d and wife made of
each other, by the exchange of some pieces of money.

A plurality of wives was forbidden among the Romans. The marriageable
age was from fourteen for men, and twelve for girls.

On the wedding day the bride was dressed in a simple robe of pure white,
bound with a zone of wool, which her husband alone was to unloose: her
hair was divided into six locks, with the point of a spear, and crowned
with flowers; she wore a saffron colored veil, which enveloped the
entire person: her shoes were yellow, and had unusually high heels to
give her an appearance of greater dignity.

Thus attired she waited the arrival of the bridegroom, who went with a
party of friends and carried her off with an appearance of violence,
from the arms of her parents, to denote the reluctance she was supposed
to feel at leaving her paternal roof.

The nuptial ceremony was then performed; in the evening she was
conducted to her future home, preceded by the priests, and followed by
her relations, friends, and servants, carrying presents of various
domestic utensils.

The door of the bridegroom's house was hung with garlands of flowers.
When the bride came hither, she was asked who she was; she answered,
addressing the bridegroom, "Where thou art Caius, there shall I be
Caia," intimating that she would imitate the exemplary life of Caia, the
wife of Tarquinius Priscus. She was then lifted over the threshold, or
gently stepped over, it being considered ominous to touch it with her
feet, because it was sacred to Vesta the goddess of Virgins.

Upon her entrance, the keys of the house were delivered to her, to
denote her being intrusted with the management of the family, and both
she and her husband touched fire and water to intimate that their union
was to last through every extremity. The bridegroom then gave a great
supper to all the company. This feast was accompanied with music and
dancing, and the guests sang a nuptial song in praise of the new married
couple.

The Romans paid great attention to funeral rites, because they believed
that the souls of the unburied were not admitted into the abodes of the
dead; or at least wandered a hundred years along the river Styx before
they were allowed to cross it.

When any one was at the point of death, his nearest relation present
endeavored to catch his last breath with his mouth, for they believed
that the soul or living principle thus went out at the mouth. The corpse
was then bathe