Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-07-17
nARRIAsE LAws-soME OF rHErR
.ats "a es1C 1CURIDREETRS. 81 'n'
From Ths Fsmnl. Rar

A 80 la FROM Inc Temple Bar. .
Before the middle, Of The seyehtesnth
century, after the Roman law, husband
was empowesed to give his wife regulated
amount ofcoFporeal elisstisemenE so give
MS vile sharp fcgging With whips and
endgeis BY Charles II.'s time il was
fonnd commencement to repeal so unnecea-
saFy a sanction. But English consesys-
tive prejudice would not allow IL To re-
main quite sdead letter; for, as Riackstone
nalVely observes, the lower rank of peo-
pie, who were always fond of the old com
mon law, still claim and exert their an
clent privilege, A -s1 LII.
The Chinese, though probably the least
religions, that is to say, the most MATERIAL
lstie, people on the face of the earth, are
scrupnlously attentive to ayartesy OF. su.
pefstitions, or rather ceremoneous. ohser-
Yanees. Like the Greeks and Italian of
old, they are careful 70 fix upon a fortu-
nate DAY ortheir weddings For this puF-
pose the horoscope Of both parties is anx.
lously consulted to assure themselves that
The planetary influence Of their respective
births do not threaten any unforeseen mis-
1ortunes. This point aseertained, prepara-
tlons are actively set on foot, often of long
duration, aud engaging much thought, as If
by present 0stentatioIIsdisplay to compen-
atethe bride for her future obscurity. q
Yellow is the favorite national color
and this is the fayorite bridal choice also
while the attendant female supporters, ussl-
ally old maids or matrons, appear dressed
in black. Covered with powder, paint.
musk, and other scents, the bride after
previous ceremonies, is conveyed to her
husbands house in closely locked sedan.
which the ignorant lover alone anlocks,
not always with unmitigated tisfaction.
Disguised, as it might sometimes chance,
at his firstinspectionofh his mistress charms,
not invariably realizing the brilliant pic
ture drawn by his intermediatrix, il il said
that the exasperated husband is known to
send away his rejected wife, togsther with
her indignant friends - ,s .s q
This catastrophe, it should be added, Is
not OF frequent occurrence, inasmueh as the
friends take care to provide against any
such eveatuality by the terms Of the con-
tract; besides, the female agent, always enl-
ployed, usually knows her business better,
and is careful to have an inspection Of the
intended in her bath. What also causes :
some confusion is the practice of contract
ing alliances before the principals in ques-
tion appear upon the sublunary scene, while
yet in embryo since it happens that the an
tlcipated pair does not always make It's app
pearance. As the ring serves with Us to
mark a married woman, so d0ea cropped
hair, worn in peculiar fashion, the Chi
nese matron. .-.t y -r..g
All over the East, where maturity is
sooner attained, the nGptial period is at
what, with US, is an infsntile age. Girls
of eight or nine are frequently married to
youths oftwelVe I; the average periods, when
marriages are entered upon early, being
probably twelve and fourteen respectively
The civil law enjoined twelve and fourteen
as the nuptial ages, adopted nominally in
our own laws, bat practically modified, in
northern climate by custom. In fact, it
vas nullitied BY. the municipal law, which
does not recognize unions entered upon,
without consent Of guardian, under twenty
one years. By the old laws of France the
ageis thirty for the son and twenty five for
the daughter. s" 1
- The Roman legislators had enacted that
if her parent had not obtained husband 1
for.his daughter BY the time she had reached
twenty-five years, and she afterwards /
inside slip, he should not on that account
have the power Of fdisinheriting, "inasmuch
as it is held she did that not by her own
but by her parents fault" No age was fixed
by the Mosaic code. Hence, it is not to
be presumed, the silence of the church, the
canonlaW allowing il to vary according to
individual fitness for matrimony.
.Hesiod advises thirty as the lowest at
which man should take wife, fifteen
as the femenine nuptial period. i..-i a'i
When you have numbered thrice ten years in
The age mature when manhood dates its prime,
w ith canton choose the partner of your bed
Whom fifteen springs hive crOWed :; a virgin
we'd" g--E e. '.r-.H.I 3
is his advice to his brother Perses, time
of life which Plato also deemed most suita-
bic, while Aristotle would have delayed it
still latter, namely, 10 thirty-seVsn in the
case nj man w. .H4.