the origin of the distinction of ranks-第15部分

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ipated　by　pleasure　to　feel　any　violent　passion　for　an　individual；　and　the　correspondence　of　the　sexes　was　too　undistinguishing　to　be　attended　with　much　delicacy　of　sentiment。　It　may　accordingly　be　remarked；　that　the　writers　of　the　Augustan　age；　who　have　afforded　so　many　models　of　composition　in　other　branches；　have　left　no　work　of　imagination；　describing　the　manners　of　their　own　countrymen；　in　which　love　is　supposed　to　be　productive　of　any　tragical；　or　very　serious　effects。　Neither　that　part　of　the　Eneid　which　relates　to　the　death　of　Dido；　nor　the　love…epistles　of　Ovid；　both　of　which　are　founded　upon　events　in　a　remote　age；　and　in　distant　countries；　can　properly　be　considered　as　exceptions　to　what　is　here　alleged。　It　also　merits　attention　that　when　the　Roman　poets　have　occasion　to　represent　their　own　sentiments　in　this　particular；　the　subject　of　their　description；　not　to　mention　more　regular　appetites；　is　either　the　love　of　a　concubine；　or　an　intrigue　with　a　married　woman。　This　is　not　less　apparent　from　the　grave　and　tender　elegies　of　Tibullus　and　Propertius；　than　from　the　gay　and　more　licentious　writings　of　Horace；　of　Ovid；　and　of　Catullus。　The　style　of　those　compositions；　and　the　manners　from　which　it　was　derived；　while　they　degraded　the　women　of　virtue；　contributed；　no　doubt；　to　exalt　the　character　of　a　kept…mistress。　The　different　situation　of　modern　nations；　in　this　respect；　is　perhaps　the　reason　why　they　have　no　term　corresponding　to　that　of　amica　in　Latin。　　　　　The　acquisition　of　great　wealth；　and　the　improvement　of　the　elegant　arts；　together　with　the　free　intercourse　of　the　sexes；　have；　in　some　of　the　modern　European　nations；　had　similar　consequences　to　what　they　produced　in　ancient　Rome；　by　introducing　a　strong　disposition　to　pleasure。　This　is　most　especially　remarkable　in　France　and　Italy；　the　countries　in　which　opulence　was　first　acquired；　and　in　which　the　improvements　of　society　are　supposed　to　have　made　the　greatest　advances。　But　in　these　countries；　the　authority　obtained　by　the　clergy　after　the　establishment　of　the　Christian　religion；　and　the　notions　which　they　endeavoured　to　inculcate　with　regard　to　abstinence　from　every　sensual　gratification；　have　concurred　with　the　influence　of　the　former　usage　and　laws；　not　only　to　exclude　polygamy；　but　in　a　great　measure　to　prevent　the　dissolution　of　marriage　by　voluntary　divorce。　Many　disorders；　therefore；　which　were　felt　in　the　luxurious　ages　of　Rome；　have　thus　been　avoided；　and　in　modern　Europe；　the　chief　effect　of　debauchery；　beside　the　encouragement　given　to　common　prostitution；　has　been　to　turn　the　attention；　from　the　pursuits　of　business　or　ambition；　to　the　amusements　of　gallantry；　or　rather　to　convert　these　last　into　a　serious　occupation。　　　　　It　is　not　intended；　however；　in　this　discourse；　to　consider　those　variations；　in　the　state　of　women；　which　arise　from　the　civil　or　religious　government　of　a　people；　or　from　such　other　causes　as　are　peculiar　to　the　inhabitants　of　different　countries。　The　revolutions　that　I　have　mentioned；　in　the　condition　and　manners　of　the　sexes；　are　chiefly　derived　from　the　progress　of　mankind　in　the　common　arts　of　life；　and　therefore　make　a　part　in　the　general　history　of　society。　NOTES：　1。　A　late　ingenious　author　imagines　that　this　coldness　of　constitution　is　peculiar　to　the　natives　of　America；　and　he　accounts　for　it；　in　a　most　whimsical　manner；　from　the　moisture　of　the　climate；　by　which　the　inhabitants　of　that　county　are；　in　his　opinion；　rendered　inferior；　both　in　mind　and　body；　to　those　of　the　old　world。　（Recherches　philosophiques　sur　les　Americains。）　But　though　it　must；　perhaps；　be　admitted　that　particular　climates　have　some　influence　upon　the　passions　of　sex；　yet；　in　most　parts　of　the　world；　the　character　of　savages；　in　this　respect；　exhibits　a　remarkable　uniformity。　（See　an　account　of　the　Samoiedes；　histoire　generale　des　voyages；　tome　18　pp。　509；　510。　　Of　the　inhabitants　of　Kamtschatka；　ibid。　tome　19；　liv。　2；　chap。　4。）　　　　　Even　among　people　somewhat　advanced　beyond　the　mere　savage　life；　we　frequently　meet　with　traces　of　a　similar　temperament。　'The　virginity　of　youth；'　says　Tacitus　of　the　Germans；'　'is　late　treasured；　and　puberty　therefore　inexhaustible；　nor　for　the　girls　is　there　any　hothouse　forcing。　　　　　'So　their　life　is　one　of　fenced…in　chastity。　There　is　no　arena　with　its　seductions；　no　dinner…tables　with　their　provocations　to　corrupt　them。'　Tacitus；　de　mor。　Germ。　？20；　19。　　　　　The　same　circumstance　is　mentioned　by　Caesar　concerning　the　character　of　the　ancient　Gauls。　'Those　who　retain　their　chastity　longest　are　held　in　highest　honour　by　their　fellow　men；　for　continence；　so　they　believe；　makes　a　man　taller；　hardier；　more　muscular。'　Caesar；　de　bell。　Gall。　lib。　6；　？21。　2。　It　seems　unnecessary　to　observe；　that　what　is　here　said　with　regard　to　marriage；　together　with　many　other　Remarks　which　follow　concerning　the　manners　of　early　nations；　can　only　be　applied　to　those　who　had　lost　all　knowledge　of　the　original　institutions；　which；　as　the　sacred　scriptures　inform　us；　were　communicated　to　mankind　by　an　extraordinary　revelation　from　heaven。　3。　Cicero；　pro　Flacco；　Heineccius；　antiq。　Roman。　4。　See　Brisson；　de　vet。　rit。　nuptiar。　5。　Father　Lafitau　takes　notice　of　a　particular　custom　among　the　savages　of　America；　which　shows　the　indifference　with　which　their　marriages　are　usually　contracted；　and　marks；　at　the　same　time；　the　inattention　of　that　people　to　the　gratification　of　their　passions。　'There　is　an　ancient　custom；　among　most　of　the　savage　nations；　of　passing　the　first　year　after　the　contraction　of　a　marriage　without　consummating　it。　To　propose　otherwise　before　such　time　has　expired　would　be　to　offer　an　insult　to　the　bride；　who　would　take　this　to　mean　that　one　sought　this　alliance　more　for　sensual　gratification　than　out　of　esteem　for　her　person。　And　although　the　young　couple　spend　their　nights　together；　this　is　done　without　prejudice　to　this　ancient　usage。　The　relatives　of　the　bride　keep　close　watch　on　their　part　and　are　careful　to　maintain　a　large　fire　before　their　sleeping…mat；　which　continually　lights　up　their　doing　and　which　serves　to　guarantee　that　nothing　occurs　contrary　to　the　prescribed　order。'　　　　　Joseph　Lafitau；　moeurs　des　sauvages　Ameriquains。　　　　　In　some　parts　of　Great　Britain；　the　common　people　hold　it　a　point　of　decorum；　that；　after　the　ceremony　of　marriage；　the　married　persons　should　sleep　together　one　night　without　consummation。　6。　'Ten；　and　even　twelve　men　have　wives　in　common；　and　especially　brothers；　or　parents　and　their　children　amongst　themselves；　but　if　there　be　any　issue　by　these　wives；　they　are　reputed　to　be　the　children　of　those　by　whom；　respectively；　each　was　first　espoused　when　a　virgin。'　Caesar；　de　bell。　Gall。　lib。　5；　？14。　7。　Plutarch；in　vita　Lycurg。　　　　　　　　　Soon　as　the　sun　dispelled　the　chilly　night；　　　　　　　　　The　sounding　doors　flew　wide；　and　from　the　tomb　　　　　　　　　Of　dead　Hortensius　grieving　Marcia　came。　　　　　　　　　First　joined　in　wedlock　to　a　greater　man　　　　　　　　　Three　children　did　she　bear　to　grace　his　home：　　　　　　　　　Then　Cato　to　Hortensius　gave　the　dame　　　　　　　　　To　be　a　fruitful　mother　of　his　sons　　　　　　　　　And　join　their　houses　in　a　closer　tie。　　　　　　　　　And　now　the　last　sad　offices　were　done　　　　　　　　　She　came　with　hair　dishevelled；　beaten　breast；　　　　　　　　　And　ashes　on　her　brow；　and　features　worn　　　　　　　　　With　grief；　thus　only　pleasing　to　the　man。　　　　　　　　　'When　youth　was　in　me　and　maternal　power　I　did　thy　bidding；　　　　　　　　　Cato；　and　revived　A　second　husband：　now　in　years　grown　old　　　　　　　　　Ne'er　to　be　parted　I　return　to　thee。　　　　　　　　　Renew　our　former　pledges　undefiled：　　　　　　　　　Give　back　the　name　of　wife：。。。。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Although　the　times　were　warlike　and　the　fates　　　　　　　　　Called　to　the　fray；　etc。'　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lucan；　Pharsal。　8。　'In　the　matter　of　sex　there　is　no　prudery；　men　and　women　bathing　together　in　the　rivers；　and　wearing　skins　or　short　cloaks　of　reindeer　hide　which　leaves　most　of　the　body　naked。'　Caesar；　de　bell。　Gall。　lib。　6；　？21。　9。　Voyages　for　making　discoveries　in　the　Southern　Hemisphere；　vol。　2；　chap。　12。　　　　　In　the　same　publication；　an　account　of　a　still　more　remarkable　exhibition；　made　in　that　Island；　is　given　as　follow：　'A　young　man；　near　six　feet　high；　performed　the　rites　of　Venus　with　a　little　girl　about　eleven　or　twelve　years　of　age；　before　several　of　our　people；　and　a　great　number　of　the　natives；　without　the　least　sense　of　its　being　indecent　or　improper；　but；　as　appeared；　in　perfect　conformity　to　the　custom　of　the　place。　Among　the　spectators　were　several　women　of　superior　rank；　particularly　Oberea；　who　may　properly　be　said　to　have　assisted　at　the　ceremony；　for　they　gave　instructions　to　the　girl　how　to　perform　her　part；　which；　young　as　she　was；　she　did　not　seem　to　stand　in　need　of。'　Ibid。　10。　Pope's　translation　of　the　Odyssey；　bk。　4；　1。　58。　11。　Ruth；　chap。　iii；　ver。　7；　8；　9。　12。　Byron's　Narrative。　13。　Numbers；　chap。　xxvii；　ver。　1…8。　14。　'The　present　law　still　fortunately　holds　that　when　a　woman　having　a　husband　departs　this　life　childless；　the　husband　of　the　deceased　wife　may　not　demand　her　dowery；　which　was　given　for　her。'　Leges　Burgundior。　tit。　1　4；　3。　15。　Tacitus；　de　mor。　Germ。　16。　Genesis；　chap。　xxiv；　ver。　11；　12。　17。　1　Samuel；　chap。　xviii；　ver。　25。　18。　The　Commonwealth　of　England；　bk。　3；　chap。　8。　19。　H