Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-02-14


Such as ben prike with Cupides mocioun,
| Taking theyr choyse as theyr lot doth falle,
! But love Don which exeelleth ale.
Thus wrote John Lydgate, the monk o.
Bury, before the year 1440, and many d
pen since his time has, in both prose and
verse, made mention of St. Valentine
| Day, and the peculiar customs connected
with it.
1t is curious fact that no possible con
| nection can be traced between these varied
| customs and ST. Valentine himself
Butler tells us in his ''Lives Of the
Saints that " Valentine was holy priest
of Rome, who with ST. Marius and his
family, assisted the martyrs in the perse-
| cution under Claudius IL. He was appre-
hended and sent by the Emperor to the
| Project of Rome, vino, on finding all his
| attempts to make him renounce his faith
Intellectual, commanded him to be beaten
with clubs, and afterwards beheaded, which
was executed on February IA, 270. Pope
Julius l. is said to have bulk "a church
near Ponte Moles to his memory, which,
for long time, gave the name to the gate
now called Porta del Popolo, formerly
Porta Valentino The greater part of his
remains are now in the church OF st.
Pr1xedes.
Wheatley says that "Valentine, being
delivered into the custody Of one Asterius,
he wrought a miracle upon his daughter,
whom, being blind, he restored to sight,
by which means he converted the whole
family to Christianity, who all Of them
afterwards suffered for their religion. Val
entine being enrolled among the martyrs
of the church, his day was established
before the time of Gregory the Great. He
was man of most admirable parts, and
famous for his love and charity"
The custom of drawing or choosing val
entines seems quite clearly and reasonably
traced back to the ancient Supercalian
feasts of Rome, held about the middle of
February, in honor of Pan and Juno, and
| one ceremony Of which consisted in put
ting the names Of young women into box,
from which the men drew them by chance,
and these lotteries were often the begin
ming of an attachment which resulted in
marriage. The pastors of the early Chris
tian Church, deploring the remnants of
heather superstition, sought by every pos
sible means to root them ont. They did not
dare-and perhaps did not wish-to ut
terly abolish long established customs cher
ished by the people, so, while preserving
the outward forms, they sought to give
them Christian instead OF pagan sig
niicance. In this particular instance they
appear to have substituted the names of
saints for those of the women, and changed
the time of the ceremony to February 14th
st. Valentines day.
Fenns PASTOR Letters show unquestion-
ably that the custom OF choosing valentines
was practiced among the gentry in Eng
land in 1876. An allusion to it was made
in several epistles, one of which we give in
full as specimen Of notwithstanding
love-letters.
The lack of sufficient dowry was 4
troublesome obstacle in the course of this
true love, and the heavy-hearted maiden
writes
To my right 1rel-5eloued cousin John Paston Esq
DC this letter deferred ETC.: Right worshpiul and
well-beloYcd Valentine, in my most humble
wise, recommend me unJo you, etc. And |
heartily thank you for the letter which We send
me by John Beckerion, whereby understand
and know that ye be purposed TO come to Top
croft i'll short time, and without any errand or
matter but only to have q conclusion of the
matter betwixt my father and you.
l would be most glad of any creature alive so
as (whereas) We say and G0 ye come and find
the matter 10 more towards you than We did
atOretime, We would no more put my father and
my lady my mother to no cost nor business for
that cause good while after, which causeth my
heart to be full heavy; and If that ye come, and
the matter take to none effect, then should be
much more sorry and full of heayinesS.
And, as for myself, have done and under
stand III the matter that | can or may as God
knoweth; and let you plainly understand that
my father will no more money part withal in
that behalf, but 1905, and fifty marks. which is
right far from the accomplishment of your de-
sire
Wherefore, if We could be content with that
good and my poor person, would be the merit
est maiden on ground; and ii We think not your
self so satisfied or that ye might have much
more good as have understood by you afore,
good, true and loving Valentine, that ye take no
such labor upon you as to come more for that
matter but let what is pass and never more TO
be spoken OF, as / may be your true lover and
brad-woman during my life.
No more unto you at this time, but Almighty
Jesus preserve you both body and soul etc.
BY your Valentine,
1pCFpV RRrIIS