Chap.XïlI. of Monfienr Tavernier, i 



days before the Celebration of Marriage, the Father and Mother of the Boy prepare 

 a Feaft , which is carry'd to the houle of the Father and Mother of the Girl , where 

 rhe kindred of both parties meet. The Men are in one place by themfelves, and 

 the Women in another-, for they never eat together at publick Feafts. The Evening 

 before the Nuptials the Bridegroom fends a Habit to the Bride :, and fomc time after 

 he comes to receive what the Mother of the Bride has provided for him, on her part. 

 If the Bride has no Mother , lbme ancient Woman next a-kin dreffes the Bride. At 

 length the Bride gets upon one Horfe , and the Bridegroom upon another , each 

 Horfe being l'umptuoufly harnefs'd, with Bridles and Saddles of Gold and Silver, if 

 the perfons be rich : thole that are poor, and have notHorfes of their own , repair 

 to the Great men , who willingly lend theirs upon fuch an occafion. As they let out 

 from the Virgins habitation , the Bridegroom goes before with a Veil of Carnation- 

 Tiffany upon his Head, or elfe of Gold and Silver Net-work, the Mefhes whereof are 

 very clofe, that reaches below the Stomach. He holds in hisFIand one end of a 

 Girdle lbme three or four Ells long , and the Bride that rides behind holds the other. 

 She is alio covered with a large white Veil from head to foot, that fprcads alio a 

 good way over the Horfe. Under which Veil, that rather l'eems a large white 

 Sheet ? the Bride is hid in fuch a manner, that theVe is nothing to be leen of her but 

 her Eyes, Two Men walk on either fide of each Horfe-, and if they be Children 

 of three or four years old ( for lb young they marry) there are three or four Men 

 to hold them in the Saddle, according to the quality of their Parents. A great 

 Train of young Men, the kindred and acquaintance of both parties, follow after, 

 forne a-horfeback, lbme a-foot, with Tapers in their hands, as, if they were going in 

 Proceffion : and befides all thefe, the Drums, Trumpets, Hautboys and other Inlcrii- 

 mentsof the Country, all attending to the Church-door. \Micn thev are alighted, 

 every one makes way for the Bridegroom and Bride , who advance up to the foot of 

 the Altar, ftill holding the Girdle in their hands. Then the Bridegroom and the 

 Bride meet, and lean forehead to forehead. Then comes the Prieft, and turning his 

 back to the Altar, lays his Bible upon their Heads, inftead of a Desk , a weight iuffi- 

 ciently heavy, as being a thick ponderous Folio. There he lets it lye while he 

 reads the Form of Matrimony, which Office is m oft ulually perform'd by a Bifhop or 

 an Archbifhop. The Form is very much like ours. The Bifhop demands the Bride- 

 groom, Wilt thou have fuch a one to thy Wife ? then to the Bride he fays , Wilt thou 

 have fitch a one for thy Hufband? to which they both anfwer with a nod of the Head; 

 The Matrimonial Benediction being giv'n, they hear Mafs -, which being ended, chey 

 return both together to the Daughters habitation , in the fame order as they fet out. 

 Thefe Nuptials laft three days : where the Women drink more than the Men.The Man 

 goes to Bed firft, the Woman pulling off the man's Breeches , though fhc does not 

 lay afide her V eil 'till the Candle be put out. Let it be what time in the year it will, 

 the Woman riles before day. So that there be fome Armenians that in ten years 

 after they are marry 'd never law their Waives faces , nor ever heard them fpeak. For 

 though her Husband may fpeak to her, and all the reft of her kindred , yet fhe never 

 anfwers but with a Nod. The Women never eat with their Husbands:, but if the 

 Men feaft their Frinds to day, the Women feaft theirs the next day. 



CHAP. XIII. 



How the Armenians Bury their Dead. 



SO foon as any perfon dyes., one appointed for the Services of the Dead run? 

 immediately to the Church to fetch a Pot of Holy-water, which he prefently 

 pours into a great Veffel full of Water, into which they put the dead Corps, 

 This man is call'd Mordichou, or the ■pcrlbn that wafhes the Dead^ which 

 MorMchojis are fo much deteftcd among the people , that it is an ignominy to cat or 

 drink with thofe fort of people. Whatever the party deceas'd has about him at the 

 time of his death belongs i<o 'them , though it -be any excellent Jewel for it is the 

 «iftomof the Eaft to lye in their Breeches , Shirt, and Waftcoatn in regard they 



never 



