82 SEX-LORE 



the same direction lies in the circumstance that men 

 who did not fight were occupied more and more with 

 industry, thus releasing women for the home and 

 making family life more intensive, and this in its 

 turn would tend to attach the man more firmly to 

 his wife and children. Furthermore, it was the 

 woman's interest to see that her children had full 

 rights. This would militate against the keeping of 

 additional wives or concubines. The result was that 

 the farourite wife finally became the only one. 



Another advance in monogamy was made in the 

 direction of woman's freedom to choose her own 

 husband. At first her guardians could sell her with- 

 out her consent. After a time she was still given 

 away by her father or guardian, though her consent 

 to the contract was necessary. The final change 

 came about when the bride could dispose of herself. 



Monogamy has become the recognized form of 

 marriage in all countries of Western civilization, and 

 certainly has proved successful from a social point 

 of view, both as regards the relationship of husband 

 and wife and that of parents and children. 



MARRIAGE RITES. 



Many rites and ceremonies are connected with the 

 various kinds of marriage. Some are only symbolical 

 of bygone customs; others, again, embody beliefs and 

 superstitions still existing. As has been mentioned 

 in a previous chapter, sex and its manifestations have 

 very often been looked upon with fear and awe as 

 uncanny and attended with many dangers. As 

 Crawley says in his " Mystic Hose ": " Ceremonies of 

 marriage are intended to neutralize the dangers of 



