lecture ii-第3章

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Novgorod；　Theodosius；　bitterly　complained　of　this　practice。　Up　to
the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century　the　Russian　clergy　dissolved
the　marriage　bond　very　often　for　no　other　reason　than　that　of
incompatibility　of　temper；　this　incompatibility　appearing　in　the
dissolute　life　of　either　husband　or　wife。　
　　　　The　memory　of　those　days　is　still　preserved　among　the　country
folk；　and　we　can　explain　the　part　taken　by　the　customary　Courts；
in　direct　contradiction　to　the　law；　only　by　the　influence　on　them
of　tradition。　They　take　part　in　the　making　of　certain　contracts
in　which　husbands　and　wives　who　no　longer　wish　to　live　under　the
same　roof；　waive　questions　of　interest；　and　agree　to　interfere　no
more　with　each　other's　existence。　
　　　　The　part　which　the　community　is　called　on　to　play　in　the
contract　and　dissolution　of　marriage　is　strikingly　manifested　in
certain　peculiar　ceremonies　still　in　use　at　a　Little　Russian
wedding。　The　tokens　of　the　damsel's　virginity　are　exhibited　in
much　the　same　way　as　they　were　exhibited　unto　the　elders　of　a
Jewish　city；　as　is　described　in　the　twenty…second　chapter　of
Deuteronomy。　The　whole　company　then　begin　to　shout　loudly；
congratulating　the　mother　of　the　bride；　and　eulogising　the
maiden's　virtue。　In　case　the　newly　married　wife　is　no　longer　a
virgin；　and　her　husband　makes　no　statement　as　to　his　previous
cohabitation　with　her；　instead　of　praises　and　cheers；　the　most
violent　abuse　is　poured　on　the　parents　of　the　bride；　and　the　most
shameful　songs　are　sung。　They　often　go　on　to　insulting　acts；　such
as　the　following：　spirits　are　offered　in　derision　to　the　bride's
mother　in　a　glass　with　a　hole　in　the　bottom；　the　outside　walls　of
the　house　are　blackened　with　tar；　a　hole　is　made　in　the　stove　in
order　to　show　the　stain　which　the　hearth　has　suffered。　Sometimes；
also；　one　of　the　guests　climbs　up　to　the　top　of　the　house　and
begins　to　throw　water　down　on　all　sides　　a　symbol　of　the
liberality　with　which　the　new　wife　has　distributed　her　favours　to
all　those　who　asked　for　them。　Very　frequently；　also；　the　parents
of　the　bride　are　insulted　by　having　yokes　made　of　straw；
previously　besmeared　with　tar　and　dirt；　placed　by　force　on　their
necks。　
　　　　The　reciprocal　rights　and　duties　of　husband　and　wife
according　to　Russian　customary　law；　and　the　position　of　children
as　regards　their　parents；　are　the　next　topics　I　intend　to　discuss
in　the　present　lecture。　
　　　　The　husband　is　acknowledged　to　be　the　master　of　the　woman　he
has　married。　〃The　wife　is　in　the　power　of　her　husband；〃　so　runs
the　common　saying；　and　the　fact　of　her　complete　subjection　to　his
will　is　illustrated　by　certain　symbolical　acts　performed　at　the
time　of　the　wedding。　The　bridegroom；　while　he　is　leading　his
bride　to　her　future　home；　gives　her　from　time　to　time　light　blows
from　a　whip；　saying　at　each　stroke：　〃Forget　the　manners　of　thine
own　family；　and　learn　those　of　mine。〃　As　soon　as　they　have
entered　their　bedroom；　the　husband　says　to　his　wife；　〃Take　off　my
boots。〃　The　wife　immediately　obeys　her　husband's　orders；　and；
taking　them　off；　finds　in　one　of　them　a　whip；　symbol　of　his
authority　over　her　person。　This　authority　implies　the　right　of
the　husband　to　control　the　behaviour　of　his　wife；　and　to　correct
her　every　time　he　thinks　fit；　not　only　by　words；　but　also　by
blows。　The　opinion　which　a　Russian　writer　of　the　sixteenth
century；　the　pope　or　priest　Silvester　（the　author　of　The
Domostroy）；　expressed　as　to　the　propriety　of　personal
chastisement；　and　even　as　to　its　beneficial　effects　on　the
health；　is　still　shared　by　the　country　people。　In　more　than　one
popular　song　the　wife　is　represented　as　bitterly　complaining　of
the　indifference　of　a　husband　who　never　on　any　occasion　gives　her
a　good　beating。　〃I　thrash　those　I　love　best；〃　says　a　well…known
Russian　proverb。　The　customary　Court　seems　to　admit　the　use　of
such　disciplinary　proceedings　by　not　interfering　in　the　personal
relations　of　husband　and　wife。　〃Never　judge　the　quarrel　of
husband　and　wife；〃　is　a　common　saying；　scrupulously　observed　by
the　village　tribunals；　which　refuse　to　hear　any　complaint　on　the
part　of　the　aggrieved　woman；　at　least　so　long　as　the　punishment
has　not　been　of　such　a　nature　as　to　endanger　life　or　limb。　Where
that　is　the　case；　the　offender　may　be　condemned　to　imprisonment；
and　the　outraged　victim　allowed　to　retire　for　a　time　to　the　home
of　her　parents。　The　customary　law　has；　however；　taken　effectual
measures　for　the　protection　of　the　wife's　fortune。　That　husband
and　wife　should　each　have　entirely　distinct　property；　with　sole
control　over　it；　is　still　the　leading　principle　at　least　in　Great
Russia。　In　the　provinces　which；　like　those　of　Little　Russia；　have
been　for　centuries　subject　to　the　statute　of　Lithuania　and　the
municipal　law　of　Magdeburg；　the　system　of　a　partial　community　of
goods　has　prevailed。　According　to　the　customary　law　of　Kiev；
Poltava；　and　Chernigov；　a　widow　has　a　right　to　the　third　part　of
the　fortune　left　by　her　husband。　in　former　times　this　third　part
was　a　sort　of　pledge　for　the　security　of　the　dowry　of　the　wife。　
　　　　A　few　words　will　suffice　to　give　a　general　idea　of　the
dependence　in　which　the　children　are　placed　as　regards　their
parents；　and　more　especially　their　father。　The　patriarchal
character　of　the　Russian　family　plainly　appears　in　the　fact　that
no　amount　of　bad　treatment　on　the　part　of　the　parents　justifies
an　appeal　to　the　village　tribunal；　unless　it　involves　danger　to
life　or　limb。　In　such　cases；　the　nature　of　which　makes　it
difficult　to　establish　the　facts　before　a　Court　of　Law；　the
further　maintenance　of　the　child　is　generally　committed　to　some
near　relative。　
　　　　The　complete　dependence　of　the　children　upon　their　parents　in
respect　to　fortune　is　proved　by　the　fact　that　neither　son　nor
daughter　can　claim　any　portion　of　the　family　estate。　The　father
can；　as　he　pleases；　give　or　refuse　a　dowry　to　his　daughter。
Should　she　marry　against　his　wish　no　dowry　is　given；　and　she
enters　penniless　into　her　husband's　family。　It　equally　depends
upon　the　father's　pleasure　whether　he　shall　transfer　a　portion　of
his　property　to　a　grown…up　son；　or　maintain　it　intact　in　spite　of
his　son's　manifest　wishes。　An　act　of　insubordination　on　the　part
of　the　son；　as　for　instance；　his　marrying　without　permission；　may
become　the　occasion　for　his　complete　disinheritance　by　the
father；　at　least　so　far　as　the　father's　fortune　is　concerned。　I
make　this　exception；　inasmuch　as；　besides　his　share　in　the
father's　fortune；　the　son　may　be　enabled　to　inherit　from　his
mother's　estate；　or　may　possess　property'　the　gift　of　some
relative　Or　friend。　Such　property　must　be　scrupulously　guarded　by
the　father　whose　rights　over　it　are　only　those　of　the　natural
guardian　of　his　son's　fortune。　
　　　　Hitherto　we　have　spoken　of　the　Russian　family　as　of　a　kind　of
natural　society；　created　by　marriage　and　continued　by　the　birth
of　children；　but　side　by　side　with　this　form　of　family
organisation；　differing　only　in　detail　from　that　of　Western
Europe；　there　exists　in　Russia　a　peculiar　mode　of　family
communism。　In　various　parts　of　the　country　numerous　persons；
sometimes　amounting　to　fifty　and　rarely　to　less　than　ten；　are　to
be　found　united　in　a　common　household；　living　under　the　same　roof
and　taking　their　meals　at　the　same　table。　A　family　constituted
after　this　fashion　is　known　to　English　scholars　under　the　name　of
〃The　Joint　Family〃　or　〃House　Community。〃　Sir　Henry　Maine　has　made
the　notion　of　it　generally　familiar　through　his　marvellous
investigations　in　the　early　law　of　Ireland　and　the　modern　customs
of　Northern　India。　He　has　also　correctly　settled　the　question　of
its　origin　by　appealing　to　natural　increase　and　non…division　as
the　real　sources　of　its　growth。　He　has　even　made　an　attempt　to
show　that　it　was　not　limited　to　distinct　peoples　or　races；　but
that；　notwithstanding　the　immense　distance　which　separates　the
Eastern　or　Hindoo　branch　of　the　Aryan　race　from　the　European
branches；　notwithstanding；　also；　the　difference　in　the　historical
development　which　may　be　traced　between　its　Celtic　and　Slavonic
ramifications；　joint　households　are　as　likely　to　be　met　with　in
the　defiles　of　the　Himalayas　as　in　the　plains　of　o