92 THE DESCENT OF MAN. [Part I. 



justly valued. The American savage voluntarily submits 

 without a groan to the most horrid tortures to prove and 

 strengthen his fortitude and courage ; and we cannot help 

 admiring him, or even an Indian Fakir, who, from a fool- 

 ish religious motive, swings suspended by a hook buried 

 in his flesh. 



The other self-regarding virtues, which do not obvious- 

 ly, though they may really, affect the welfare of the tribe, 

 have never been esteemed by savages, though now highly 

 appreciated by civilized nations. The greatest intemper- 

 ance with savages is no reproach. Their utter licentious- 

 ness, not to mention unnatural crimes, is something as- 

 tounding. 27 As soon, however, as marriage, whether po- 

 lygamous or monogamous, becomes common, jealousy will 

 lead to the inculcation of female virtue ; and this being 

 honored, will tend to spread to the unmarried females. 

 How slowly it spreads to the male sex we see at the pres- 

 ent day. Chastity eminently requires self-command, there- 

 fore it has been honored from a very early period in the 

 moral history of civilized man. As a consequence of this, 

 the senseless practice of celibacy has been ranked from a 

 remote period as a virtue. 28 The hatred of indecency, 

 which appears to us so natural as to be thought innate, 

 and which is so valuable an aid to chastity, is a modern 

 virtue, appertaining exclusively, as Sir G. Staunton re- 

 marks, 29 to civilized life. This is shown by the ancient 

 religious rites of various nations, by the drawings on the 

 walls of Pompeii, and by the practices of many savages. 



We have now seen that actions are regarded by sav- 

 ages, and were probably so regarded by primeval man, as 

 good or bad, solely as they affect in an obvious manner 



27 Mr. M'Lennan has given (' Primitive Marriage,' 1865, p. 1YG) a good 

 collection of facts on this head. 



28 Lecky, 'History of European Morals,' vol. i. 1869, p. 109. 

 99 ' Embassy to China,' vol. ii. p. 348. 



