Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-07-18
OscuIation.-How and When the Ancients
Kissed.

Kissing for that is the everyday
rendering of the high-sounded word
''Osculation," which forms the title OF
this paper, and which /, derived from
the Latin word $685." the mouth, and
therefore meaning a ''little mouth, y
illustrative of the puckered-up shape OF
that organ when bestowing or receiving
a kiss was an act of religion in ancient
Rome. The nearest friend of a dying
person performed the rite of receiving
his soul by a kiss supposing that it es-
capped through his lips at the moment
ofexpiration- Spenser, in his pastoral
Elegy on the Death of Sir Philip Sid
ney." mentions it as a circumstance
which renders the loss of his illustriOus
friend more to be lamented that
None was nigh his eyelids up 10 close
And kiss his lips
A little after he introduces the lady,
''the dearest love" of the deceased,
weeping over him:
She, with sweet kisse- sucked the wasting br-<th
Out OF his lips. like lilies pale aud soft.
The sacredness of the kiss was inviola-
bic among the Romans for long time.
At length it was degraded into a cur
rent form of salutatiOn. Pliny ascribes
the introduction of the custom to the
degeneracy of the Roman ladies, who,
in violation of the hereditary delicacy
of the females of Rome, descended tC
the indulgence of wine. Kissing 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 libations; and Cato the
Elder recommends the plan TO the
serious attention of the heads of all
careful families. The kiss was, in pro-
cess of time, diffused generally as form
of salutatiOn in Rome. where men testi-
fled their regard 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 familiar 10 be an act of true
homage, 80 only the superior officers
kissed the hands, while the inferior
were forced to be content with touching
the royal robe. Sometimes the En-
perior kissed the mouth and eyes of
those whom he wished signally to honor :
but this was a very rare privilege, and
persons whom he wished To disgrace
he kissed with marked GOODNESS.
Agricola complained that, when he re-
turned from his victories over the Sax
ons, Domitian gave him ''frigid kiss, =
and left him otherwise unnoticed. In
later times the Roman Experors exacted
the same homage accorded TO the gods,
their subjects being required TO kiss
their feet, and still later to kiss even
the ground before them. Diocletian
was the first to demand his servile
manner of salutation. Christianity, too,
did not disdain TO borrow of heat endom
even such things as were opposed to its
inner spirit and intention. Thus, the
Popes required the baser laity to kiss
their feet, and in 10 Pope Constantine
L., on entering Constantinople, caused
the Emperor Justinian TO kiss his foot.
Valentine |. made the custom perma-
nent; and ever since s27 the laity has
crouched and crawled up the steps of
St. Peters chair to kiss the toes of the
great fetch enshrined thereon.-AppIe-
tons JolTRdl.