When these girls are grown up, the boyárs marry them, and also the widows, to some one of their servants to whom they have taken a liking, but sometimes by force. The wedding takes place in the boyár’s hall, according to the rank of the marrying parties; the food and festive dresses are furnished by the boyár. The girls are never married to any person outside the boyár’s court, because both male and female servants are his perpetual serfs. In the boyár’s house there is an office for all domestic affairs, where an account is kept of income and expenses, and all the affairs of the servants and peasants are investigated and settled. FOOTNOTES: [121] A division of nobility below the boyárs. [122] In the front corner, under the holy images. [123] Bending as far as the girdle. [124] “The wedding ceremony is as follows: on the Tsar’s side the first order is the father and mother, or those who are in place of his parents; the second order, the _travellers_,--the chief priest with the cross, the _thousand-man_, who is a great personage in that procession, and then the Tsar: eight boyárs. The duties of the _travellers_ are as follows: they stay with the Tsar and Tsarítsa at the crowning in church, and at the table occupy higher places than the others; the _friends_ (drúzhka), whose duty it is to call the guests to the wedding, to make speeches at the wedding in the name of the thousand-man and Tsar, and to carry presents; the _bride’s maids_ (svákha) whose duty it is to watch the Tsarítsa, to dress her and undress her; the _candleholder_, who holds the candle when they get the Tsarítsa ready for the crowning; the _breadholders_, who carry the bread on litters to and from church (these litters are covered with gold velvet and embroidered cloth and sable furs); the _equerry_ with his suite. The third order is the _sitting_ boyárs, twelve men and twelve women, who sit as guests at the tables, with the Tsar’s parents, but do not go to church with the Tsar. The fourth order is _of the court_, who attend to the food and drink.” Simeón Pólotski. (1629-1680.)