but formed from the Danish verb "trulofa," fidem do, I plight my troth, or faith. Thus we read, in the Islandic Gospels, the following passage in the first chapter of St Matthew, which confirms, beyond a doubt, the sense here given: "Til einrar Meyar er trulofad var einum Manne," &c.-i.e., to a virgin espoused, that is, who was promised, or had engaged herself to a man.

Sir Thomas Browne, in his Vulgar Errors, says: "The True-Lover's Knot is much magnified, and still retained in presents of love among us; which, though in all points it doth not make out, had, perhaps, its original from Nodus Herculanus, or that which was called Hercules' his Knot, resembling the snaky complication in the Caduceus, or Rod of Hermes, and in which form the Zone or woollen Girdle of the bride was fastened, as Turnebus observes in his Adversaria."

Hence, evidently, have been derived the bride favours, or the topknots, at marriages, which have been considered as emblems of the ties of duty and affection between the bride and her spouse.

The following beautiful madrigal, entitled The True-love's Knot, occurs in Davison's Poetical Rhapsody (1611)—

"Love is the linke, the knot, the band of unity,

And all that love, do love with their belov'd to be:
Love only did decree

To change his kind in me.

"For though I lov'd with all the powers of my mind,

And though my restles thoughts their rest in her did finde,
Yet are my hopes declinde,

Sith she is most unkinde.

"For since her beauties sun my fruitles hope did breede,
By absence from that sun I hop't to sterve that weede;
Though absence did, indeede,

My hopes not sterve, but feede.

"For when I shift my place, like to the stricken Deere,
I cannot shift the shaft which in my side I beare:
By me it resteth there,

The cause is not else where.

"So have I seene the sicke to turne and turne againe,
As if that outward change, could ease his inward paine :
But still, alas! in vaine,
The fit doth still remaine.

"Yet goodnes is the spring from whence this ill doth grow,
For goodnes caus'd the love, which great respect did owe,
Respect true love did show;

True love thus wrought my woe."

Gay's pastoral, entitled the Spell, records the rustic manner of knit. ting the true-love knot

"As Lubberkin once slept beneath a tree,

I twitch'd his dangling Garter from his knee;
He wist not when the hempen string I drew;
Now mine I quickly doff of Inkle blue;

Together fast I tie the Garters twain,
And while I knit the Knot, repeat this Strain-
Three times a True-Love's Knot I tye secure :
Firm be the Knot, firm may his Love endure."

Another species of knot divination is given in No. 56 of the Connoisseur: "Whenever I go to lye in a strange bed, I always tye my Garter nine times round the bed-post, and knit nine Knots in it, and say to myself: This Knot I knit, this Knot I tye, to see my Love as he goes by, in his apparel'd array, as he walks in every day.' The following passage is in the Merry Devil of Edmonton (1631)—

"With pardon, Sir, that name is quite undon;

This True-Love-Knot cancelles both maide and nun."

Bride favours appear to have been worn by the peasantry of France, on similar occasions, on the arm. In England these knots of ribbons were distributed in great abundance formerly, even at the marriages of persons of the first distinction. They were worn at the hat, and consisted of ribbons of various colours; whereas white ribbons are the only ones used at present.

To this variety of colours in the bride favours used formerly, the following passage in Jonson's Silent Woman, wherein Lady Haughty addresses Morose, evidently alludes—

"Let us know your Bride's colours and yours at least."

The bride favours have not been omitted in the Northern provincial poem of The Collier's Wedding

"The blithsome, bucksome country Maids,

With Knots of Ribbands at their heads,
And pinners flutt'ring in the wind,

That fan before and toss behind."

And, speaking of the youth with the bridegroom, it says

"Like streamers in the painted sky,

At every breast the Favours fly.'

In a note to his translation of Misson, Ozell says: "The Favour was a large knot of ribbands, of several colours, gold, silver, carnation, and white. This is worn upon the hat for some weeks;" and in Paradoxical Assertions and Philosophical Problems (1664), we read: "I shall appeal to any Enamoreto but newly married, whether he took not more pleasure in weaving innocent True-love Knots, than in untying the virgin zone, or knitting that more than Gordian Knot, which none but that invincible Alexander, Death, can untye."

In a curious old book, The Fifteen Comforts of Marriage, a conference is introduced concerning bridal colours in dressing up the bridal bed by the bridemaids. Not, say they, with yellow ribbands, which are the emblems of jealousy; nor with "Fueille mort," which signifies fading love; but with true-blue, which signifies constancy, and with green, which denotes youth. Combine the two, and you have youthful constancy. One proposed blue and black, to snify constancy till

death; but that was objected to on the score of the colours not matching. Violet was proposed, as signifying religion; but it was objected to as being too grave; and at last they concluded to mingle a gold tissue with grass-green, which latter signifies youthful jollity.

For the bride's favours, top-knots, and garters, the bride proposed blue, gold-colour, popingay-green, and lemon-colour; but it was objected that gold-colour signified avarice, and popingay-green wantonness. Of the mixtures proposed by the younger bridemaid-flamecolour, flesh-colour, willow, and milk-white-the second and third were objected to, the former as typifying lasciviousness, and the latter desertion; and it was settled that red signifies justice, and sea-green inconstancy. The milliner at last fixed the colours as follows: for the favours-blue, red, peach-colour, and orange-tawny; for the young ladies' top-knots-flame-colour, straw-colour (signifying plenty), peachcolour, grass-green, and milk-white; and for the garters-a perfect yellow, signifying honour and joy.

Herrick has an allusion to the subject

"What posies for our wedding-rings,

What gloves we'l give, and ribbanings."

In the Gentleman's Magazine for October 1733 are Verses sent by a young Lady, lately married, to a quondam Lover, inclosing a green ribbon noozed*

"Dear D.

"In Betty lost, consider what you lose,

And, for the Bridal Knot, accept this Nooze;
The healing ribbon, dextrously apply'd,

Will make you bear the loss of such a bride.'

There is a retort courteous to this very unlady-like intimation, that the discarded lover may go hang himself; but it is not worth inserting.

BRIDEMAIDS.

The presence of bridemaids at weddings apparently dates as far back as the period of the Anglo-Saxons; among whom, as Strutt informs us, "the Bride was led by a Matron, who was called the Bride's Woman, followed by a company of young Maidens, who were called the Bride's Maids." Bridemaids and bridegroom men are both mentioned by the author of the Convivial Antiquities, in his description of the rites at marriages in his country and time.

In later times it was among the offices of the bridemaids to lead the bridegroom to church, as it was the duty of the bridegroom's men to conduct the bride thither. Thus in the Account of the Marriage Ceremonials of Philip Herbert and the Lady Susan, per.

* Thus Cunningham

"A Top-knot he bought her, and Garters of Green:
Pert Susan was cruelly stung:

I hate her so much, that, to kill her with spleen.
I'd wed, if I were not too young."

formed at Whitehall in the reign of James I. it is stated that “ the Prince and the Duke of Holst. led the Bride to church;" and in the History of John Newchombe, the wealthy clothier of Newbury (1597), speaking of his bride, it is said that "after hee, came the chiefest maidens of the country, some bearing bride-cakes, and some Garlands, made of wheat finely gilded, and so passed to the church." "She was led to Church between two sweet boys, with Bride-laces and Rosemary tied about their silken sleeves: the one was Sir Thomas Parry, the other Sir Francis Hungerford."

This has not been overlooked in the provincial poem of the Collier's Wedding—

"Two lusty lads, well drest and strong,
Step'd out to lead the Bride along :
And two young Maids, of equal size,

As soon the Bridegroom's hands surprize."

In Nath. Field's play of A Woman is a Weather-Cocke, on the eve of a marriage being solemnised Count Fredericke says: "My Bride will never be readie, I thinke: heer are the other sisters;" and Pendant observes: "Looke you, my Lorde: there's Lucida weares the Willow-garland for you; and will so go to church, I hear." As Lucida enters with a willow-garland, she says

"But since my sister he hath made his choise,
This wreath of Willow, that begirts my browes,

Shall never leave to be my ornament

Till he be dead, or I be married to him."

Waldron observes of the Manx weddings: "They have Bride-Men and Brides-Maids, who lead the young couple, as in England; only with this difference, that the former have Ozier Wands in their hands, as an emblem of superiority."

In Brooke's England's Helicon we read

"Forth, honour'd Groome; behold, not farre behind,
Your willing Bride, led by two strengthlesse boyes.'

In the margin of this passage is marked

"Going to Church-Bride-Boyes."

It was an invariable rule for the men to quit the room until the bride was undressed by her maids and put to bed.

BRIDEGROOM-MEN.

These appear anciently to have had the title of bride-knights. Those who led the bride to church were always bachelors: but she was to be conducted home by two married persons. Thus Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful Lady has the inquiry: "Were these two arms encompassed with the hands of Bachelors to lead me to the Church?" Polydore Vergil, who wrote in the time of Henry VIII., informs us that a third married man, in coming home from church, preceded the bride, bearing, instead of a torch, a vessel of silver or gold called the bride-cup; and Moresinus relates that to the

bachelors and married men who led the bride to and from church, she was wont to present gloves for that service during the time of dinner.

So in the account of the marriage of John Newchombe, adverting to the bride's being led to church, it is added by the writer that "there was a fair Bride Cup, of Silver gilt, carried before her, wherein was a goodly Branch of Rosemary, gilded very fair and hung about with silken ribbands of all colours ;" and in A Pleasant History of the first Founders we read: "At Rome the manner was that two Children should lead the Bride, and a third bear before her a Torch, of WhiteThorn in honour of Ceres, which custome was also observed here in England, saving that in place of the Torch, there was carried before the Bride a Bason of Gold or Silver; a Garland also of Corn Eares was set upon her head, or else she bare it on her hand; or, if that were omitted, Wheat was scattered over her head in token of Fruitfulness; as also before she came to bed to her Husband, Fire and Water were given her, which, having power to purifie and cleanse, signified that thereby she should be chast and pure in her body. Neither was she to step over the Threshold, but was to be borne over to signifie that she lost her Virginity unwillingly, with many other superstitious Ceremonies, which are too long to rehearse."

It was part of the bridegroom-men's office to put him to bed to the bride, after having undressed him.

THE STREWING OF HERBS, FLOWERS, AND RUSHES BEFORE THE BRIDEGROOM AND BRIDE IN THEIR WAY TO CHURCH; AND THE WEARING OF NOSEGAYS ON THE OCCASION.

There was anciently a custom at marriages of strewing herbs and flowers, and also rushes, from the house or houses where persons betrothed resided to the church. Herrick sings

"Glide by the Banks of Virgins then, and passe
The Showers of Roses, lucky-foure-leav❜d Grasse :
The while the cloud of younglings sing,
And drown ye with a flowrie Spring."

And Braithwaite's Strappado for the Divell (1615) has―

"All haile to Hymen and his Marriage Day!

Strew Rushes, and quickly come away;

Strew Rushes, Maides, and ever as you strew,

Think one day, Maides, like will be done for you.”

In this connection every one will call to mind the passage in Shakespeare―

"Our Bridal Flowers serve for a buried Corse."

Armin's History of the Two

preliminary to a wedding: "Enter a Maid strewing Flowers, and a Serving-man perfuming the

The Maid says' Strew, strew;' and for the Bride at Church.'

So in Brooke's Epithalamium in England's Helicon (1614)

the man'The Muscadi Maids of Moreclacke (1609) has this

"Now busie Maydens strew sweet Flowres."