_After the divine liturgy, while the priest standeth in the sanctuary,
they that purpose to be joined together stand before the holy doors, the
man on the right side and the woman on the left. And on the right side of
the holy table are laid their two rings, a golden one and a silver one,
the silver one towards the right and the golden one towards the left,
close to one another. And the priest signeth the heads of the bridal
pair thrice, and giveth them burning tapers, and leadeth them within the
temple, and censeth crosswise, and by the deacon is said,_
Bless, master.
_And the priest._ Blessed be Our God....
_Choir._ Amen.
_Deacon._ In peace let us pray to the Lord.
For the peace that is from above, and for the salvation of their two....
For the peace of the whole world, the good estate....
For this holy temple, and for them that with faith....
For the most holy governing Synod....
For our Most Pious....
For the servant of God, _name_, and for the handmaid of God, _name_, who
are now being betrothed to one another, and for their salvation, let us
pray to the Lord.
That there may be vouchsafed unto them children for the succession of
generation, and all desires that tend to salvation, let us pray to the
Lord.
That there may be sent down upon them perfect love, peace, and
assistance, let us pray to the Lord.
That they may be preserved in unanimity, and stedfast faith, let us pray
to the Lord.
That they may be blessed with a blameless course of life, let us pray to
the Lord.
That the Lord our God may grant unto them an honourable marriage, and a
bed undefiled, let us pray to the Lord.
For our deliverance from all affliction....
Commemorating our most holy, most pure, most blessed....
_Priest._
For to thee is due all glory....
_Then he saith the prayer with a loud voice._
O God eternal, who bringest things that are divided unto unity, and
imposest upon these an indissoluble bond of love, who didst bless Isaac
and Rebecca, and declare them to be the inheritors of thy promise; do
thou thyself bless these thy servants, _name_, _name_, directing them in
every good work. For a merciful and man-loving God thou art, and to thee
we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,
now and ever, and to ages of ages.
_Choir._ Amen.
_Priest._ Peace to all.
_Choir._ And to thy spirit.
_Deacon._ Bow your heads to the Lord.
_Choir._ To thee, O Lord.
_Priest._
O Lord our God, who hast espoused the church as a pure virgin from among
the gentiles; do thou bless these espousals, and unite and keep these thy
servants in peace and unanimity.
For to thee is due all glory, honour, and worship, to the Father, and to
the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages.
_Choir._ Amen.
_Then the priest, taking the rings, giveth first the golden one to the
man, then the silver one to the woman._
_And he saith to the man,_
The servant of God, _name_, is betrothed to the handmaid of God, _name_,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
_Then to the woman he saith,_
The handmaid of God, _name_, is betrothed to the servant of God, _name_,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
_And when he hath thus spoken to each one thrice, he maketh a cross with
the rings upon their heads, and placeth them on the fingers of their
right hands. Then the sponsor changeth the rings of the bridal pair._
_The priest saith the prayer._
Let us pray to the Lord.
O Lord, our God, who didst accompany the servant of the patriarch Abraham
to Mesopotamia, when he was sent to espouse a wife for his lord Isaac,
and didst reveal to him by means of the drawing of water to betroth
Rebecca; do thou thyself bless the betrothal of thy servants, this,
_name_, and this, _name_, and confirm the word that hath been spoken by
them, confirm them by the holy union that is from thee; for thou from the
beginning hast created male and female, and by thee a woman is conjoined
to a man, for assistance and for the succession of the generation of
man. Therefore, O Lord our God, who hast sent forth thy truth unto thine
inheritance, and thy promise unto thy servants, our fathers, even thine
elect in every generation, do thou thyself regard thy servant, _name_,
and thine handmaid, _name_, and confirm their betrothal in faith, and
unanimity, and truth, and love. For thou, O Lord, hast declared that
troth should be given and confirmed in everything. By a ring was given
might unto Joseph in Egypt; by a ring Daniel was exalted in the land
of Babylon; by a ring was revealed the truth of Thamar; by a ring our
heavenly Father showed compassion upon his son; for, said he, Put ye a
ring upon his right hand, and kill the fatted calf, and let us eat and
rejoice. Thine own right hand, O Lord, armed Moses in the red sea; for,
by thy true word, the heavens were established and the earth firmly
founded, and the right hand of thy servants shall be blessed by thy
mighty word, and by thine uplifted arm. Therefore, O Master, do thou
thyself now bless this putting on of rings with thy heavenly benediction;
and may thine Angel go before them all the days of their life.
For thou art he that blesseth and sanctifieth all things, and to thee we
ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now
and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
_Straightway the deacon this ectenia._
Furthermore let us pray for our Most Pious, Autocratic, Great Lord, THE
EMPEROR ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVITCH of all Russia.
Furthermore let us pray for His Consort, the Most Pious Lady, THE EMPRESS
MARIA THEODOROVNA.
Furthermore let us pray for His Heir, the Right-believing Lord, the
Cesarevitch and Grand Duke, NICOLAUS ALEXANDROVITCH.
Furthermore let us pray for the Most Holy Governing Synod.
Furthermore let us pray for all Their christ-loving army.
Furthermore let us pray for the servants of God, _name_, and _name_, who
are being betrothed to one another.
_Choir._ Lord have mercy, _thrice_.
Furthermore let us pray for the whole brotherhood....
_Exclamation._
For a merciful and man-loving God thou art, and to thee we ascribe glory,
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and
to ages of ages. Amen.
_Then the dismissal._
[Illustration]
_Chapter X._