The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-02-17
ST. VALENTINES DAY.

THE FESTIVALS oRIaIN-How ENGLAND COPIES
AMERIcA-THE POETRY OF THE SEASON
PEPrs AND HIS FUNNY DIARY-FIvE POUNDS
FOR BEING HIS wIFE's VALENTINE
ltwould be curious know how many Of the hundreds
OF thousands OF persons who annually on or about the
14h OF February deposit in the post oces hundreds
OF thousands OF envelopes containing ''valentnes'
have any knowledge even inklng Of the origin and
history Of the peculiar and interesting custom
which they perpetuate Lake almost every other Gus
tom OF old times, this has gradually become cor
rupted and misused until II has lost almost every fea-
ture that once distinguished 1t and rendered it charm
ing In America and England the festival has degen
Grated into mere vehicle for exchanging either taw
dry paper "cut work and crnkle-crankle ito use an
expression OF Sir Christopher Wrenl or what is still
worse, among the lower classes ridiculous and vulgar
carcatures.
or late however there has been an improvement In
the better kind of valentines II has devolved upon
America to set the English people fashion in vaen-
tines which is at once beautiful and appropriate We
alude the large cards with figures color black
background which to DO in every fancy sta
toner's shop window in London well New York
In London their sale this year very great Most
charming is the design, showing the introduction Of
gentleman to lady-hs presant valentine and future
wife, no doubt-by chubby little Cupid standing
table between the two. OF another kind, but equally
pleasing, is a card entitled ''One Touch Of Nature
Makes the Whole World KIM" young girl feeding a
pretty white pony and surrounded by her other pets
The design and color charming.
Such valentines as these must give final blow to
the old ones and English lovers and sweethearts have
TO thank America this year for teaching them what
be done in this way when real and knowledge
Of the value OF color brought TO bear.
VALENTINE.
1t would astonsh the majority OF valentine send
to be informed that the saint whose martyrdom is
comtnemorated the 14th of February has nothing
whatever to do with the custom to which his name has
been attached. Valentine was holy priest in Rome,
who assisted and encouraged the martyrs prosecuted
the reign OF Claudius H. Summoned before the Pre-.
feet of Rome, he persisenty refused to his
faith and was in consequence sentenced to be beaten
with clubs and beheaded He met this fate the l4th
Of February, in the year 270.
PAGAN ORIGIN OF THE CUSTOM.
Since We cannot lnd in Christian times any clew to
the origin OF the custom we must ascend to remoter
date. TO tho classic days OF paganism, from whose
mythology so many observances have descended,
through the Middle Ages, TO our own day. In ancient
Rome was celebrated every year the 18th OF Febru-
airy festival called "Lupercaa, in honor of Luper
Gus. the god of fertility This festival of ancient
origin and derived from the early nomadic tribes or
shepherds The Luperci priests othe god assembled
this day sacrificed goats puppies ana then partook
OF banquet at which wine flowed freely. Then,
partly clothing themselves in the goatskns, in imta
on of Lupercus who was represented hall nude and
|
same material and ran about the city, striking touch
ing all who came in their way especially women who
believed that the ceremony made them fruitful
Part OF the ceremonies, or rather orgies-for such
they wcre-was the drawing out or q box by youths
the names of young women and it has been thought that
the early Christian pastors who were jealous in endeav
oring to root out lingering pagan superstltons substi
uted the names of saints for those OF women and thus
while preserving ceremony which the common peo-
pie from time immemoral had observed impaired TO it
u more moral and Christian character The known
possibility of inducing the people to abandon their
faStl m tha
est argument III favor OF the classic origin OF Valentines
Day but there may be some who prefer derive 1t from
the simple teachings OF nature, and that nature
Religion which once swayed the minds OF the whole
human race; or, to the words of etymoogst OF
old times Bailey, that as about this time OF the year
the birds watch or choose their mates probably
thence the young men and maids choose valentines
special loving friends on that day"
MIDDLE AGES.
We find frequent mention of ST Valentines Day in
the chronicles Of the Middle Ages and of
times Chaucer Lydgate and Shakespeare speak of the
festival and in Charles, Duke OF Orleans, who was
made prisoner at Agincourt have OF the earliest
composers of Valentines Day verses Drayton wrote
beautiful love lay to his valentine commencing
Muse. bid the morn awake;
Sad winter declines.
This days St. Valentines
the poet Dome also celebrated in verse the mar
rage of the Princess Elizabeth TO Frederick, Count
Palatne of the Rhine which was soemnized on ST
Valentines Day. 1914 or the ceremonies which IN
recent days attended the choosing of the Especial
loving friends' we find quaint account in the writ
ings Of ~ Nilsson, "a judcious and ingenious French
man, F" as his translator calls him. who published IN
the early years of the last century his 'Memoirs and
Observations in His Travels over England We find
him recording his Impressions OF Valentines Day
folows:-"0n the eve Of the 14th OF February, ST.
Valentines Day, time when all living inclines
to couple the young folks in England and Scotland,
too, by very ancient custom celebrate little est
val that tends to the same end An equal number Of
maids aud bachelors get together, each writes their
true or some egned name upon separate bllets which
they roll up and draw by way OF lots the maids taking
the mems Dles and the men the maids' so that each
Of the young men lights upon girl that he calls his
valentine and each Of the girls upon young
which she calls hers. BY this means each has two
Valentines but the man sticks faster TO the valentine
that is fallen to him than TO the valentine TO whom he
is fallen Fortune having thus divided the company
into so many couples, the valentines give balls and
treats TO their mistresses, their billcts sew
oral days upon their bosoms or sleeves, and this
little sport often ends in love- This ceremony is prac-
tised differently in different counties and according
the freedom or severity OF Nine. Valentine o. There
is another kind Of valentine which is the first young
man or woman that chance throws in your way in the
street or elsewhere on that day."
II is no doubt this "other kind of valentine" which
was in the mind or our ever welcome, gosspng friend
Samuel Pepys, when ON the l4th February 1861, he
informs us that he was 'up early and TO Sir W. Bat
tens but could not go in till asked whether they
that opened the door was a man n woman which,
with his tone, made me laugh; up went and took
Mrs. Martha (sr William Batten's daughter1 for nv
valentine (which do only for complacency) and SIR
W. Batten he 90 in the same manner to my " ife and
so we were very merry"
these festive joviaties in the pages Of this chatty
chronicler's diary In tho preceding year ''my wife,
hearing Mr. Moore's voice In my dressing chamber,
got herself ready and came down and challenged him
Tor her vaentine and in the year after III did this
day purposely shun to be at Sir W. Batten's be-
cause would not have his daughter to be my valen-
tine, she was the last year, there being great
friendship between US now as formerly. This morning
in comes W. Bowyer, who uy wfe's valentine,
she having at which made good sport to myself held
her hands all the morning that she might not the
paynters that were az work In gliding my chimney
piece and pictures in my dining room.n
Next year Pepys seems to have met with q SURPRISE
for Shrove Tuesday March 81 he giving din
10 some friends, In the OF which Mrs The
showed me my name upon her breast her valentine
which will cost me Dos -
On occasion Pepys, who dearly loved a joke,
tried to 'sell' visitor Dcke Pan, who came betimes