eparation, and all the ills attending an unhappy marriage.

On the wedding day, the bride and bridegroom were richly dressed, and
adorned with garlands of herbs and flowers. The bride was conducted in
the evening to the house of her husband in a chariot, seated between her
husband and one of his relations. When she alighted from the chariot the
axle-tree of it was burnt to show that there was no method for her to
return back. As soon as the young couple entered the house, figs and
other fruits were thrown upon their heads to denote plenty; and a
sumptuous entertainment was ready for them to partake of, to which all
the relations on both sides were invited.

The bride was lighted to bed by a number of torches, according to her
quality; and the company returned in the morning to salute the new
married couple, and to sing _epithalamia_ at the door of their
bed-chamber.

Epithalamia were marriage songs, anciently sung in praise of the bride
or bridegroom, wishing them happiness, prosperity and a numerous issue.

Among the Romans there were three different kinds of marriage. The
ceremony of the first consisted in the young couple eating a cake
together made only of wheat, salt and water. The second kind was
celebrated by the parties solemnly pledging their faith to each other,
by giving and receiving a piece of money. This was the most common way
of marrying among the Romans. It continued in use, even after they
became Christians. When writings were introduced to testify that a man
and a woman had become husband and wife, and also, that the husband had
settled a dower upon his bride, these writings were called _Tabulae
Dotales_ (dowry tables;) and hence, perhaps the words in our marriage
ceremony, "I thee endow."

The third kind of marriage was, when a man and woman, having cohabited
for some time and had children, found it expedient to continue together.
In this case, if they made up the matter between themselves, it became
a valid marriage, and the children were considered as legitimate.

Something similar to this is the present custom in Scotland. There, if a
man live with, and have children by a woman, though he do not marry her
till he be upon his death-bed, all the children are thereby legitimated
and become entitled to the honors and estates of their father. The case
is the same in Holland and some parts of Germany; with this difference
only, that all the children to be legitimated must appear with the
father an