CHAP. XI
Of our Marriage, or Groutacho
Since our God requires the Hearts of so many young Boys to be offered up in Sacrifice, therefore lest the whole Race of Mankind, should by degrees be extirpated, he has permitted the Men, at least those of the Laity, to keep more Wives than one: And so some of them have 3, 4, 5, 6, or more Wives, every one according to his Estate, whereby he is able to maintain a greater or lesser number; but if any one takes more Wives then his means will maintain, he is to be beheaded: And therefore to prevent this, before any one Marries a Wife, he is to be examin'd whether he has sufficient means to maintain her: Thus they may have many Wives, that they may beget many Children every Year; of whom some of the Sons are Sacrific'd, but the Daughters are all preserv'd for Matrimony, as will appear more fully hereafter.
In the mean time this is well worthy to he observ'd, that neither the Brother can Marry his Sister, nor the Brother's Son his own Brother's Daughter; all Marriage within these 2 degrees of Consanguinity (but not within the other degrees) being so absolutely forbidden, that the High Priest himself cannot dispense with it.
Whenever therefore a Man has a mind to take a Wife, whether he has one or more Wives before or no, he is first to agree with the Father and Mother for their good will, and then to get the consent of the Daughter. After this, before he is Married, he is to make known his design to the Sacrificator, who is to enquire whether he has sufficient means to maintain this Wife he intends to Marry; And if he has, then all the Friends and Relations are call'd together, and the Bridegroom and Bride come along with them to the Gate of the Temple, where they are met by a Priest, or the chief Sacrificator, who asks them, what they desire to have done; to which the Bridegroom and Bride answer, they desire to be joyn'd together in Matrimony, after which answer they are permitted to enter into the Temple. The reason why they are thus interrogated before their Admission is this, because no Man may enter into the Temple with any Woman but his Wife) except at the time when he is to be Married. Being thus introduced into the Temple in order to their Marriage, which is always to be Celebrated on a simple Festival-Day, viz. On the 2d Day of the Month, they are first to say their Prayers, and then to offer Sacrifice; after which the Husband promises to be faithful to his Wife, i.e. That he will know no other Woman besides those to whom he is joyn'd in Matrimony, that he will exercise no Tyranny over this Woman, nor do any thing to her contrary to the Law of Nature, of God, or of Man, &c. Likewise the Wife promises to be faithful to her Husband, that she will know no other Man besides him, that she will be obedient-to him in all things, &c. Then they are both to swear before their God, the Sun, Moon and Stars, that they will faithfully keep this Promise, and to imprecate the Divine Vengeance if they shall break this solemn Vow. Then Prayers are said for them, after which they return Home with all their Company; at which time it is Customary to make a great Feast for them, according to the Estate of the Bridegroom. These things concern the Ceremony of Marrying, but as to other things relating to a Married State, they shall be mention'd in their proper Places.