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gongs of the women, the dance of tlie warriors, the sage 

 counsel of the cliiefs, tlie tales of the old, the trium- 

 phal entry of the warriors returning with success from 

 battle, and the resjject paid to tiiose who distinguish 

 themselves in war, and in subduing their enemies; in 

 short, every thing they see or hear tends toinspire them 

 with an ardent desire for military fame. If a young 

 man were to discover a fondness for women before he 

 lias been to war, he would become the contempt of the 

 iDen, and the scorn and ridicule of the women. Or 

 were he to indulge himself with a captive taken in war, 

 and much more were he to offer violence in order to 

 gratify his lust, he would incur indeilible disgrace. The 

 seeming frigidity of the men, therefore, is the effect of 

 manners, and not a defect of nature. Besides, a cele- 

 brated warrior is oftener courted by the females, than 

 he has occasion to court: and this is a point of honour 

 which the men aim at. Instances similar to that of 

 Ruth and Boaz- are not uncommon among them. For 

 though the women are modest and diffident, and so 

 bashful that they seldom lift up their eyes, and scarce 

 ever look a man full in the face, yet being brought up 

 in great subjection, custom and manners reconcile them 

 to modes of acting, which, judged of by Europeans, 

 would be deemed inconsistent with the rules of female 

 decorum and propriety, f once saw a young widow, 

 whose husband, a warrior, had died about eight days 

 before, hastening to finish her grief, and who by tear- 

 ing her hair, beating her breast, and drinking spirits, 

 made the tears flow in great abundance, in order that 

 she might grieve much in a short space of time, and be 

 married that evening to another young warrior. The 

 manner in which this was viewed by the men and wo- 

 men of the tribe, who stood round, solemn and silent 

 spectators of the scene, and the indifierence with which 



* When Boaz had eaten and drank, and his heart was merry, 

 he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn ; and Ruth 

 came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. Ruih 

 jii, 7- 



