THIS is mentioned in the curious local poem by Edward Chicken, parish-clerk of St. John's, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, entitled "The Collier's Wedding," 8vo. Newc. 1764 (2nd edit.):

"Four rustic Fellows wait the while

To kiss the Bride at the Church-stile:
Then vig'rous mount their felter'd steeds-
To scourge them going, head and tail—
To win what Country call the Kail."

The Glossary to Burns's Scottish Poems describes "BROOSE" (a word which has the same meaning with "Kail") to be "a Race at

Country Weddings, who shall first reach the Bridegrooms House on returning from Church. The meaning of the word is everywhere most strangely corrupted. "Broose"

was originally, I take it for granted, the name of the prize on the above occasion, and not of the race itself; for whoever first reaches the house to bring home the good news, wins the "Kail," i. e. a smoking prize of spice broth, (1) which stands ready prepared to reward the victors in this singular kind of race.

This same kind of contest is called in Westmoreland "riding for the Ribbon." (*)

(1) Compare Jamieson's "Etymolog. Dict. of the Scottish Language," v. BRUSE. I know not whether the following passage is to be referred to this, or is given only as describing the bridegroom's awkwardness in supping broth. "New Essayes and Characters," &c. by John Stevens, jun. of Lincoln's Inn, Gent. 8vo. Lond. 1631, p. 353, speaking of a plain country bridegroom, the author says: "Although he points out his bravery with Ribbands, yet he hath no vaine glory; for he contemnes fine cloathes with dropping pottage in his bosome."

Sampson, in his "Statistical Survey of the County of Londonderry," 8vo. Dublin, 1802, p. 417, says: "At the Scotch weddings the groom and his party vie with the other youngsters who shall gallop first to the house of the bride. Nor is this feat of gallantry always without danger; for in every village through which they are expected, they are received with shots of pistols and guns; these discharges, intended to honour the parties, sometimes promote their disgrace, if to be tumbled

in the dirt on such an occasion can be called a dishonour. At the bride's house is prepared a bowl of broth, to be the reward of the victor in the race, which race is therefore called the running for the brose.

"The Irish wedding is somewhat different, especially in the mountainous districts. However suitable the match, it is but a lame exploit, and even an affront, if the groom does not first run away with the bride. After a few days' carousal among the groom's friends, the weddingers move towards the bride's country, on which occasion not only every relative, but every poor fellow, who aspires to be the well-wisher of either party, doth bring with him a bottle of whisky, or the price of a bottle, to the rendezvous. After this second edition of matrimonial hilarity, the bride and groom proceed quietly to their designed home, and, forgetting all at once their romantic frolic, settle quietly down to the ordinary occupations of life."

That riding for the Broose is still kept up in Scotland, may be seen by the following

extract from the account of marriages in the "Courier" newspaper of January 16th, 1813: "On the 29th ult. at Mauchline, by the Rev. David Wilson, in Bankhead, near Cumnock, Mr. Robert Ferguson, in Whitehill of New Cumnock, to Miss Isabella Andrew, in Fail, parish of Tarbolton. Immediately after the marriage four men of the bride's company started for the Broos, from Mauchline to Whitehill, a distance of thirteen miles; and when one of them was sure of the prize, a young lady, who had started after they were a quarter of a mile off, outstripped them all, and, notwithstanding the interruption of getting a shoe fastened on her mare at a smithy on the road, she gained the prize, to the astonishment of both parties.'

In "The History and Antiquities of Claybrook, in Leicestershire," by the Rev. A. Macaulay, 8vo. Lond. 1791, we read, p. 130: "A custom formerly prevailed in this parish and neighbourhood, of Riding for the BrideCake, which took place when the bride was brought home to her new habitation. A pole was erected in the front of the house, three or four yards high, with the Cake stuck upon the top of it. On the instant that the Bride set out from her old habitation, a company of young men started off on horseback; and he who was fortunate enough to reach the pole first, and knock the Cake down with his stick, had the honour of receiving it from the hands of a damsel on the point of a wooden sword, and with this trophy he returned in triumph to meet the Bride and her attendants, who, upon their arrival in the village, were met by a party, whose office it was to adorn their horses' heads with Garlands, and to present the bride with a posy. The last ceremony of this sort that took place in the parish of Claybrook was between sixty and seventy years ago, and was witnessed by a person now living in the parish. Sometimes the BrideCake was tried for by persons on foot, and then it was called throwing the Quintal,' which was performed with heavy bars of iron; thus affording a trial of muscular strength as well as of gallantry.

"This custom has been long discontinued as well as the other. The only custom now remaining at Weddings, that tends to recall a classical image to the mind, is that of sending

VOL. II.

to a disappointed Lover a Garland made of willow, variously ornamented, accompanied sometimes with a pair of gloves, a white handkerchief, and a smelling-bottle."

I cannot help observing here that it is a pity that, before the innocent gaieties of these festivities had been laid aside at Claybrook, the inhabitants had not abrogated this most illiberal custom, which adds insult to misfortune, and for which the miserable conceit of the smelling-bottle (no doubt to prevent fainting) offers but a very contemptible apology.

Mr. Macaulay mentions here that, in Minorca, if not now, at least forty years ago, a custom as old as Theocritus and Virgil was kept up, i. e. the ceremony of throwing nuts and almonds at weddings, that the boys might scramble for them. "Spargite, Marite, Nuces." Virg. See before, vol. i. p. 212.

Malkin, in his "Tour in South Wales," Glamorganshire, p. 67, says, "Ill may it befal the traveller who has the misfortune of meeting a Welsh Wedding on the road. He would be inclined to suppose that he had fallen in with a company of lunatics escaped from their confinement. It is the custom of the whole party who are invited, both men and women, to ride full speed to the Churchporch; and the person who arrives there first has some privilege or distinction at the Marriage-Feast. To this important object all inferior considerations give way, whether the safety of his Majesty's subjects, who are not going to be married, or their own, be incessantly endangered by boisterous, unskilful, and contentious jockeyship. The natives, who are acquainted with the custom, and warned against the cavalcade by its vociferous approach, turn aside at respectful distance: but the stranger will be fortunate if he escapes being overthrown by an onset, the occasion of which puts out of sight that urbanity so generally characteristic of the people.

A respectable clergyman informed me that, riding in a narrow lane near Macclesfield, in Cheshire, in the summer of 1799, he was suddenly overtaken (and indeed they had well nigh rode over him) by a nuptial party at full speed, who before they put up at an inn in the town, where they stopped to take some refresh

H

(1) P. 121. Mr. Gough, in the introduction to his second volume of Sepulchr. Mon. p. 7, speaking of Funeral Torches, says:

"The use of Torches was however retained alike in the daytime, as was the case at WEDDINGS; whence Propertius, beautifully,

"Viximus insignes inter utramque facem :” Thus illustrated by Ovid, Epist. Cydippes ad Acontium, l. 172:

"Et face pro thalami fax mihi mortis adest;"

and Fasti, ii. 1. 561, speaking of February, a month set apart for Parentalia, or Funeral Anniversaries, and therefore not proper for Marriage:

"Conde tuas, Hymenæe, faces, et ab ignibus atris

Aufer, habent alias mosta Sepulchra faces."

"The Romans admitted but five Torches in their nuptial solemnities." Browne's "Cyrus Garden, or the Quincunx mystically considered," p. 191.

In Swinburne's account of Gipsies in his "Journey through Calabria,” p. 304, is the fol

lowing remark: "At their weddings they carry Torches and have Paranymphs to give the bride away, with many other unusual rites."

Lamps and flambeaux are in use at present at Japanese weddings. "The Nuptial Torch," (says the author of Hymen, &c., an account of the marriage ceremonies of different nations, 8vo. Lond. 1760, p. 149,) "used by the Greeks and Romans, has a striking conformity to the flambeaux of the Japanese. The most considerable difference is, that, amongst the Romans, this Torch was carried before the bride by one of her virgin attendants; and among the Greeks, that office was performed by the bride's mother."

In the Greek church the bridegroom and bride enter the church with lighted wax tapers in their hands. Ibid. p. 153.

Torches are used at Turkish marriages: thus Selden, "Deductio sequitur in Domum, nec sine FACIBUS, et Sponsa Matri Sponsa traditur. Quamprimum vero Sponsa Cubiculum ingreditur, Maritus pede suo Uxoris pedem tangit statimque ambo recluduntur." Uxor Hebraica. (Opera, tom. iii. p. 686.)

AT the marriages of the Anglo-Saxons the parties were attended to church by music.(1)

In the old "History of John Newchombe," the wealthy clothier of Newbury, cited by Strutt, vol. iii. p. 154, speaking of his marriage and the bride's going to church, the writer ob"there was a noise of musicians that serves, played all the way before her."

Dame Sibil Turfe, in character, in Ben Jonson's play of "A Tale of a Tub," is introduced reproaching her husband as follows: "A clod you shall be called, to let no music go afore your child to church, to cheer her heart up!" and Scriben, seconding the good old dame's rebuke, adds, "She's i' th' right, Sir; for your wedding dinner is starved without music."

So shall our tuneful tongues combine
To laud the nuptial rite." (a)

(a) Nicolson and Burn's History of Westmoreland and Cumberland, vol. i. p 620.

(1) Strutt's Manners and Customs, vol. i. p. 76.

In "The Christen State of Matrimony," 8vo. Lond. 1543, p. 48, we read as follows: "Early in the mornyng the Weddyng people begynne to excead in superfluous eatyng and drinkyng, whereof they spytte untyll the halfe Sermon be done, and when they come to the preachynge they are halfe droncke, some all together. Therefore regard they neyther the prechyng nor prayer, but stond there only because of the custome. Such folkes also do come to the Churche with all manner of pompe and pride, and gorgiousnes of rayment and jewels. They come with a great noyse of HARPES, LUTES, KYTTES, BASENS, and DROMMES, wherwyth they trouble the whole Church and hyndre them in matters pertayninge to God. And even as they come to the Churche, so go they from the Churche ugayne, lyght, nyce, in shameful pompe and vaine wantonesse."

The following is from Vernon's "Hunting of Purgatory to Death," Lond. 1561, fol. 51 b: "I knewe a Priest (this is a true tale that I tell you, and no lye) whiche, when any of his parishioners should be maryed, woulde take his backe-pype, and go fetche theym to the Churche, playnge sweetelye afore them, and then would he laye his instrument handsomely upon the aultare tyll he had maryed them and sayd Masse. Which thyng being done, he would gentillye bringe them home agayne with backe-pype. Was not this priest a true ministrell, thynke ye? for he dyd not conterfayt the ministrell, but was one in dede."

Puttenham, in his "Arte of English Poesie," 4to. Lond. 1589, p. 69, speaks of "blind Harpers or such like tauerne minstrels that give a fit of mirth for a groat, and their matters being for the most part stories of old time, as the Tale of Sir Topas, the Reportes

of Bevis of Southampton, Guy of Warwicke, Adam Bell, and Clymme of the Clough, and such other old romances, or historical rimes, made purposely for recreation of the common people at Christmasse diners and Brideales, and in tauernes and ale-houses, and such other places of base resort."

In Christopher Brooke's Epithalamium, Signat. R. 2, in England's Helicon, we read: "Now whiles slow howres doe feed the times delay,

Confus'd discourse, with musicke mixt among,

Fills up the semy-circle of the day."

In the margin opposite is put "Afternoone Musicke."

In Griffith's" Bethel, or a Forme for Families," 8vo. Lond. 1634, is the following on Marriage Feasts, p. 279: "Some cannot be merry without a noise of fiddlers, who scrape acquaintance at the first sight; nor sing, unlesse the divell himselfe come in for a part, and the ditty be made in Hell," &c. He had before said, "We joy indeed at weddings; but how? Some please themselves in breaking broad, I had almost said bawdy jests."

Speaking of Wedding Entertainments, ibid., he says: "Some drink healths so long till they lose it, and (being more heathenish in this than was Ahasuerus at his feast) they urge their companions to drinke by measure, out of measure."

Waldron, in his "Description of the Isle of Man," (Works, fol. edit. p. 169,) tells us that at the marriages of the inhabitants "they are preceded (to church) by music, who play all the while before them the tune, the Black and the Grey, and no other is ever used at weddings. He adds, "that when they arrive at the churchyard, they walk three times round the church before they enter it."