and
consumed, and nature failing to nourish her, she died, commanding the
same piece of gold to be carefully sent to her Majesty ; alleging
further, that as long as she might wear it on her body she could not
die. The Queen, in full confidence, took the said gold, and hung it
about her neck." Finally, on January 14th, 1602, the Queen, having
sickened two days before of a cold, and being forewarned of Dee, who
retained his mysterious influence over her mind to the last, to "
beware of Whitehall," removed to Richmond, " which," she said, " was
the warm winter-box to shelter her old age."
In
a letter from Lord Chancellor Hutton (September 11th, 1586), concerning
an epidemic then prevailing in England, was enclosed a ring, for Queen
Elizabeth, to wear between her breasts, which would have the virtue to
" expell infectious airs."
Whilst
discoursing about these historical rings we may hark back to a date
long prior to the times of English kings, and queens, so as to learn
how originated the noted " Ring of Gyges," which has remained
proverbial since early classical days, 718 B.C. It would seem,
according to Plato, that Gyges, a Lydian, thinking to avenge the Queen,
who had been grossly insulted by King Candaulus, her husband, descended
into a deep chasm of the earth, where he found a brazen horse, the
sides of which he opened ; and within the horse's body he discovered
the carcase of a gigantic man, from whose finger he took the brass
ring, which has become traditionally famous. This ring, when put on
his own finger, but with its stone turned inwards, rendered
ges
invisible, (and has become a byword for any such faculty ever since).
By means of the said strange endowment Gyges introduced himself, as the
myth
