The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1846-09-29

| church takes her side, her kindred are ready
to avenge her honor, and he has no other
method but to betske himself to flight, till she
is otherwise disposed OF.
From the story Of Delilah, it would seem
that the Young men Of Israel were denied
the power Of asking a female in marriage.
Samson say in Simnsh, one that was beau
tiful, and he said TO his father, Il have seen
a woman Of the daughters Of the Phillstine''
now therefore get her for ns,to wife, But
his parents objected; he, however, DID mol
eIops nor threaten TO 60 to Texas-but mere
ly repeated, get her for ME, for she Pleaseih
me WE'LL
From the time ofihe nation spoken Of to
the Greeks, little is known OF this matter.
10 the East the women being so little seen,
the privilege of courtship was eagerly seized,
and as there was often a plurality Of lovers,
aud it soon became fashionable to fight for a
fair lady, As society improved, this bar
barity declined, and instead Of fighting, a
public exhibition 10 dextelity and in arms was
the criterion of desert. But as it gave rise
to animosities, which were handed from gen.
Grafton 10 generation, a method Of bargain
and sale marked the further progress Of So
ciety.-Thus it was among the Greeks. As
a lover seldom had opportunity disclose his
Iowa 10 his mistress, he was accustomed to IN
scribe her name on The walls of his house. the
trees in the public walk. and to deck the door
Of his fair on's house with flowers and gar
lands, and TO make libations Of wine before II,
and 10 sprinkle the entrance with the same
liquor, after the manner that was piacticed AT
the temple Of Cupid. Garlands were Of great
use among the Greeks in affairs Of love /;
when a man united his garland, or a woman
composed one, it was a confession Of having
been subdued by this passion. Their meth
cd of prosecuting their love affairs was still
worse.
They resorted TO incantations and philtres,
The sale Of which was extensively carried on {;
they were so violent as to deprive the
person who took them Of sense, and not un-
commonly Of life. They also used to melt
waxeu images before the fire, believing the
persons represented BY them would be pro-
portionabIy warmed by love. These, and
many others. equally foolish, were constant
ly practised. The Romans copied the
Greeks in these things. Plutarch tells us
that Lucullus, q Roman general. lost his
senses by a love potion and Caius Caligu-
la was thrown into a fit Of madness by one
" hich was given him by his wife. Oesonia.
Lucretius, TOO, fell a sacrifice TO the same
folly.
While the Greeks and Romans were
found in these foolish practices and narrow
opinions, the barbarians. the Csetes, Gauls
and Germans, although their wives were a
species Of slaves. had arrived al a much su-
perior point in the relations oil love. They
regarded their wives with respect and vene-
ration-lhey were gallant and sentimental
aud desired the affections aad hearts Of their
mistrcsses. Scandinavian women were
chaste, proud, and scarcely less emulous Of
glory than the meu, and consequently de-
manded lovers distinguished in the field.
The Saccea had a custom, when q young
NAH paid his addresses to a lady, for him to
enfage her in single combat; If he -an-
pushed he led her off in triumph il she
conquered, be was her husband and slave for
life.
Such are some of the modes Of ancient
courtship, a full account Of which would
form an interesting and instructive chapter.