infringement of that law. My reafons follow.

I urge, in the firft place, the equal number of males and females, as a clear indication that Providence intends every man to be confined to one wife, and every woman to one husband. That equality, which has fubfifted in all countries and at all times, is a fignal inftance of over-ruling Providence; for the chances against it are infinite. All men are by nature equal in rank: no man is privileged above another to have a wife; and therefore polygamy is contradictory to the plan of Providence. Were ten women born for one man, as is erroneously reported to be the cafe in Bantam, polygamy might be the intention of Providence; but from the equality of males and females, it is clearly the voice of nature, as well as of the facred fcripture, "That a man fhall leave "his father and mother, and cleave to his "wife; and they fhall be one flesh.”

Confider, in the next place, that however plaufible polygamy may appear in the prefent ftate of things, where inequality of rank and of fortune have produced luxury and fenfuality; yet that the laws of

I

nature

nature were not contrived by our Maker for a forc'd ftate, where numberless individuals are degraded below their natural rank, for the benefit of a few who are elevated above it. To form a juft notion of polygamy, we must look back to the original state of man, where all are equal. In that state, every man cannot have two wives; and confequently no man is intitled to more than one, till every other be upon an equal footing with him. At the fame time, the union of one man with one woman is much better calculated for continuing the race, than the union of one man with many women. Think of a favage who may have fifty or fixty children by different wives, all depending for food upon his industry chance muft turn out much in his favour, if the half of them perish not by hunger. How much a better chance for life have infants who are diftributed more equally in different families?

Polygamy has an effect still more pernicious, with respect to children even of the moft opulent families. Unless affection be reciprocal and equal, there can be no proper fociety in the matrimonial state, no cordiality, nor due care of offspring. VOL. II. C

But

18

MEN independent of Society.

B. I.

But fuch affection is inconfiftent with polygamy: a woman in that state, far from being a companion to her husband, is degraded to the rank of a fervant, a mere intrument of pleasure and propagation. Among many wives there will always be a favourite the reft turn peevish; and if they refent not the injury against their husband, and against their children as belonging to him, they will at leaft be difheartened, and turn negligent of them. At the fame time, fondness for the favourite wife and her children, makes the hufband indifferent about the reft; and woful is the condition of children who are neglected by both parents (a). To produce fuch an effect, is certainly not the purpose of nature.

に

2

int merits peculiar attention, that Providence has provided for an agreeable union, ainong all creatures who are taught by nature to pair. Animal love among creatures who pair not, is confined within a

narrow fpace of time: while the dam is occupied about her young, animal love lies dormant, that the may not be abstracted from her duty. In pairing animals, (a) L'efprit des loix, liv. 16. chap. 6.

on

on the contrary, animal love is always awake: frequent enjoyment endears a' pair to each other, and makes conftancy a pleafure. Such is the cafe of the human race; and fuch is the cafe of wild birds (a). Among the wild birds that build on trees, the male, after feeding his mate in the neft, plants himself upon the next spray, and chears her with a fong *. There is ftill greater enjoyment provided for the human race in the matrimonial state, and ftronger incitements to conftancy. Sweet is the fociety of a pair fitted for each other, in whom are collected the affections of husband, wife, lover, friend, the tendereft affections of human nature. Public government is in perfection, when the fovereign commands with humanity, and the subjects are cordial in their obedience. Private government in conjugal fociety arrives at ftill greater perfection, where husband and wife govern and are

A male canary bird, finging to his mate on her neft in a breeding cage, fell down dead. The female alarmed left her neft and pecked at him: finding him immoveable, the refufed nourishment and died at his fide.

(a) Buffon, liv. 5. p. 359. octavo edition.

36

governed reciprocally, with entire fatiffaction to both. The man bears rule over his wife's perfon and conduct; fhe bears rule over his inclinations: he governs by law; the by perfuafion. Nor can her authority ever fail, where it is fupported by fweetness of temper, and zeal to make him happy

011 291

The

L'empire de la femme eft un empire de douceur, d'addreffe, et de complaifance; fes ordres font des careffes, fes menaces font des pleurs. Elle doit dans la maifon comme un ministre dans regner Petat, en fe faifant commander ce qu'elle veut faire.. En ce fens il efti conftant que les meilleurs ménages font ceux où la femme a le plus d'autorité. Mais quand elle meconnoit la voix du chef, qu'elle veut ufurper fes droits et commander elle-même; il ne refulte jamais de ce defordre, que mifere, fcandale, et defhonneur. Rouffeau Emile, liv. 5, p. 96. — [In Englifh thus: "The empire of the woman is an empire of foftnefs, of addrefs, of complacenher commands are careffes, her menaces are tears. She ought to reign in the fami"ly like a minifter in the ftate, by making that which is her inclination be enjoined to her as "her duty. Thus it is evident, that the best do

cy s

meftic economy is that where the wife has most "authority. But when he is infenfible to the "voice of her chief, when the tries to ufurp his "prerogative, and to command alone, what can' "refult from fuch diforder, but mifery, fcandal,

and difhonour?" The Emprefs Livia being

questioned