her wedding-ring in a box bearing the following inscription :
"Eheu! Eliza Johnson, Nupta July 9° 1736, Mortua, eheu! Mart. 17° 1752."
That
the betrothal ring was occasionally worn on the index finger is shown
in two celebrated seventeenth century pictures, the " Betrothal of
Marie de'Medici," by Rubens, and the " Betrothal of St. Catherine," by
Murillo. Sometimes, however, the little finger was chosen for this
honor and an interesting example of this custom is given by a document
in the Hohenzollern Museum in Berlin. Here is exhibited a list of the
rings worn by Queen Louisa of Prussia on the day of her death, written
down by her husband, King Friedrich Wilhelm III, and the first entry
reads : " Our betrothal ring, on the little finger of the right hand."
The list closes with the following simple and touching words in the
King's handwriting: "At Hohenzieritz, on the most unhappy day of my
life, July 19, 1810," this being the day of Queen Louisa's death. It
may be noted that at the present day, while the usual custom in South
Germany is to wear the wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left
hand, in North Germany the right hand is generally given the
preference. This applies both to men and women.
King
George IV of England is said to have had two rings made, each provided
with a secret spring which, on being pressed, opened a panel and
revealed the king's portrait and that of Mrs. Fitzherbert,
respectively. The ring containing the king's portrait was bestowed by
him upon Mrs. Fitzherbert, whom he is said to have married in 1785, and
that with her portrait was kept by him, and, before his death,
entrusted to the Duke of Wellington, the latter promising solemnly that
he would place it upon his royal master's breast when
