278 
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS IN SICILY. 
times it was held, that men were not born only on those days when 
they first came into the world, but on those also when they arrived 
at the chief honours and commands in the commonwealth ; e. gr. the 
consulate. Hence that of Cicero, in his oration at duirites, after his 
return from exile: A parentibus, id quod necesse erat, parvus sum 
procreatus ; a vobis natus sum consularis.” 
Ancient Customs respecting Brides. 
Among the ancient Greeks, it w'as customary for the bride to be 
conducted from her father’s house to her husband’s in a chariot, the 
evening being chosen for that purpose. She was placed in the mid- 
dle, her husband sitting on one side, and one of her intimate friends on 
the other ; torches were carried before her, and she was entertained 
in the passage with a song suitable to the occasion. When they 
arrived at the end of their journey, the axle-tree of the coach they 
rode in was burnt, to signify that the bride was never to return to 
her father’s house. Among the Romans, the bride was to seem to be 
taken by force from her mother, in memory of the rape of the Sabines 
under Romulus ; she was to be carried home in the night to the 
bridegroom’s house, accompanied by three boys, one of whom car- 
ried a torch, and the other two led the bride, a spindle and distaflT 
being carried with her. She brought three pieces of money, called 
asses, in her hand to the bridegroom, whose doors on this occasion 
w ere adorned with flowers, and branches of trees ; being here inter- 
rogated who she was, she w as to answer, Caia, in memory of Caia 
Cecilia, wife of Tarquin the elder, who was an excellent spinstress ; for 
the like reason, besides her entrance, she lined the door-posts with 
wool, and smeared them with grease. Fire and water being set 
on the threshold, she touched both ; but starting back from the 
door, refused to enter, till at length she passed the threshold, being 
careful to step over without touching it ; here the keys were given 
her, a nuptial supper was prepared for her, and minstrels to divert 
her ; she was seated on the figure of a Priapus, and here the attend- 
ant boys resigned her to the females, who brought her into the nup- 
tial chamber, and put her to bed. , This office was to be performed by 
. matrons only, who had been married, to denote that the marriage was 
to be for pei’petuity. 
Marriage Customs in Sicily. 
The Sicilians till lately retained a great many foolish and super- 
stitious customs, but particularly in their marriage and funeral ce- 
remonies: it would be tedious to give but an account of all these; 
some of them are still practised in the wild and mountainous parts 
of the island. As soon as the marriage ceremony is performed, two 
of the attendants are ready to cram a spoonful of honey into the 
mouths of the bride and bridegroom ; pronouncing it emblematical 
of their love and union, which they hope will ever continue as sweet 
to their souls as that honey is to their palates. They then begin to 
throw handfuls of wheat upon them, which is continued all the way to 
