The Copts are not now despised and degraded by the government as they were a few years ago. Some of them have even been raised to the rank of Beys. Before the accession of Mohammad ′Alee, neither the Copts nor other Eastern Christians, nor Jews, were generally allowed to ride horses in Egypt; but this restriction has, of late years, been withdrawn.—A short time since, the Muslims of Damascus, who are notorious for their bigotry and intolerance, complained to the conqueror Ibráheem Básha, of the Christians in their city being allowed to ride horses; urging that the Muslims no longer had the privilege of distinguishing themselves from the infidels. The Básha replied, “Let the Muslims still be exalted above the Christians, if they wish it: let them ride dromedaries in the streets: depend upon it the Christians will not follow their example.”—The Copts enjoy an immunity for which they are much envied by most of the Muslims: they are not liable to be taken for military service; as no Muslim prince would honour a Christian by employing him to fight against a Muslim enemy.
The ordinary domestic habits of the Copts are perfectly Oriental, and nearly the same as those of their Muslim fellow-countrymen. They pass their hours of leisure chiefly in the same manner, enjoying their pipe and coffee: their meals, also, are similar; and their manner of eating is the same: but they indulge in drinking brandy at all hours of the day; and often, to excess.
They are not allowed by their church to intermarry with persons of any other sect; and few of them do so. When a Copt wishes to contract such a marriage, which causes him to be regarded as a reprobate by the more strict of his nation, he generally applies to a priest of the sect to which his intended wife belongs; and if his request be denied, which is commonly the case unless the man will consent to adopt his wife′s creed, he is married by the Kádee, merely by a civil contract. As a marriage of this kind is not acknowledged by the church, it may be dissolved at pleasure.
When a Copt is desirous of marrying according to the approved custom, he pursues the same course to obtain a wife as the Muslim; employing one or more of his female relations or other women to seek for him a suitable companion. Scarcely ever is he able to obtain a sight of the face of his intended wife, unless she be of the lower orders; and not always even in this case. If the female sought in marriage be under age, her father, or mother, or nearest male relation, is her “wekeel” (or agent) to make the necessary arrangements; but if she be of age, and have neither father nor mother, she appoints her own wekeel. The bridegroom, also, has his wekeel. The parties make a contract, in which various private domestic matters are arranged, in the presence of a priest. Two-thirds of the amount of the dowry is paid on this occasion: the remaining third is held in reserve: if she survive her husband, she claims this from his property: if she die before him, her relations claim it at her death. The contract being concluded, the Lord′s Prayer is recited three times by all persons present: the priest commencing it first.
The marriage-festivities, in the cases of persons of the higher and middle classes, when the bride is a virgin, usually occupy a period of eight days. Such is the length of what is termed a complete fête.
The night preceding Sunday (which the Copts, like the Muslims, call the night of Sunday) is the most approved for the performance of the marriage service; and most of the Copts are married on this night. In this case, the festivities commence on the preceding Tuesday, when the bridegroom and the bride′s family entertain their respective friends. At the feasts given on these occasions, and on subsequent days of the marriage-festivities, a curious custom, which reminds us of the alites or præpetes of the Romans, is usually observed. The cook makes two hollow balls of sugar; each with a hole at the bottom: then taking two live pigeons, he attaches little round bells to their wings; and having whirled the poor birds through the air till they are giddy, puts them into the two balls before mentioned: each of these is placed upon a dish; and they are put before the guests; some of whom, judging when the birds have recovered from their giddiness, break the balls: the pigeons generally fly about the room, ringing their little bells: if they do not fly immediately, some person usually makes them rise; as the spectators would draw an evil omen from their not flying.[[640]] The guests are generally entertained with music on the evenings of these feasts.—Wednesday is passed in preparations.
On Thursday, in the afternoon, the bride is conducted to the bath, accompanied by several of her female relations and friends, and usually with music; but not under a canopy.—Friday, again, is a day of preparation; and the bride has the henna applied to her hands and feet, etc.
Early on Saturday, two sets of articles of clothing, etc., one for the bridegroom and the other for the bride, and each consisting of similar things (namely, a shirt of silk and cotton, a pair of drawers, the embroidered band of the drawers, and two handkerchiefs embroidered with gold, together with a tobacco-purse, ornamented in the same manner), are sent from the bride′s family to the house of the bridegroom. An old lady of the family of the bride afterwards goes to the bridegroom’s house, to see whether it be properly prepared; and the bridegroom’s “ashbeen” (or brideman) takes him and several of his friends to the bath.
In the ensuing evening, about an hour and a half, or two hours, after sunset, the bride, accompanied by a number of her female relations and friends, preceded and followed by musicians, and attended by a number of persons bearing mesh’als and candles, proceeds to the house of the bridegroom. This “zeffeh” (or parade) much resembles that of a Muslim′eh bride; but the Copt bride is not conducted under a canopy. She is covered with a shawl, with several ornaments attached to that part which conceals her face and head, and numerous coins and other ornaments upon the part which covers her bosom. The procession moves very slowly; and generally occupies about two hours. A lamb or sheep is killed for the guests at the bridegroom’s house this night: it is slaughtered at the door; and the bride steps over its blood. This ceremony, I am told, is only observed in Cairo and other large towns.
The bride’s party having rested about two hours at the bridegroom’s house, and there partaken of refreshments, proceed with her thence, in the same manner, to the church. The bridegroom goes thither with his friends, forming a separate party; and without music. In the church, where the men and women place themselves apart, long prayers are performed; and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is administered. The priest receives and blesses and returns two rings, for the bridegroom and bride; and places a kind of crown, or frontal diadem, of gold, upon the head of each of them, and a sash over the shoulder of the bridegroom. This ceremony is called the “tekleel” (or crowning). The two crowns belong to the church: before the parties quit the church, they are taken off; but the bridegroom often goes home with the sash; and it is there taken off by a priest. At the weddings of the rich in the metropolis, the Patriarch generally officiates. In most cases, the ceremonies of the church are not concluded until near daybreak: the parties then return to the house of the bridegroom. From respect to the sacrament of which they have partaken, the bridegroom and bride maintain a religious reserve towards each other until the following night (that preceding Monday); or, generally, until after the close of this night.[[641]]