and expofes him the more to fortune and accidents. A fenfe of fhame, in an imperfect character, is certainly a virtue; but produces great uneafinefs and remorfe, from which the abandoned villain is entirely free. A very amorous complexion, with a heart incapable of friendship, is happier than the fame excefs in love, with a nerofity of temper, which tranfports a man beyond himself, and renders him a total flave to the object of his paffion.

ge

In a word, human life is more governed by fortune than by reafon; is to be regarded more as a dull paftime than as a serious occupation; and is more influenced by particular humour, than by general principles. Shall we engage ourselves in it with paffion and anxiety? It is not worthy of fo much concern.. Shall we be indifferent about what happens? We lofe all the pleasure of the game by our phlegm and careleffnefs. While we are reafoning concerning life, life is gone; and death, though perhaps they receive him differently, yet treats alike the fool and the philofopher. To reduce life to exact rule and method, is commonly a painful, oft a fruitless occupation: And is it not alfo a proof, that we overvalue the prize for which we contend? Even to reason fo carefully concerning it, and to fix with accuracy its juft idea, would be overvaluing it, were it not that, to fome tempers, this occupation is one of the moft amufing, in which life could poffibly be employed.

ESSAY

A

XVIII.

Of POLYGAMY and DIVORCES.

S marriage is an engagement entered into by mutual confent, and has for its end the propagation of the fpecies, it is evident, that it must be susceptible of all the variety of conditions, which consent establishes, provided they be not contrary to this end.

A man, in conjoining himself to a woman, is bound to her according to the terms of his engagement: In begetting children, he is bound, by all the ties of nature and humanity, to provide for their fubfiftence and education. When he has performed these two parts of duty, no one can reproach him with injuftice or injury. And as the terms of his engagement, as well as the methods of fubfifting his offspring, may be various, it is mere fuperftition to imagine, that marriage can be entirely uniform, and will admit only of one mode or form. Did not human laws restrain the natural liberty of men, every particular marriage would be as different, as contracts or bargains of any other kind or fpecies.

As circumstances vary, and the laws propose different advantages, we find, that, in different times and places, they impose different conditions on this important contract. In TONQUIN, it is ufual for the failors, when the ships come into harbour, to marry for the feafon; and, notwithstanding

9

notwithstanding this precarious engagement, they are affured, it is said, of the strictest fidelity to their bed, as well as in the whole management of their affairs, from thofe temporary fpouses.

I cannot, at present, recollect my authorities; but I have fomewhere read, that the republic of ATHENS, having loft many of its citizens by war and peftilence, allowed every man to marry two wives, in order the fooner to repair the wafle which had been made by these calamities. The poet EURIPIDES happened to be coupled to two noify Vixens, who fo plagued him with their jealoufies and quarrels, that he became ever after a profeffed woman-hater; and is the only theatrical writer, perhaps the only poet, that ever entertained an averfion to the sex.

In that agreeable romance, called the Hiftory of the SEVARAMBIANS, where a great many men and a few women are supposed to be fhipwrecked on a defert coast; the captain of the troop, in order to obviate those endless quarrels which arofe, regulates their marriages after the following manner: He takes a handfome female to himfelf alone; affigns one to every couple of inferior officers; and to five of the lowest rank he gives one wife in com

mon.

The ancient BRITONS had a fingular kind of marriage, to be met with among no other people. Any number of them, as ten or a dozen, joined in a fociety together, which was perhaps requifite for mutual defence in thofe barbarous times. In order to link this fociety the closer, they took an equal number of wives in common; and whatever children were born, were reputed to belong to all of them, and were accordingly provided for by the whole community.

Among

1

Among the inferior creatures, nature herself, being the the fupreme legiflator, prescribes all the laws which regulate their marriages, and varies thofe laws according to the different circumstances of the creature. Where fhe furnishes, with eafe, food and defence to the newborn animal, the prefent embrace terminates the marriage; and the care of the offspring is committed entirely to the female. Where the food is of more difficult purchase, the marriage continues for one season, till the common progeny can provide for itself; and then the union immediately diffolves, and leaves each of the parties free to enter into a new engagement at the enfuing feason. But nature, having endowed man with reason, has not fo exactly regulated every article of his marriage contract, but has left him to adjust them, by his own prudence, according to his particular circumftances and fituation. Municipal laws are a fupply to the wifdom of each individual; and, at the fame time, by reftraining the natural liberty of men, make private interest fubmit to the intereft of the public. All regulations, therefore, on this head are equally lawful, and equally conformable to the principles of nature; though they are not all equally convenient, or equally useful to fociety, The laws may allow of polygamy, as among the Eastern nations; or of voluntary divorces, as among the GREEKS and ROMANS; or they may confine one man to one woman, during the whole courfe of their lives, as among the modern EUROPEANS. It may not be difagreeable to confider the advantages and difadvantages, which refult from each of these inftitutions.

The advocates for polygamy may recommend it as the only effectual remedy for the diforders of love, and the only expedient for freeing men from that flavery to the females, which the natural violence of our paffions has

impofed