The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-10
ANTIQUITY OF KISSING.

That kissing is a custom of remote antiquity
appears from the book of Genesis (xxyii, 26).
when Isaac kissed his son Jacob. This kiss is
remarkable as the first recorded In history. In
deed, the Bible abounds with all sorts Of Kisses
ave have the kiss of homage in Esther v, 2; of
RFubjection in lst Samuel x, /; of reconciliation
in I'd Samuel xiv, 33 of valediction in Ruth l.
"a; of appreciation in Psalms ii, II; of humble
ratitude in Luke vii, 3S; of welcome in Exodus,
xviii, Z; of love and Joy in Genesis xxx, IL
,Of sorrow in Acts Xxx, 81; of peace in Romans
xvi, Is; and of idolatrOus reverence in Hosea
xii, 2. There are also spiritual kisses, as in
Canticles /, 2; sensual kisses, as in Proverbs
vii II; and hypocritical kisses, as in I'd
Samuel XIV, B. Kisses are also traitOrous,
such as Joab to Amasa, when he kissed and
then slew cd Samuel Xxx, 81; and that of
Judas to Christ, when he kissed and then be-
prayed. 1t was customary to kiss the mouth
and also the beard, which latter is still prac-
Gsed by the Arabs. Kissing the hand is not
&fBibhcal. Kissing the feet was an expression
OF lowly and tender regard, in Luke vii, 38.
We are told that the members of the Church
at Ephesus wept sore at Paul's departure,
'fell on his neck, and kissed him." The kiss
OF peace was an apostolic custom, and con-
tinues to be one of the rites in the eucharistic
services of the Roman Catholics, which, for
obvious reasons, is omitted on Good Friday.
Among heather nations it was usual to
throw kisses to the sun and to the moon, and
&also to the images of the gods fearful of touch
ing them with profane lips. Kissing hands is
Bfrst heard of among the Persians. Xenophon
relates that 1t was customary for them to kiss
nwhemsoever they honOred Kissing the feet
AOf prince was token of subjection and was
at times carried SO far that the print of the
feet received the kiss, conveying the impress
sion that the very dust became sacred by the
royal tread. When Demosthenes was carried
into ha hic hor h.,
of alteration; and when supplicating the
Romans for peace, the Carthagenian ambassa-
doris kissed the feet of the Council. The kiss
of homage, the character of which is not indi-
Gated in the Bible, was probably upon the
forehead, expressive of high respect which
was formerly, if not now, in use among the
Bedouins.
The Rabbins, in the falsely delicate spirit
which animated much of what they wrote did
not permit more than three kinds of kisses
: those of reverence, of reception, and of depar-
! ture. Kissing the foot has. been exacted by
the sovereign pontiffs as a mark of respect
since the eighth century. 1t was first paid to
the Pope Constantine by the Emperor JUS
b tinian on his entry into Constantinople. When
the ceremony takes place the Pope wears a
slipper embroidered with a cross, which is
kissed (and not the toe, as is generally be-
4 lieved), Recently Protestants have not been
i required to do so-a slight inclination of the
\ knee being merely expected.
AS an act of ordinary salutation the kiss is
still common ON the continent of Europe and
3 IN the East. 1t was interchanged by the early
Christians, in their assemblies, as a token OF
i their love to one another and took place just
prior to the communion, when (aocording to
the Hebrew practice and thestill existing Gus
4 tom of oriental churches) the men and women
sat apart, the kiss of peace was given by the
men to the men, and by the women to the
awomen. However, the peculiar circumstances
have vanished which gave proprety and en-
phasis to such an expression of brotherly love
and Christian friendship. It was also for q
E mark of respect among our forefathers that
for one person to write or say that he 'kissed
" the hand" of another, was formulary o.
equivalent import with the expression of ODE
! dience and servitude with which our commu
uications and intercourse with the world are
now usually attended. To this frequent allu
sion is made by Shakespeare and the dramatic
"a nOets.