The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-08-01
Kissing in Ancient Times.

Kissing (for that is the every day rem
derino OF high sounding word " o5cula-
ton which forms the title of this paper,
and which is derived from dImlnutive
of the Latin word COS" the mouth, and
therefore meaning L" little mouth, IL
Illustrative of the puckeret-up shape OF
that organ when bestowing or receiving
. ki,s) was an act of religion in ancient
Rome The nearest friend of a dying
narson performed the rite of receiving
his soul by kiss, supposing that 1t es,
capped through his lips at the moment OF
expiration. Spenser, in his Pastoral
Elegy on the death of Sir Philip SID
new" mentions it as a circum stance which
renders the loss of his illustrious friend
more to be lamented that
= None was nigh his eyelids zip to close,
And kiss his lips"
little after he introduces the lady,
g the dearest love" of the deceased
weeping over him
:. She. with sweet kisses, sucked the wasting
breath .,
Ont of his lips, like lilies pale and soft.
The sacredness of the kiss was lnv1o
liable among the Romans for long time.
At length it was degraded into current
form Of salutation. Pliny ascrlbes the
introduction of the custom to the de
ganeracy of the Roman ladies, who, II
, Collation. of the hereditary delicacy OF
the females of Rome, descended to the
INDULGENCE of wine. kissing was resort
: ed to by those gentle, ''good-easy hus
, hands 5who knew better than to risk the
f tumbling of the house about their ears
f as the most effectual and courteous pro
| cess to ascertain the quality OF thei'
q wives stolen libations and Cato tn
e elder recommends the plan to the serlou
{ attention of all careful heads OF families
II The kiss was, in process of time, diltuse
| generally as a form of salutatlon Il
# Rome where men testified their regar'
v end the warmth of their welcome TO
e each other chiefly by the number OF thel
e kisses. Among the early Romans u
d higher magistrates gave their hand9 10
IS kissed and, under the hrst emperor
d the monarchs did the same. 1hls' nov
: ever, was soon thought too familiar 10
G. an act Of true homage, so only the sup
:. rior officers kissed the hands, while u
e. inferior we're forced to be content VII
70 touching the royal robe. Sometimes IL
e. emperor kissed the mouth ana eyes
st those whom he wished signally to honor
ut but this was very rare privilege al
d. persons whom he wished to disgrace
st kissed with marked GOODNESS. Agrlco
8 complained that. when he returned iro
he his victories over the Saxons, Domltls
| rave him g frlgid kiss" and left hi
re otherwise unnotieed. In later times Il
er Roman emperors exacted the same hor
,st aoe accorded to the gods, their su6Jec
in being required to kiss their feet, and ST
or later to kiss even the ground before thet
n. Diocletian was the first to demand t.
serviIe manner of salutation. Christian
too. did not disdain to borrow of heathe
dom even such things as were opposed
es, its inner spirit and intention: Thus !
err Popes required the baser laity to x (.
on their feet, and in 10 Pope CONSTANT
T. on entering Constantinople,. caus
the Emporer Justinian to kiss his fo'
s., Valentine /. made the custom perm
en- nent: and ever since a21 the laIty !
to crouebed and crawled up the steps OF
Mt Peters chair to kiss the toes OF the gre
Sc, fet;cb enshrined thereon.-F. z. Brown
in Anpletons' Journal for July