§ 25. The scenes through which many rings are carried must be as remarkable as those exhibited in “The Adventures of a Guinea,” or “of a Feather.” “My Lady Rochford,” writes Horace Walpole, “desired me t’other day to give her a motto for a ruby ring, which had been given by a handsome woman of quality to a fine man; he gave it to his mistress, she to Lord *****, he to my Lady; who, I think, does not deny that it has not yet finished its travels. I excused myself for some time, on the difficulty of reducing such a history to a poesy--at last I proposed this: ‘This was given by woman to man and by man to woman.’”[106] * * * * * It may be well for the author to so far take the part of a jeweller, as to sort his Rings before he exhibits them. We propose to speak of: 1.--_Rings connected with power._ 2.--_Rings having supposed charms and virtues, or connected with degradation and slavery, or used for sad and wicked purposes._ 3.--_Rings coupled with remarkable historical characters or circumstances._ 4.--_Rings of love, affection and friendship._ CHAPTER TWO. RINGS CONNECTED WITH POWER. 1. The Ring an Emblem of Power; Pharaoh; Quintus Curtius; Antiochus Epiphanes, Augustus; King of Persia, Egypt under the Ptolemies; Roman Senators; the Forefinger. 2. Rings used in Coronations; Edward the Second, Mother of Henry VIII.; Queen Elizabeth; Charles II.; Coronation Rings, Canute; Sebert; Henry II.; Childeric; Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror. 3. King withdrawing a Proceeding from the Council by the use of a Ring. 4. The Doge of Venice marrying the Adriatic. 5. The Ring of Office of the Doge. 6. _The Fisherman’s Ring._ 7. Papal Ring of Pius II. 8. Investiture of Archbishops and Bishops, by delivery of a Ring; Cardinal’s Ring; Extension of the two Forefingers and Thumb. 9. Serjeant’s Ring. 10. Arabian Princesses. 11. Roman Knights. 12. Alderman’s Thumb Ring. § 1. From the most ancient times, a ring has been an emblem of power. Pharaoh put his ring upon Joseph’s hand, as a mark of the power he gave him; and the people cried, “Bow the knee.”[107] Quintus Curtius tells us that Alexander the Great sealed the letters he wrote into Europe with his own ring seal, and those in Asia with Darius’s ring; and that when Alexander gave his ring to Perdiccas, it was understood as nominating him his successor. When Antiochus Epiphanes was at the point of death, he committed to Philip, one of his friends, his diadems, royal cloak and ring, that he might give them to his successor, young Antiochus.[108] Augustus, being very ill of a distemper which he thought mortal, gave his ring to Agrippa, as to a friend of the greatest integrity.