THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. ^283 



I am well aware, that it maybe urged by thofe who per- 

 mit themfelves to fay every thing, becaufe they are not at 

 pains to confider any thing, that the courfe of my argument 

 w il lead to a defence of polygamy in general, the fuppofed 

 doctrine of the Thelypthora*. Such refledtions as thefe, 

 unlefs introduced for merriment, are below my animadver- 

 fion ; all I mall fay on that topic is, that they who find en* 

 couragement to polygamy in Mr Madan's book, the Thelyp- 

 thora, have read it with a much more acute perception than 

 perhaps I have done ; and I ihall be very much miftaken, 

 if polygamy increafes in England upon the principles laid 

 down in the Thelypthora. 



England, fays Dr Arbuthnot, enjoys an equality of both 

 fexes, and, if it is not fo, the inequality is fo imperceptible, 

 that no inconvenience has yet followed. What we have 

 now to inquire is, ^Vnether other nations, or the majority 

 of them, are in the fame fituation ? For, if we are to decide 

 by this, and if we mould happen to find, that, in other 

 countries, there are invariably born three women to one 

 man, the conclufion, in regard to that country, mull be, that 

 three women to one man was the proportion of one fex to 

 the other, imprefied at the creation injenune of our firft parent. 



I contess I am not fond of meddling with the globe 

 he/ore the deluge. But as learned men feem inclined to think 

 that Ararat and Euphrates are the mountain and river of 

 antediluvian times, and that Mefopotamia, or Diarbekir, is 

 the ancient fituation of the terref trial paradife, I cannot give 



N n 2 Br 



* A late publication of Dr Ivkdan's, little underflood, as it would feem. 



