Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/151

 be Jimilarity of their marriages,

the bridegroom fleeps with the bride, and on the marriage day, he does not appear before her till night introduces him, and then without tapers.

The grandeur of the Hebrews confided pretty much in the multiplicity of their wives to attend them, as a fiiowy retinue : as the meaner fore could not well purchafe one, they had a light fort of marriage fuitable to their circumftances, called by the fcholiafts, ufu capio\ " taking the woman for prefent ufe." When they had lived together about a year, if agreeable, they parted good friends by mutual confent. The Indians alfo are fo fond of variety, that they ridicule the white people, as a tribe of narrow-hearted, and dull conilitudoned animals, for having only one wife at a time; and being bound to live with and fupport her, though numberlefs circumftances might require a contrary conduct. When a young warrior cannot drefs alamode America, he itrikes up one of thofe matches for a few moons, which they term Tocpfa Tawah^ " a make hade marriage," becaufe it wants the ufual ceremonies, and duration of their other kind of marriages.

The friendlieft kind of marriage among the Hebrews, was eating bread together. The bridegroom put a ring on the fourth finger of the bride's left hand before two witnefles, and faid, " Be thou my wife, according to the law of Mofes." Her acceptance and filence implying confent, con firmed her part of the marriage contract, becaufe of the rigid modefty of the eaftern women. When the mort marriage contract was read over, he took a cake of bread and broke it in two, for himfelf and her, or other- wife, he put fome corn between their hands : which cuftoms were ufed as llrong emblems of the neceffity of mutual induflry and concord, to obtain prefent and future happinefs. When an Indian makes his firft addrefs to the young woman he intends to marry, (he is obliged by ancient cuftom to fit by him till he hath done eating and drinking, whether me likes or diflikes him, but afterward, me is at her own choice whether to flay or retire *. When the bridegroom marries the bride, after the ufual prelude, he takes a choice ear of corn, and divides it in two before witnefles, gives her one half in her hand, and keeps the other half to himfelf ; or otherwife,

father's houfe, and into the chambers of her that conceived me : See Gen, xxiv. 67. Such was the cuftom of the Hebrews.
 * Cant. iii. 4. I held him and would not let him go, until I had brought him to my

T a he.

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