"the burden of our children; and, tho' "tired with a long march, are not per"mitted to fleep, but muft labour the "whole night, in grinding maize to make "chica for them. They get drunk, and " in their drunkennefs beat us, draw us

by the hair of the head, and tread us "under foot. And what have we to "comfort us for flavery that has no end? "A young wife is brought in upon us, "who is permitted to abufe us and our children, becaufe we are no longer re"garded. Can human nature endure fuch. tyranny! What kindnefs can we fhow to our female children equal to that of. relieving them from fuch oppreffion, CC more bitter a thousand times than death? "I fay again, would to God that my mo"ther had put me under ground the mo

ment I was born." One would readily imagine, that the women of that country fhould have the greatest abhorrence at matrimony: but all-prevailing nature determines the contrary; and the appetite for matrimony overbalances every rational confideration.

Nations polish by degrees; and, from the lowest ftate to which a human crea

ture

ture can be reduced, women were reftored to their native dignity. Attention to drefs is the firft fymptom of the progrefs. Male favages, even of the groffeft kind, are fond of drefs. Charlevoix mentions a young American hired as a rower, who adjufted his dress with care before he entered the boat; and at intervals infpected his looking-glafs, to fee whether violence of motion had not difcompofed the red upon his checks. We read not of paffion for dress in females of such savage nations: they are too much difpirited to think of being agreeable. Among nations in any degree humanized, a different fcene opens. In the ifthmus of Darien government has made fome progrefs, and a chieftain is elected for life: a glimmering of civility appears among the inhabitants; and as fome regard is paid to women, they rival the men in drefs. Both fexes wear rings in their ears and nofes; and are adorned with many rows of fhells hanging from the neck. A female in a fultry climate fubmits to fry all day long, under a load of twenty or thirty pounds of fhells; and a male under double that load. Well may they exclaim with Alexander, "Oh Athe"nians!

"nians! what do I not endure to gain

your approbation!" The female Caribbeans and Brafilians, are no lefs fond of ornament than the males. Hottentot ladies ftrive to outdo each other in adorning their croffes, and the bag that holds their pipe and tobacco: European ladies are not more vain of their filks and embroideries. Women in Lapland are much addicted to finery. They wear broad girdles, upon which hang chains and rings without end, commonly made of tin, fometimes of filver, weighing perhaps twenty pounds. The Greenlanders are nafty and flovenly, eat with their dogs, make food of the vermin that make food of them, feldom or never wash themselves; and yet the women, who make fome figure among the men, are gaudy in their drefs. Their chief ornaments are pendants at their ears, with glafs beads of various colours; and they draw lines with a needle and black thread between their eyes, crofs the forehead, upon the chin, hands, and legs. The negroes of the kingdom of Ardrah in Guinea have made a confiderable progrefs in police, and in the art of living. Their women carry drefs and finery to an extravaA gance.

gance. They are cloathed with loads of the finest fatins and chintzes, and are adorned with a profufion of gold. In a fultry climate, they gratify vanity at- the expence of cafe. Among the inland negrocs, who are more polished than thofe on the fea-coaft, the women, befide demeftic 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 eftimation. Converfation is their talent, and a difplay of delicate fentiments: the gentleness of their manners and win-ning 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 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 master and slave, VOL. II.

F

but

but of two perfons equal in rank uniting to form a family. And it contributed greatly to this delicious refinement, that in temperate climes animal love is moderate, and women long retain good looks, and power of procreation. Thus marriage became honourable among polished nations: which banished the barbarous cuftom of purchasing wives; for a man who wishes to have his daughter advantageously matched, will gladly give a dowry with her.

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 purchased 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 purchased their wives, and were indulged in polygamy (a). Diodorus Siculus fays, that polygamy was permitted in Egypt, except to priests (b). This probably was the cafe originally;

(a) Leviticus, xviii. 18.

(b) Lib. I.

but