BOOK and not to that of Afia.

XVI.

Chap. 3.

(*) See Jor

nandes de

This is the reason why,

Mahometanifm was fo eafily established in Afia, and with fuch difficulty extended in Europe; why Christianity is maintained in Europe, and has been deftroyed in Afia; and in fine, why the Mahometans have made fuch progrefs in China, and the Chriftians fo little. Human reafons however are fubordinate to that fupreme caufe, who does whatever he pleases, and renders every thing fubfervient to his will.

Some particular reafons induced Valentinian (*) Regno&to permit polygamy in the empire. That law, fo tempor. improper for our climates, was abrogated (') by Succef. and the eccle- Theodofius, Arcadius, and Honorius.

fiaftic Hiftorians.

(1) See law

7. of the

CHA P. III.

Code de That a Plurality of Wives greatly depends on the Means of fupporting them.

Judais & Calicolis, and Nov.

18. C. 5.

THOUGH in countries where polygamy is

once established, the number of wives is principally determined by the opulence of the hufband; yet it cannot be faid that opulence eftablished polygamy in thofe ftates; fince poverty may produce the fame effect, as I fhall prove when I come to speak of the favages.

*

Polygamy in powerful nations is lefs a luxury in itself, than the occafion of great luxury. In hot climates they have few wants, and it costs little to maintain a wife and children; they may therefore have a great number of wives.

* In Ceylon a man may live on ten fols a month; they eat nothing there but rice and fish. Collection of voyages made to establish an India Company. CHAP.

CHA P. IV.

That the Law of Polygamy is an affair that de-
pends on Calculation.

ACcording to the calculations made in feveral

parts of Europe, there are here born more boys than girls; on the contrary, by the accounts we have of Afia, there are there born more girls than boys. The law which in Europe allows only one wife, and that in Afia which permits many, have therefore a certain relation to the climate.

Воок
XVI.

Chap. 4.

In the cold climates of Afia, there are born as in Europe, more males than females; and from hence, fay the (") Lamas, is derived the reason of (") Du that law, which amongst them, permits a woman Hift. of to have many husbands.

But it is difficult for me to believe that there are many countries, where the difproportion can be great enough for any exigency to juftify the introducing either the law in favour of many wives, or that of many hufbands. This would only imply, that a majority of women, or even a majority of men, is more conformable to nature in certain countries than in others.

Dr. Arbuthnot finds that in England the number of boys exceeds that of girls; but people have been to blame to conclude that the cafe is the fame in all climates.

+ See Kempfer, who relates that upon numbering the people of Meaco, there were found 182072 males and 223573 females.

Albuzeir-el-haffen, one of the Mahometan Arabs, who, in the ninth century, went into India and China, thought this custom a prostitution. And indeed nothing could be more contrary to the ideas of a Mahometan.

Bb 3

Halde's

China,
Vol. iv.

I con

Воок
XVI.

I confefs, that if what hiftory tells us be true, Chap. 5. that, at Bantam (") there are ten women to one (*) Collecman, this must be a cafe particularly favourable to voyages polygamy.

tion of

for the establish

In all this I only give their reafons, but do not

ment of juftify their customs.

an India Company.

Vol. i.

CHAP. V.

The reafon of a Law of Malabar.

*

IN the tribe of the Naires, on the coast of

Malabar, the men can have only one wife, while a woman, on the contrary, may have many husbands. The origin of this cuftom is not I believe difficult to difcover. The Naires are the tribe of nobles, who are the foldiers of all thofe nations. In Europe, foldiers are forbid to marry: in Malabar, where the climate requires greater indulgence, they are fatisfied with rendering marriage as little burthenfome to them as poffible; they give one wife amongst many men; which confequently diminishes the attachment to a family, and the cares of houfe-keeping, and leaves them in the free poffeffion of a military fpirit.

See Francis Pirard, c. 27. Edifying Letters, ad and roth collection on the Malleami on the coalt of Malabar. This is confidered as an abufe of the military profeffion, as a woman, Jays Pirard, of the tribe of the Bramins, never would marry many hulbands.

СНАР.

W

Of Polygamy confidered in itfeif.

ITH regard to polygamy in general, in- Book
dependently of the circumftances which

may render it tolerable, it is not of the least fer-
vice to mankind, nor to either of the two fexes,
whether it be that which abufes, or that which is
abused. Neither is it of fervice to the children;
for one of its greateft inconveniencies is, that the
father and mother cannot have the fame affection
for their offspring; a father cannot love twenty
children with the fame tenderness as a mother can
love two.
It is much worfe when a wife has
many hufbands; for then paternal love is only
held by this opinion, that a father may believe, if
he will, or that others may believe, that certain
children belong to him.

They fay, that the emperor of Morocco has women of all colours, white, black, and tawny, in his feraglio. But the wretch has scarce need of a fingle colour.

Befides, the poffeffion of many wives does not always prevent their entertaining defires* for thofe of others it is with luft as with avarice, whofe thirft increases by the acquifition of treasure.

XVI. Chap. 6.

In the reign of Juftinian, many philofophers, difpleafed with the constraint of Christianity, retired into Perfia. What ftruck them the most, fays Agathias (°), was, that polygamy was permitted (•) Life

and ac

tions of

This is the reason why women in the caft are fo carefully Juftinian,

concealed.

Book amongst men, who did not even abstain from adultery.

XVI.

Chap. 7.

May I not fay that a plurality of wives leads to that paffion which nature difallows? for one depravation always draws on anothen I remember that in the revolution which happened at Conftantinople, when fultan Achmet was depofed, hiftory fays, that the people having plundered the Kiaya's houfe, they found not a single woman; (P) Hift. of they tell us that at (P) Algiers, in the greatest part Algiers by Logier de of their feraglios, they have none at all.

Taffis.

CHAP. VII.

Of an Equality of treatment in Cafe of many

Wives.

ROM the law which permitted a plurality

FR

of wives, followed that of an equal behaviour to each. Mahomet, who allowed of four, would have every thing, as provifions, dress, and conjugal duty, equally divided between them. This (9) See Pi-law is alfo in force in the Maldiyian ifles (9) where rard,c. 12. they are at liberty to marry three wives.

(") Exod.

xxi. 10,

any

The law of Mofes (1) even declares, that if one has married his fon to a flave, and this fon fhould afterwards efpouse a free woman, her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, fhall he not diminish. They might give more to the new wife; but the first was not to have less than she had before.

L

CHAP,