188 A HISTORY OF 



knees weak ; his shoulders narrow ; and his beard thin and downy. 

 In this manner his person is rendered 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 extraordinary 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 Madagas- 

 car, or the inhabitants 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, and would 

 instantly put her to death if he but suspected her chastity. With the 

 politer inhabitants of Europe, both these barbarous extremes are avoid- 

 ed ; the woman's person is left free, and no constraint is imposed 

 but upon her affections. The passion of love, which may be consid- 

 ered as the nice conduct of ruder desire, is only known and practised 

 in this part of the world ; so that what other nations guard as their 

 right, the more delicate European is contented to ask as a favour. In 

 this manner the concurrence of mutual appetite contributes to increase 

 mutual satisfaction ; and the power on one side of refusing, makes 

 every blessing more grateful when obtained by the other. In barba- 

 rous countries, woman is considered merely as a useful slave ; in such 

 as are somewhat more refined, she is regarded as a desirable toy ; in 

 countries entirely polished, she enjoys juster privileges ; the wife be- 

 ing considered as a useful friend, and an agreeable mistress. Her mind 

 is still more prized than her person ; and without the improvement of 

 both, she can never expect to become truly agreeable ; for her good 

 sense alone can preserve what she has gained by her beauty. 



Female beauty, as was said, is always seen to improve about the 

 age of puberty ; but if we should attempt to define in what this beau 

 ty consists, or what constitutes its perfection, we should find nothing 

 more difficult to determine. Every country has its peculiar way of 

 thinking, in this respect ; and even the same country thinks differently 

 at different times. The ancients had a very different taste from what 

 prevails at present. The eye-brows joining in the middle was con- 

 sidered as a very peculiar grace by Tibullus, in the enumeration of 

 the charms of his mistress. Narrow foreheads were approved of, and 

 scarce any of the Roman ladies that are celebrated for their other 

 perfections, but are also praised for the redness of their hair. The 

 nose also of the Grecian Venus was such as would appear at present 

 an actual deformity, as it fell in a straight line from the forehead, wth 

 out the smallest sinking between the eyes, without which we never n 

 face at present 



