Ch^ii. Of Systems of Equality . Godwin. 33 



entered into no compact to maintain her children, 

 and aware of the inconveniences that he might 

 bring upon himself, had deserted her, these chil- 

 dren must necessarily fall upon the society for 

 support, or starve. And to prevent the frequent 

 recurrence of such an inconvenience, as it v^ould 

 be highly unjust to punish so natural a fault by 

 personal restraint or infliction, the men might 

 agree to punish it with disgrace. The offence is 

 besides more obvious and conspicuous in the w^o- 

 man, and less liable- to any mistake. The father 

 of a child may not always be known ; but the same 

 uncertainty cannot easily exist with regard to the 

 mother. Where the evidence of the offence was 

 most complete, and the inconvenience to the 

 society, at the same time, the greatest, there it 

 was agreed that the largest share of blame should 

 fall. The obligation on every man to support his 

 children, the society would enforce by positive 

 laws ; and the greater degree of inconvenience or 

 labour, to which a family would necessarily sub- 

 ject him, added to some portion of disgrace which 

 every human being must incur who leads another 

 into unhappiness, might be considered as a suffi- 

 cient punishment for the man. 



That a woman should at present be almost 

 driven from society for an offence, which men 

 commit nearly with impunity, seems undoubtedly 

 to be a breach of natural justice. But the origin 

 of the custom, as the most obvious and effectual 

 method of preventing the frequent recurrence of 

 a serious inconvenience to the community, ap- 



vor,. II. I) 



