THE SUPPLIANT MAIDEN

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1928, Page 1

THE SUPPLIANT MAIDEN

Why it should he called “ leap ” year nobody really knows for certain. Equally vague, too, is the origin of the timehonoured custom whereby, in these years, a woman may, without any loss of self-respect, propose marriage to a man. The astounding thing is that the custom is actually said to have been legalised at certain times and in eortvin countries, with pains and penalties prescribed for any man who might he so obdurate and obstinate as to refuse such a proposal. For instance, the following law is said to have been enacted in Scotland in 12S8 : - It is stunt and ordaint that, during the rein of maist Idissit Megeste, for ilk veare knowne as Jepe yeare, ilk niayden ladvo ot hothe liighc and loWc estait shall line lihetertie to bespoke ye man she likes, albeit he refuses to taik hic to he his lawful wyl’e. lie shall lie mulcted in ye sum ot une pundis or less, as his estait may bo ; except and awis gif lie can make it appeare that lie is betrotliit ane ither woman he then shall he free.” A few years later a similar law was passed in France and received the approval of the King. It is also said that before I olumbus sailed on his famous voyage a similar privilege was granted to the maidens of Genoa and Florence. There is no record of any fines imposed under the Scots law nor any trace of statistics of the number of spinsters who took advantage ol it or of the French enactment. .According to a queer little hook entitled “.Love, Courtship, and Matri-j mony.” published in London in 1606.1 the privilege thus accorded to the fair | sex was part of the “ unwritten law ” j of those days : “ Albeit it nowe become J a part of common lawe in regard to social relations of life, that as often as every leap yeare dotn return, the la dyes have the sole privilege during tne time it continueth of making love, either by wordes or lookes. as to them it seemeth proper; and moreover no man will he entitled to benefit of clergy who doth in any wise treat her proposal with slight or contumely." What about leap-year birthdays? Oddly enough, some eighteen years ago this question gave rise to quite a serious legal quibble. Blaekstone was consulted, and various other authorities but without any very satisfactory results. And then among the statutes of Henry 111. there was discovered an enactment. dated at Westminster in the year 1236, which made it clear that, legally, February 28 and 29 are one and the same. day. So that the lbgAl birthday of anybody horn on tlie 29th of February occurs on three years out of every four on February 2>.