the origin of the distinction of ranks-第8章

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ly　tenacious　of　the　usages　introduced　in　a　barbarous　period。　　　　　Sir　Thomas　Smith　takes　notice；　that；　according　to　the　old　law　of　England；　'the　woman；　at　the　church…door；　was　given　of　her　father；　or　some　other　man　of　the　next　of　her　kin；　into　the　hands　of　the　husband；　and　he　laid　down　gold　and　silver　for　her　upon　the　book；　as　though　he　did　buy　her。'（18*）　In　the　early　history　of　France　we　meet　with　a　similar　practice；　of　which　there　are　traces　remaining　in　the　present　marriage　ceremony　of　that　country。　　　　　Upon　the　same　principle；　the　husband　is　generally　understood　to　have　the　power　of　selling　his　wife；　or　of　putting　her　away　at　pleasure。　　　　　It　may　however　be　remarked；　that　this　is　a　privilege；　which；　from　the　manners　of　a　rude　people；　he　seldom　has　reason　to　exercise。　The　wife；　who　is　the　mother　of　his　children；　is　generally　the　most　proper　person　to　be　employed　in　the　office　of　rearing　and　maintaining　them。　As　she　advances　in　years；　she　is　likely　to　advance　in　prudence　and　discretion；　a　circumstance　of　too　much　importance　to　be　counterbalanced　by　any　considerations　relating　to　the　appetite　between　the　sexes。　Nothing　but　some　extraordinary　crime　that　she　has　committed；　will　move　the　husband　to　put　away　so　useful　a　servant；　with　whom　he　has　long　been　acquainted；　and　whose　labour；　attention；　and　fidelity；　are　commonly　of　more　value　than　all　the　money　she　will　bring　in　a　market。　Divorces　are　therefore　rarely　to　be　met　with　in　the　history　of　early　nations。　　　　　But　though　the　wife　is　not　apt　to　incur　the　settled　displeasure　of　her　husband；　which　might　lead　him　to　banish　her　from　the　family；　she　may　often　experience　the　sudden　and　fatal　effects　of　his　anger　and　resentment。　When　unlimited　power　is　committed　to　the　hands　of　a　savage；　it　cannot　fail；　upon　many　occasions；　to　be　grossly　abused。　He　looks　upon　her　in　the　same　light　with　his　other　domestic　servants；　and　expects　from　her　the　same　implicit　obedience　to　his　will。　The　least　opposition　kindles　his　resentment；　and　from　the　natural　ferocity　of　his　temper；　he　is　frequently　excited　to　behave　with　a　degree　of　brutality　which；　in　some　cases；　may　prove　the　unhappy　occasion　of　her　death。　　　　　Among　the　ancient　inhabitants　of　Gaul；　the　husband　exercised　the　power　of　life　and　death　over　his　wives；　and　treated　them　with　all　the　severity　of　an　absolute　and　tyrannical　master。　In　that　country；　whenever　a　person　of　distinction　was　thought　to　have　died　a　violent　death；　his　wives　lay　under　the　same　suspicion　of　guilt　with　his　other　domestic　servants；　and　in　order　to　discover　who　had　committed　the　crime；　they　were　all　subjected　to　the　torture。（19*）　　　　　But　of　all　the　different　branches　of　power　with　which　in　a　rude　age　the　husband　is　usually　invested；　we　meet　with　the　fullest　and　most　complete　illustration　in　the　ancient　law　of　the　Romans。　By　that　law；　a　wife　was　originally　considered　as；　in　every　respect；　the　slave　of　her　husband。（20*）　She　might　be　sold　by　him；　or　she　might　be　put　to　death　by　an　arbitrary　exertion　of　his　authority。　From　the　ceremonies　which　were　used　in　the　more　solemn　and　regular　celebration　of　marriage；　it　seem　probable　that；　in　early　times；　the　wife　was　purchased　with　a　real　price　from　her　relations。（21*）　She　was　held　incapable　of　having　any　estate　of　her　own；　and　whatever　she　possessed　at　the　time　of　her　marriage　became　the　absolute　property　of　her　husband。　　　　　It　will　be　thought；　perhaps；　a　mortifying　picture　that　is　here　presented　to　us；　when　we　contemplate　the　barbarous　treatment　of　the　female　sex　in　early　times；　and　the　rude　state　of　those　passions　which　may　be　considered　as　the　origin　of　society。　But　this　rudeness　and　barbarism；　so　universally　discovered　in　the　early　inhabitants　of　the　world；　is　not　unsuitable　to　the　mean　condition　in　which　they　are　placed；　and　to　the　numberless　hardships　and　difficulties　which　they　are　obliged　to　encounter。　When　men　are　in　danger　of　perishing　for　hunger；　when　they　are　exerting　their　utmost　efforts　to　procure　the　bare　necessaries　of　life；　when　they　are　unable　to　shelter　themselves　from　beasts　of　prey；　or　from　enemies　of　their　own　kind；　no　less　ferocious；　their　constitution　would　surely　be　ill　adapted　to　their　circumstances；　were　they　endowed　with　a　refined　taste　of　pleasure；　and　capable　of　feeling　the　delicate　distresses　and　enjoyments　of　love；　accompanied　with　all　those　elegant　sentiments；　which；　in　a　civilized　and　enlightened　age；　are　naturally　derived　from　that　passion。　Dispositions　of　this　nature　would　be　altogether　misplaced　in　the　breast　of　a　savage：　They　would　even　be　exceedingly　hurtful；　by　turning　his　attention　from　real　wants；　to　the　pursuit　of　imaginary；　and　what；　in　his　situation；　must　be　accounted　fantastical　gratifications。　Neither　will　it　escape　observation；　that　this　refinement　would　be　totally　inconsistent　with　the　other　parts　of　his　character。　Nations　who　have　so　little　regard　to　property　as　to　live　in　the　continual　exercise　of　theft　and　rapine；　who　are　so　destitute　of　humanity；　as；　in　cold　blood；　to　put　their　captives　to　death　with　the　most　excruciating　tortures；　who　have　the　shocking　barbarity　to　feed　upon　their　fellow…creatures；　a　practice　rarely　to　be　found　among　the　fiercest　and　most　rapacious　of　the　brute　animals；　such　nations；　it　is　evident；　would　entirely　depart　from　their　ordinary　habits　and　principles　of　action；　were　they　to　display　much　tenderness　or　benevolence；　in　consequence　of　that　blind　appetite　which　unites　the　sexes。　It　ought；　at　the　same　time　to　be　remembered；　that；　how　poor　and　wretched　soever　the　aspect　of　human　nature　in　this　early　state；　it　contains　the　seeds　of　improvement　which；　by　long　care　and　culture；　are　capable　of　being　brought　to　maturity；　so　that　the　lower　its　primitive　condition；　it　requires　the　greater　exertions　of　labour　and　activity；　and　calls　for　a　more　extensive　operation　of　those　wonderful　powers　and　faculties；　which；　in　a　gradual　progression　from　such　rude　beginnings；　have　led　to　the　noblest　discoveries　in　art　or　science；　and　to　the　most　exalted　refinement　of　taste　and　manners。　Section　II　The　Influence　acquired　by　the　mother　of　a　family；　before　marriage　is　completely　established　　　　　Such　are　the　natural　effects　of　poverty　and　barbarism；　with　respect　to　the　passions　of　sex；　and　with　respect　to　the　rank　in　society　which　the　women　are　permitted　to　enjoy。　There　is　one　circumstance；　however；　in　the　manners　of　a　rude　age；　that　merits　particular　attention；　as　it　appears；　in　some　countries；　to　have　produced　a　remarkable　exception　to　the　foregoing　observations。　　　　　Although　marriage；　for　the　reasons　formerly　mentioned；　is　undoubtedly　a　very　early　institution；　yet　some　little　time　and　experience　are　necessary　before　it　can　be　fully　established　in　a　barbarous　community；　and　we　read　of　several　nations；　among　whom　it　is　either　unknown；　or　takes　place　in　a　very　imperfect　and　limited　manner。　　　　　To　a　people　who　are　little　acquainted　with　that　institution　it　will　appear；　that　children　have　much　more　connexion　with　their　mother　than　with　their　father。　If　a　woman　has　no　notion　of　attachment　or　fidelity　to　any　particular　person；　if　notwithstanding　her　occasional　intercourse　with　different　individuals　she　continues　to　live　by　herself；　or　with　her　own　relations；　the　child　which　she　has　borne；　and　which