Chancellor, Richard, -1556; Europe -- Description and travel; Russia -- Description and travel; Willoughby, Hugh, Sir, -1554
When they are agreed, and the day of marriage appointed, when they shall
go towards the church, the bride will in no wise consent to go out of the
house, but resisteth and striveth with them that would have her out, and
feigneth herself to weep; yet in the end two women get her out, and lead
her towards the church, her face being covered close, because of her
dissimulation, that it should not be openly perceived; for she maketh a
great noise, as though she were sobbing and weeping, until she come at
the church, and then her face is uncovered. The man cometh after, among
other of his friends, and they carry with them to the church a great pot
with wine or mead. Then the priest coupleth them together, much after
our order, one promising to love and serve the other during their lives
together, &c.; which being done, they begin to drink. And first the
woman drinketh to the man, and when he hath drunk he letteth the cup fall
to the ground, hasting immediately to tread upon it, and so doth she, and
the one who treads first upon it must have the victory and be master at
all times after, which commonly happeneth to the man, for he is readiest
to set his foot on it, because he letteth it fall himself. Then they go
home again, the woman’s face being uncovered. The boys in the streets
cry out and make a noise in the meantime with very dishonest words.
When they come home, the wife is set at the upper end of the table, and
the husband next unto her. They fall then to drinking, till they be all
drunk; they perchance have a minstrel or two. And two naked men, who led
her from the church, dance naked a long time before all the company.
When they are weary of drinking, the bride and the bridegroom get them to
bed (for it is in the evening always when any of them are married); and
when they are going to bed, the bridegroom putteth certain money—both
gold and silver, if he have it—into one of his boots, and then sitteth
down in the chamber, crossing his legs; and then the bride must pluck off
one of his boots, which she will, and if she happen on the boot wherein
the money is, she hath not only the money for her labour, but is also at
such choice as she need not ever from that day forth to pull off his
boots; but if she miss the boot wherein the money is, she doth not only
lose the money, but is also bound from that day forwards to pull off his
boots continually.
Then they continue in drinking and making good cheer three days
following, being accompanied with certain of their friends; and during
the same three days he is called a duke, and she a duchess, although they
be very poor persons. And this is as much as I have learned of their
matrimony; but one common rule is amongst them—if the woman be not beaten
with the whip once a week, she will not be good, and therefore they look
for it orderly; and the women say that if their husbands did not beat
them, they should not love them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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