"886 
for, from what I know, it is easier 
to live with two gisates than two 
wives. 
¢¢ The third cause is the power of 
divorce being in the-hands of the 
husband. This is ordained by law, 
but not practised ; for tf a great of- 
fence be the motive to divorce a 
wife, and if it be proved against her, 
she receives panishment by the or- 
der of the magistrate, or from the 
husband, with the corcurrence of 
all her relations ; and if the offence 
be of a trivial nature, such as a dif- 
ference of temper, and insociability, 
the husband punishes her by leaving 
the female apartment, and living in 
his own. But the reason for divorce, 
being at the will of the husband, 
lies in the very justice of the law, 
‘and the distinétion of the male sex 
over the female, on account of the 
greater share they take in the ma- 
nagement of the world; for all the la- 
borious work falls to their lot, such 
‘as carrying heavy burdens, going to 
war, repulsing enemies, &c. and the 
women generally spend their lives in 
repose and quiet. Nevertheless, if 
a wife establish a criminal offence 
against her husband, such as an un- 
fair distribution of his time among 
them, or a diminution of the neces- 
saries of life, she can obtain a di- 
yorce, in spite of him. 
- © The fourth is the little credit 
the law attaches to the evidence of 
‘women in Asia ; for, in a court of 
justice, every faét is proved by the 
testimony ‘of two men—but if wo- 
men be the witnesses, four are re- 
quired. This does: not arise from 
the superiority ot the one over the 
other, but it is founded on the little 
experience and knowledge women 
‘possess, and the fickleness of their 
‘disposition. 
“ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
‘“¢ The fifth is, the Asiatic women 
having to leave off going to balls and 
entertainments, and wearing shewy 
dresses,and ornaments, after the 
death of their husbands. This is 
owing to the great aflection for their 
husband’s memory, and their own 
modés and habits ; for there is no- 
thing ‘to prevent a woman from do- 
ing otherwise, or inarrying a second 
husband, but the dread of exposing 
herself to the ricicule and censure of 
women ol her own rank., 
‘* The sixth is, the Asiatic daugh- 
ters not having the liberty of choos- 
ing their husbands. On this head 
nothing need be said ; for in Kurepe 
this liberty is merely nominal, 
since, without the will of the father 
and mother, the daughter’s choice is 
of no avail; and, in its ‘effects, it 
serves only to encourage running 
away, (as the male and female slaves: 
in India do) and to breed coldness 
and trouble among the members of 
a family. But, granting that such 
a liberty does exist in England, the 
despair and misery it must always 
entail are very evident. ‘The choice 
of agirl just come from the nursery, 
and desirous, by nature, to get a 
husband, in an aflair upon which 
the happiness of her whole life de- 
pends, can neither deserve that re- 
spect nor consideration which is due 
to the choice of her parents, who 
have profited by experience, and 
are not blinded by passion. 
*¢ But what the Asiatic women 
have more than the European, both 
by law and custom, may be ranked 
under eight heads:—Virst, their 
power over the property and chil- 
dren of the husband, by custom ; 
for the men of Asia consider the 
principal object of marriage, after 
the ipheorgatian: of their owm species 
tor 
