420 OF PUBERTY. 



Others, who are a^lual virgins, difcover no fuch 

 appearances. Men, therefore, fliould be per- 

 fed;Iy eafy as to this matter, and not indulge, as 

 is too often the cafe, unjuft and ridiculous fuf- 

 picions. 



If we willi to obtain an evident and infallible 

 mark of virginity, we muft fearch for it among 

 thofe barbarous people, who are incapable ot 

 inftilling by education the fentiments of virtue 

 and honour into their children, but fecure the 

 chaftity of their daughters by an expedient which 

 could only be fuggeiied by the rudenefs of their 

 manners. In iEthiopia, and other parts of Afri- 

 ca, in Pegu, Arabia Petrea, and other nations of 

 A.fia, the inhabitants, immediately after the birth 

 of females, few up thofe parts which Nature has^ ^ 

 feparated, leaving only a fpace fufficient for the 

 natural evacuations. As the child grows, the 

 parts gradually adhere, and, when the time ot 

 marriage arrives, they are again difunited by in- 

 cifion. Inftead of thread, the fibres of the af- 

 beftos are faid to be employed, which is a fub- 

 ftance not liable to fudden corruption. Some 

 tribes content themfelves v/ith putting a ring 

 through the parts. To this operation wives as 

 well as girls are fubjedcd, with this difference, 

 that the ring allotted to the latter cannot be re- 

 moved, but, in that allotted to the former, there 

 is a lock, of which the huiband alone poiTefles 

 the key. 13ut why fhould v/e mention barba- 

 rous nations, when we have fimilar examples at 



no 



