"The Greek Dances are extremely pleasant, and full of Mirth. [...] The fittest time to take the pleasure of viewing their way of Dancing, is when they are met at a Wedding; for on such Occasions they give themselves up to Joy and Pleasure, drinking, eating, and sporting, and indulging themselves in all manner of Diversions. The next Morning the young Woman's Relations make a Visit to the new-marry'd Couple, and examine the Bridegroom concerning his Wife's Virginity: Then they take the Bride's Bloody Smock, and expose it to the View of all the Company, as if it were some rare Curiosity. The Jews observe the same Custom at the Marriage of a Maid, and are even nicer and more scrupulous in this Point than the Greeks; for if the Bride's Honesty be not confirm'd by the Blood that appears on her Smock, her Reputation is irrecoverably lost, and she is immediately divorc'd from her Husband. They unanimously agree in believing that this is an infallible Mark of Virginity: And this Opinion is so generally receiv'd thro' all Asia and Africa, that if a Man shou'd endeavour to contradict it, he wou'd expose himself to the Laughter and Derision of all that shou'd hear him. The Italians are also persuaded of the Certainty of this Experiment, tho' they abstain from making a Shew of the Bloody Smock, for fear of exposing their own Shame; but the Husband examines his Bride very narrowly, and if he finds her not such as he expects and desires, 'tis in vain for her to endeavour by the most solemn Protestations to convince him of her Innocency. Nevertheless this way of trying the Chastity of a Maid is esteem'd uncertain and ridiculous by the French, and even by Chirurgeons; nor can I reflect without a certain Wonder and Astonishment on this Diversity of Opinions concerning a Question that one wou'd think might have been fully decided by so many repeated Experiments; for I see no reason to believe that our Country-Women are fram'd after another manner than the rest of their Sex."