where polygamy is indulged, their ambition and intrigues give lefs difturbance to the government, than in the courts of European princes. The ladies of Hindoftan cover their heads with a gauze veil, even at home, which they lay not afide except in company of their nearest relations. A Hindoo buys his wife; and the first time he is permitted to fee her without a veil is after marriage, in his own house. In feveral hot countries, women are put under the guard of eunuchs, as an additional fecurity; and black eunuchs are commonly preferred for their uglinefs. But, as a woman, deprived of the fociety of men, is apt to be inflamed even with the appearance of a man, fome jealous nations, refining upon that circumftance, employ old maids, termed duennas, for guarding their women. In the city of Moka, in Arabia Felix, women of fashion never appear on the streets in day-light; but it is a proof of manners refined above those in neighbouring countries, that they are permitted to visit one another in the evening. If they find men in their way, they draw afide to let them país. A French furgeon being called by one of the King of Yeman's

man's chief officers, to cure a rheumatism which had feized two of his wives, was permitted to handle the parts affected; but he could not get a fight of their faces.

I proceed to examine more minutely the manners of women, as refulting from the degree of restraint they are under in dif ferent countries. In the warm regions of Afia, where polygamy is indulged, the education of young women is extremely loofe, being intended folely for animal pleasure. They are accomplished in fuch graces and allurements as tend to inflame the fenfual appetite: they are taught vocal and inftrumental mufic, with various dances that cannot ftand the test of decency but no culture is bestowed on the mind, no moral inftruction, no improvement of the rational faculties; because fuch education, which qualifies them for being virtuous companions to men of sense, would infpire them with abhorrence at the being made proftitutes. In a word, fo corrupted are they by vicious education, as to be unfit objects of any defire but what is merely sensual. Afiatic wives are not trufted even with the management of household affairs, which would afford

oppor

opportunities for infidelity. In Perfia, fays Chardin, the ladies are not permitted, more than children, to choose a gown for themselves: no lady knows in the morning what she is to wear that day. The education of young women in Hindoftan. is lefs indecent. They are not taught mufic nor dancing, which are reckoned fit only for ladies of pleasure: they are taught all the graces of external behaviour, particularly to converfe with fpirit and elegance they are taught also to few, to embroider, and to drefs with tafte. Writing is neglected; but they are taught to read, that they may have the confolation of studying the Alcoran; which they never open, nor could understand if they did. Notwithstanding fuch care in educating Hindoftan females, their confinement in a feraglio renders their manners extremely loose the most refined luxury of fenfe, with idleness, or with reading love-tales ftill worfe than idleness, cannot fail to vitiate the minds of perfons deprived of liberty, and to prepare them for every fort of intemperance. The wives and concubines of grandees in Conftantinople are permitted fometimes to walk

abroad

abroad for air and exercife. A foreigner ftumbling accidentally on a knot of them, about forty in number, attended with black eunuchs, was in the twinkling of an eye feized by a brifk girl, with the reft at her heels: fhe accofted him with loofe amorous expreffions, attempting at the fame time to expofe his nakedness. Neither threats nor intreaties availed him against fuch vigorous affailants; nor could the vehemence of their curiofity be moderated, by reprefenting the fhame of a behaviour fo grofsly immodeft. An old Janizary, ftanding at a little distance, was amazed; his Mahometan bashfulness would not fuffer him to lay hands upon women; but, with a Stentorian voice, he roared to the black eunuchs, that they were guardians of prostitutes, not of modeft women; urging them to free the man from fuch harpies -All in vain (a).

Very different are female manners in temperate climes, where polygamy is prohibited, and women are treated as rational beings. These manners, however, depend

(a) Obfervations on the religion, laws, &c. of the

Turks.

VOL. II.

L

in

in fome measure on the nature of the government. As many hands are at once employed in the different branches of republican government, and a still greater number by rotation; the males, who have little time to fpare from public bufinefs, feel nothing of that languor and weariness which to the idle make the most frivolous amufements welcome. Married women live retired at home, managing family-affairs, as their hufbands do those of the ftate whence it is, that fimplicity of manners is more the tone of a republic, than of any other government. Such were the manners of the female fex during the flourishing periods of the Greek and Roman commonwealths; and fuch are their manners in Switzerland and in Holland.

There will be occafion afterward, to difplay an important revolution in manners, refulting from chivalry (a), One branch of it must be handled at present, that which concerns the intercourfe between the fexes. The Crufades were what first gave a turn to the fierce manners of our ancestors. The combatants, fighting more for glory than for revenge or intereft, be(a) Book z. Sketch 6.

came