Posy Ring Inscriptions
Below is a selection of Inscriptions on Posy Rings
which have been at Wartski.
Posy rings derive their name from the word “posy” or “poesy” – a derivative of poetry meaning short rhyme. The rings were popular from the late medieval period onwards and were primarily used to communicate secret messages of love between the giver and the recipient. The wearing of words against the skin was believed to increase their poignancy.
‘A+DVTIFVL+SERVANT+DESERVED+REWADS+’
‘A Frindes gift’
‘A+FRIENDE’S+ GIFTE’
‘A kiss for peping’
‘A loving wife during life’
‘A true friends Gift’
‘A true frinds guifte ‘
‘A Vertuous wife preserueth life ‘
‘A vertuous wife preseurueth life’
‘After consent ever content’
‘Acsept my love’
‘x AMICVS x TVVS’
‘I love you.’
‘AMOR VINCIT OMNIA’
‘As God decreed soe wee agreed’
‘As god hath apoynted so we ar contented’
‘ As gold is pure, so love is sure’
‘AS I DESERVE SO I DESIER’
‘As I prove I wish your love’
‘AXCEPT * THIS * GIFT’
‘BE CONSTANT’
‘Bee firme in faith’
‘Be true in Harte’
‘BE TRVE TO THE END’
‘Better Neuer than not euer’
‘ CERT A MON GRE ‘
(certainly my choice)
‘Constancy is a noble vertue’
‘Content is a treasure’
‘Continew Faythfull’
‘Denial is Death’
‘EN BON’
‘EN BON DESIR’
‘EN MI MARIE’
(to my husband)
‘Far of yet not forgot’
‘Feare god love thy choyse’
‘Feare not mee, i’le faithful bee’
‘Fe’ y Fidalgula’
(Spanish for faith and nobility)
‘God above increase our love’
‘God hath made thee my choyce –
In him and thee I doe rejoice’
‘God made us two one’
‘God send me always of his grace’
‘Harbour a harmless [pictogram of a heart]’
‘Harbor the harmless hart’
‘[pictogram of a heart] and hand at your command’
‘Harts United Live Contented’
‘Hearts United Lives Contented’
‘HOPE * IS * ME* HELPE’
‘Humility is the true Nobility’
‘I am free for God & Thee’
‘I cannot show the love I O’
‘I choose never to change.’
‘I chuse never to change’
“I doue intend to remember my friend”
‘I give it the to think on mee’
‘I give it thee to think on mee’
‘ I have obtained whome god ordained ‘
‘I joy in one yet enjoy none’
‘I x LIKE x MI x CHOYSE’
‘I LIKE MY CHOIES ONLY’
‘I like my choyce’ ‘
‘I like my choyse’
‘I live in Hope’
‘I long to have but blush to crave’
‘I love and like my choice’
‘I rejoyce in the my choice’
‘I with your pretty sight, will breed you much delight’
‘In Christ and thee my comfort be’
‘In love abide till death devide’
‘In loyalty Ile live and dye’
‘In thy breast my heart doth rest’
‘In thy brest my heart doth rest’
‘In thee I find content of mind’
‘In thee my choyce I doe reioyce’
‘ In thee my choyce I do rejoyce’
‘In thy sight is my delight’
‘Knit in one by Christ alone ‘
‘Let Brotherly love continue’
‘Let * Liking * Last’
‘Let the Lord above send peace & love’
‘Let this present my good intent’
‘+ LET + TRVTH + TRYALL +’
‘LET *LIKING*LAST’
‘Let love continue’
‘Let us share in joy and care’
‘Let us share in Joy and Care’
‘Let vertue rule affection’
‘Let vertue still direct thy will’
‘Let virtue be a guid to thee * ‘
‘Live & Love’
‘Live and Love Happy’
‘Live in Love & feare the lord above’
‘ Love I Like Thee + Sweete Requite Thee’
‘Love is my joy’
‘Love is the bond of peace’
‘love never dies where vertu lies’
‘Loue to be louved’
‘Love till you dye and soe will I’
‘Love vertu’
‘Moe love to Myne’ More love to Mine’
‘My gift is myselfe’
‘my hart is thine’
‘My Heart I Bind Where Love I Find’
‘My hart I Bynde Where Faith I Finde’
‘My love by this presented is‘
‘ My .loue .to .the. sal. endless. be ‘
My love to thee shall endless be
‘NE MEUR BON’ followed by a heart rebus
(A good heart never dies)
‘NO FRENDE TO FATH’
( ‘to’ read as ‘like’)
‘No gift like good will’
‘No riches like content’
“NO. TYME. ALTERETH. ME .*.*.*”
‘Noe Heart More true than mine to you.’
‘Noe recompence but love’
‘None Can Preuent the Lord’s Intent’
‘Not loft but gon before.’
‘Not so able as willing’
‘Not the value but my love’
‘Not the vallue but my love’
‘Of all I see I chose the’
‘Of earthli joyse thou art my choys’
‘Oh hurt noty [heart pictogram] whose only joy thou art’
‘One chosen both happy’
‘One quiet, both happy
‘PIU*FA*TEMPO*CHE*FORZA’
‘Rather dye then faith denye’
‘*Remember * the* end’
‘Remember the giver’
‘+ SAUNS NUL MAL’
‘Sith hands and hart with one Consent
let nought but death the Knot preuent’
‘Some love in earnest, some in jest,
I love her that I like best’
‘Success to our fleet.’
‘The gift is small my love is all’
‘The god of peace our love increase’
‘* THE HART SAW * THE LOVE CHOSEN *
* NEVER BROKEN * JOYND ETERNAL *’
‘The Lord us Bless with Good Success’
‘The loue is trew that I O U’
‘The Love of thee is life to me’
‘The ring is round & hath no end so is my love for thy’
“Thinke it not strange though wee exchaing”
‘* TIME TRIETH TRUTH’
‘To gratify not to satisfie’
‘True love is endless’
‘True love will not remove’
‘TRYFULL+NOT+WYTH+THE+TRUSTY++’
‘UBI AMOR IBI FIDES’
Where There is Love There is Faith’
‘United hearts death only parts’
‘Vertue paseth ryches’
‘VERYTAS * LYBE * RAVYT’
(the truth will set you free)
‘Wee joine our harts in God’
‘Wee joyne our love in God above’
‘When this you se remember me’
‘Yield and Conquer’
‘You and I will Lovers dye’
‘You have my hart’
‘You never knew a heart more true ‘
‘+YOURES+TO+DEFE+’
‘YOURS TO COMMAND.’
An early eighteenth century posy ring we wish
we had owned was inscribed: ‘Meet me at midnight’
English Posies and Posy Rings
by Dame Joan Evans
Republished by Wartski.
Hardcover – Facsimile edition, 148 pages, 15.1 x 22.8 cm
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