266 AN- EARLY DUTCH ACCOUNT OF INDIA
I give thee over." But when the father giveth over his
daughter's hand to the bridegroom, then is there on
her hand a little cord, whereon is fastened the golden
head of an idol, the which they call a tali. This tali
is shown to the bystanders, and after some prayers and
felicitations, the bridegroom taketh this tali and bindeth
it about the neck of his bride; and whenas this knot
is tied, so are the bonds of marriage firm; but so long
as this tali is not bound by the bridegroom about the
bride's neck, the marriage may be broken off without
shame, even though all the things aforesaid have been
done. It also happeth among them that whensoever
the bridegroom is come to bind the tali on the bride,
but doth not give the father enough for a wedding por-
tion, one of them that stand by, envying him the quarry,
doth give more and winneth the bride, and the father
letteth him succeed, for that he gaineth more gold
thereby. The heathen governor at Paliacatta, hight
Sinanna, said that this was the custom mostly among
the Bramines; but methinks they would deny it for
shame, albeit it may well hap, though not so much from
greed as from poverty, since for the most part the
Bramines have no abundant wealth.
Since the tali aforesaid, bound about the neck of the
bride, maketh the marriage tie, therefore, when the hus-
band dieth, it is burnt with him for a token that the
bonds of marriage are broken; but if the wife be burnt
with her husband, then is the tali burnt with her.
The matters which we have related thus far are
performed in the house of the bride; but since the
