The Washington herald., 1906-11-04
A LAY SERMON.
BY A LAYMAN.

Il
BY A LAYMAN.
At first human beings lived in a
state Of hetairism- The women. BY nature nobler
ana more sensitive than the AZ last dis
gisted with this life, and under the impulse Of
strong religious aspiration combined 20 put an end
10 hetAiFlsn and introduced marriage They sue
eeeded. and established mOnngamy. but not without
an appeal to force. "-Bachofen in Melenaau's
Studies in Ancient History.
According to this writer women are
the authors Of the institution Of marriage.
We are not prepared TO go into a dis
eussion Of this question, but submit that
account Of the institution of marriage,
which is received by the Christian world
as authentic. IN the second chapter of
Genesis We find the following:
And Adam gaTc names to all cattle. and to the
fowl OF the air. and to every beast Of the field
but fol Adam there was not found an heipmeet
for him
And the Lord God caused deep sleep to fan
upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one Of his
ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
And the rib. which the Lord God had taken from
man, made be a woman. and brought her unto the
man.
And Adam said: This is now bone of my bones,
and flesh Of my hesh she shall be called woman,
because she was taken out Of man.
Therefore shah leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they
shall be one flesh
We will not. however. dispute with him
the nobility of women. but insist upon the
generally received account Of the institu-
ton Of marriage.
Marriage is a subject which has been
variously treated. Perhaps the writer's,
or most Of them viewed it not from a
general, but from a particular standpoint
Here Is a picture-an English One-of
marriage among the rural classes, evil
IDENTIFY drawn by cynic:
Sir Philip de somerville, Of Whiche-
novre, in the County of Stafford, England,
held his manors with the condition that
he should find, maintain. and sustain one
bacon fitch hanging in his hall al
Whichenovre ready arranged all times of
the year, except IN Lent, TO be given TO
every man or woman married after the
day and the year Of their marriage be
past. on these conditions; That whenso-
ever any one such before named shall
come 10 inquire for the bacon in proper
person, he OF she shall come TO the
bailiff or porter Of the lordship Of Which
enovre and say as follows: "Baiif, or
porter, / do you - know that am come
Tor myself to demand one bacon-fitch
hanging IN the hall Of the Lord of
WhichenoVre after the form there
unto belonging" The bailin, OF por-
ter, then assigned him day on
which he was to return. and bring
two Of his neighbors who were free
holders Of the lordship, and all three
should go 10 the manor OF Rudlow. be-
longing 10 Robert Knightleye. and sum-
mon him or his bailiff 20 be ready al
Whlchenovre on the day appointed with
a horse and saddle 10 convey the bacon
and corn out OF the county Of Stafford.
at his cottages. And then the baillff
should Summon the tenants Of the manor
TO De ready on the day and at the place
appointed.
On the appointed day the applicant ana
his two neighbors were met by the ten
ants and conducted with trumps and Ia
Dorets and other manner Of minstrelsv 10
t1e hail door. The two neighbors were
then required 60 swear If the applicant
had been married man for a year and
a Gay past, and II he be a freeman or a
Nlieln This being done the bacon was
brought out and laid upon one quarter
OF wheat and one quarter Of rye.
The applicant then kneeling and placing
his right hand on the book. made oath
as follows, Hear ye. Sir Philip de SOM
erville, lord Of Whichenovre. maintainer
and giver Of this bacon. that I A. since
welded b. my wife, and since had her
ia my keeping. and at my will. bv a wear
and day after our marriage, I would not
have changed her for none other fairer
nor fouleT, richer nor poorer, nor for none
OTHER descended Of greater lineage. sleep
Ing or waking, at no time; and If the
said Z here sole, and I sole would
tSike her 10 be my wife before all the
women % the world. Of what condition So /
ever, they be good or evil. as help me I
God, and his saints and this flesh and all /
heshes"
Then the neighb0rs were required to I
make oath that they believe he has spoken !
the truth Then if he De a freeman /
there shall be delivered 10 him quarter
OF wheat and cheese, and if he be a VIII /
lein he gets half a quarter Of rye. with /
out cheese The lord Of Rudlow then I
orders the corn laid upon a horse. and
the bacon above il. and the applicant 4
mounts his horse, carrying his cheese be-
fore him, and he is conducted to his home
with the sound OF trumpets taborets, and /
ether minstrelsy.
The register Of Whichenovre Hall shows I
tlat the first applicant was Aubrey de /
falstan. son Of Sir John Falstan, knight 1
with Dame Maude his wife He had
bribed his neighbors TO swear falsely. /
and he received the bacon; but he and his 1
wife falling into a dispute about how
the bacon should be dressed, IL was by 4
order Of the judges taken from him and 4
hung up again In the hall
Allison, the wife Of Stephen Freckle. 1
brought her husband with her, and set /
forth the good conditions ana behavior OF /
her consort and said that she doubted 1
not he was ready 10 attest the like of her.
MS wife WhereupOn stephen shook his /
hc2d and declined TO speak. when she /
tGrncd upon him and gave him a box
On tho ear.
Richard de Loveless. who was a cOurtier
ana Well-bred man, being an applicant.
was observed 10 hesitate before the words
after our marriage and was asked TO
explain he replied by saying he was al
ways comDlaisant when lover, and that
ne had not disObeyed his wife before
which he hODed was the same
thing. His application was rejected
Jocelyne Jolly. Esq, made proof that he
and his wife preserved full affection for
enc month after marriage. or during the
honeymoon, on which the judges award
ed him one rasher of bacon. a couple VINO
applied were rejected on the ground that
al dining on Sunday the demandant's
wife who sat below the wife Of the squire.
said that she thought her husband ought
10 be knighted-tO which the husband re-
turned passionate "Pishi" The claim
was rejected on the ground Of unwarTant-
15le ambition of the wife and unnecessary
anger Of the husband
one application was rejected because IL |
appeared that the wife in speaking Of her
husband on a certain occasion was heard
10 say, God forgive him." and another
was rejected because the husband. when