Menander, Philemon, and Diphilus, are loft; but manners must have been little polished in their time, as far as can be conjectured from their tranflators or imitators, Plautus and Terence. Married women in their comedies are fometimes introduced and treated with very little refpect. A man commonly vents his wrath. on his wife, and fcolds her as the cause of the misconduct of their children. A lady, perhaps too inquifitive about her hufband's amours, is addreffed by him in the following words. "Ni mala, ni ftulta fis, ni indomita impofque animi, Quod viro cffe odio videas, tute tibi odia habeas. "Praeter hac fi mihi tale poft hunc diem "Faxis, faxo foris vidua vifas patrem So little formerly were women regarded in England, that the benefit of clergy was not extended to them, till the days of William and Mary, when an act of parliament was made, beftowing that privilege on them. "Would you be held a wife and virtuous fpoufe, "Whatever I, your lord, blame or approve, "Still let your praife or cenfure be the fame. "But hearkee,be this reprimand the laft: "If you again offend, no more a wife "Within these walls;-your father has you back." VOL. II. G One One will not be furprised that women in Greece were treated with no great refpect by their husbands. A woman cannot have much attraction who paffes all her time in folitude: to be admired, she muft receive the polish of fociety. At the fame time, men of fashion were fo much improved in manners, as to relifh fociety with agreeable women, where fuch could be found. And hence the figure that courtezans made at that period, especially in Athens. They ftudied the temper and taste of the men, and endeavoured to gain their affection, by every winning art. The daily conversations they liftened to, on philofophy, politics, poetry, enlightened their understanding, and improved their taste. Their houses became agreeable fchools, where every one might be inftructed in his own art. Socrates and Pericles met frequently at the house of Afpafia from her they acquired delicacy of tafte, and, in return, procured to her public refpect and reputation. Greece at that time was governed by orators, over whom fome celebrated courtezans had great influence; and by that means entered deep into the government. It was faid of the famous Demofthenes, "The mea " fure "fure he hath meditated on for a year; "will be overturned in a day by a woman." It appears accordingly from Plautus and Terence, that Athenian courtezans lived in great fplendor. See in particular Heautontimoroumenos, A& 3. Scene 2. I proceed to the other caufe of polygamy, viz. opulence in a hot climate. Men there have a burning appetite for animal enjoyment; and women become old, and lofe the prolific quality, at an age which carries them little beyond the prime of life in a temperate climate. Thefe circumftances difpofe men of opulence to purchase their wives, that they may not be confined to one; and purchase they muft; for no man, without a valuable confideration, will furrender his daughter, to be one of many who are deftined to gratify the carnal appetite of a single man. The numerous wives and concubines in Afiatic harems, are all of them purchased with money. In the hot climate of Hindoftan polygamy is univerfal, and men buy their wives. The fame obtains in China: After the price is adjusted and paid, the bride is conducted to the bridegroom's houfe, locked in a fedan, and the key key delivered to him: If he be not fatiffied with his bargain, he fends her back, at the expence of lofing the fum he paid for her If fatisfied, he feafts his male friends in one room, and fhe her female friends in another. A man who has little fubftance takes a wife for his fon from an hofpital, which faves him a dowry. It has been pleaded for polygamy in warm climates, that women are fit for being married at or before the age of ten; that they are paft child-bearing at twentyfive, while men are yet in the prime of life ; and therefore that a second wife ought to be permitted who can bear children. Are women then created for no oother purpose but procreation merely, to be laid afide as ufelefs animals when they ceafe to bear children? In the hottest climates, a woman may be the mother of ten or twelve children; and are not both parents ufefully employed, in rearing such a number, and fitting them to do for themfelves? After this important task is performed, is not the woman well entitled, for the remainder of life, to enjoy the conjugal fociety of a man, to whom she dedicated the flower of her youth? But, even attend attending to the male fex only, without paying any regard to the other sex, it ought to be confidered, that a man, by taking a fecond wife, prevents fome other man from having any. The argument for polygamy would indeed be conclufive, were ten females born for one male, as is erroneously said to be the cafe in Bantam : But, as an equality of males and females is the invariable rule of Nature, the argument has no force. All men are born equal by Nature; and to permit polygamy in any degree, is to authorise fome to usurp the privilege of others. Thus, in hot climates, women remain in the fame humble and dependent ftate, in which all women were originally, when all men were favages. As polygamy is a forced ftate, contradictory to nature, locks and bars are the only fure means for reftraining a number of women confined to one husband. When the King of Perfia, with his wives, removes from Ifpachan to any of his villas, the hour of his departure, and the ftreet through which he is to pass, are proclaimed three days before, in order that every man may keep out of the way. Women, by the law of |