422 OFPUBERT Y. 



think themfelvcs highly honoured to receive 

 from their fovereign women with whom he him- 

 felf is already difgufted. 



In the kingdom of Arracan, and in the Philip- 

 pine illands, a man would efteem it to be dii- 

 graceful to marry a young woman who had not 

 been previoufly deflowered ; and nothing but 

 the force of money can prevail on any perfon to 

 precede the hufband. In the province of Thi- 

 bet, mothers anxioufly fearch for ftrangers, and 

 earneftly folicit them to put their daughters in 

 a proper ftate for obtaining hufbands. The 

 Laplanders likewife prefer girls who have had 

 commerce with ftrangers. They fancy them to 

 poffefs uncommon merit, becaule they have been 

 able to pleafe men who are better judges of beau- 

 ty and female accompHfl^ments than themfelves. 

 In Madagafcar, and feveral other countries, the 

 moft diffolute and debauched women are fboneft 

 married. Many other examples might be given 

 «Df this ftrange tafte, which nothing but the 

 grcfleft and moft depraved manners could pro- 

 duce. 



After puberty, marriage is the natural ftate 

 of man. A man ought to have but one wife, 

 and a woman but one hufband. This is the 

 Jaw of nature ; for the number of females is 

 nearly equal to that of males. Such laws as 

 have been enacled in oppofition to this natural 

 principle, have originated folely from tyranny 

 ^nd ignorance, Reafon, humanity, and juftice 



revolt 



