Rambles of an Archaeologist Among Old Books and in Old Places Part 6

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 130.]

We close our series of episcopal rings with one found in the cathedral at Hereford during the repairs of the choir in 1843, which rendered the removal of the beautifully carved alabaster monument of Bishop Stanbery unavoidable. This bishop held the See from 1452 until his death in May, 1474. Upon opening the tomb a few fragments of bone were discovered, very small portions of the mere remains of the silk of the robes in which the body of the bishop was enveloped, and this beautiful ring, of which views are given in Figs. 129 and 130. It is of gold, set with a sapphire; the sides of the ring are decorated with sprays and flowers on a ground of dark enamel; and inside is the motto "=en bon an=."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 131.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 132.]

A very large ring, bearing great general resemblance to the episcopal ring, was occasionally worn as a thumb-ring by the laity. A specimen of such a one is selected from the Londesborough collection in Fig. 131. It is somewhat roughly formed of mixed metal, and has upon the circular face a conventional representation of a monkey looking at himself in a hand-mirror. This is surrounded by a cable moulding, and on each side is set two large stones. The outer edge of this ring is also decorated with a heavy cable moulding: inside, next the finger, is the cross and sacred monogram, placed on each side of the mystic word _anamzapta_, which we shall immediately have to explain more fully when speaking of the rings commonly worn as charms.

These ma.s.sive thumb-rings were indicative of wealth or importance, when worn by the middle cla.s.ses who had obtained any munic.i.p.al position. When Falstaff speaks of his slenderness in his youth, he declares that he could then have "crept through an alderman's thumb-ring." Like the ma.s.sive gold chains still worn by that honourable fraternity, they told of a trader's wealth. The inventories of personal property belonging to burgesses in the Middle Ages, contain frequent allusions to such rings, without which they would have felt shorn of an important part of their head-earned honours. Among the wills and inventories preserved at Bury St. Edmund's, published by the Camden Society, is one made by Edward Lee, of that town, bearing date 1535, in which he bequeaths to a friend, "my double wreathed ryng of gold, whych I ware on my thumbe." From this description it is evident that this ring must have borne great resemblance to that given in Fig. 131, with its outer cable or double wreathed pattern. There is a bra.s.s in Hastings Church, Suss.e.x, with the effigy of a gowned citizen wearing such a ring. That such rings became in the end indicative of that cla.s.s, and were retained in fas.h.i.+on for this reason when they had been long discarded from general use, may be safely inferred from the description of a character introduced in the Lord Mayor's Show in the year 1664, who is said to be "habited like a grave citizen--gold girdle and gloves hung thereon, rings on his fingers, and a seal ring on his thumb." Such rings were evidently used according to the most ancient mode as personal signets, by such as were not ent.i.tled to bear arms; hence originated the quaint inventions known as "merchant's marks," which were impressed on merchandise, painted on s.h.i.+elds instead of armorial bearings, inserted in memorial windows of stained gla.s.s, and worn on the thumb for constant use in sealing. A very fine ring of this kind is engraved in the Journal of the Archaeological Inst.i.tute, vol. iii., and is here copied in Fig. 132. It was found in the bed of the Severn, near Upton, and is probably a work of the fifteenth century; it is of silver, and has been strongly gilt. The hoop is spirally grooved, and upon the circular face is a large letter H, surrounded by branches.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 133.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 134.]

The custom of placing initial letters on rings is a very old one, and they are sometimes surmounted by crowns or coronets; hence they have frequently been mistakenly appropriated to royalty. Fig. 133 is a ring of this kind, with a crowned I upon it; hence it was once called "King John's ring." It is most probably the initial of the Saviour's name as King of the Jews, in the same way that the crowned M may indicate the Virgin Mary as "Queen of Heaven," a favourite popish designation. Such rings may have been worn from religious feeling, or from the superst.i.tious belief in the efficacy of holy names as preservatives from evil. The baseness of the metal of which they are often made, and their consequent small value, precludes the possibility of their having belonged to royalty. The same remark will apply to a ring also engraved in the Journal of the Archaeological Inst.i.tute, and now in the possession of the Rev. Walter Sneyd. It is there described as of mixed yellow metal gilt; on either side of the hoop there is a crown (Fig. 134), of the form commonly seen on coins of the twelfth century, and on the signet are the words, ROGERIVS REX, chased in high relief. In the form of the character they correspond closely with legends upon coins of Roger, second Duke of Apulia, of that name, crowned King of Sicily A.D. 1129; he died A.D. 1152. This ring has every appearance of genuine character, but it is difficult to explain for what purpose it was fabricated, the inscription not being inverted, and the letters in relief ill suited for producing an impression. It seems very improbable that King Roger should have worn a ring of base metal; and the conjecture may deserve consideration, that it was a signet not intended for the purpose of sealing, but entrusted in lieu of credentials to some envoy. The popular literature of the Middle Ages abundantly proves this custom to have been in general use. The tale of Ipomydon, in Weber's "Ancient Metrical Romances," notes the gift of a ring to the hero from his mother, which is to be used as a token of recognition to his illegitimate brother, and which is brought secretly to his notice by being dropped into his drinking horn. In the "Romance of Florence and Blancheflor," a ring serves the purpose of letters of introduction when the hero is on his travels, and ensures him hospitality when he deserves it.

Rings sometimes bore the name and t.i.tle of the Saviour in full, as in Fig. 135 from the Londesborough collection. Two hands are clasped in front; it was, therefore, most probably a gift, or betrothal ring. It is silver, somewhat rudely fas.h.i.+oned. The inscription (here engraved below it) is in uncial characters, and shorn of its somewhat awkward abbreviation, reads "Jesus Nazareneus Rex."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 135.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 136.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 137.]

The same collection furnishes us with the specimen of a religious ring (Fig. 136), apparently a work of the fourteenth century. It has a heart in the centre, from which springs a double flower. On the upper edge of the ring are five protuberances on each side; they were used to mark a certain number of prayers said by the wearer, who turned his ring as he said them, and so completed the series in the darkness of the night.

Such rings are of very common occurrence, and must have been in general use. They are sometimes furnished with more prominent k.n.o.bs, as in Fig.

137. They are termed decade rings when furnished with ten bosses, which were used to count the repet.i.tion of ten _aves_, but they are occasionally seen with one or two additional bosses; when there are eleven, they notify ten _aves_ and a _paternoster_; the addition of the twelfth marks the repet.i.tion of a creed.

Allusion has already been made to the mystic virtues attributed to stones during the Middle Ages, and for the fondness for collecting antique gems. They were coveted not only as works of art, but for their supposed power over the circ.u.mstances of life, or the welfare of individual wearers. The idea very probably originated with the Gnostics of the East, who engraved stones with mystic figures believed to impart good luck or to keep off evil influences. So completely had this belief gained hold on all cla.s.ses, that a Gnostic gem set as a ring was found on the finger of the skeleton of an ecclesiastic, in the Cathedral of Chichester, "affording indubitable evidence that these relics were cherished in the Middle Ages by those whose express duty it was to reprove and check such gross superst.i.tion."[115-*]

This belief was ultimately reduced to a system. An old French _Lapidaire_, compiled in the thirteenth century, a.s.sures us that a stone engraved with the figure of Pegasus or Bellerophon is good for warriors, "giving them boldness and swiftness in flight," very contradictory qualifications, it must be allowed. One with the figure of Andromeda had the power of conciliating love between man and woman. "A gem bearing the figure of Hercules slaying a lion or other monster, was a singular defence to combatants. The figure of Mercury on a gem rendered the possessor wise and persuasive. The figure of Jupiter with the body of a man and the head of a ram, made the man who bore it beloved by everybody, and he was sure to obtain anything he asked. If you find a stone bearing the figure of a hare, it will be a defence against the devil; if you find a dog and a lion on the same stone, it will be a preservative against dropsy or pestilence. The figure of Orion was believed to give victory in war. If you find a stone, in which is Perseus holding in his right hand a sword, and in his left the Gorgon's head, it is a preservative against lightning and tempest and against the a.s.saults of devils. A stone on which is engraved a long-bearded man sitting on a plough, with a bending in his neck, and four men lying down, and holding in his hand a fox and a vulture, this, suspended about the neck, enables you to find treasures. If you find a dove, with a branch of olive in its mouth, engraved in pyrites, and mount it in a silver ring, and carry it with you, everybody will invite you to be his guest, and people will feast you much and frequently. The figure of a syren, sculptured in a jacinth, rendered the bearer invisible. A fair head, well combed, with a handsome face, engraved on a gem, gave to the bearer joy, reverence, and honour. Such were the qualities attached to ancient gems in the Middle Ages."[116-*]

Many plain stones were also believed to have magical virtues. Thus, the amethyst prevented drunkenness, and was consequently often set upon wine cups. The crystal clouded if evil was about to happen to its wearer.

Amber was good against poison, hence drinking-cups were formed from it.

The topaz cured and prevented lunacy, increased riches, a.s.suaged anger and sorrow, and averted sudden death. Such was the faith placed in stones until the end of the sixteenth century. Dr. Donne speaks of

"A compa.s.sionate turquoise, that doth tell, By looking pale, the wearer is not well."

But the most curious of all these superst.i.tious beliefs attached itself to the _c.r.a.paudine_, or toad-stone. It is most unattractive to sight, of an opaque dirty-brown tint, and known to mineralogists as a variety of trap-rock. It was believed to have most sovereign virtues against poison if pounded and drank, and, like the turquoise, to give warning of its presence by a change of colour, when simply worn in a ring. It was believed to exist in the head of the toad. Fenton, writing in 1569, says, "There is found in the heads of old and great toads a stone which they call borax or stelon; it is most commonly found in the head of a he-toad." It was not easily attained, for the toad "envieth so much that man should have that stone," says old Lupton, in his "Thousand Notable Things." Hence came a true test for such stones, according to the same credulous author, who thus enlightens us:--"To know whether the toad-stone called _c.r.a.paudina_ be the right and perfect stone or not, holde the stone before a toad so that he may see it, and if it be a right and true stone, the toad will leap toward it, and make as though he would s.n.a.t.c.h it from you." It should be obtained, says a mediaeval author, while the toad is living, and this is to be done by simply placing him upon a piece of scarlet cloth, "wherewithal they are much delighted, so that while they stretch out themselves as it were in sport upon that cloth, they cast out the stone of their head, but instantly they sup it up again, unless it be taken from them through some secret hole in the same cloth."[117-*]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 138.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 139.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 140.]

Lupton, whom we have just quoted, tells us of "a rare good way to get the stone out of the toad," which has the advantage of greater simplicity. It is to be done thus:--"Put a great or overgrown toad (first bruised in divers places) into an earthen pot; put the same into an ants' hillocke, and cover the same with earth, which toad at length the ants will eat, so that the bones of the toad and stone will be left in the pot." Boethius relates how he watched a whole night an old toad he had laid on a red cloth to see him cast forth the stone, but the tedious watch was not rewarded; the toad retained his jewel, and he had nothing from thence to "gratify the great pangs of his whole night's restlessness."

The Londesborough collection supplies us with two remarkable specimens of rings connected with toad superst.i.tion. Fig. 138 is of mixed metal gilt, having upon it the figure of a toad swallowing a serpent. There is a mediaeval story of a necromancer introducing himself to another professor of magic by showing him a serpent ring, upon which the latter, who did not desire any one to interfere with his practice, produced his toad-stone ring, observing that the toad might swallow the serpent, thereby intimating his power to overcome him. Fig. 139 is curious, not only as containing the true toad-stone, but also that the stone is embossed with the figure of a toad, according to the description of Albertus Magnus, who describes the most valuable variety of this coveted gem as having "the figure of the reptile imprinted upon it."

The elder poets have, as usual with them, turned into a moralisation this fabulous bit of natural history. Lyly, in his "Euphues," observes, "the foule toad hath a faire stone in his head." Shakspere has immortalised the superst.i.tion in the most effective and beautiful manner, when he declares how

"Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Yet wears a precious jewel in its head."

Superst.i.tion did not confine its belief to a few charms; it ranged over more than we can now record. In the Londesborough collection is the ma.s.sive thumb-ring delineated in Fig. 140, having the tooth of some animal as its princ.i.p.al gem, fondly believed by its original owner to have mystic power over his well-being. To "make a.s.surance doubly sure,"

it is set all round with precious stones, all believed to have magical virtues.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 141.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 142.]

Superst.i.tion was not confined to the real world of animal life, but ranged over the fabulous natural history which mixed largely with the true, in all men's minds, at this credulous era of the world's history, when persons put more faith in false charms for the cure of disease or the prevention of evil, than in the power of medicine, or the value of proper preventives. The horn of the unicorn, the claw of the griffin, and other relics of equal verity and value, were sought eagerly by those rich enough to procure them, and when obtained were believed to ensure much good fortune to the possessor. A fear of the "evil eye"--that bugbear which still disturbs the happiness of the lower cla.s.s Italians and of the Eastern nations generally--was carefully provided against. One great preservative was the wearing of a ring with the figure of a c.o.c.katrice upon it. This imaginary creature was supposed to be produced from that rarest of all rare things, a c.o.c.k's egg, foolishly believed to be laid on certain occasions under magic influence and planetary agencies. Sir Thomas Browne, in his "Vulgar Errors," describes this imaginary creature "with legs, wings, a serpentine and winding tail, and a crest or comb somewhat like a c.o.c.k." The Londesborough collection supplies us with a thumb-ring (Fig. 141), having two c.o.c.katrices cut in high relief upon an agate. The eye of the living c.o.c.katrice was believed to be so deadly as to kill by a look, to which Shakspere alludes in _Twelfth Night_, and again in _Romeo and Juliet_:--

"Say thou but _I_, And that base vowel _I_ shall poison more Than the death-darting eye of c.o.c.katrice."

There was, however, a counteraction to the danger, for it was also believed that if a person saw the creature before it saw him, then the c.o.c.katrice died from the effect of the human eye. To this Dryden alludes:--

"Mischiefs are like a c.o.c.katrice's eye, If they see first they kill, if seen they die."

The figure of this bird merely gave security against the evil eye; it had no other effect; and for this purpose various engraved stones were used. Thus, Fig. 142, from the same collection, has set in its centre a Gnostic gem with cabalistic figures, believed able to avert the dreadful glance.

Such stones were, of course, "far sought, dear bought;" and rings believed to possess such covetable power had a high money value. How then were the poor, still more ignorant and superst.i.tious, to be aided?

Craft came to the aid of faith: demand, as usual, produced supply, and inscriptions took the place of costly jewels. Rings were fabricated in silver and baser metals, having cabalistic words upon them, the names of spirits or of saints. To meet the poorest ring-wearer they were even cast in lead, and sold on the cheapest terms. They were believed to prevent cramp and epilepsy. One in the Londesborough collection is inscribed with the mystic word _Anamzapta_. In a ma.n.u.script of the fourteenth century, in the library at Stockholm, we have this recipe "for the falling sickness. Say the word _anamzaptus_ in his ear when he is fallen doun in that evyll, and also in a woman's ear _anamzapta_, and they shall never more after feel that evyll."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 143.]

In the Journal of the Archaeological Inst.i.tute, vol. iii., is an engraving of a curious magical ring, copied in Fig. 143. It was found on the coast of Glamorgans.h.i.+re, near to "the Worm's Head," the western extremity of the county, where numerous objects have been found at various times on the s.h.i.+fting of the sand, such as firearms, an astrolabe, and silver dollars. This ring is of gold, much bent and defaced, and inscribed with mystic words inside and outside the hoop.

Their talismanic character seems to be sufficiently proved by the English medical ma.n.u.script preserved at Stockholm, already alluded to, in which, among various cabalistic prescriptions, is one "for peynes in theth.... Boro berto briore + vulnera quinque dei sint medicina mei + Tahebal + Ghether + + + Othman." The last word should probably be read Guthman, and it is succeeded by five crosses, possibly in allusion to the five wounds of the Saviour.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 144.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 145.]

As a preventive of peril by travel and sudden death, the names of the three Magi, or the "Kings of Cologne," as they were more popularly termed, were believed to be most efficacious. Their bodies travelled first to Constantinople, thence to Milan, and lastly to Cologne, by various removals. The faithful may still view the skulls of the Arabian kings who visited the Saviour in the manger (if they can believe the old legend), in the richly-jewelled reliquary, guarded so sacredly in the Cathedral of Cologne. Their possession brought enormous revenues to the building, and a heavy tax is still imposed on all who would see them. It was once (and may be still) believed that anything which had touched these skulls had a protective virtue. Their names acted as a charm, and were inscribed on such articles of wearing apparel as girdles or garters, of which many specimens exist in the curious collection of Mr.

C. Roach Smith, and were found at London in excavations or in the Thames. Upon rings they are most common; two are here selected from the Londesborough collection. Fig. 144 is a thick gold hoop, inscribed with their names, Jasper, Melchior, Balthazar, and the abbreviated motto, "in G.o.d is a r.," which the late Mr. Crofton Croker, who compiled a descriptive catalogue of these rings, thought might probably mean "in G.o.d is a remedy." Fig. 145 furnishes a good example of a fas.h.i.+on of hoop-ring prevalent in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, flat inside and angular outside. Each face is inscribed with the same talismanic names. It is formed of cheap mixed metal, was found in London, and presented to the collection by Mr. Roach Smith.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 146.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 147.]

Inscriptions on rings became at this time very common, nor were they confined to mystic or sacred words. Mottoes of love and gallantry were frequent, as well as moral sentences, and those strictly heraldic. In the curious inventory of the plate and jewels of the Duke of Anjou, compiled about 1360, mention is made of a ring with a large square emerald, surrounded by letters in black enamel. In "Archaeologia," vol.

x.x.xi., is a fine example of such an engraved ring. The representation is copied in Fig. 146. It is a weighty ring of fine gold, and was found in 1823 at Thetford, in Suffolk. The device which appears upon this ring is an eagle displayed; on the inner side is engraved a bird, with the wings closed, apparently a falcon, with a crown upon its head. The following poesy, or motto, commencing on the outer side, is continued on the interior of the ring:--=deus me ouroge de bous senir a gree--com moun couer desire=--"G.o.d work for me to make suit acceptably to you, as my heart desires." The devices appear to be heraldic, and the motto that of a lover, or a suitor to one in power. The eagle is the bearing of several ancient Suffolk families; it was also a badge of the House of Lancaster, and Thetford was one portion of the Duchy of Lancaster.

These mottoes, or "reasons," as they were sometimes termed, were occasionally engraved in relief. Fig. 147 represents a specimen from the Londesborough collection. It is of gold, and was found in the Thames.

The inscription upon it is--=sans bilinie=--"without baseness,"--a motto that may have been adopted by some Bayard of the Middle Ages.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 148.]