WIDOWS AND THEIR PROPERTY. 34$ 
motive, and who are not always actually married. These wives are 
first in rank ; they must be treated with great respect, being Royal 
gifts : but in the mind of the husband are considered inferior to the 
Mcca tam m/an forming the 2d. class, or the legal wives, being those 
to whom he lias been united agreeably to prescribed forms. Of this 
second class, she whom he first married, enjoys to the last the prero¬ 
gatives of precedence next to the chief wife, the King’s gift. 
To the 3rd. class belongs the Meea chop chai Jean dug literally 
the wife of ones own free choice, which would imply that motives of 
prudence and duty, more than of affection towards the object, first 
urge the men to connect themselves with society by substantial bonds. 
It is not indispensable with a Siamese, as with a Hindu or a Cln- 
nese, that he should have a son to perform his obsequies : but a feel¬ 
ing of pride makes him anxious that they should be conducted by an 
adopted son, should he not have a son, with requisite formality. The 
4th. class is formed from slaves. A slave woman having cohabited 
with her master becomes virtually emancipated. 
The age of marriage for the men is 20 and upwards. The wo¬ 
men are considered marriageable at 14 years of age. But sometimes 
they enter that state at the early age of twelve. 
An action will lie in Siamese Courts for a breach of promise of 
marriage either by man or woman, and damages will be awarded to 
the extent of reimbursing the injured party for such expences as may 
have been incurred in preparing for the wedding, but none for the 
culpable fickleness of the offender. 
Marriage is confined within the following degrees af affinity. A 
subject may not marry within the 7th degree. The forbidden degrees 
are from parents, included, down to the remotest lineal descendants, 
and upwards, so that cousins or any one of the same blood may not 
intermarry. 
As Loubere has observed “ there is no restriction to their marry¬ 
ing with women of any nation.” They have of course their preju¬ 
dices on this subject; and incline more to the Indo-Chinese races 
than to others. They have a great contempt for the Malays, they 
being Mussulmans, and do not often marry in that tribe. 
