182 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



practice of every nation while it remained in the 

 savage state. Without tenderness, without 

 delicacy, without refinement, the heart of the 

 savage does not look for pleasure in the beauty, 

 chastity, and modesty ; in the tenderness, deli- 

 cacy, and aifection ; or in the attachment, con- 

 versation, and refined manners of the female ; 

 but in the labours and menial services she is 

 able to perform. In this stage of society, mar- 

 riage is not a tender attachment, or a union of 

 refined and delicate afiections between the sex- 

 es ; but altogether an animal inclination, the 

 bare instinct of nature. Placing all excellency 

 in strength and courage, the male views the fe- 

 male as every way inferior to himself ; not fit- 

 ted for honourable employments, but destined 

 to inferior purposes and services. Of conse- 

 quence, the condition of women in the savage 

 state becomes degraded, mortifying, and sub- 

 ject to servitude. The savage assigns to his 

 wife the care of the children, the business of 

 labouring in the field, and all the services of 

 domestic care and difficulty. Among the In- 

 dians, this degradation of the female was carri- 

 ed to its greatest extreme. Every thing most 

 Valuable in food, dress, and ornament, was re- 

 served for the man : the most labcrious, fatigu- 

 ing, and disagreeable services, were assigned to 

 the women. Doomed to incessant toil and 

 slavery, the women perform their perpetual 

 tasks without pity, without compassion, without 

 praise,* and without the gratitude of their hus- 

 bands. To this degraded, unhappy state^ 

 w^re the womsa reduced among all the Indiau 

 tribes = 



