gnity, as exhibited by weight and simplicity, seems to have been
chiefly regarded in the design of these old episcopal insignia. In the
sacristy at York Minster is preserved a very excellent specimen, Fig.
123. This was found in the tomb of Archbishop Sewall, who died in 1256.
With it is kept another fine ring of more elaborate design (Fig. 124),
which was discovered in the tomb of Archbishop Greenfield, who died in
1315. The foliations which curl around the central stone and its
setting, take the prevailing forms adopted in architectural enrichments
of the archbishop's age. The stones usually chosen for such rings were
ruby, emerald, or crystal, and had a significance usual with all things
connected with the Roman Catholic Church; ruby indicated its glory,
emerald its tranquillity and happiness, and crystal its simplicity and
purity. The diamond typified invulnerable faith; the sapphire, hope; the
onyx, sincerity; the amethyst, humility.

In the old romance of "Sir Degrevant," we are told that at the marriage
of the hero there came

"Archbishops with rings
More than fifteen."

In the romance of "King Athelstan" (also a work of the fourteenth
century), the king exclaims to an offending archbishop--

"Lay doun thy cross, and thy staff,
Thy miter, and _thy ring_, that I to thee gaff:
Out of my land thou flee."

[Illustration: Fig. 125.]

The episcopal ring, being thus necessarily a mark of rank, was worn
about this time over the gloves: sometimes as a thumb-ring, and often of
very large size. The ornaments of the clergy became more massive as the
wealth of the Church increased. As the clergy were during church service
separated from the laity, many of the latter were at a considerable
distance from them. This may be a reason for the size adopted for
episcopal rings. A late Dean of St. Patrick's had in his collection a
very large ring of this kind, represented in Fig. 125, from a sketch
made by the author when it was in the possession of W. Huxtable,
F.S.A., in 1847. It was of bronze, thickly gilt, and set with a crystal.

This peculiar form was generally adopted for rings at this period. The
Londesborough collection furnishes us with a curious specimen (Fig.
126), formed of gilt copper, and set with a small ruby, which must have
stood forth from the finger in what would now be considered as a most
inconvenient manner. Fig. 127 exhibits the form of the plain hooped
ring, simply decorated with