2M THE PHILOSOPHY 



ly inftantly defift, but prevent every future attempt. There 

 is no part of the female character which men revere fo much 

 as modefty. It is the brighteft and moft valuable jewel with 

 which a woman can be adorned. A fine woman without 

 modefty, inftead of gaining the afFecSlions of men, becomes 

 an objedt of contempt, and even of difguft. It is equally 

 the intereft of men to cherifh, and not to injure by indelica- 

 cy, a quality from which they derive fo much pleafure and 

 advantage. 



It is not unworthy of remark, that modefty is by no means 

 confined to the human fpecies. Evident traces of it are dif- 

 coverable in the brute creation. Even fo low as the infedt 

 tribes, moft females repel the firft attacks of the males. If 

 this is not modefty, it has all the effedls of it ; for it height- 

 ens the refpeft and afFeftion of the males, and makes them 

 employ every alluring art to procure the regard of the fe- 

 male. 



It is a curious fa£l, that moP: carnivorous quadrupeds are 

 more averfe from devouring women than men. The bears 

 of Kamtfchatka follow the women when gathering wjld 

 fruits in the woods, and, though mofl: rapacious animals, do 

 them no farther harm than robbing them of part of the fruit*. 

 The afpedl of man being more bold, may, perhaps, create an 

 idea of competition and danger, and excite the ferocity and 

 courage of the animal. There feems to be inftinctive ref- 

 pe6l, if not dread, of the human kind implanted in moll ani- 

 mals. If this be the cafe, the above fa£l amounts to a high 

 compliment to the women ; for they receive more favour 

 from the brute creation than the men. 



With regard to animals, in general, the intercourfe of fex- 



es is neceflary for the multiplication of the fpecies. But, as 



formerly remarked-]-, feveral of the lower tribes are enabled 



to multiply without the intervention of fexes. In fome ani- 



* Gazette Literaire, vol. i. page 483. f See chap. i. page 30. &c. 



