1877-1878.] 3 i7 



keep thy keys," &c. In Pliny's time it was most customary to 

 wear but one ring, and that on the little finger, although previously 

 the ring had always been worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, 

 from a notion that a vein passed down it direct to the heart, and to our 

 time this same finger is known as the ring finger. As the Roman 

 people lapsed into sensuality and foppishness the intrinsic value 

 of the ornament outweighed and vanished all regard for art, so 

 that " some people made a boast of the weight of their rings," and 

 the hand was encumbered with rings worn on every joint of the 

 fingers. In 1863 four rings were found at Tarsus weighing up- 

 wards of two ounces each. In the days of the Roman Republic 

 iron rings were worn by the citizens. These rings, we are told by 

 Pliny, were worn as badges of martial courage, and that under the 

 Republic the senators only had the privilige of wearing rings of 

 gold. As a relic of the ancient usage, the bride's betrothal ring 

 continued to be made of iron in Pliny's time. And in later times, 

 during the Prussian war of independence in 1813, the custom was 

 strangely revived, for the women contributed their wedding rings 

 to the Patriotic Fund, and received in exchange for them rings 

 of iron, with this legend, " Ich gabe gold filr eisen? which rings are 

 now preserved as precious heirlooms in the German empire. 



The practical purposes for which rings, or rather the figures 

 engraved on them, were used at all times were the same as those 

 for which we use our seals. Besides this, however, persons when 

 they left their houses used to seal up such parts as contained stores 

 or valuables in order to secure them from thieves. Plain gold 

 wedding rings which are at present used as visible pledges of matri. 

 mony seem to have descended to us from very early times. The 

 Egyptian gold, before the introduction of coinage, usually circu- 

 lated in the form of a ring, and the Egyptian at marriage placed one 

 of these pieces of gold on his wife's finger, thereby showing that he 

 entrusted her with his property. The early Christians, says Clemens, 

 saw no harm in following this custom, and in our own marriage 



