they gratify vanity at the expence of ease. Among the inland negroes, who are more polished than those on the fea-coast, the women, befide domeftic concerns, fow, plant, and reap. A man however fuffers in the esteem of his neighbours, if he permit his wives to toil like flaves, while he is indulging in ease.

From that aufpicious commencement, the female fex have rifen in a flow but fteady progrefs, to higher and higher degrees of estimation. Converfation is their talent, and a display of delicate fentiments: the gentleness of their manners and winning behaviour, captivate every fenfible heart. Of fuch refinements, favages have little conception: but when the more delicate fenfes are unfolded, the peculiar beauties of the female fex, internal as well as external, are brought into full light; and women, formerly confidered as objects of animal love merely, are now valued as faithful friends and agreeable companions. Matrimony affumes a more decent form, being the union, not of a mafter and flave, but of two perfons equal in rank uniting to form a family. And it contributed greatly to this delicious reVOL. II. F finement,

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finement, that in temperate climes animal love is moderate, and women long retain good looks, and power of procreation. Thus marriage became honourable among polifhed nations: which banifhed the barbarous custom of purchafing wives; for a man who wishes to have his daughter advantageously matched, will gladly give a dowry with her.

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Polygamy is intimately connected with the custom of purchafing wives. There is no limitation in purchafing flaves: nor has a woman purchased as a wife or a flave, any juft caufe for complaining that others are purchafed as fhe was on the contrary, addition of hands for performing the fervile offices of the family, is fome relief to her. Polygamy accordingly has always been permitted, where men pay for their wives. The Jews purchafed their wives, and were indulged in polygamy (a). Diodorus Siculus fays, that folygamy was permitted in Egypt, except to priefts (b). This probably was the cale originally; but when the Egyptian manners came to be polifhed, a man gave a dowry with his daughter, inftead of recei(a) Leviticus, xviii. 18.

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(b) Lib. I.

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ving a price for her; witnefs Solomon, who got the city of Gazer in dowry with the King of Egypt's daughter. When that cuftom became univerfal, we may be certain that it put an end to polygamy. And accordingly Herodotus affirms, that polygamy was prohibited in Egypt (a). Polygamy undoubtedly prevailed in Greece and Rome, while it was cuftomary to purchafe wives; but improved manners put an end to the latter, and confequently to the former. Polygamy to this day obtains in the cold country of Kamskatka and in the still colder country round Hudfon's bay. In the land of Jeffo, near Japan, a man may have two wives, who perform every fort of domeftic drudgery. The negroes in general purchase their wives, and indulge in polygamy: and this is alfo law in Monomotapa. Polygamy and the purchafing wives were customary among the original inhabitants of the Canary islands, and among the people of Chili.

The low condition of women among barbarians introduced the purchafing them for wives, and confequently polygamy.

(a) Lib. 2. § 92.

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The just respect paid to them among civi

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lized nations, restored the law of nature, and confined a man to one wife. Their equality as to rank and dignity, bars the man from taking another wife, as it bars the woman from taking another husband. We find traces in ancient history of polygamy wearing earing out gradually. It wore out in Greece, as manners refined; but fuch was the influence of long habit, that tho' a man was confined to one wife, he was indulged in concubines without limitation. In Germany, when Tacitus wrote, very few traces remained of polygamy.

Severa illic matrimonia, nec ullam morum partem magis laudaveris: nam prope foli barbarorum fingulis uxoribus contenti funt, exceptis admodum pauહૃદ cis, qui non libidine, fed ob nobilitatem, plurimis nuptiis ambiuntur *" As polygamy, was in that country little

*Marriage is there rigidly refpected; nor is there any part of their morality more laudable: for they are almoft the only race of barbarians "who are contented with a fingle wife; a very few "excepted, who, not from incontinency, but from an ambition of nobility, take more wives than {{ one."

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practifed,

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practised, we may be certain the purchafing wives did not remain in vigour. And Tacitus accordingly, mentioning the general rule" dotem non uxor marito, fed “uxori maritus offert *" explains itway by obferving, that the only dos given by the bridegroom were marriage-prefents, and that he at the fame time received marriage-prefents on the bride's part (a). The equality of the matrimonial engaged engagement for the mutual benefit of husband and wife, was well understood among the Gauls. Cæfar (b) fays, Viri quantas

pecunias ab uxoribus dotis nomine ac"ceperunt, tantas ex fuis bonis, æftima"tione facta, cum dotibus communicant, "Hujus omnis pecuniæ conjunctim ratio "habetur, fructufque fervantur. Uter

corum vita fuperarit, ad eum pars utri"ufque cum fructibus fuperiorum tem"porum pervenit t." In Japan, and in Nicaragua,

1

"The husband gives a dowry to the wife, but "the wife brings none to the husband."

"Whatever fum the husband has received as "his wife's portion, he joins as much of his own

(a) De moribus Germanorum, cap. 18.

(b) Lib. 6. cap. 19. De bello Gallico.

" effects.