Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-07-13
Kissing In Ancient Times.

Kissing (ior that is the every day render
ing of the high sounding word "oculta-
tion," which forms the title of this paper,
and which is derived from diminutive OF
the Latin word $685. the mouth, and there
fore meaning "little mouth" illustrative
of the puckered up shape of that organ
when bestowing or receiving kiss) was an
act OF religion in ancient Rome. The near
est friend of dying persons performed the
rite of receiving his soul by kiss, suppos-
ing that it escaped through his lips at the
moment of expiration. Spenser, in his
Pastoral Elegy on the Death of Sir Philip
Sidney" mentions it as a circumstance
which renders tne loss of his illustrious
friend more to be lamented that
:'None was nigh his eyelids to close,
And iiss his hps"
A little after he introduces the lady, 1.-The
dearest love- of the deceased, weeping over
him
''she with siessf kissss SUCKED The rasf,d breath
Out ofhis lips, like lilies pale and sOt."
The sacredness of the kiss was invioable
among the Romans for a long time At
length it was degraded into current form
of salutation Pliny ascribes the introduc-
ton of the custom to the degeneracy of the
Roman ladies, who, in violation of the
hereditary delicacy OF the females of Rome,
descenned to the indulgence of wine. Kiss
ing was resorted to by those gentle, good
easy" husbands (who knew better than to
risk the tumbling Of the house about their
ears As the most effectual and courteous
process to ascertain the quality Of their
wives stolen libation and Cato the elder
recommends the plan to the serious atten-
tion of all careful heads of families. The
kiss was, in process Of time, diffused gen.
orally as form Of salutation in Rome, where
men testified their regards and the warmth
of their welcome for each other chiefly by
the number of their kisses. Among the
early Romans the higher magistrates gave
their hands to be kissed and, under the
first emperors, the monarchs did the same
This, however, was soon thought too fami-
liar to be an act of true homage, so only
the superior officers kissed the hands, while
the inferior were for forced to be content
with touching the royal robe. Sometimes
the emperor PISSED the mouth and ewes OF
those whom he wished signally to honor
bu; this was very rare privilege, and per-
sons whom he wished to disgrace he kissed
with coldhess. Agricola complained that
when be returned from his victories over
the Saxons, Domitian gave him ''frigid
kiss, and left him otherwise unnoticed
ln later times the Roman emperOrs exacted
the same homage accorded to the gods, theil
subjects being required to kiss their feet
and still later TO kiss even the ground be
fore them. Diocletian was the first to de
mand this seryile manner Of salutation
Christianity, to, did not disdain to borrow
of heathendom even such things as were op
posed to its inner spirit and intention
Thus, the popes required the baser laity t.
kiss their feet. and IN 10 Pope Constantin,
|. on entering Constantinople, caused th,
Emperor Justinian to kiss his foot Falen
tine /. made the custom permanent ant
ever since 627 the lsity has crouched and
crawled up the steps of ST. Peters chair t.
kiss the toes Of tie great fetch enshrine,
thereon.-APptet0n's Journal.
The plantations negroes were engaged il
pitching coppcrs. 1t was discovered tina
after pitching while several coppers wer
missing, though no one had been detecte
= I,t