The history and poetry of finger-ringsEdwards, Charles
History
The history and poetry of finger-rings
Edwards, Charles
Rings
Lord Berners, the translator of Froissart, when at the court of the
Emperor Charles the Fifth as ambassador from Henry the Eighth, in a
letter dated 21st June, 1518, writes to Cardinal Wolsey: “If your
Grace remember me with some crampe rynges, ye shall do a thing much
looked for and I trust to bestow thaym well, with Godd’s grace.”[219]
A letter from Dr. Magnus to Cardinal Wolsey, written in 1526,[220]
contains the following: “Pleas it your Grace to wete that M. Wiat of
his goodness sent unto me for a present certaine cramp ringges, which
I distributed and gave to sondery myne acquaintaunce at Edinburghe,
amonges other to Mr. Adame Otterbourne, who, with oone of thayme,
releved a mann lying in the falling sekeness, in the sight of myche
people; sethenne whiche tyme many requestes have been made unto me
for cramp Ringges at my departing there and also sethenne my comyng
from thennes. May it pleas your Grace, therefore, to show your
gracious pleasure to the said M. Wyat that some Ringges may be kept
and sent into Scottelande; which, after my poore oppynyoun, shulde be
a good dede, remembering the power and operacion of thaym is knowne
and proved in Edinburgh and that they be greatly required for the
same cause by grete personnages and others.”
The mode of hallowing rings to cure the cramp is found in what is
entitled an “Auncient Ordre for the hallowing of Cramp Rings,” etc.
It is amusing to read of the degrading course which king, queen,
ladies and gentlemen had to take, each one creeping along a carpet
to a cross. The account runs thus: “Firste, the King to come to the
Chappell or clossett, with the lords and noblemen wayting upon him,
without any sword borne before hime of that day, and ther to tarrie
in his travers until the Bishope and the Deane have brought in the
Crucifixe out of the vestrie and laid it upon the cushion before the
highe alter. And then the usher to lay a carpet for the Kinge to
creepe to the crosse upon. And that done, there shall be a forme set
upon the carpett before the crucifix and a cushion laid upon it for
the Kinge to kneel upon. And the Master of the Jewell house ther to
be ready with the crampe rings in a bason of silver and the Kinge
to kneel upon the cushion before the forme. And then the Clerke of
the Closett be readie with the booke concerninge the halowinge of
the crampe rings, and the aumer must kneele on the right hand of the
Kinge, holdinge the sayd booke. When that is done, the Kinge shall
rise and go to the alter, weare a Gent. Usher shall be redie with a
cushion for the Kinge to kneele upon; and then the greatest Lords
that shall be ther to take the bason with the rings and beare them
after the King to offer. And thus done, the Queene shall come down
out of her closett or traverss into the Chappell with ladyes and
gentlewomen waiting upon her and creepe to crosse, and then go agayne
to her clossett or traverse. And then the ladyes to creepe to the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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