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§ 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.