"And be thou magnified, O bride, as Sarah! Be thou joyful as Rebecca,
and multiplied as Rachael; delighting in thine own husband, and
observing the bounds of the law, according to the good pleasure of God."
The ceremony now drew to its conclusion, the tapers were extinguished
and taken from the bride and bridegroom, who walking towards the holy
screen were dismissed by the priest, received the congratulations of the
company, and saluted each other. We all now hurried to our carriages,
the youngest to their sledges, and took the direction of the house of
the bride's father, where we were received by that person in his Russian
costume, and with a flowing beard, who conducted the company, at the
sound of a full band of music, into the banqueting-room, already
prepared for about fifty guests, with tables decked with golden
_plateaux_ and vases bearing artificial flowers, mixed with piles
of fruit and _bonbons_. Here a large assemblage of friends had
already met, through which we made our way to an inner room, where the
bride, seated by the side of her mother, and surrounded by matrons and
damsels, received, with becoming modesty, our congratulations. I was
surprised at finding in the gynæceum of a class of society of this
description, such agreeable and easy manners, untainted by the least
_gaucherie_ or awkward pretensions. My engagement prevented my
remaining to dinner; but I returned time enough in the evening to be
present at the conclusion of the day's ceremony. The dinner had passed
off without any remarkable occurrence, and considering the ominous
quantity of Champagne consumed (a very favourite beverage on all gala
days with the middle classes of society at St. Petersburgh), I found
the party _almost_ philosophical. Toasts to the bride and bridegroom
had been repeatedly drunk, and the night was far advanced when the
_passajonaiatetz_ took the bride by the hand, and conducted her
into the bed-chamber, where he consigned her to the care of all the
married ladies present, himself retiring immediately after. Those
matrons assisted in disrobing her of the bridal vestments, and in
assuming the garb appropriate to the chamber in which they were.
The passajonaiatetz next performed the like office of conducting
the bridegroom to the chamber, who put on his _schlafrock_, or
nightgown, the married ladies having previously retired. These
operations being concluded, the doors of the bed-chamber were thrown
open, and we all walked in in procession, quaffing a goblet of Champagne
to the health of the parties, kissing the bride's hands, who returned
the salutations on our cheeks, and embracing _à la Francaise_ the
cheeks of the bridegroom, who luckily, in the present instance, had
neither the Russian beard nor the modern English whiskers. With one
voice we then wished the happy pair a hearty blessing, and withdrew,
when the doors were closed. The company gradually dispersed. Dinners
and dancing went on for three successive days. On the first of these
I attended for a few minutes, being determined to satisfy my curiosity
to the last. I had, however, to pay for this indulgence, having been
compelled, by immemorial usage, on entering the room, to drink a bumper
of the sparkling juice to the dregs in honour of the bride, to undergo
the same ceremony of bride and bridegroom's salutation, and to whirl
half a round of a waltz with the former. But I had made up my mind
to bear even worse _inconveniences_ than these, should it have been
necessary, rather than forego the advantage of judging for myself of the
truth or falsehood of the many exaggerated and fanciful descriptions
given by travellers of a Russian wedding. To complete this account of
what I _witnessed_, I should add, that on the eighth day, the happy
pair attended once more at the church, for the ceremony of "dissolving
the crowns," which is performed by the priest, with appropriate prayers,
in allusion to the rites of matrimony.
* * * * *