PREFACE. THIS Second Volume of the TABLE BOOK concludes my endeavours of this nature. My engagement was to continue the work so long as the public continued to be pleased. I have gone a little further in justice to my readers, who might have felt disappointed had the volume not been concluded. I have cause to regret its commencement. The TABLE BOOK, like the EVERY-DAY BOOK, is undeformed by blemishes that would render it unfit for the Family Table. This, its praise in particular, is, to the public in general, a defect, in a work of low price and humble pretension. It has likewise the disadvantage of containing some things of higher reach, and more literary merit than usually fall to such a publication: it "flies too much over men's heads"-is a little too much in advance of the "march of intellect." I supposed that a sheet so filled, "with engravings-every Saturday -price threepence," would sell to an extent that would leave something weekly to its conductor: I erred. January, 1828. W. HONE. 1 THE TABLE BOOK. a The Gimmal Ring. THIS is an ancient form of the "tool of matrimony," from one found at Horsley. down, and exhibited in 1800 to the Society of Antiquaries. Mr. Robert Smith, the possessor of this curious ring, transmitted with it some remarks and descriptions of a nature very interesting to the lovers of archæology, and the "happy estate;" and from thence is derived the following account of this particular ring, with illustrations of the form and use of the gimmalring generally. This ring is constructed, as the name imports, of twin or double hoops, which play one within another, like the links of a chain. Each hoop has one of its sides flat, the other convex; each is twisted once round, and each surmounted by a hand, issuing from an embossed fancy-work wrist or sleeve; the hand rising somewhat above the circle, and extending in the same direction. The course of the twist, in each hoop, is made to correspond with that of its counterpart, so that on bringing together the flat surfaces of the hoops, the latter immediately unite in one ring. On the lower hand, or that of which the palm is uppermost, is represented a heart; and, as the hoops close, the hands slide into contact, forming, with their ornamented wrists, a head to the whole. The device thus presents a triple emblem of love, fidelity, and union. Upon the flat side of the hoops are engraven "Usé de Vertu," in Roman capitals; and, on the inside of the lower wrist, the figures "990." The whole is of fine gold, and weighs two pennyweights four grains. It is of foreign workmanship, probably French, and appears to be of no great antiquity; perhaps about the reign of our queen Elizabeth for though the time of the introduction into Europe of the Arabic numerals be referred by some to an æra VOL. II.-28. nearly corresponding with the figures on the ring, the better opinion seems to be, that the Arabian method of notation was unknown to the Europeans until about the middle of the 13th century. It is conjecture, therefore, that the figures were meant to express, not a date, but the artist's number; such as we see still engraven on watches. The workmanship is not incurious; and the ring furnishes a genuine specimen of the gimmal, (a term now alr forgotten.) ine, Rings, it is well known, are of gi d keeps thee quity; and, in the early ages of the denoted authority and government. were communicated, symbolically, by delivery of a ring to the person on w they were meant to be conferred. Pharaoh, when he committed the gove ment of Egypt to Joseph, took the ri from his finger and gave it to Joseph, as token of the authority with which he invested him. So also did Ahasuerus to his favourite Haman, and to Mordecai, who succeeded him in his dignity. In conformity to this ancient usage, recorded in the Bible, the Christian church afterwards adopted the ceremony of the ring in marriage, as a symbol of the authority which the husband gave the wife over his household, and over the "earthly goods" with which he endowed her. But the gimmal ring is comparatively of modern date. It should seem, that we are indebted for the design to the ingenious fancies of our Gallic neighbours, whose skill in diversifying the symbols of the tender passion has continued unrivalled, and in the language of whose country the mottoes employed on almost all the amorous trifles are still to be found. It must be allowed, that the double hoop, each apparently free yet inseparable, both formed for uniting, and complete only in their union, affords a a not unapt representation of the married machinery," and refers to Hanmer: but he state. Among the numerous "love-tokens which lovers have presented to their mistresses, in all ages, the ring bears a conspicuous part; nor is any more likely than the gimmal to "steal the impression of a mistress's fantasy," as none so clearly expresses its errand. In the "MidsummerNight's Dream" of Shakspeare, where Egeus accuses Lysander, before the duke, of having inveigled his daughter's affections, or, as the old man expresses it, "witch'd the bosom" of his child, he exclaims, "Thou hast given her rhimes, inclines to think the name gradually corrupted from geometry or geometrical, because, says he, "any thing done by occult means is vulgarly said to be done by geometry." The word is not in Chaucer, nor in Spenser; yet both Blount in his Glossography," and Philips in his " World of Words," have geminals; which they interpret twins. Shakspeare has gimmal in two or three places; though none of the commentators seem thoroughly to understand the term. Gimmal occurs in "King Henry the Fifth," Act IV. Scene II., where the French lords are proudly scoffing at the condition of the English army. Grandpree says, "The horsemen sit like fixed candlesticks, From a simple love-token, the gimmal And in their pale dull mouths the gimmal bit was at length converted into the more serious sponsalium annulus," or ring of affiance. The lover putting his finger through ne of the hoops, and his mistress hers the other, were thus, symbolically, ogether a yoke which neither could wholly to wear, une half being d to the other. In this use of the al may be seen typified, "a commuof interests, mutual forbearance, and a cipation of authority." Lies foul with chaw'd grass, still and motionless." We may understand the gimmal bit, therefore, to mean either a double bit, in the ordinary sense of the word (duplex,) or, which is more appropriate, a bit composed of links, playing one within another, (gemellus.) In the "First Part of King Henry the Sixth," after the French had been beaten back with great loss, Charles and his lords are concerting together the farther measures to be pursued, and the king says, he French term for it is foi, or allie; which latter word, in the "Dictionire de Trévoux," is defined, "bague ou Jonc que l'accordé donne à son accordée, où il y a un fil d'or, et un fil d'argent." This definition not only shows the occasion of its use, but supposes the two hoops to be composed, one of gold, the other of silver; a distinction evidently meant to characterise the bridegroom and bride Thus Columella calls those vines which produce two differ- By my consent we'll e'en let them alone." ent sorts of grapes, "gemellæ vites." "Let's leave this town, for they are hare brain'd slaves, Of old I know them; rather with their teeth Our English glossaries afford but little information on the subject. Minshew refers the reader from gimmal to gemow; the former he derives from "gemellus," the latter from the French "jumeau:" and he explains the gemow ring to signify "double or twinnes, because they be rings with two or more links." Neither of the words is in Junius. Skinner and Ainsworth deduce gimmal from the same Latin origin, and suppose it to be used only of something consisting of correspondent parts, or double. Dr. Johnson gives it a more extensive signification; he explains gimmal to mean, some little quaint devices, or pieces of "I think, by some odd gimmals or device, Some of the commentators have the following note upon this passage: "A gimmal is a piece of jointed work, where one piece moves within another; whence it is taken at large for an engine. It is now vulgarly' called 'gimcrack."" Mr. Archdeacon Nares instances a stage direction in "Lingua," an old play"Enter Anamnestes (a page to Memory) in a grave sattin sute, purple buskins, &c. a gimmal ring with one link hanging." He adds, that gimmal rings, though originally double, were by a further refinement made |