§ 19. In the year 1845, an interesting ring was found at Sessa, (the Suessa Auruncorum of the ancients,) situate in the Terra de Livaro, Kingdom of Naples. We here give the original signet. A drawing of the same with its outer edge, which, as it will be seen, contained the name of an after owner and the outer ring, with its religious maxims along its edge, appears in the Archæological Journal.[363] The stone which forms the signet is of a deep-red color and, apparently, a species of agate. In the centre are engraved two right hands joined together, with the following letters above and below, C. C. P. S., I. P. D. Our cut is somewhat larger than the original. Judging from the workmanship of the signet, it is believed to have been executed in the period between the reigns of Severus and Constantine or, in other words, about the middle of the third century. The interpretation of these letters must be left to conjecture. It would appear, however, to have been regarded as an object of value or interest at a later period, when it was set in gold for the person whose name appears round the stone in capital letters, which are to be thus read:
✠ SIGILLV· THOMASII· DE· ROGERIIS· DE· SUESSA·
Sigillum Thomasii de Rogeriis de Suessa.
On the outer side of the hoop of the ring are two other inscriptions, also in capital letters. The first reads:
✠ XPS· VINCIT· XPS· REGNAT· XPS· IMPERA·
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
And the second:
✠ ET· VERBU: CARO: FACTU: E: ET ABITAUIT: INOB·
Et verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis.
The workmanship of these inscriptions is exceedingly good and the letters well formed and sharply cut. It will be remarked that in the first legend on the hoop the letter T. in the word Imperat is omitted for want of space; and in the second, for the same reason, not only the final m, as usual, is twice suppressed, but the word est is given in the abbreviated form of e; several letters are joined together; the aspirate is omitted inhabitavit; and the letter n is made to serve for the final of in and the initial of nobis. As to the date of this ring, it may, very probably, be ascribed to the thirteenth century. There can be no doubt that the owner, Thomasius de Rogeriis, must have been a member of the Neapolitan family of Roggieri. The legend upon the ring, Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat, is found, also, in the series of Anglo-Gothic gold coins from the reign of Edward III. of England to that of Henry VI.
We have been favored with the perusal of a presentation copy of the article (in the Archæological Journal) and from it have taken the above explanation. This copy was sent by the possessor of the ring, George Borrett, of Southampton, England, Esquire, to Isaac E. Cotheal, of New-York, Esquire; and it has, interleaved, (with the addition of a wax impression,) the following MS. note: “The Abbé Farrari, a priest attached to the Church of Sta. Maria in Comedia, (also called the Bocci della Venite,) submitted it to some members of the Propaganda at Rome, 12th April, 1845, who described it as follows: Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat, et verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis. Sigillum Thomasii de Rogeriis de Suessa: Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands and the Word was made flesh and dwelt in us. The seal of Thomas de Rogeriis de Suessa.