SETTLEMENTS ON THE DEMERARY, &C. 159 



the only case in which he takes a second, is when his first has 

 become old and ugly. 



Whether or no polygamy is agreeable to the intention of 

 nature, is an old question. By that equality in the number 

 of the sexes which almost every where prevails, it would ap- 

 pear that nature intended one woman for one man, and hence 

 tliat polygamy is contrary to her obvious intention. The 

 same inference may be drawn from a quality of that passion 

 by which nature produces a union of the sexes. Friendship 

 may have several objects ; love can have only one. It seems 

 therefore, that the union of the sexes was intended to be by 

 pairs. Yet there are some reasons to believe that nature in- 

 tended more than one female for each male : women cease to 

 bear children even in Europe before the fiftieth year, while 

 men are capable of procreation to a much later period of life. 

 Beauty seems to have been given to the female to invite the 

 male to that union which is necessary for the existence of the 

 species ; the glow worm lures the male to her embrace by a 

 phosphorescent light. Beauty is the phosphorescent light 

 which was prepared to effect the union of the male and female 

 of the human race. But this light is of short endurance, it 

 goes out long before the male is incapable of feeling its in- 

 fluence. It seems to be a doubtful question then, whether or 

 no polygamy is agreeable to the intention of nature. 



