it back to him, if the latter wished people to believe Neptune
to be his father. He himself, Minos, could easily furnish proof of
his descent from Jove by praying for a celestial sign. This he did,
and immediately a loud thunder-clap resounded in the heavens. Not
to be outdone, Theseus, not even stopping to make any supplication,
threw himself into the sea to seek the ring. On this, there appeared
a multitude of dolphins, and Theseus was softly borne away to the
Nereides, who gave him the ring so that he might restore it to
Minos.[476]
The legendary ring of Helen of Troy is said to have borne as its
setting an astroites or star-gem taken from the head of a mysterious
fish called pan, because in appearance it resembled the god Pan.
Perhaps the gem was simply one of the head-stones existing in certain
fishes of other species. This stone, which emitted rays of flame, was
conceived to be a most potent love-charm, drawing to its wearer the
love of anyone he, or she, might wish to fascinate, and the particular
specimen of this strange gem which Helen wore was a signet, engraved
with the image of the god by whose name the fish was called.[477]
Among the rings miraculously found after they have apparently been
irrevocably lost, was one of iron given to Seleucus I, Nicator
(365–281 B.C.), whose wide dominions stretched from the western
seaboard of Asia Minor to India. This prized ring was lost by chance
near the river Euphrates, but was later recovered at the very spot
where the ruler’s mother had predicted it would be found.[478] Whether
this was revealed to her in dream or trance the recital does not
state.[479]
A talismanic bronze ring in the British Museum is set with an amethyst
on which has been engraved a human eye, evidently a charm against the
Evil Eye. This dread influence was also combated by a peculiar type of
ring having gold nails or studs inserted in them. This is a Græco-Roman
type of about 500 to 200 B.C., and does not appear to have
gained favor with the Romans. In a large and massive gold ring of the
late Roman period, the entire bezel has been given the form of an
eye. This ring weighs 975 grains, or over two ounces; it was found in
Tarsus, and belongs to the third Christian century.[480]
In a few ancient rings gold and silver have been combined, as shown by
a striking example in the British Museum, where the upper part of the
hoop is of gold and the lower half of silver. This has been conjectured
to have been designed to render the ring a talisman, the joining of
gold and silver having a similar effect to that obtained by inserting a
gold nail in the bezel of a silver ring. The bezel of the massive ring
we have noted is set with a sard engraved in intaglio with the design
of a shepherd seated on a rock.[481]
The wearing, at certain religious ceremonies, of a ring set with a gem
on which was engraved a design having some fancied connection with the
ceremony, appears not to have been uncommon in the Roman world. An
instance of this is given by the historian Suetonius, who states that
when Nero was about to take the auspices (the bird-augury), Sporus gave
him a ring the gem of which represented the carrying off of Proserpina,
goddess of the infernal regions.[482] The finding of a ring with a
particular design was also looked upon as a harbinger of good fortune.
Shortly after the choice of Galba as emperor (68 A.D.), there was found
in building the fortifications of a city, on the spot the emperor
had selected for a military exercising ground, a ring of antique
workmanship engraved with the figure of a Victory with a trophy. This
was accepted as a happy presage.[483]
Josephus tells us of a magic ring which was used by a Jew named
Eleazar. In the presence of the emperor Vespasian, of his son, and of
his court, this man cured those suffering from demoniacal possession.
His method was to introduce into the nose of the patient a ring having
beneath its device an herb designated by Solomon. The evil spirit
was attracted by the odor of the herb and immediately passed out of
the man’s body. After this Eleazar exorcised it by chanting certain
“psalms of Solomon.” Furthermore, in order to convince the spectators
of the presence of the evil spirit, he used to place on the ground a
vase filled with water, and command the demon to upset it. As the text
of Josephus indicates that this experiment was successful, Eleazer
must have had recourse to some clever deception in the matter.[484]
This tale shows that rings somewhat similar to those described in the
Cyrianides (a work written in Alexandria about the third or fourth
century of our era) were used in the first century. It is true that
Josephus does not say that the ring was set with a stone, but merely
states that it bore a device.
The god Mercury was popularly regarded as a bestower of magic rings,
to judge from the words Lucian, the greatest humorist of ancient
times, puts into the mouth of one of his characters. Timolaus, in
“The Ship,” expresses the wish that Mercury would grant him a number
of wonder-working rings; one of these should preserve his health
and protect him from wounds and other injuries; another should make
him invisible as did the ring of Gyges; a third should give him the
strength of ten thousand men; a fourth was to give him the power to
fly through the air, and a fifth, the power to sleep at will, and the
privilege of seeing all doors open before him. The crowning gift,
however, would be a ring possessing the virtue of attracting the
love of all fair women, and the affection and respect of his fellow
men.[485] We might infer from this that rings engraved with the figure
of Mercury were supposed to be especially propitious; very possibly the
story of the magic rings of Apollonius of Tyana, later embodied in the
life of this strange personality written by Philostratus, was known to
Lucian, and suggested this description of the various and wonderful
powers inherent in rings of this kind.