parel, or by putting her in some obscure place; but, after some pretended difficulty, she is at length discovered, when they sit down, and, after spending the evening merrily, depart home. Next morning they return again and demand the bride, by repeating several lines in Welch poetry. A kind of refusal is made by her father in a similar kind of poetry; but his consent being at last obtained, the girl is mounted on a horse, behind one of her young male friends, who sets off with her at full speed, to the church where the ceremony is to be performed, followed by a numerous concourse of people. The bridegroom is always in readiness to meet her at the church-door, with his attendants, when the clergyman joins them together according to the established ritual, except when he comes to the words, "with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow," the bridegroom puts his hand into his pocket, and produces what money he has about him, which he gives with the ring to the clergyman. The latter takes his fee, and delivers the remainder to the bride. After this, the ceremony concludes at the altar in the usual form.

It was the custom formerly for the husband

to make a present to his wife on the morning after the marriage, before she arose out of bed, which presents were considered as her own individual property.

Among the ancient Britons, in very remote times, it was customary to have the women of ten or twelve families, who dwelt under one roof, in common, even to brothers. It is said that Julia, wife to the Emperor Severus, reproaching a Briton with this custom, received the following answer:-" that the Roman ladies ought not to reproach the British ladies on this account, as what the latter did publicly with men of merit, the former did privately with the worst, and sometimes with their slaves."

SCOTLAND.- -There was a custom in this country formerly that savours so much of brutality and tyranny, that it seems almost incomprehensible to the present polished state of society, that it should have ever obtained the sanction of a law; but we have it from undoubted authority, that Evenus III. sixteenth King of Scotland, made a law, that the king should have the first night after marriage of all noblemen's daughters; and noblemen and heritors of lands should have the same freedom with

be agreed on by the parties, during which time the bridegroom visits his bride, but without any further commerce with her.

On the day fixed for the celebration of the nuptials, the bride and bridegroom are conducted to the place appointed by the parties or their friends; the bridegroom by the men, and the bride by the women; where there are generally assembled all or most of their relations and friends, as they generally invite a great many, being obliged to have at least ten men present, otherwise the marriage is null and void. When all the company are assembled, and the priest and reader of the synagogue is come, the ceremony is performed in the following manner.

A velvet canopy is brought into the room supported by four long poles, under which the bridegroom and bride are led in the following order: the bridegroom being supported by a friend on each side, and the bride by two female friends in the same manner, (which four are always, if living or in the way, the parents of the couple; otherwise the two 'nearest relations, with their wives,) having her face covered with a veil, in token of female modesty. The couple are then placed opposite to each other

under the canopy; the priest takes a glass of wine in his hand, and repeats as follows: "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, king of the universe, the Creator of the fruit of the vine. -Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who hath sanctified us with thy commandments, and hath forbidden us fornification, and hath forbidden to us the betrothed, but hath allowed unto us those that are married unto us, by the means of the canopy and of the wedding-ring. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who art the sanctifier of thy people Israel, by the means of the canopy and of the wedlock." Then the bride and bridegroom drink of the wine, and the latter puts a ring upon the bride's finger, saying, in presence of those who stand round the canopy, "Behold, thou art betrothed unto me with this ring, according to the rites of Moses and of Israel." The instruments of the -marriage contract are read, which specifies that the bridegroom A. B. doth agree to take the bride C. D. as his lawful wife, according to the laws of Moses and Israel; and that he will keep, maintain, honour, and cherish, her, according to the manner of all the Jews, who honour, keep, maintain, and cherish, their wives; that

seem to be her next in blood; and if the damsel be found to have committed no crime, let her return and dwell with him that hath accused her, who cannot any more refuse her, except she give him great occasions, whereunto she cannot contradict. But he that, without cause and rashly, shall accuse and slander his wife, he shall be punished with thirty-nine stripes; and, in way of amends, shall pay fifty sicles to her father. But if it be proved that she hath been deflowered, and hath been common, then shall she be stoned to death, for that she hath not chastely conserved her virginity till the time of her lawful marriage; and, if she be of the race of the Priests, she shall be burned alive.

"If any man have two wives, the one of which he holdeth in great honour and amity, either for love, or by reason of her beauty, and that the other be not in the like condition and estimate; if the son of her that is best beloved demandeth to have the prerogative of the elder, which is two portions of that which cometh to all the rest by the father's patrimony, (for so much import our ordinances), and challengeth the same, by reason that his father more dearly loveth his mother than the other, let it not