Polygamy has an effect ftill more pernicious, with refpect to children even of the moft opulent families. Unlefs affection be reciprocal and equal, there can be no proper fociety in the matrimonial state, no cordiality, nor due care of offspring. But such affection is inconfiftent with polygamy: a woman in that ftate, far from being a companion to her husband, is degraded to the rank of a fervant, a mere instrument 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 least be difheartened, and turn negligent of them. At the fame time, fondnefs 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.

It merits peculiar attention, that Providence has provided for an agreeable union, among all creatures who are taught by

(a) L'efprit des loix, liv. 16. chap. 6.

nature

nature to pair. Animal love among creatures who pair not, is confined within a narrow space of time: while the dam is occupied about her young, animal love lies dormant, that she may not be abstracted from her duty. In pairing animals, 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 cheers her with a fong *. There is fill 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 hufband, wife, lover, friend, the tendereft affections of human nature. Public government is in perfection, when the fovereign commands with humanity,

* A male canary bird, finging to his mate on her neft in a breeding cage, fell down dead. The female alarmed left her nest and pecked at him: finding him immoveable, fhe refused nourishment and died at his fide. (a) Buffon, liv. 5. p. 359. octavo edition.

and

and the fubjects are cordial in their obedience. Private government in conjugal fociety arrives at fill greater perfection, where hufband and wife govern and are governed reciprocally, with entire fatisfaction to both. The man bears rule over his wife's perfon and conduct; the bears rule over his inclinations: he governs by law: fhe by perfuafion. Nor can her authority ever fail, where it is fupported by fweetness of temper, and zeal to make him happy *.

The

ordres font des

Elle doit regner

L'empire de la femme eft un empire de douceur, d'addreffe, et de complaifance; fes careffes, fes menaces font des pleurs. dans la maifon comme un miniftre dans l'etat, en fe faifant commander ce qu'elle veut faire. En ce fens il eft conftant que les meilleurs ménages font ceux où la fenime 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 dishonneur; Rouffeau Emile, liv. 5. p. 96-[In English thus: "The empire "of the woman is an empire of foftnefs, of addrefs, "of complacency; her commands are careffes, her "menaces are tears. She ought to reign in the family "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 beft domeftic oeconomy is that "where the wife has most authority. But when she is "infenfible to the voice of her chief, when she tries "to ufurp his prerogative, and to command alone,

"what

The God of nature has enforced conjugal fociety, not only by making it agreeable, but by the principle of chastity inherent in our nature. To animals that have no inftinct for pairing, chastity is utterly unknown; and to them it would be ufelefs. The mare, the cow, the ewe, the fhe-goat, receive the male without cereand admit the firft that comes in mony, the way without diftinction. Neither have tame fowl any notion of chastity: they pair not; and the female gets no food from the male, even during incubation. But chastity and mutual fidelity are effen

"what can refult from fuch disorder, but mifery, fcan

dal, and difhonour?"]-The Emprefs Livia being queftioned by a married lady, how fhe had obtained fuch afcendent over her husband Auguftus, answered, "By being obedient to his commands, by not wishing "to know his fecrets, and by hiding my knowledge "of his amours." The late Queen of Spain was a woman of fingular prudence, and of folid judgement. A character of her, publifhed after her death, contains the following paffage: " She had a great afcendency over the King, founded on his perfuafion of "her fuperior fenfe, which she showed in a perfect "fubmiffion to his commands; the more eafily obeyed, "as they were commonly, though to him impercepti

bly, dictated by herfelf. She cured him of many "foibles, and, in a word, was his Minerva, under the appearance of Mentor."

tial to all pairing animals; for wandering inclinations would render them negligent in nurfing their young. While birds pair; and they are by instinct faithful to each other, while their young require nurture. Chastity is effential to the human race; enforced by the principle of chastity, a branch of the moral sense. Chastity is essential even to the continuation of the human race. As the carnal appetite is always alive, the fexes would wallow in pleasure, and be foon rendered unfit for procreation, were it not for the restraint of chastity.

Nor is chastity confined to the matrimonial state. Matrimony is inftituted by nature for continuing the fpecies; and it is the duty of man to abstain from animal enjoyment, except in that state. The ceremonies of marriage and the causes of feparation and divorce, are fubjected to municipal law: but, if a man beget children, it is his duty to unite with the mother in taking care of them; and fuch union is matrimony according to the law of nature. Hence it is, that the first acts of incontinence, where enjoyment only is in view, are always attended with fhame, and with

a