The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-01-02
HISTORY OF Kissing.

trOduced into England by KoWeria,
the daughter of Hengist, the Saxon.
AT the banquet which was given in
honor of his allies, the Princess, af-
ter pressing the brimming beaker to
her lips, saluted the astonished and
delighted Vor1 nrn with little kiss
after the ma f her own people.
So well did kiss thrive in the
genial climate of England that it
gradually grew into an every day en-
joyment. and the English soon be-
came celebrated far and near as
kissing people. In fact, SO far had
their celebrity spread in this respect
that when Cavendish, the biographer
of the great "child of honor, Cardi
nal Wolsey, visited a French noble
man at his chateau, the lady of the
house, on entering the room with her
train of attendant maidens, for the
purpose of welcoming the guest of
her husband, thus accosted him:
"Forasmuch as you be an English
man, whose custom it is in your
country to kiss all ladies and gentle
women without offense, and although
it be not so in this realm, yet will I
be so bold as to kiss you and shall all
my maidens." !" Whereupon the raf-
tiers of the chateau rang again with
the heartiness of the osculation no
doubt to the great satisfaction of the
fair chatelaine herself, her many and
merry maidens, and, above all to the
modest Cavendish.
In the reign of Edward w. guest
was expected on his arrival, and also
on his departure, to salute not only
his hostess, but all the ladies Of the
family. In fact no occasion for be-
slowing kiss was lost, and Shakes
peare makes bluff King Hal say at
Wolsey's banquet at Hampton Court
Palace, after he had danced with
Anne Boleyn, IT was unmannerly
to take you out and not to kiss you"
From England kissing found its
way to America, though it is to be
regretted remarks contemporary,
that the fathers of the country were
altogether too Puritanical to give the
delicious pastime full swing. 1t was
to be done decorously and in order
and woe betide the loving husband
who dared to invade the sanctity of
the Sabbath by kissing his wife on
that day.
To such degree had the practice
of kissing attained in England that
ladies were accustomed to use kissing
comfts, composed of ambergris and
other ingredients, for the purpose of
sweetening their breath. These, be-
yond all question, were the forerun-
ners of the cachous and other objec-
tionable things with which many of
the present day taint their breath.
"Thcir breaths with sweetmeats
tainted are" says Mercutio.
When Whitelocke was the ambas-
sador of Oliver Cromwell to the court
of Christina of Sweden, the Queen
one day, accompanied by her ladies,
dined with him and Her Majesty
nothing loath perhaps, for lesson,
commanded the Ambassador to teach
her suite that English mode of salu-
tation. Whitelocke fell to work at
his pleasing task Immediately and,
after few "coy and pretty defenses"
from his pupils, soon found in them
the most apt scholars, ready to carry
out his instructions to the letter.
But the custom of universal kissing
in England fell into disuse. In the
time of those ascetic monarchs, Will
liam and Mary, it was very little
practiced, and from that time on
wards greatly declined until at last it
was practiced between unmarried
people only on occasions such, for
instance, as when a girl is caught
asleep, or under the mistletoe.