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"The blithsome, bucksome country Maids,
With Knots of Ribbands at their heads,
And pinners flutt'ring in the wind,
That fan before and toss behind," &c.

And speaking of the Youth, with the Bridegroom, it says:

"Like streamers in the painted sky,
At every breast the Favours fly." (4)

NOTES TO BRIDE FAVOURS.

(1) Gramm. Island., p. 4: "In his autem Monumentis, ut in id genus fere omuibus, Inscriptionum Runæ in nodis sive gyris nodorum insculptæ leguntur, propterea quod apud veteres Septentrionales gentes Nodus amoris, fidei, amicitiæ Symbolum fuisse videtur, ut quod insolubilem pietatis et affectus nexum significavit. Hinc apud Boreales Anglos, Scotosque, qui Danorum veterum tum sermonem, tum mores magna ex parte adhuc retinent, Nodus in gyros curiose ductus, fidei & promissionis quam Amasius et Amasia dare solent invicem, Symbolum servatur, quodque ideo vocant A True-love Knot, a veteri Danico Trulofa-fidem do.Hinc etiam apud Anglos Scotosque consuetudo reportandi capitalia donata curiose in gyros nodosque torta a solennibus Nuptiis plane quasi Symbola insolubilis fidei et affectus, quæ Sponsum inter et Sponsam esse debent.""

Many of these Runic Knots are engraved in Sturleson's "History of Stockholm."

The following is found in Selden's " Uxor Hebraica" (Opera, tom. iii. p. 670): “Quin et post Benedictionem per vittæ candidæ permistione et purpureæ unum invicem vinculum (Modum amatorium, a True-Loves Knot), copulabantur, inquit Isidorus, videlicet, ne Compagem conjugalis unitatis disrumpant.

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Sir Thomas Browne, in his "Vulgar Errors," says: "The True-Lover's Knot is much magnified, and still retained in presents of love among us; which, though in all points it doth not make out, had, perhaps, its original from Nodus Herculanus, or that which was called Hercules' his Knot, resembling the snaky complication in the Caduceus, or Rod of Hermes, and in which form the Zone or woollen girdle of the bride was fastened, as Turnebus observes in his Adversaria.""

(2) The following beautiful madrigal, entitled "The True-love's Knot," occurs in Davison's "Poetical Rapsody," 8vo. Lond. 1611, p. 216 —

"Love is the linke, the knot, the band of unity,

And all that love, do love with their belov'd to be:

Love only did decree

To change his kind in me.

For though I lov'd with all the powers of my mind,

And though my restles thoughts their rest in her did finde,

Yet are my hopes declinde,
Sith she is most unkinde.

For since her beauties sun my fruitles hope did breede,

By absence from that sun I hop❜t to sterve that weede;

Though absence did, indeede, My hopes not sterve, but feede. For when I shift my place, like to the stricken Deere,

I cannot shift the shaft which in my side I beare:

By me it resteth there,

The cause is not else where.

So have I seene the sicke to turne and turne againe,

As if that outward change could ease his inward paine:

Yet

But still, alas! in vaine,

The fit doth still remaine.

goodnes is the spring from whence this ill doth grow,

For goodnes caus'd the love, which great respect did owe;

Respect true love did show;

True love thus wrought my woe."

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This True-Love-Knot cancelles both maide and nun."

(3) See "Misson's Travels in England," 8vo. à la Haye, 1696, p. 317: "Autrefois en France on donnoit des livrees de Noces ; quelque Noeud de Ruban que les Conviez portoient attaché sur le bras: mais cela ne se pratique plus que parmi les paisans. En Angleterre on le fait encore chez les plus grands Seigneurs. Ces Rubans s'appellent des Faveurs, et on en donne non seulement à ceux de la Nôce, mais a cinq Cens personnes : On en envoye & on en distribue a la Maison. L'autre Jour, lorsque le Fils ainé de Monsieur d'Ouwerkerque espousa la Sœur du Duc d'Ormond, ils repandirent une Inondation de ces petites Faveurs (c'etoit un assez gros Noeud de Rubans melez, Or, Argent, incarnat, et blanc. Cela se porte sur le Chapeau pendant quelques Semaines) on ne recontroit autre chose. Il y en avoit depuis le Chapeau du Rois, jusqu'a ceux du commune Do

mestique. Chez les Bourgeois et les simple gentils hommes, on donne quelque fois aussi des Faveurs: mais il est fort ordinaire d'eviter en general tout ce que fait la depense."

Ozell, in a note to his translation of Misson, p. 350, says: "The Favour was a large knot of ribbands, of several colours, gold, silver, carnation, and white. This is worn upon the hat for some weeks."

Another note, in p. 351, says: "It is ridiculous to go to a wedding without new cloaths. If you are in mourning, you throw it off for some days, unless you are in mourning for some near relation that is very lately dead."

In "Paradoxical Assertions and Philosophical Problems," by R. H., 8vo. Lond. 1664, p. 19, we read: "I shall appeal to any Enamoreto but newly married, whether he took not more pleasure in weaving innocent True-love Knots than in untying the virgin zone, or knitting that more than Gordian Knot which none but that invincible Alexander, Death, can untye ?"

(4) In a curious old book (my copy wants the title), called "The Fifteen Comforts of Marriage," a conference is introduced at pp. 41, 47, and 48, concerning bridal colours in dressing up the bridal bed by the Bridemaids-not, say they, with yellow ribbands, these are the emblems of jealousy-not with "Fueille mort," that signifies fading love—but with true-blue, that signifies constancy, and green denotes youth-put them both together, and there's youthful constancy. One proposed blew and black, that signifies constancy till death; but that was objected to, as those colours will never match. Violet was pro

posed, as signifying religion; this was objected to as being too grave: and at last they concluded to mingle a gold tissue with grassgreen, which latter signifies youthful jollity.

For the Bride's Favours, Top-knots, and Garters, the Bride proposed Blew, Gold-colour, Popingay-Green, and Limon-colour,—objected to, Gold-colour signifying avarice-Popingay. Green wantonness.

The younger Bride-maid proposed mixtures -Flame-colour-Flesh-colour-Willow-and Milk-white. The second and third were objected to, as Flesh-colour signifies lasciviousness, and Willow forsaken.

It was settled that Red signifies justice, and

Sea-green inconstancy. The milliner, at last, fixed the colours as follows: for the Favours, Blue, Red, Peach-colour, and Orange-tawny: for the young ladies' Top-knots, Flame-colour, Straw-colour (signifying plenty), Peach-colour, Grass-green, and Milk-white; and for the Garters, a perfect Yellow, signifying honour and joy.

The following allusion to Bride Favours is from "Herrick's Hesperides," p. 252: "What posies for our wedding-rings, What gloves we'll give, and ribbanings."

In the Gent. Mag. for October, 1733, vol. iii. p. 545, are "Verses sent by a young

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BRIDE MAIDS.

THE use of Bride Maids at Weddings appears as old as the time of the Anglo Saxons among whom, as Strutt informs us, "the Bride was led by a Matron, who was called the Bride's Woman, followed by a company of young Maidens, who were called the Bride's Maids." (a)

The Bride Maids and the Bridegroom Men are both mentioned by the Author of the "Convivial Antiquities," in his Description" of the Rites at Marriages in his Country and Time. (1)

(a)" Manners and Customs," vol. i. p. 76.

In later times it was among the offices of the Bride Maids to lead the Bridegroom to Church, as it was the duty of the Bridegroom's Men to conduct the Bride thither. (*)

This has not been overlooked in the provincial Poem of "The Collier's Wedding :" "Two lusty lads, well drest and strong, Step'd out to lead the Bride along; And two young Maids, of equal size, (3) As soon the Bridegroom's hands surprize."()

It was an invariable rule for the Men always to depart the Room till the Bride was undressed by her Maids and put to bed.

NOTES TO BRIDE MAIDS.

(1) "Antequam eatur ad Templum Jentaculum Sponsæ et invitatis apponitur, Serta atque Corollæ distribuuntur. Postea certo ordine Viri primum cum Sponso, deinde Puellæ cum Sponsa in Templum procedunt." Antiquitat. Convivial. fol. 68.

(2) It is stated in the Account of the

Marriage Ceremonials of Philip Herbert and the Lady Susan, performed at Whitehall in the reign of James I., that "the Prince and the Duke of Holst. led the Bride to church."

In the old History of John Newchombe, the wealthy Clothier of Newbury, cited by Strutt,

vol. iii. p. 154, speaking of his Bride, it is said, that "after hee, came the chiefest maidens of the country, some bearing Bridecakes, and some Garlands, made of wheat finely gilded, and so passed to the church." "She was led to church between two sweet boys, with Bride-laces and Rosemary tied about their silken sleeves: the one was Sir Thomas Parry, the other Sir Francis Hungerford."

(3) In the old play of "A Woman is a Weather-Cocke," Act 1, sc. i. on a marriage going to be solemnized, Count Fredericke says: "My Bride will never be readie, I thinke: heer are the other sisters." Pendant observes: "Looke you, my Lorde: there's Lucida weares the Willow-garland for you; and will so go to church, I hear." As Lucida enters with a Willow-garland, she says: "But since my sister he hath made his choise,

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This wreath of Willow, that begirts my browes,

Shall never leave to be my ornament
Till he be dead, or I be married to him."

(4) Waldron, in his Description of the Isle of Man (Works, fol. p. 169), speaking of the Manks weddings, says: "They have BrideMen and Brides-Maids, who lead the young couple, as in England, only with this difference, that the former have Ozier Wands in' their hands, as an emblem of superiority."

In "Christopher Brooke's England's Helicon," Signat. R. b, we read:

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velut Paranymphi, id est Auspices, qui olim pro nuptiis celebrandis Auspicia capiebant, nubentem ad Templum-et inde domum duo viri deducant, et tertius loco facis, VASCULUM aureum, vel argenteum præferat."

This was called "The Bride-Cup." So we read in the account of the Marriage of John Newchombe, the wealthy clothier of Newbury (cited by Strutt, ut supra), where, speaking of the Bride's being led to church, it is added by the writer that "there was a fair BrideCup, of silver-gilt, carried before her, wherein was a goodly branch of Rosemary, gilded very fair, and hung about with silken ribbands of all colours.'

It is remarkable that Strutt (vol. i. p. 77) should be at a loss to explain a Man with a Cup in his hand, in plate xiii. fig. 1, representing a Marriage.

In "A Pleasant History of the First Founders," &c., 8vo. p. 57, we read: "At Rome the manner was that two children should lead the Bride, and a third bear before

her a torch of white-thorn in honour of Ceres, which custome was also observed here in England, saving that in place of the torch there was carried before the Bride a bason of gold or silver; a garland, also, of corn-eares was set upon her head, or else she bare it on her hand; or, if that were omitted, wheat was scattered over her head in token of Fruitfulness; as also, before she came to bed to. her Husband, fire and water were given her, which, having power to purifie and cleanse, signified that thereby she should be chast and pure in her body. Neither was she to step over the Threshold, but was to be borne over, to signifie that she lost her Virginity unwillingly with many other superstitious Ceremonies, which are too long to rehearse."

(4) "In Anglia adhuc duo pueri mediam in templum, præcedente Tibicine, deferunt nupturam, duo conjugati referunt, his, tempore Prandii, ob præstitam operam nova Nupta dat Chirothecas." Papatus, p. 114,

115.

STREWING HERBS, FLOWERS, OR RUSHES,

BEFORE THE BRIDEGROOM AND BRIDE IN THEIR WAY TO CHURCH: AS ALSO THE WEARING NOSEGAYS ON THE OCCASION.

THERE was anciently a Custom at Marriages of strewing Herbs and Flowers, as also Rushes, from the House or Houses where persons betrothed resided to the Church. (1)

The strewing Herbs and Flowers on this occasion, as mentioned in a Note upon the old Play of "Ram Alley" (see Reed's old Plays, vol. v. p. 503) to have been practised formerly, is still kept up in Kent and many other parts of England. (2)

With regard to Nosegays, called by the

vulgar in the North of England "Posies," Stephens has a remarkable passage in his character of "A plaine Country Bridegroom," p. 353. "He shews," says he, "neere affinity betwixt Marriage and Hanging and to that purpose he provides a great Nosegay, and shakes hands with every one he meets, as if he were now preparing for a condemned Man's Voyage." Nosegays occur in the Poem of "The Collier's Wedding." (3)

NOTES TO STREWING HERBS, FLOWERS, &c.

(1) The following is in Herrick's "Hesperides," p. 129:—

"Glide by the Banks of Virgins then, and passe

The Showers of Roses, lucky foure-leav'd Grasse :

The while the cloud of younglings sing,
And drown ye with a flowrie Spring."

As is the subsequent, in Brathwaite's "Strappado for the Divell," 8vo. Lond. 1615, p. 74:

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