The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-01-26
MISCELLANY.
Swearing to Tell the Truth,

practice of kissing the book is I'M
known, the ceremony of Oath.taking
being more akin to the Scottish than to
the English form. A French witness
has very simple ordeal to pass through
before unfolding his tale. The Judge
seated beneath crucifix, says, "YOu
swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the TRUTH" and the
witness, lifting up his right hand, an.
swers, 81 swear it," In Austria q
Christian witness is sworn before q
crucifix between two lighted candles,
and, holding up his right hand, says:
~ swear by God the Almighty and All
Wise that will speak the pure and full
truth, and nothing but the truth, in an
swer to anything may be asked by
the court" Jewish witnesses, while
using the same words, add to their sol.
emnity by placing their hands on the
page of Bible on which Is printed the
third commandment. A Belgian wit
ness swears to be verscious in these
words: 81 will speak the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
so help me God and all the saints"
In Italy the form is much the same,
but the use of the Bible imparts q
greater degree of seriousness TO it. 81
| will swear to tell the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the TRUTH" ex-
claims the Italian witness, resting his
hand upon an open Bible. The Span
ish oath is more elaborate. The wit
ness kneeling on his right knee, places
his hand on the sacred book, and being
asked by the Judge, "Will you swear
by God and by these holy Gospels to
speak the truth to all you may be ask
ed?" answers, Eyes, I swear" There.
upon the Judge says: "Then if thus
you do; God will reward you, and if
not, will require it of you" In some
parts of the country the ceremony is
different. The witness forms a cross
by placing the middle of his thumb
on the middle of his fore6nger, and
kissing his thumb-a practice which
would probably be very familiar to
some English NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.:
"By this CROSS l swear"
The most curious European oath is
administered in Norway. The witness
raises his thu ub, his forefnger, and
his middle finger. These signify the
Trinity, while the larger of the uplifted
finger is supposed to represent the soul
of the witness, and the smaller to indi-
cate his body. Before the oath is
taken long exhortation is delivered,
the most material parts of which are as
follows: "Whatever person is 30 I'M
godly, corrupt, or hostile to himself as
to swear a false oath, or not to keep
the oath sworn, sins in such manner
as if he were to say: IF l swear false
ly, then may God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Ghost, punish
me, 80 that God the Father, who Great
ed me and all mankind in His image,
and His fatherly goodness, grace and
mercy, may not profit me, but that ! as
a preverse and obstinate transgressor
and sinner, may be punished eternally
in hell. If swear falsely,
then may all l have and own in this
world be cursed; cursed be my land,
field, and meadow, so that may never
enjoy any fruit or yield from them
cursed be my cattle, my beasts, my
sheep, 80 that after this day they may
never thrive or benefit me; yes, cursed
may 1 be and everything 1 possess. "
If the laws delay is among the griev-
ances of the Norwegians, it would not
be difficult to trace it to the COOL
mouth-flling oaths" that precede the
real business of the courts.
For real picturesqueness in oath-tak-
ing the courts of less civilized coun-
tries must be visited Like the soldier
in Jacques's familiar speech, they are
"ful of strange oaths." The people
who have shown themselves to be most
resourceful in the making of oaths are
the Chinese. Slicing off cocks head
is one mode of impressing Chinaman
with the importance of telling the
truth; breaking saucer is another;
blowing out lighted candle is third.
The beheading of the cock is supposed
TO represent the fate of the liar; the
cracking of the saucer and the extin-
gushing of the candle indicate what
will happen to the soul of the witness
who does not tell the truth. In Mo-
hammedan countries every witness
holds the Koran in front of him, and
bends down until his forehead touches
the sacred volume. The position of
the body is of the utmost importance in
most countries, but in none has super
stition left the supreme conscientious
ness that distinguished the Irish wit
ness in the days OF the Brehons. He
took three separate oaths, the first
standing, the second sitting, and the
third lying, as these were the positions
in which life was spent.
Many Indians are sworn on tigers
skins, in the belief that if they defile
their lips with lies their bodies will be-
come food for tigers, while others stand
upon lizards skin, and ask that their
bodies shall be covered with the scales
of the reptiles if they forswear them
selves. The Burmese witness, who re-
quests to be destroyed in no fewer
than five different ways If he is guilty
of perjury, is not content that the pun
ishment should fall upon himself alone.
He includes his relations. "Let us be
subject" he prays, "to all the calami.
ties that are within the body and all
that are without the body. May we be
seized with madness, dumbness, deaf
ness, leprosy and hydrophobia. May
we be struck with thunderbolts and
lightning and come to sudden DEATH