Your state (be sure) shall dayly mend.
29.
What should be the reason, that they would not permit the new wedded bride to passe of herselfe over the doore-sill or threshold, when she is brought home to her husband's house, but they that accompanie her, must lift her up betweene them from the ground, and so convey her in.
Is it in remembrance of those first wives whom they ravished perforce from the Sabines, who entred not into their houses of themselves with their good will, but were carried in by them, in this maner?
Or is it perhaps, because they would be thought to goe against their willes into that place where they were to lose their maidenhead?
Or haply it may be, that a wedded wife ought not to goe foorth of her doores, and abandon her house, but perforce, like as she went first into it by force. For in our countrey of Bæotia, the maner is, to burne before the doore where a new married wife is to dwell, the axel tree of that chariot or coatch in which she rode when she was brought to her husbands house. By which ceremonie, thus much she is given to understand, that will she nill she, there she must now tarrie, considering that it which brought her thither, is now gone quite and consumed.
30.
Wherefore do they at Rome, when they bring a new espoused bride home to the house of her husband, force her to say these words unto her spouse: Where you are Cajus, I will be Caja?
Is it to testifie by these words, that she entreth immediately to communicate with him in all goods, and to be a governesse and commaunder in the house as well as he? for it implieth as much, as if she should say; where you are lord and master, I will be lady and mistres. Now these names they used as being common, and such as came first to hand, and for no other reason else: like as the Civill lawiers use ordinarily these names, Cajus, Seius, Lucius, and Titius: the Philosophers in their schooles, Dion and Theon.
Or peradventure it is in regard of Caia Cæcilia a beautifull and vertuous lady, who in times past, espoused one of the sonnes of king Tarquinius: of which dame there is yet to be seene even at this day one image of brasse, within the temple of the god Sanctus: and there likewise in old time, her slippers, her distaffe and spindels laid up for to bee seene: the one to signifie that she kept the house well, and went not ordinarily abroad; the other to shew how she busied herselfe at home.