Page:Notes and Queries - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/227

 ^S. N" 11., MAE. 15. '56.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

219

But, if it gets rid of some false quantities, it still leaves many ; and it certainly, introduces ad- ditional errors in the pronunciation of the vowels, which were already*many enough.

The custom of pronouncing Latin according to the sounds given to the letters by each particular nation, does not carry with it on the Continent the 'same inconvenience which attends that practice in English. In most, if not in all, the continental languages, each vowel has its own sound ; some- times long, and sometimes short ; sometimes, as in Italian, open ; and sometimes close, but always preserving a similarity of sound.

But in English. this is not the case.

The same vowels vary, not merely in quantity, but in sound. Habit makes many of us uncon- scious of the difference ; but it is obvious to all, who have given any attention to the pronuncia- tion of foreign tongues, or who have acquired any practical knowledge of their pronunciation.

We have every reason to believe, that the Latin vowels had uniform sounds ; and that the same letter could only have a change of quantity, but could not, as with us, represent a different vowel or even a diphthong.

It seems, therefore, obvious, that we cannot have a consistent utterance of Latin, so long as we preserve anything of our own peculiar pro- nunciation.

It is not an easy thing to induce the whole body of English scholars to change their habit. Many, indeed most, have little or no knowledge of foreign speech, though many read French and German with ease, and a much smaller number Italian and Spanish.

But it would be a great step towards making Latin a language of practical usefulness, if our Universities would adopt Milton's view of the matter, and admit the Italian pronunciation. The schools cannot take the initiative : for they must prepare their youth for college lecture rooms.

No one, who has ever heard Latin read or spoken by an Italian, or even by a German, can doubt of the increased melody which results from a consistent pronunciation.

At the time when Latin was still the usual mode of intercommunication between all literary men, this uniformity existed. An Italian lec- turer was understood at Oxford, as an English lecturer would have been at Padua ; and a travel- ling scholar required but one language to find himself understood, wherever a man of letters was to be met with. There is now no universal lan- guage. French is gradually giving way in some places to English, in others to German. English- men speak French as uniformly ill as Frenchmen speak English. Of course, there are here and there remarkable exceptions ; but not sufficient to invalidate my assertion as to the generality.

So long as things remain as they are, English-

men's ears will be offended with novelties and in- consistencies in the English pronunciation of Latin. They arise from a vain attempt at cor- rectness in quantity, which cannot be attained except by a radical change in the whole system of pronunciation. E. C. H.

ON MARRIAGE IN THE GREEK CHURCH. (2 nd S. 1. 174.)

This consists of two parts, the betrothal and the actual marriage. The betrothal takes place as follows :

"The priest, remaining in the sacrarium, delivers to the persons to be betrothed, and who are standing with- out at the sacred doors, lighted candles into the hands of each, and then returns with them into the body of the church. Here, after prayers have been said, two rings are brought out, of gold and silver respectively, which had previously been placed upon the altar to be dedicated and consecrated, and the priest gives the gold ring to the man, the silver ring to the woman, repeating three times the form of words following :

eTai 6 SouAo? TOV eou 6 Seii/a riji' SovAiji/ TOV &eov rqvoe, eis TO ovo/ia rov IlaTpbs, Kat TOV Yiou Kai TOV 'Ayi'ou TtvfvfjLaTOS, vvv (cal ael Kai els TOUS cutopas T>V ai<av. Ajuijf.'

' The servant of God, M., espouses the handmaid of God, N., in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to endless ages. Amen.'

Then turning to the woman he thrice repeats the same form, mutatis mutandis : "A.ppa.ptavCgeTa.1 ri SouAij TOV eov, i\ Selva. K. T. A,' ' The handmaid, N., of God espouses,' &c. The rings are put on the right hand finger, and are taken off and interchanged by the bridegroom's man, both in order that the woman may not take too deeply to heart her inferiority, which the less costly material of the ring seems to hint at, as also to confirm the mutual right and possession of property, either present or future, to each in common.

"After the betrothal the marriage follows immediately, if the bride and bridegroom please, only it must not on any account be private. The use of crowns, in celebrat- ing marriage, is most constantly observed to this day, insomuch that marriage is often called a-Tf^dvtaiJ.a, the crowning ; and eavovcrOa.i are synony- mous with yaju.eio-flai. The crowns are made of olive- branches, surrounded with white threads interwoven with purple. The priest, putting one on the head of the man, says :

( 2Te<eT<xi o 5oCAo? TOV eou, 6 Setya TTJV Sov\iiv TOV eov njvSe ya/xei, eis TO oi/ojua TOV IlaTpbs icai TOV Yiou /cat TOV 'Ayi'ov HvevjitaTOs.'

' The servant of God, M., is crowned ; that is, marries the handmaid of God, N., in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.'

He then crowns the woman with the other, saying, 'Sre'^eTcu ri Sov\ri TOV &eov, K. T. A.' ' The handmaid of God is crowned,' &c. Then joining their right hands he blesses them three times, saying, ' Kvpie o eb? WLUP, Sdfrj KO.I TIM?/ a-Tefydviacrov avrous.' ' O Lord our God, crown them with glorv and honour.' Then he hands them a cup to drink of, both as a mark of joy and unity, and a pledge of com- munity of possession."

This account of the betrothal and marriage in the Greek Church is taken from Smith's De Graecae Ecclesiae Hodierno Statu Epistola, pub-