Nullius in verba and cited elsewhere. Nullius in verba The Royal Society website explains the motto thus: It is an expression of the determination of Fellows to withstand the domination of authority and to verify all statements by an appeal to facts determined by experiment. The phrase came from Horace's "Epistle" to his benefactor Maecenas, where he claims not to be devoted to any particular sect but is rather an eclectic by nature. These are the words, forming two hexameters in the original context: The minor planet known as 11059 Nulliusinverba in the asteroid belt is named after the expression. The phrase is
Marriage in England and Wales horseback. The presence of a credible witness or witnesses was usual. For much of the relevant period church courts dealt with marital matters. Ecclesiastical law recognised two forms of handfasting, "sponsalia per verba de praesenti" ("espousal by word given at the present time") and "sponsalia per verba de futuro" ("espousal by word at a future time"). In the former — the most common form — the couple declared they there and then accepted each other as man and wife; the latter form was a betrothal, as the couple took hands only to declare their intention to marry each other at