THE GAME FOWL. 225 



A constantly pacific male is despicable in their eyes. " Eh ! 

 si je veux qu'il me batte I" " If I choose my husband to beat 

 me, what business is that of yours ? A pretty state of things, 

 when a woman may not permit her own husband to beat her !" 

 So wrote the great Moliere, in the high-heeled, periwigged 

 reign of Louis XIY. But civilized and uncivilized nature is 

 alike. The southern she-savage, when her brute lifts his 

 waddy to give her a tap on the head that would fell an Eng- 

 lish ox, bows thankfully to receive the caress on her indurated 

 noddle, and triumphs that the compliment was not bestowed 

 upon either of the other squaws. Here are some like doings 

 in chivalrous Spain : 



" There was a burly, savage-looking fellow, of about forty, 

 whose conduct was atrocious ; he sat with his wife, or perhaps 

 concubine, at the door of a room which opened upon the court : 

 he was continually venting horrible and obscene oaths, both 

 in Spanish and Catalan. The woman was remarkably hand 

 some, but robust, and seemingly as savage as himself; her 

 conversation, likewise, was as frightful as his own. Both 

 seemed to be under the influence of an incomprehensible fury. 

 At last, upon some observation from the woman, he started 

 up, and drawing a long knife from his girdle, stabbed at her 

 naked bosom ; she, however, interposed the palm of her hand, 

 which was much cut. He stood for a moment viewing the 

 blood trickling upon the ground, whilst she held up her 

 wounded hand, then, with an astounding oath, he hurried up 

 the court to the Plaza. I went up to the woman and said, 

 'What is the cause of this? I hope the ruffian has not 

 seriously injured you/ She turned her countenance upon me 

 with the glance of a demon, and, at last, with a sneer of con- 

 tempt, exclaimed, ( Cardls, que es eso T ' Cannot a Catalan 

 gentleman be conversing with his lady upon their own private 

 affairs, without being interrupted by you ?' She then bound 

 up her hand with a handkerchief, and, going into the room, 



