For
the latter blushes with a feeble hue, and is like a rose just unfolding
its leaves from out of the bud, and beginning to be tinged with red by
the sunbeams. But in the Ethiopian Amethyst, out of its depth flames
forth like a torch a pure and as it were Spring-like beauty ; and if
you turn it about as you hold it, it shoots out a golden lustre, not
dazzling the sight by its fierceness, but resplendent with
cheerfulness. Moreover, a more genuine nature is inherent in it than is
possessed by any brought from the West, for it does not belie its
appellation, but proves in reality to the wearer an antidote against
intoxication, preserving him sober in the midst of drinking-bouts.
In
his " Rape of the Lock," Pope writes of Belinda's golden hair-bodkin,
that the metal had originally been worked up into rings and then into a
gold buckle, thus the gold was
The
same, his ancient personage to deck Her great-great-grandsire wore
about his neck In three seal-rings, which, after melted down, Formed
one huge buckle for his widow's gown.
Besides
the precious metals many other materials were used in ancient times for
rings. Thus a few leaden rings have been preserved, a number of them
having been unearthed in a tomb at Beneventum. The casting has been
roughly done, without finishing touches. It has been suggested that in
view of the rarity of leaden rings, the large number found in this tomb
may be taken to indicate that the deceased had been a manufacturer of
rings of this kind. From Tanagra comes a leaden ring of great size; as
it is too large for wear, it might be regarded as a votive offering to
a shrine or temple. Glass rings were also used at times for this
purpose by the poorer classes, an example of such a ring being listed
among the possessions of the temple of Asklepios at Athens as early as
the fourth century b.c. The manu-
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