The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-01-27
TissitlS Halds.

In Morocco the number " hve" Is never
in the Sultan's preseiice, be:
cause five is the number of the fingers d
the hand; and the hand, as the wielder Of
scepter. sword and pen should be, Is the
symbol Of authority all the world over.
This gives > meaning to the custom Of -.
luting . rulers hand by way Of homage,
and no courtly cercmohy CAT, boast
greater antiquity than that of kissing
hands. Priam, duplicating Achilles to
restore the body of Hector, calls himself
the tijst miserable of men in being forced
to kneel before the m urderer of his chill.
dren and kiss the hand yet tesking with
their blood. Roman soldiers kissed the
hands of their Generals; Consuls, Trib<
unes and Dictators permitted favored
few to pay them the same mark Of re-
spect. Under the Emperors kissing the
Imperial hand was held an essential duty
On the part Of courtiers of high rank; and,
taking leaf out Of the pagans book, as
was too mitch their habit, the Bishops Of
the early Christian church gave their
hands to the lips Of inferior ministers.
The wearers of the triple crown were con.
tent with being honored In the same FASH
ion, until ono of the Leos, not caring to
exhibit mutilated hand, substituted his
foot, and, no one daring to protest against
the innovation, his successors were care
full not to resort to the less abject cere-
mony. 1t may be doubted if any Pope
would have persuaded Cardinal John of
Lorraine to kiss his toe. When the Ouch.
ess of Savoy proffered her fair fingers to
that lip-loving churchman he declined
the favor with disdain, declaring that he
was accustomed to make free with the lips
of the greatest Queen In the world, and
was not going to do less by dirty little
Duchess then, Selling the astonished lady
by the waist, the bold Cardinal, spite Of
struggles and perturbations, kissed her
thrice upon the mouth. With equal disre.
gard for etiquette, but with moro
simplicity, did the country danes, to
whom Charles II. presented his hand, put
up their lips for the King tokiss, breach
OF custom the merry monarch readily for
gave; forgave, We may be sure, with more
sincerity than James l. forgave Sir Henry
Yelverton for speaking disrespectfuIy Of
his cOuntrymen, when, in token of pardon,
he allowed the indiscreet orator to kiss his
royal hand thrice before he left the pres
ence. Kissers at court are, we believe,
forbidden to appear with their hands
gloved. 1t was not always so, for in q
letter dated 1925 we read: "This day my
Lord Coke, with his gloves on, touched
and kissed the Kings hand, but whether
to be confirmed q councillor or cashiercd
l cannot yet learn" From kissing hands
at court came kissing hands in counting, .
practice the learned Seldom considered as
foolish as to eat the pairing of IN apple
when one might taste the fruit itself; and
from kissing hands for love came kissing
hands for politencss' sake, and the use Of
the phrase, II kiss your hand" as salu-
tation upon leave taking without thought
of suiting the action to the word. A story
is told of an old laird, who, being present.
ed to George the Fourth at levee, in his
ignorance and anxiety to get through the
business, ignored the hand extended to
him, and, with hasty bow, edged toward
the door with all speed. Brought up with
Lord Erroll's whispered reminder: kiss
hands! kiss hands!'' the startled old gen.
tlcmaE, facing about, kissed both his
hands At the King, as if waiting cordial
recognition to friend at distance. All
unconsciously the laird was acting accord
ing to ancient rule, for only the greater
subjects of the later Caesars were per.
mitted to press their lips upon imperial
fingers. Interior folks kissed their own
hands, as they were wont to do upon en-
tering the temples of gods; custom
Pliny set down among those which were
followed for no known reason but their
antiquity.-AH the Year Round.