~ 4 
of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 459 
: i 
A people aboutus, they are fo many. It was otherwife ywis by our aunceftours and fore fathers 
daies, who hadno more but one yeoman or groome apeece, and thofe of the linage andname ; 
of their lords and mafters:asmay appeare by the ordinatie names of * Marci-pores and Luci- .. fe Reg 
pores : and thefe hadall their victuals and diet ordinarily at their mafters bourd. And therefore gzires 0: Lu- 
there wasno greatneed tokeepe fafely any thing under locke andkey from fuch houfhold fer- 
vitouts: whereas now adaies the cater goerli to the market to provide cates and viandsfortobee 
ftollen and caried away as fooneas they come home, and no remedie there is againft it :for no 
feale will ferve to make fure either {uch lurchers themfelves for filching, orkeepe the very locks 
and keies fafe and whole that lead to the provifion, And why ? an eafie matter itis td plucke the 
rings from their lord and maifters fingers that are opprefled with dead fleepe,or when they lié a 
B dying. And verely wee hold in thefe daiesafeale to bee the beft aflucance in contacts that may 
be: but I wot not how long itis fince that cuftome firftcameup. And yet if wee confiderthe fa- 
fhions and manners of {traunge nations,we may perad venture find how thele fignets came into 
fuch credit and authoritie: and namely by the hyftorie of Polycrates the tyrant orking of the Ifle 
Samos : who having caft into the fea a ring which he loved and efteemed above ‘all other jewels, 
met with the fame againe by meanes of a fith which was taken, in the bellie whereofthe faid ring 
was found. Nowthis king was putto death, about thetwo hundred and thirtieth yeare afterthe 
foundation of our cittie, Howbeit, the ordinarie ufe of thee fignets (as I fuppofe by all reafon 
and likelyhood) began together with ufurie : for proofe whereof, marke how ftill at this day, up- 
on any ftipulation and bargaine paroll made, off goes the ring prefently to confirme and féale 
C thefame. The which cuftomeno doubt came from old time,when there was no earneft nor gods- 
penie more readie at hand than afignet,Soas wee may conclude afluredly and affirme, That a- 
mong us here atRome,when the ufe of money and coine was taken up, foon after came the wea- 
ring of rings in place.Butas touching the devife and invention of money,] wil! write anon more 
at large. , 
And now toreturne againe unto my difcourfe of rings:after they began once to be in any re- 
queft,there werenone at Rome under the degreeof a knight or gentleman that caried rings on 
their fingers;infomuch,as aman mightknowa gentleman from a commoner by histing,like as 
a Senatour was diftingutfhed from the Gentlemen, wearing rings,by his coat embrodered with 
broad gardsand {tuds of purple. Howbeit,long it was before this diftin@ion was obferved. For 
D I find thatthe publicke criers wore ordinarily tach coats likewife embrodered, as Senators do: 
as appeareth by the father of L. 4elivs Stilo,{urnamed upon that occafion Precomimus becaule 
his father had beene a publicke crier. Certes, theferings fignified the middle degree, inferted 
betweene the Commons andthe Nobles :and thatname which in times paft horfes of fervice 
gave unto men of armes and *gentlemen of Rome;the fame now adaies {heweth men of worth, *yno therups 
and thofe who are of {uch and{uch revenues, But long it isnot fince this diforder and confifion © were cailed 
begun. For when as 4uguftws Cafar late Emperor of happie memorie,ordained decuries of jud- 72" 
ges incriminall matters, the greater part of them confifted of thofe who wore no other rings 
butof yron :and thofe were fimply called Iudges,and not Knights or Men of arms : for this name 
_ continued ftill appropriat unto thetroupes of thofe gentlemen, who ferved upon horfes allow- 
E edbythe Senate. Moreover, atthe firft there were no more but decuries of judges and hardly 
might there be found in each of thofe decuries,a bare thoufand: for as yet thofe of our provinces 
mightnotbee admitted unto this eftate to fit and judge vpon criminall caufes :and even at this 
_ day precifely obferved it hath been, That none but auncient citizens might be judges: for never 
any that came newly to their free burgeoifie, were taken into this order and degree. 
Cuap. i. 
egy Of the Decuries or chamsber of Indges uponrecord at Rome, How often the name 
and tithe of the Romane Cavallerie chaunged. The gifisandrewards 
reprefented unto valiant fouldiours for their brave 
F fervice. And at what time Coronets 
of gold were feene. 
He chamber of the forefaid judges confifted of divers eftates anid degrees, diftinguithed alt 
by feverall names :for firtt and foremoft, there were of them called Tribuni aris, as it were 
hie eA 3 Generall 
