[938] Earle, "Among Friends," New Eng. Mag., Sept., 1898, 20. "Courtship and marriage were closely hedged around. Friends were enjoined against proposing marriage without the consent of the meeting, against marrying any but a Friend, against 'keeping unreasonable company' with any woman not a Friend; against going to weddings of any who marry out of meeting; against being 'married by a priest.' They were enjoined also 'to be clear of one before being concerned with another,' in an engagement of marriage. Widows and widowers were reminded not to marry again too swiftly; 'not to let their minds out soon to another husband or wife;' and kinship was to be carefully regarded in thinking of wedding."—Ibid., 19, 20; cf. Watson, Annals of Phil., III, 434.
[939] It seems to have been customary, at least in some meetings, to file the notice in writing for permanent record. The form was as follows:
"We the subscribers, A. B., son of C., and D. B.; and F. G., daughter of H., and I. G., purpose taking each other in marriage, which we hereby offer for the approbation of Friends."—Applegarth, "Quakers in Pennsylvania," J. H. U. S., X, 402.
[940] Earle, "Among Friends," New Eng. Mag., Sept., 1898, 20.
[941] Ibid., 21.
[942] Watson, Annals of Phil., I, 178, 503.
[943] Earle, loc. cit., 21. "In Philadelphia not only did the friends of the bride and groom come and eat and drink and all kiss the bride, but every evening for a week the entire bridal party received friends, and again the bride ran a gauntlet of kisses. When Mrs. Robert Erwin received her wedding visitors, four hundred gentlemen came in two days, ate the wedding cake, drank the wedding punch and, doubtless, all kissed her."—Ibid., 21.
[944] Watson, op. cit., I, 504.
[945] Earle, loc. cit.
[946] Applegarth, "Quakers in Pa.," J. H. U. S., X. 402, 403, who gives a discussion of Quaker weddings, following Watson. Gordon, Hist. of Pa., 70, 557, has a brief, concise account of the marriage law of the province.