Chap. 6.] THE EIGHT OF WEAEING GOLD EINGS. 79 



wearing rings. Neither in the countries of the East,^* nor 

 in Egypt, is any use made of seals, the people being content 

 with simple writing only.''^ 



In this, as in every other case, luxury has introduced various 

 fashions, either by adding to rings gems of exquisite brilliancy, 

 and so loading the fingers with whole revenues, as we shall 

 have further occasion to mention in our Book on Gems;"^ or 

 else by engraving them with various devices : so that it is in 

 one instance the Avorkmanship, in another the material, that 

 constitutes the real value of the ring. Then again, in the 

 case of other gems, luxury has deemed it no less than sacrilege 

 to make a mark'''^ even upon them, and has caused them to be set 

 whole, that no one may suppose that the ring was ever intended 

 to be employed as a signet. In other instances, luxury has 

 willed that certain stones, on the side even that is concealed by 

 the finger, should nof^ be closed in with gold, thus making 

 gold of less account than thousands of tinj^ pebbles. X)n the 

 other hand again, many persons will admit of no gems being 

 set in their rings, but impress their seal with the gold''^ itself, 

 an invention which dates from the reign of Claudius Caesar. 

 At the present day, too, the very slaves even, incase their iron 

 rings with gold (while other articles belonging to them, they 

 decorate with pure gold),^^ a licence which first originated in 

 the Isle of Samothrace,**^ as the name given to the invention 

 clearly shows. 



"* This is an erroneous assertion, both as to the East, and as to Egypt. 

 See instances to the contrary in Genesis, c. xli. v. 42 ; and in Esther, c. iii. 

 verses 10, 12, and c. viii. verses 2, 8, 10. 



''^ " Literis coutenta solis." 



"'^ The Thirty-seventh l^ook. See also his remarks in B. ii. c. 63 : 

 " "We tear out earth's entrails in order to extract the gems with which we 

 may load our fingers. How many hands are worn down that one little joint 

 may be ornamented !" Martial, Epigr. B. v. Ep. 11, speaks of his friend 

 Stella as wearing on the joint of one finger sardonyxes, emeralds, and 

 jaspers. "^"^ " Violari." See B. xxxvii. c. 1. 



■'^ A fashion much followed at the present day. 



''^ This also is a not uncommon fashion at the present day. 



80 From the "Trinummus" of Plautus, A. iv. s. 4, we learn that the ring 

 worn by slaves was called "condalium." From the "Truculeutus" of Plau- 

 tus we learn also that these rings were sometimes made of bronze. The 

 "jus anuli," or right of wearing a gold ring, was never conceded to slaves. 



SI See B. iv. c. 23. In the Origines of Isidorus Hispalensis, B. xix. c. 

 32, we fiind mention made of " A Samothracian gold ring, with an iron 

 bezil, so called from the place of its invention." Pliny has already made 



