the origin of the distinction of ranks-第6节

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the　power　of　managing　at　pleasure。　　　　　At　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　in　the　kingdom　of　Benin；　and　in　general　upon　the　whole　southern　and　western　coast　of　Africa；　no　female　is　ever　admitted　to　the　succession　of　any　estate；　either　real　or　personal。　　　　　The　same　custom　is　said　to　be　observed　among　the　Tartars；　and　there　is　some　reason　to　believe　that　it　has　been　anciently　established　among　all　the　inhabitants　of　Chaldea　and　Arabia。　　　　　From　the　famous　decision　of　this　point　related　by　Moses；　it　appears　that；　in　his　time；　the　succession　of　females　had　been　without　a　precedent；　and；　by　his　appointment；　they　were　only　permitted　to　inherit　upon　a　failure　of　males　of　the　same　degree。　　　　　Then　came　the　daughters　of　Zelophehad　　and　they　stood　before　Moses；　and　before　Eleazar　the　priest；　and　before　the　princes；　and　all　the　congregation；　by　the　door　of　the　tabernacle　of　the　congregation；　saying：　　　　　Our　father　died　in　the　wilderness；　and　he　was　not　in　the　company　of　them　that　gathered　themselves　together　against　the　Lord　in　the　company　of　Korah；　but　died　in　his　own　sin；　and　had　no　sons。　　　　　Why　should　the　name　of　our　father　be　done　away　from　among　his　family；　because　he　hath　no　son？　Give　unto　us　therefore　a　possession　among　the　brethren　of　our　father。　　　　　And　Moses　brought　their　cause　before　the　Lord。　　　　　And　the　Lord　spake　unto　Moses；　saying：　　　　　The　daughters　of　Zelophehad　speak　right；　thou　shalt　surely　give　them　a　possession　of　an　inheritance　among　their　father's　brethren；　and　thou　shalt　cause　the　inheritance　of　their　father　to　pass　unto　them。　　　　　And　thou　shalt　speak　unto　the　children　of　Israel；　saying；　If　a　man　die；and　have　no　son；　then　ye　shall　cause　his　inheritance　to　pass　unto　his　daughter。（13*）　　　　　In　all　those　German　nations　which　over…ran　and　subdued　the　different　provinces　of　the　Roman　empire；　the　same　notions　were　entertained　concerning　the　inferiority　of　the　women；　and　the　same　rules　of　succession　were　naturally　introduced。　It　is　probable　that；　according　to　the　original　customs　which　prevailed　in　all　these　nations；　daughters；　and　all　other　female　relations；　were　entirely　excluded　from　the　right　of　inheritance；　but　that　afterwards；　when　the　increase　of　opulence　and　luxury　had　raised　them　to　higher　consideration；　they　were　admitted　to　succeed　after　the　males　of　the　same　degree。　　　　　In　a　country　where　the　women　are　universally　regarded　as　the　slaves　of　the　other　sex；　it　is　natural　to　expect　that　they　should　be　bought　and　sold；　like　any　other　species　of　property。　To　marry　a　wife　must　there　be　the　same　thing　as　to　purchase　a　female　servant；　who　is　to　be　entrusted；　under　the　husband's　direction；　with　a　great　part　of　the　domestic　economy。　　　　　Thus；　in　all　savage　nations；　whether　in　Asia；　Africa；　or　America；　the　wife　is　commonly　bought　by　the　husband　from　the　father；　or　those　other　relations　who　have　an　authority　over　her；　and　the　conclusion　of　a　bargain　of　this　nature；　together　with　the　payment　of　the　price；　has　therefore　become　the　most　usual　form　of　solemnity　in　the　celebration　of　their　marriages。（14*）　　　　　This　appears　to　be　the　real　foundation　of　what　is　related　by　historians；　that　in　some　parts　of　the　world　it　is　usual　for　the　husband　to　give　a　dowery　to　the　wife　or　her　relations；　instead　of　the　wife　bringing　along　with　her　a　dowery　to　the　husband。　　　　　'Dotem　non　uxor　marito；　sed　uxori　maritus　offert；'　is　the　expression　used　by　Tacitus　in　speaking　of　this　practice　among　the　ancient　German　nations。（15*）　　　　　When　Shechem　wanted　to　marry　the　daughter　of　Jacob　　'He　said　unto　her　father；　and　unto　her　brethren；　Let　me　find　grace　in　your　eyes；　and　what　ye　shall　say　unto　me　I　will　give。　　　　　'Ask　me　never　so　much　dowery　and　gift；　And　I　will　give　according　as　ye　shall　say　unto　me：　but　give　me　the　damsel　to　wife。'（16*）　　　　　When　David　married　the　daughter　of　king　Saul；　he　was　obliged　to　pay　a　dowery　of　a　very　singular　nature。（17*）　　　　　This　ancient　custom；　that　the　husband　should　buy　his　wife　from　her　relations；　remains　at　present　among　the　Chinese；　who；　notwithstanding　their　opulence；　and　their　improvement　in　arts；　are　still　so　wonderfully　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　an