On St. Valentine's day, it is customary, in many parts of Italy, for an
unmarried lady to choose, from among the young gentlemen of her
acquaintance, one to be her guardian or gallant; who, in return for the
honor of this appointment, presents to her some nosegays, or other
trifles, and thereby obliges himself to attend her in the most
obsequious manner in all her parties of pleasure, and to all her public
amusements, for the space of one year, when he may retire, and the lady
may choose another in his place. But in the course of this connection it
frequently happens, that they contract such an inclination to each
other, as prompts them to be coupled for life. In the times of the
chivalry, we have seen that the men gloried in protecting the women, and
the women thought themselves safe and happy when they obtained that
protection. It is probable, therefore, that this custom, though now more
an affair of gallantry than of protection, is a relic of chivalry still
subsisting among that romantic and sentimental people.
But the observation of some peculiar customs on St. Valentine's day is
not confined to Italy; almost all Europe has joined in distinguishing it
by some particular ceremony. As it always happens about that time of the
year, when the genial influences of the spring begin to operate, it has
been believed by the vulgar, that upon it the birds invariably choose
their mates for the ensuing season. In imitation, therefore, of their
example, the vulgar of both sexes, in many parts of Britain, meet
together; and having upon slips of paper wrote down the names of all
their acquaintances, and put them into two different bags, the men drew
the female names by lot, and the women the male; the man makes the woman
who drew his name some trifling present, and in the rural gambol becomes
her partner; and she considers him as her sweetheart, till he is
otherwise disposed of, or till next Valentine's day provide her with
another.