406 HISTORY OF 



shaped differently from others. His legs are of 

 an equal thickness above and below ; his knees 

 weak 5 his shoulders narrow ; and his beard thin 

 and downy. In this manner his person is render* 

 ed more deformed ; but his desires, as I am told, 

 still continue the same ; and actually, in Asia, 

 some of them are found to have their seraglios 

 as well as their masters. Even in our country 

 we have an instance of a very fine woman's being 

 married to one of them, whose appearance was 

 the most unpromising ; and what is more extra^ 

 ordinary still, I am told that this couple con- 

 tinue perfectly happy in each other's society. 



The mere necessities of life seem the only aim 

 of the savage ; the sensual pleasures are the only 

 study of the semi-barbarian ; but the refinement 

 of sensuality, by reason, is the boast of real 

 politeness. Among the merely barbarous nations, 

 such as the natives of Madagascar, or the inha- 

 bitants of Congo, nothing is desired so ardently 

 as to prostitute their wives or daughters to 

 strangers, for the most trifling advantages ; they 

 will account it a dishonour not to be among the 

 foremost who are thus received into favour : on 

 the other hand, the Mahometan keeps his wife 

 faithful, by confining her person j and would in- 

 stantly put her to death if he but suspected her 

 chastity. With the politer inhabitants of Europe 

 both these barbarous extremes are avoided ; the 

 woman's person is left free, and no constraint is 

 imposed but upon her affections. The passion of 

 love, which may be considered as the nice con- 

 duct of ruder desire, is only known and prac- 



