123

count that there are various customs /;>/.: -erzr:: to
matrimony, for the children of the nobles are Carried
with the consent of the king. Generally, marria^s
are performed with the consent of the parents or friends,
The Dutch writer says that marriages are performed
without religious ceremonies, but there are always
music and festivities. Among the low class people in
Siam5 the bridegroom buys the bride from her parents
or friends by offering a certain sum of money. It is
followed by the marriage ceremonies and the feast to
the relatives. The parties can dissolve their marriage
bond with mutual consent without going to the law-
courts.1

EDUCATION

When the Siamese boys attain the age of five or six
they are sent to the pagodas, where under the prieststhey
learn to read and write. As long as they live in the pago-
das, they are not allowed to come back borne. The
Siamese boys, while in the monasteries, help the prie-
sts during their services. When the Siamese boys learn
to read and write fairly, they take up some profession.
The bright boys, however, remain for a longer period,
and some of them put off the yellow robes to take up
government posts, others remain in the monasteries to
become chief of the temples. The girls only learn
sewing, spinning etc, but not to read and write.1 But
now a days, there is a rapid spread of education in Siam,

Bangkok even boasts of a University associated with
the sacred name of the king Chulalongkorn.

1. J. S.S. VII, I, pp. 8586.
2. Ibid pp. 87-88