The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-12-19

Some of the: most triyial oHencese "c'e
severely punished 1t was decretd tbnt
the presents that might pass hotwccn
lovers should lie limited to gloves. ribbons,
rings and such trilfies. a lady OF 'ignon,
convicted of breaking this statute, was
thrust with ignominity from the town,
being first stripped of all her CLOTHING ana
paradcd through the street on tie pack
of donkey. Under similar circums'nu-
ccs culprits were publicly whipped AMI
others kicked out OF the town b: the F''!'-
lie cxecutioncr,
One ofthc strangcst Of the maslms o.
the tribunals of love was that between nus
band and wife there could he no lcve. he
Countess of Champagne. in dctidIhg Il
case involving this principle. said: Love
cannot extend liz laws over husband and
wife, since the gifts Of love are voluntary,
and husbands and wives are servants oi
duty. Also, between the married there
can be no jealousy siucc between taem
there can be no love. For jealousy Is the
companion of love, as is sci forth III the
code of love. which declared that love c"il-
not subsist without jealousy. Queen
Eleanor rendered q similar decision sub
sequcntly when presiding over the Court
of Love In this case cavalier had "ce"
paying court tu q young lady WHO was
already engaged to another. and lncuceu
her to promise II receive ner lover should
she ever find herself at liberty. me
dame was welded to her ailnaEced. and
then the cavalier resumed his suit, aoltinG.
according to the manners of tn times.
thnt she was iow 1T full liberty. BIt me
lady was 30 stepped in ignorance ~ t. Ac-
!icye that her husband was still her lover.
and the sutton accordingly laid TIE matter
before the Queen, who dccrced that tine
dame abandon society and kccp taiin
with her cavalier" which meant t. annn-
don society entirely, az such Il declaration
would cause her 10 lie summed by I'll inc
ladies and gentlemen Of the fashionable
world-a severe alternative.
ALoyE-MAD CITY.
AS An illustration OF the absurd lengths
to which the tender passion WAS carried,
the following case Is given; There MAS Il
Young lady of Toulouse, known IS LA
Belle Paulc," whose beauty was 80 re-
markable that the men followed her IN
crowds, and whenever she appo1rcd III
public all business waS suspcndcG yhiie
the populace gazed intoxicated on her
beauty. 10 avoid this oppressive homage
she shut herself up in her apartme ats and
refused to be seen ~ result, tie trout
badoui chronicler relates. the male ci'i-
zens grew meagrc. wan and wotui as so
MANY ghosts, and some even took i; so
much to heart IL to die. Under s"ch con-
ditions prompt action WAS demanded.
a meeting of the Sanitary Committee
was held, and il was decided to appeal To
the Court of Love That tribunal WIS
equal to the emergency, and dccreed that
'I.a Belle Paule' should exhibit herself
at her window at least once x, and
for not less than half an hour cach time,
so that her admirers might "rcircsE them
selves by contemplating her pgodisiors
beauty 1t is supposed that this measure
resulted in the restoration of the hcai:h
of tire citizens Of the good city Of toulouse.
At anv rate thi. wondrOuS maiden :rpear,
no more in history.
But in spite of the absurditicS and ina
morallic. oflhc tcnrnts of the t.ouha-
dOurs and their admirers, they were not
without their uses in tie advancement Of
civilization. and the women Of to-day owe.
to some extent, their position in society
TO these same fantastic courts OF love.
The woman. instead of being the servant
and slave Of the man, was made his equal.
The mistress aud the cavalier scrvcnIc
disappeared with the crusadeS. Hn' the
prcro.aiiycs of the former were handed
down to the wife no longer 81 drnG-c: ana
the latter, instead OF cndeavoring 81 gain
rcnown by iicrccncss and brutality. sought;
to he distinguished as Il gentleman