Beauplan.
losing his Head; if not, he is acquitted of the Crime, and cannot be punish'd: but if it happen that he is taken within the 24 Hours, his Head is immediately chopt off, without any Form of Law. Tho I liv'd there seventeen Years, I never heard that this was once done. I have seen the Maids make love to the young Men, and often succeed, as I said above; but this last practice is too dangerous, for a Man must have good Heels to carry away a Maid by force, and run away with her in sight of a considerable Company, without being overtaken; and it would be yet harder, unless the Maid was consenting to it; besides that at present the Peasants are more kept under than they were formerly, and the Nobility is grown more haughty and imperious. It is likely this Privilege was granted the Peasants when the Polanders at the Election of their Kings, preser'd him that ran swiftest barefoot, looking upon him as the bravest and best Men, as if Valour and Worth consisted in swiftness and activity of Body. Hence I suppose it came too, that the Nobility make the King swear, the day after his Election, before the Altar, that he will imprison no Nobleman for any Crime whatsoever, except Treason against the State, or himself, four and twenty Hours after the Fact committed, to show they had as great value for those that ran well and were nimble. And this may be further observ'd by the great Value they put upon Flee upon Fleet-Horses, for that is all they look for, and give any thing for them, so they run well: And this, I guess, is that they may overtake a flying Enemy, and fly themselves swiftly when pursued.
[Of their Weddings.]
Since we have spoken of the Amours of the Russians, let us say somewhat of the Wedding-Feasts and Ceremonies observ'd at it.
The Nuptial Ceremonies are these. The Youth on both sides are invited, and have Orders from the Bride and Bridegroom to bring all their Kindred, to be present at the Wesellé, that is, the Wedding, to authorize them for performing this Duty; each of them has a Garland of Flowers given him, which he puts upon his Arm, carrying a List of all the Guests invited, to whose Houses they go the day before the Wedding, by two and two. The first of them who delivers the Message, and makes the Speech, has a Rod in his hand.
I shall not spend time to give an account of the Dishes, and what Varieties are serv'd up to Table; I shall only inform you, that the Bride being well dress'd after their manner, that is, in a long Gown of fad colour Cloth hanging on the Ground, stiffned with Whalebone all round, which makes her spread, and lac'd with broad Laces, half Silk and half Woollen, her Head bare, her Hair spread on her Back, showing nothing naked but her Face, and a Garland of such Flowers as the Season will afford on her Head; her Father, Brother, and nearest Kinsman, leads her to Church, a Violin, Hornpipe, or Cimbal going before.
After she is marry'd, one of her near Relations takes her by the Hand, and leads her home again with the same Musick. I omit the Rejoicings at the Wedding-entertainment, tho they are extraordinary, and wherein they are nothing inferior to other Nations; and shall only observe, that what encourages them the more to Debauchery, to which they are naturally inclin'd, is, that upon Weddings, and Christning of their Children, the Lord of the Place gives them leave to brew Beer, which liberty makes them drink it the cheaper, and much more extravagantly; for it is to be observ'd, that at other times the Lords have common Brewhouses, where all his Vassals are oblig'd to buy their Store.
When it is time to put the Bride to bed, the Bridegoom's female Kindred carry her into a Room, where they strip her stark naked, and search her all round, even her Ears, Hair, between her Toes, and other parts of her Body, to see whether there is no Blood, Pin, or Cotton dip'd in some red Liquor hid about her; and should they find any such thing, it would discompose the Wedding, and cause much disorder: but if they find nothing, they put her on a fine Smock of Cotton Cloth, very white and new; and then lay her between two Sheets, making the Bridegroom steal to Bed to her. When they are together, they draw the Curtains, and yet most of the People at the Wedding come into the Room, with the Horn-pipe, dancing, and every one with a Glass in his hand. The Women dance and skip, and clap their hands, till the Matrimony be absolutely consummated; and if she makes any demonstration of Joy at that happy Moment, all the Company leaps, and clapping their hands, give great acclamations of Joy. The Bridegroom's Kindred are still watching about the Bed to hear what is doing, waiting to draw the Curtain as soon as the Sport is over. Then they give the Bride a clean Smock, and if on that they take from her they find the Tokens of aMaiden-
