And such strange passages and mutuall vowes, 'Twould make your short haire start through youre blacke Cap, should you but heare it." (2) The Dialogue between Kitty and Filbert in the "What d'ye call it," by Gay, is much to our purpose: "Yet, Justices, permit us, ere we part, To break this Ninepence as you've broke our heart." "Filbert (breaking the ninepence)—As this divides, thus are we torn in twain." Kitty (joining the pieces)-And as this meets, thus may we meet again." (3) A MS. in the Harleian Library, No. 980, cited by Strutt, states that, "by the Civil Law, whatsoever is given ex sponsalitia Largitate, betwixt them that are promised in Marriage, hath a condition (for the most part ilent) that it may be had again if Marriage ensue not; but if the man should have had a Kiss for his money, he should lose one half of that which he gave. Yet, with the woman it is otherwise, for, kissing or not kissing, whatsoever she gave, she may ask and have it again. However, this extends only to Gloves, Rings, Bracelets, and such like small wares." Strutt's Manners and Customs, vol. iii. p. 153. Camden, in his "Antient and Modern Manners of the Irish," says, that "they are observed to present their lovers with Bracelets of Women's hair, whether in reference to Venus' Cestus or not, I know not." Gough's Camden, vol. iii. p. 658. See also "Memorable Things noted in the Description of the World," p. 113. 66 In the old play entitled "The Dutch Courtezan," a pair of lovers are introduced plighting their troth as follows: "Enter Freeville. Pages with Torches. Enter Beatrice above." After some very impassioned conversation, Beatrice says: I give you faith; and prethee, since, poore soule! I am so easie to beleeve thee, make it much more pitty to deceive me. Weare this sleight favour in my remembrance" (throweth down a ring to him). "Frev. Which, when I part from, Hope, the best of life, ever part from me! Graceful Mistresse, our nuptiall day holds." "Beatrice. With happy Constancye a wished day." [Exit. Of gentlemen's presents on similar occasions, a Lady, in "Cupid's Revenge” (a play of Beaumont and Fletcher's), says: "Given Earings we will wear; Which they on our arms shall twist, (With their names carv'd) on our wrist." In Greene's" Defence of Conny-Catching," Signat. C. 3 b. is the following passage: "Is there not heere resident about London, a crew of terryble Hacksters in the habite of gentlemen wel appareled? and yet some bootes for want of stockings, with a locke worne at theyr lefte eare for their Mistrisse Favour." weare The subsequent is taken from Thomas Lodge's "Wit's Miserie and the Worlde's Madnesse, discovering the Devils Incarnat of this Age," 4to. Lond. 1596, p. 47: "When he rides, you shall know him by his Fan: and if he walke abroad, and misse his Mistres favour about his neck, arme, or thigh, he hangs the head like the soldier in the field that is disarmed." Among affiancing customs, the following will appear singular. Park, in his "Travels in the Interior of Africa," tells us, "At Baniseribe-a Slatee having seated himself upon a mat by the threshold of his door, a young woman (his intended bride) brought a little water in a calabash, and, kneeling down before him, desired him to wash his hands: when he had done this, the girl, with a tear of joy sparkling in her eye, drank the water; this being considered as the greatest proof of her fidelity and love." We gather from Howe's Additions to Stow's Chronicle, that, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it was "the custome for maydes and gentil women to give their favorites, as tokens of their love, little Handkerchiefs of about three or foure inches square, wrought round about, and with a button or a tassel at each corner, and a little one in the middle, with silke and threed; the best edged with a small gold lace, or twist, which being foulded up in foure crosse foldes, so as the middle might be seene, gentlemen and others did usually weare them in their hatts, as favours of their loves and mistresses. Some cost six pence apiece, some twelve pence, and the richest sixteene pence." In the old play of "The Vow-Breaker, or the Fayre Maid of Clifton," 4to. Lond. 1636, Act I. sc. i. Miles, a miller, is introduced, telling his sweetheart, on going away to the wars, "Mistress Ursula, 'tis not unknowne that I have lov'd you; if I die, it shall be for your sake, and it shall be valiantly: I leave an hand-kercher with you; 'tis wrought with blew Coventry: let me not, at my returne, fall to my old song, she had a clowte of mine sowde with blew Coventry, and so hang myself at your infidelity." The subsequent passage, from "The Arraignment of lewd, idle, froward, and unconstant Women," 4to. Lond. 1632, points out some of the vagaries of lovers of that age: "Some thinke, that if a woman smile on them she is presentlie over head and eares in love. One must weare her Glove, another her Garter, another her Colours of delight," &c. pp. 31, 32. As does the following epigram of a still earlier date: Makes him (unhansome) a well-favour'd man." House of Correction, or certayne Satyricall Epigrams, written by J. H. gent. 8vo. Lond. 1619. Bowed money appears anciently to have been sent as a token of love and affection from one relation to another. Thus we read in "The Third Part of Conny-Catching" (a Tract of Queen Elizabeth's reign), signat. B. 2 b, "Then taking fourth a bowed Groat, and an olde Pennie bowed, he gave it her as being sent from her uncle and aunt." In "The Country Wake," a comedy by Doggett, 4to. Lond. 1696, Act v. sc. i. Hob, who fancies he is dying, before he makes his last will and testimony, as he calls it, when his Mother desires him to try to speak to Mary, "for she is thy wife, and no other," answers, "I know I'm sure to her-and I do own it before you all; I ask't her the question last Lammas, and at Allhollow's-tide we broke u piece of money; and if I had liv'd till last Sunday we had been ask'd in the Church." Mr. Douce's MS. Notes 66 say: Analogous to the Interchangement of Rings seems the custom of breaking a piece of money. An example of this occurs in Bateman's Tragedy, a well-known penny history, chap. v.' Swinburne on Spousals, p. 10, says: "Some Spousals are contracted by Signs, as the giving and receiving a Ring, others by words." In the play of "The Vow-Breaker," already quoted, Act i. sc. 1, Young Bateman and Anne, we read: "Ba. Now, Nan, here's none but thou and I; thy love Emboldens me to speak, and cheerfully And let Heaven loth me when I falsifie." Afterwards, on young Bateman's return from the wars, during whose absence Anne has been induced by her father to marry another person, Anne says, "I am married." "Ba. I know thou art, to me, my fairest Nan: Our vows were made to Heaven, and on Earth They must be ratifide: in part they Alive or dead, for to enjoy each other, And so we will, spight of thy father's frownes." And afterwards, Act iii. sc. 1, Anne, seeing the ghost of young Bateman, who had hanged himself for her sake, exclaims: "It stares, beckons, points to the peece of Gold We brake betweene us: looke, looke there, here there!" In the "Scourge for Paper Persecutors," 4to. 1625, p. 11, we find the penance for antinuptial fornication: "Or wanton rig, or letcher dissolute, Doe stand at Paul's-Crosse in a sheeten-sute." (5) Lyte's Herbal, 1578, cited in Johnson and Steevens's Shakspeare, vol. x. p. 319. In Quarles' Shepheard's Oracles, 4to. Lond. 1646, p. 63, is the following passage: "The Musick of the Outen Reeds perswades Their hearts to mirth. And whilst they sport and dance, the lovesick swains Compose Rush-rings and Myrtleberry chains, Adorn'd with Lawrell-slips, chaunt their To stir the fires and to encrease the flames (6) In Codrington's Second Part of "Youth's Behaviour, or Decency in Conversation amongst Women," &c. 8vo. Lond. 1664, p. 33, is the following very remarkable passage: "It is too often seen that young gentlewomen by gifts are courted to interchange, and to return the courtesie: Rings indeed and Ribbands are but trifles, but believe me, they are not trifles that are aimed at in such exchanges: let them therefore be counselled that they neither give nor receive any thing that afterwards may procure their shame," &c. In " "Whimzies, or a New Cast of Characters," 12mo. Lond. 1631, the unknown author, in his Description of a Pedlar, Part ii. p. 21, has the following passage: can it allude to the custom of interchanging betrothing Rings? "St. Martin's Rings (a) and counterfeit Brace (") In a rare Tract entitled "The Compters Commonwealth," 4to. Lond. 1617, p. 28, is the follow lets are commodities of infinite consequence. They will passe for current at a May-pole, and purchase a favour from their MayMarian." (7) It appears from other passages in this play that one of these Rings was worn by Sebastian's Father: the other by Almeyda's Mother, as pledges of Love. Sebastian pulls off his, which had been put on his finger by his dying father: Almeyda does the same with hers which had been given her by her mother at parting and Alvarez unscrews both the Rings, and fits one half to the other. In Herrick's Hesperides, p. 201, a “Jimmal Ring" is mentioned as a Love-token: "The Jimmal Ring, or True-love Knot. "Thou sent'st to me a True-love Knot; but I ing Return'd a Ring of Jimmals, to imply passage: "This kindnesse is but like Alchimy, or Saint Martin's Rings, that are faire to the eye and have a rich outside, but if a man should breake them asunder and looke into them, they are nothing but brasse and copper." So also in "Plaine Percevall the Peace-maker of England," b. l. 4to. (no date, but on the subject of Martin Marprelate), Signat. B. ii. b. we read: "I doubt whether all be gold that glistereth, sith Saint Martin's Rings be but copper within, though they be gilt without, sayes the Goldsmith." (a) Jimmers (S. a local word), jointed Hinges, Bailey. Ray explains it "jointed Hinges," among his North Country Words, and adds, "in other parts called Wing-hinges." In the Comedy of "Lingua," 1657, Act ii. sc. 4, Anamnestes (Memory's Page) is described as having, amongst other things, "a Gimmal Ring with one link hanging." Morgan, in his Sphere of Gentry, lib. iii. fol. 21, mentions three triple Gimbal Rings as borne by the name of Hawberke, Co. Leicest. See Randal Holme, B. iii. chap. 2, p. 20, No. 45. The following remarkable passage is to be found in Greene's Menaphon, Sig. K. 4 b.: "Twas a good world when such simplicitie was used, sayes the olde women of our time, when a Ring of a Rush would tye as much love together as a Gimmon of Gold." I have heard it supposed, and certainly with probability, that Gimmal is derived from Gemelli, twins. Mr. Douce's MS. Notes say: "Gemmell or Gemow Ring, a Ring with two or more Links. Gemellus. See Minshew." (8) The difference between the betrothing or affiancing ceremony, and that of Marriage, is clearly pointed out in the following pas"Sponsalia non sunt de essentia Sacrasages: menti Matrimonii, possuntque sine illius præjudicio omitti, sicut et pluribus in locis revera omittuntur," dit le Rituel d'Evreux de l'annee 1621. Le Concile Provincial de Reims en 1583 dit: "Sponsalia non nisi coram Parocho, vel ejus Vicario deinceps fiant, idque in Ecclesia & non alibi." Les Statuts Synodaux de Sens, en 1524: "Possunt prius et debent dare fidem inter se de Matrimonio contrahendo, et hoc palam in Ecclesia et in præsentia Sacerdotis, &c." Traité des Superstitions, par M. Jean Baptiste Thiers, 8vo. Par. 1704, tom. iv. p. 470. (9) I am at present by no means satisfied with the learned comment of Mr. Steevens on these passages, though at first I had hastily adopted it. But I will always dissent with great deference from such an authority. After my most painful researches, I can find no proof that in our ancient ceremony at Marriages the Man received as well as gave the Ring: nor do I think the custom at all exemplified by the quotation from Lupton's first book of Notable Things. The expression is equivocal, and his Maryage Ring" I should think means no more than the Ring used at his Marriage, that which he gave and which his wife received: at least we are not warranted to interpret it at present any otherwise, till some passage can actually be adduced from the ancient Manuscript Rituals to evince that there ever did at Marriages take place such "Interchangement of Rings," a custom which however certainly formed one of the most prominent features of the ancient betrothing ceremony. observe, that in former ages it was not tolerated to single or unmarried persons to wear Rings, unless they were Judges, Doctors, or Senators, or such like honourable persons: so that being destitute of such dignity, it was a note of vanity, lasciviousness, and pride, for them to presume to wear a Ring, whereby we may collect how greatly they did honour and reverence the sacred estate of wedlock in times past, in permitting the parties affianced to be adorned with the honourable ornament of the Ring." Some remarks on a Gimmal Ring (apparently of the time of Queen Elizabeth), found at Horsleydown in Surrey in 1800, will be found in the Archæologia of the Society of Antiquaries, vol. xiv. p. 7. A MS. Missal as old as the time of Richard the Second, formerly the property of University College in Oxford, gives not the least intimation that the Woman too gave a Ring. I shall cite this afterwards under MarriageCeremonies. The following passage from "Coats's Dictionary of Heraldry," 8vo. Lond. 1725, v. ANNULUS, would bear hard against me, were it supported by any other authority than that of an ipse dixit: "But, for my part, I believe the Rings married people gave one another do rather denote the Truth and Fidelity they owe to one another, than that they import any servitude." And yet concession must be made that the Bridegroom appears to have had a Ring given him as well as the Bride in the Diocese of Bourdeaux in France. "Dans le Diocese de Bourdeaux on donnoit, comme en Orient, au futur Epoux et a la future Epouse, chacun un Anneau en les epousant. Au moins cela est-il préscrit par le Rituel de Bourdeaux (pp. 98, 99) de 1596. Benedictio Annulorum. Benedic Domine, hos Annulos, &c. Aspergat Sacerdos Annulos arras et circumstantes aqua benedicta. Deinde Sacerdos accipit alterum Annulum inter primos tres digitos, dicens, Benedic Domine hunc Annulum, &c. et infigit illum in digitum quartum dextræ manus Sponsi, dicens, In nomine Patris, &c. Pari modo alterum Annulum accipit et benedicit ut supra, & tradit eum Sponso, qui accipiens illum tribus digitis, infigit illum in quarto digito manus dextera ipsius Sponsæ, &c." Traité des Superstitions, tom. iv. p. 512. The following, too, occurs Ibid. p. 513: "Certaines Gens en vûe de se garentir de malefice, font benir plusieurs Anneaux, quand ils trouvent des prêtres assés ignorans, ou assés complaisans pour le faire, et les mettent tous dans le doigt annulaire de la maine gauche ou de la main droite de leurs Epouses, car en certains Dioceses c'est à la main droite & en d'autres c'est a la main gauche, qu'on le donne aux nouvelles mariées, quoique le quatrieme Concile Provincial de Milan en 1576 ordonne qu'on le mette à la main gauche (Constit. p. 3, n. 9). Mais ils ne sçauroient mettre ce mauvais Moien en pratique sans tomber dans la Superstition de la vaine observance, et dans celle de l'observance des Rencontres." RING AND BRIDE-CAKE. AMONG the Customs used at Marriages, those of the RING and BRIDE-CAKE seem of the most remote antiquity. Confarreation and the Ring (') were used anciently as binding Ceremonies by the Heathens (2) in making agreements, grants, (3) &c. whence they have doubtless been derived to the most solemn of our engagements. The supposed Heathen origin of our Marriage Ring (4) had well nigh caused the abolition of it during the time of the Commonwealth. The facetious author of Hudibras gives us the following chief reasons why the Puritans wished it to be set aside: "Others were for abolishing That tool of matrimony, a ring, The Wedding Ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, because it was anciently believed, though the opinion has been justly exploded by the anatomists of modern times, that a small artery ran from this finger to the heart. Wheatly, on the authority of the Missals, calls it a vein. (5) "It is," says he, "because from thence there proceeds a particular vein to the heart. This, indeed," he adds, " is now contradicted by experience; but several eminent authors, as well Gentiles as Christians, as well physicians as divines, were formerly of this opinion, and therefore they thought this finger the properest to bear this pledge of love, that from thence it might be conveyed, as it were, to the heart.” '(°) Many married women are so rigid, not to say superstitious, in their notions (7) concerning their Wedding Rings, that neither when they wash their hands, nor at any other time, will they take it off from their finger, extending, it should seem, the expression of "till death us do part" even to this golden circlet, the token and pledge of matrimony. (8) There is an old proverb on the subject of Wedding Rings, which has no doubt been many a time quoted for the purpose of encouraging and hastening the consent of a diffident or timorous mistress: "As your Wedding Ring wears, Your cares will wear away." Columbiere, speaking of Rings, says, "The hieroglyphic of the Ring very various. Some of the Antients made it to denote servitude, alledging that the Bridegroom was to give it to his Bride, to denote to her that she is to be subject to him, which Pythagoras seemed to confirm when he prohibited wearing a streight Ring, that is, not to submit to over-rigid servitude." (a) Rings appear to have been given away formerly at Weddings. In Wood's Athenæ Oxonienses, vol. i. p. 280, we read in the account of the famous philosopher of Queen Elizabeth's days, Edward Kelly, " Kelly, who was openly profuse beyond the modest limits of a sober philosopher, did give away in Goldwire-Rings, (or Rings twisted with three gold wires,) at the marriage of one of his maidservants, to the value of 4000/." This was in 1589, at Trebona. In Davison's Poetical Rapsody, 8vo. Lond. 1611, p. 93, occurs the following beautiful Sonnet : "Upon sending his Mistresse a Gold Ring with this Poesie, PURE and ENDLESSE. "If you would know the love which I you beare, Compare it to the Ring which your faire Shall make more precious, when you shall you shall understand. (a) Coats's Dict. of Heraldry, v. Annulet. |