covered. He performs the fame ceremony on the bride, who is equally refpectful. The ceremonies of marriage among the prefent Greeks are no less bizarre. Among other particulars, the bridegroom and bride walk three rounds; during which they are kicked and cuffed heartily. Our author Tournefort adds, that he only and his companions forbore to join in the ceremony; which was afcribed to their rufticity and ignorance of polite manners, Marriage-ceremonies among the Kamskatkans are extremely whimfical. A young man, after making his propofals, enters into the fervice of his intended father-in-law. If he prove agreeable, he is admitted to the trial of the touch. The young woman is fwaddled up in leathern thongs; and in that condition is put under the guard of fome old women. Watching every opportunity of a flack guard, he endeavours to uncafe her, in order to touch what is always the most concealed. The bride muft refift, in appearance at least ; and therefore cries out for her guards; who fall with fury on the bridegroom, tear his hair, fcratch his face, and act in violent oppofition. The attempts of the lover prove fome fometimes unfuccefsful for months; but the moment the touch is atchieved, the bride teftifies her fatisfaction, by pronouncing the words Ni, Ni, with a foft and loving voice. The next night they bed together without any oppofition. One marriage-ceremony among the inland negroes, is fingular. As foon as preliminaries are adjusted, the bridegroom, with a number of his companions, fet out at night, and furround the houfe of the bride, as if intending to carry her off by force. She and her female attendants, pretending to make all poffible refiftance, cry aloud for help, but no perfon appears. This resembles ftrongly a marriage-ceremony that is of was customary in Wales. On the morning of the wedding-day, the bridegroom, ac companied with his friends on horseback, demands the bride. Her friends, who are likewife on horfeback, give a pofitive refufal, upon which a mock scuffle ensues. The bride, mounted behind her neareft kinfman, is carried off, and is pursued by the bridegroom and his friends, with loud fhouts. It is not uncommon on fuch an occafion to fee two or three hundred sturdy Cambro-Britons riding at full speed, croff ing ing and joftling, to the no fmall amufement of the fpectators. When they have fatigued themselves and their horfes, the bridegroom is fuffered to overtake his bride. He leads her away in triumph, and the scene is concluded with feafting and feftivity. The fame marriage-ceremony was usual in Mufcovy, Lithuania, and Livonia, as reported by Olaus Magnus (a). Divorce alfo depends on the nature of the matrimonial engagement. Where the law is, that a man muft purchase his wife as one does a flave, it follows naturally, that he may purchase as many as he can. pay for, and that he may turn them off at his pleasure. This law is univerfal, without a fingle exception. The Jews, who purchased their wives, were privileged to divorce them, without being obliged to affign a cause (6). The negroes purchase their wives, and turn them off when they think proper. The fame law obtains in China, in Monomotapa, in the ifthmus of Darien, in Caribeana, and even in the cold country round Hudfon's bay. All the favages of South America who live (a) Lib. 14. cap. 9. ́ (b) Deuteronomy, chap. 24. near near the Oroonoko, purchase as many wives as they can maintain; and divorce them without ceremony. Very different is a matrimonial engagement between equals, where a dowry is contracted with the bride. The nature of the engagement implies, that neither of them fhould difmifs the other, without a juft caufe. In Mexico, where the bride brought a dowry, there could be no divorce but by mutual confent. In Lapland, the women who have a stock of rain-deer, as above mentioned, make a confiderable figure. This lays a foundation for a matrimonial covenant as among us, which bars polygamy, and confequently divorce, without a juft caufe. And, when these are barred in feveral inftances, the prohibition in time becomes general. I proceed to adultery, the criminality of which depends alfo in fome measure on the nature of the matrimonial engagement. Where wives are purchased, and polyga my is indulged, adultery can scarce be reckoned a crime in the husband; and, where there are a plurality of wives, found fenfe makes it but a venial crime in any of them. But, as men are the lawgivers, the punishment punishment of female adultery, where polygamy takes place, is generally too severe. It is, however, more or less fevere in different countries, in proportion as the men are more or less prone to revenge. The Chinese are a mild people, and depend more on locks and bars for preventing adultery, than on severity; the punishment being only to fell an adulterefs for a flave. The fame law obtains in the kingdom of Laos, bordering upon China. An adulterefs among the ancient Egyptians was punished with the lofs of her nofe. In ancient Greece, a pecuniary penalty was inflicted on an adulterer (a). An adul terefs was probably punished more severely. Among the negroes, who have very little delicacy, adultery is but flightly punished; except in the kingdom of Benin. There, an adulterefs, after a severe whipping, is banished; and the adulterer forfeits his goods, which are beftowed on the injured husband. Among the ancient Germans, a grave and virtuous people, adultery was rare. An adulterefs was deprived of her hair, expelled from her hufband's house, and whipped through the (a) Odyssey, b. 8. 1. 384. village |