Chapter XXI: Act V: SCENE 1. Page 157

PRIEST. A contract of eternal bond of love
Confirm'd by mutual joinder of your hands,
Attested by the holy close of lips,
Strengthened by interchangement of your rings;
And all the ceremony of this compact
Seal'd in my function, by my testimony.

It will be necessary, for the better illustration of these lines, to connect them with what Olivia had said to Sebastian at the end of the preceding act:

"Now go with me, and with this holy man,
Into the chantry by: there _before him_
And underneath that consecrated roof
_Plight me the full assurance of your faith_;
That my most jealous and too doubtful soul
May live at peace. He shall conceal it
Whiles you are willing it shall come to note;
What time we will our _celebration_ keep
According to my birth."

Now the whole has been hitherto regarded as relating to _an actual marriage_ that had been solemnized between the parties; whereas it is manifest that nothing more is meant than a _betrothing_, _affiancing_ or _promise of future marriage_, anciently distinguished by the name of _espousals_, a term which was for a long time confounded with _matrimony_, and at length came exclusively to denote it. The form of betrothing at church in this country, has not been handed down to us in any of its ancient ecclesiastical service books; but it is to be remembered that Shakspeare is here making use of foreign materials, and the ceremony is preserved in a few of the French and Italian rituals.

The custom of betrothing appears to have been known in ancient times to almost all the civilized nations among whom marriage was considered as a sacred engagement. Our northern ancestors were well acquainted with it. With them the process was as follows: 1. _Procatio_, or wooing. 2. _Impetratio_, or demanding of the parents or guardian. 3. The conditions of the contract. All these were sealed by joining the right hands, by a certain form of words, and a confirmation before witnesses. The length of the time between espousals and marriage was uncertain, and governed by the convenience of the parties; it generally extended to a few months. Sometimes in cases of necessity, such as the parties living in different countries, and where the interference of proxies had been necessary, the time was protracted to three years. The contract of the affiancing party was called _handsaul_; (whence our _hansel_) of the agreeing party, _handfastening_. See Thorlacius _De borealium veterum matrimonio_, 1785, 4to, pp. 33, 42. Vincent de Beauvais, a writer of the 13th century, in his _Speculum historiale_, lib. ix. c. 70, has defined _espousals_ to be _a contract of future marriage_, made either by a simple promise, by earnest or security given, by a ring, or by an oath. During the same period, and the following centuries, we may trace several other modes of betrothing, some of which it may be worth while to describe more at large.

I. The interchangement of rings.--Thus in Chaucer's _Troilus and Creseide_, book 3.

"Sone after this they spake of sondry things
As fill to purpose of this aventure,
And playing _enterchaungeden her rings_
Of which I can not tellen no scripture.
But well I wot, a broche of gold and assure
In which a rubie set was like an herte
Creseide him yave, and stacke it on his sherte."

When espousals took place at church, rings were also interchanged. According to the ritual of the Greek church, the priest first placed the rings on the fingers of the parties, who afterwards exchanged them. Sometimes the man only gave a ring. In the life of Saint Leobard, who is said to have flourished about the year 580, written by Gregory of Tours he gives a ring, a kiss, and a pair of shoes to his affianced. The ring and shoes were a symbol of securing the lady's hands and feet in the trammels of conjugal obedience; but the ring of itself was sufficient to confirm the contract. In _The miracles of the Virgin Mary_, compiled in the twelfth century by a French monk, there is a story of a young man who, falling in love with an image of the Virgin, inadvertently placed on one of its fingers a ring which he had received from his mistress, accompanying the gift with the most tender language of respect and affection. A miracle instantly took place, and the ring remained immoveable. The young man, greatly alarmed for the consequences of his rashness, consulted his friends, who advised him by all means to devote himself entirely to the service of the Madonna. His love for his former mistress prevailing over their remonstrances: he married her; but on the wedding night the newly-betrothed lady appeared to him, and urged her claim with so many dreadful menaces that the poor man felt himself compelled to abandon his bride, and that very night to retire privately to a hermitage, where he became a _monk_ for the rest of his life. This story has been translated by Mons. Le Grand in his entertaining collection of _fabliaux_, where the ring is called a _marriage ring_: but this is probably a mistake in the translator, as appears from several copies of the above _Miracles_ that have been consulted. The giving of rings was likewise a _pledge of love_ in cases where no marriage could possibly happen. In The _lay of Equitan_, a married woman and her gallant exchange rings,

"Par lur anels sentresaísirent
Lur _fiaunce_ sentreplevirent."

In a romance written by Raimond Vidal, a Provençal poet of the thirteenth century, a knight devotes himself to the service of a lady, who promises him a kiss in a year's time when she shall be married. They ratify the contract by an exchange of rings. Mr. Steevens has on the present occasion introduced a note, wherein a ludicrous superstition is mentioned, in order to prove that "in our ancient _marriage ceremony_, the man received as well as gave a ring." But the passage which he cites from Lupton is wrongly translated from Mizaldus, who only speaks of _the_ marriage ring: and so it is in Scott's _Discovery of witchcraft_, fo. 82. edit. 1584, 4to, where a similar receipt is given. Mr. Steevens was indeed convinced of this by the author of these observations, and in a note on _All's well that ends well_ has retracted his opinion. No instance has occurred where rings were _interchanged_ at a _marriage_.

II. The kiss that was mutually given. When this ceremony took place at church, the lady of course withdrew the veil which was usually worn on the occasion; when in private, the drinking of healths generally followed.

III. The joining of hands. This is often alluded to by Shakspeare himself. See a note in the _Winter's tale_, p. 17, Steevens's edition, 1793.

IV. The testimony of witnesses. That of the priest alone was generally sufficient, though we often find many other persons attending the ceremony. The words "there before him," and "he shall conceal it," in Olivia's speech, sufficiently demonstrate that betrothing and not marriage is intended; for in the latter the presence of the priest alone would not have sufficed. In later times, espousals in the church were often prohibited in France, because instances frequently occurred where the parties, relying on the testimony of the priest, scrupled not to live together as man and wife; which gave rise to much scandal and disorder. Excesses were likewise often committed by the celebration of espousals in taverns and alehouses, and some of the synodal decrees expressly enjoin that the parties shall not get drunk on these occasions.

The ceremony, generally speaking, was performed by the priest demanding of the parties if they had entered into a contract with any other person, or made a vow of chastity or religion; whether they had acted for each other, or for any child they might have had, in the capacity of godfather or godmother, or whether they had committed incontinence with any near relation of the other party; but the latter questions might be dispensed with at the discretion of the priest. Then this oath was administered--"You swear by God and his holy saints herein and by all the saints of Paradise, that you will take this woman whose name is N. to wife within forty days, if holy church will permit." The priest then joined their hands, and said,--"And thus you affiance yourselves;" to which the parties answered,--"Yes, sir." They then received a suitable exhortation on the nature and design of marriage, and an injunction to live piously and chastely until that event should take place. They were not permitted, at least by the church, to reside in the same house, but were nevertheless regarded as man and wife independently of the usual privileges: and this will account for Olivia's calling Cesario "husband;" and when she speaks of "keeping _celebration_ according to her birth," it alludes to _future marriage_. This took place in a reasonable time after betrothing, but was seldom protracted in modern times beyond forty days. So in _Measure for measure_, Claudio calls Julietta his _wife_, and says he got possession of her bed upon a true _contract_. The duke likewise, in addressing Mariana who had been _affianced_ to Angelo, says, "he is your _husband_ on a pre-contract."

Before we quit the subject, it may be necessary to observe that betrothing was not an essential preliminary to marriage, but might be dispensed with. The practice in this respect varied in different times and places. The desuetude of espousals in England seems to have given rise to the action at law for damages on breach of promise of marriage. And thus much may suffice for a general idea of this ancient custom; the legal niceties must be sought for in the works of the civilians.

SCENE 1. Page 159.

SIR TO. Then he's a rogue. After a _passy-measure_, or a _pavin_, I
hate a drunken rogue.

Florio, in his Italian dictionary, 1598, has "_passamezzo_, a _passameasure_ in dancing, a cinque pace;" and although the English word is corrupt, the other contributes to show a part, at least, of the figure of this dance, which is said to have consisted in making several steps round the ball-room and then _crossing it in the middle_. Brantôme calls it "le _pazzameno_ d'Italie," and it appears to have been more particularly used by the Venetians. It was much in vogue with us during Shakspeare's time, as well as the _Pavan_; and both were imported either from France, Spain, or Italy. In a book of instructions for the lute, translated from the French by J. Alford, 1568, 4to, there are two _passameze_ tunes printed in letters according to the lute notation.

As to the _Pavan_, there is some doubt whether it originally belongs to Spain or Italy. _Spanish pavans_ are certainly mentioned by Ben Jonson in the _Alchymist_, and by Brantôme in his _Dames illustres_, who adds that he had seen it danced by Francis I. and his sister, the celebrated Margaret of Navarre, and also by Mary Queen of Scots. There is good reason, however, for thinking the term is Italian, and derived from the city of _Padua_, where the dance is said to have been invented. Massa Gallesi, a civilian of the sixteenth century, calls it _saltatio Paduana_. In a catalogue of books that were exposed to sale at Frankfort fair, from 1564 to 1592, the following are mentioned: "Chorearum molliorum collectanea omnis fere generis tripudia complectens, utpote _Padoanas_, _passemezos_, allemandas, galliardas, branles, et id genus alia, tam vivæ voci quam instrumentis musicis accommodata. Antverpiæ, 1583, 4to." "Cantiones _Italicæ_ quas _Paduana_ Itali vocant, quatuor vocum. Venetiis, 1565, 4to." "Sixti Kargen, renovata cythara, hoc est, novi et commodissimi exercendæ cytharæ modi, constantes cantionibus musicis, _passomezo_, _podoanis_, gaillardis, Alemanicis et aliis ejusmodi pulchris exemplis, ad tabulaturam communem redactis. Argentorati, 1575, et Moguntiæ, 1569, folio." In Alford's _Instructions for the lute_, above mentioned, there is a _Paduane_ and a _Pavane_. Randle Holme, in his _Academy of armory_, 1688, folio, book iii. c. 3, speaking of the _Pavan_ as a tune, describes it as "the height of composition made only to delight the ear: be it of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 parts [it] doth commonly consist of three straines, each straine to be played twice over." In an old MS. collection of lessons for the virginals, there is one called "Dr. Bull's _melancholy_ pavin." Mr. Tyrwhitt, therefore, is right in supposing that a jovial blade like Sir Toby would be naturally averse to these grave dances, and the dullness of the tunes belonging to them.

SCENE 1. Page 162.

DUKE. One face, one voice, one habit and two persons;
A natural _perspective_, that is, and is not.

The several kinds of perspective glasses that were used in Shakspeare's time, may be found collected together in Scot's _Discoverie of witchcraft_, 1584, 4to, book xiii. ch. 19. They cannot be exceeded in number by any modern optician's shop in England. Among these, that alluded to by the Duke is thus described: "There be glasses also wherein one man may see another man's image, and not his own." It is to be observed that a _perspective_ formerly meant a _glass_ that assisted the sight in any way.

SCENE 1. Page 169.

MAL. And made the most notorious _geck_, and gull.

Dr. Johnson rightly explains geck, a fool. It is so in all the Northern languages. In Saxon, ᵹæc is a cuckow, whence _gouk_, _gawk_, and _gawky_. Mr. Steevens's quotations seem to exhibit the word in another sense, viz. a _mock_ or _mockery_.

THE CLOWN.

The clown in this play is a domestic or hired fool, in the service of Olivia. He is specifically termed "an _allowed_ fool," and "Feste the jester, a fool that the lady Olivia's father took much delight in." Malvolio likewise speaks of him as "a set fool." Of his dress it is impossible to speak correctly. If the fool's expression, "I will _impeticoat_ thy gratility," be the original language, he must have been habited accordingly. Mr. Ritson has asserted that he has neither coxcomb nor bauble, deducing his argument from the want of any allusion to them. Yet such an omission may be a very fallacious guide in judging of the habit of this character on the stage. It must, however, be admitted, that where this happens there can be no clue as to the precise manner in which the fool was dressed.

FOOTNOTES:

[4] their.

[5] The mention of the region of Christianity is a whimsical anachronism as connected with the story of Alexander; but we must do our author the justice to admit that in _his_ time the Ethiopians were Christians.

[6] is called.

[7] to see.

[8] fairness, beauty.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE.