The Evolution of Morality. 247 



outgrowth of their position as property or chat 

 tels of the husband, the greatest laxity is often 

 allowed to young unmarried girls, or even forced 

 upon them. In West Africa there are public 

 halls where every maiden is exposed prior to 

 marriage, often for a period of several months. 

 And the instances mentioned by Herodotus and 

 Strabo show that among the Lydians, Assyrians, 

 and Babylonians a woman was not free to marry 

 till she had offered herself once in the temple 

 of Yenns. The Jews seem to have been ac 

 quainted with this custom, but rejected it (Deut. 

 xxiii. 18). A somewhat similar usage obtained 

 in the Balearic Islands, where the bride became 

 the exclusive wife of her husband only on the 

 day after the wedding. And among the Santals, 

 a hill tribe of India, marriage is now brought 

 about by turning all the young people promis 

 cuously together, and requiring them, after six 

 days license, to pair off as man and wife. Nor 

 must it be supposed that such revolting practices 

 are limited to marriage ceremonies. It would be 

 easy to enumerate examples of female licentious 

 ness continuing throughout the entire period of 

 unmarried life. But I think it will be enough 

 to mention what was narrated to me last summer 

 by a missionary who had spent several years at 



