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RINGS
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sometimes
occur even in our sophisticated age. On ornaments other than rings,
bestowed in connection with either engagement or marriage, we read: "
My heart I take not back from thee. H. b. l." and " Thine own wish, wish I thee. a. b. t. & R. v. v." A
curious inscription runs: "A nasty cold face and metal eye," and we
have : " For my sake wear this, it is a manacle of love." Modern
wedding rings are often inscribed with pious sentiments, such, for
instance, as: "All for Jesus"; "Each for the other, both for God"; "Our
unity is Christ " ; " Mercifully ordain that we may grow old together "
; " In Christ and in Thee my comfort shall be "; " God gave thee to me
"; " Through weal and through woe, to each other on earth, to God in
Heaven. Always true to Bertha." A somewhat philosophic sentiment
appears in the words : " Ultimate Good, not present pleasure." Latin
inscriptions are now quite rare, but here is one: " Si Deus nobiscum,
quis contra nos? " (If God be with us, who can be against us?)
In
other cases the legend is more worldly: " Love for Love " and " He that
taketh a wife hath a good thing." Let us hope that this optimist was
not mistaken in his confidence. Another bridegroom declares that he,
at least, has a " good thing," for he places in his ring the simple
motto : " Carrie suits." If she suits him, that is enough. Lastly, we
have the most satisfactory inscription of all, since it testifies to
the result of one fortunate experiment; this reads: " In token of 30
years fidelity as Wife and Mother."
The
use of a diamond ring for betrothals seems to have been general toward
the end of the fifteenth century, for royal personages at least, to
judge from a letter written from Ghent on July 30, 1477, by Dr.
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