BEFORE I Conclude this chapter, I beg leave to recommend to my fair country-women to pity their frail fifters, and to use every means in their power to rescue them from diftrefs and ruin. This benevolence would be well extended, in particular to fuch a one, as having offended with the man of her choice, is afterwards abandoned by him. Custom, arbitrary and undiftinguishing, has configned fuch women to infamy equally as prostitutes; but certainly there is a very material differ- . The woman, who from a principle of luft or avarice, fells or beftows her favours promifcuously, is a WHORE, according to the true and radical import of the word,

ence.

or; but that the woman, who gives her perfon into the poffeffion of the man she loves merely to be his only, should be fo denominated, feems to me repugnant to the juft idea of those terms, and to the Bible; however it must be admitted that she is guilty of an indiscretion, of impurity and uncleannefs; but not to fuch a degree as to deserve to be detefted and defpifed by fociety. Was the odium to fall on its proper object, the feducer, it would be a check upon that arti

fice, cruelty, and caprice, which characterize modern gallants: Add to this, a great floodgate of prostitution would be ftopt. Childmurder and the procuring abortion would be prevented, and the undefigning female, faved to herself, her friends, and mankind, would return to industry, instead of repairing to a brothel loaded with infamy. However these obfervations may be received, certain I am, that they proceed from the fame principles that induced me to write this book, the love of mankind, and a benevolent intention of securing and promoting their happiness.

If in the above thoughts, deduced from facts and univerfal experience, with those that are immediately fcriptural, I have fuggested any thing which tends to fecure the weaker fex against the injustice, oppression, and lust of the stronger :-any thing that tends to preferve their rank in life-their happinessmatrimonial endearments—and the obligations of marriage, as enjoined by our wife Creator, or in defence of our national fyftem of laws relative thereto, as it is conformable to that beavenly fyftem—I have gained the object I

had

had in view. Actuated only by a defire to promote the public good, and to support the JUST RIGHTS of Eve's fair daughters, I am fingularly careless about what learned critics may fay of this treatife, confidered merely as a compofition; and as it is writ more with a view to general information, than to controverfy, the latenefs of its appearance can be no objection. If fincerity of heart and honesty of intentions entitle writers to candour from the public, I fhall hope for it, and particularly from that more amiable part whose cause I have defended. Truth is truth, however mean its appearance, or however humble the person from whom it comes; therefore the author expects it will, in the prefent inftance, be attended to, though not honoured with a great name. The author's only remaining wish is, that his readers may impartially and attentively confider the evidence brought against polygamy, on the footing of nature, reason, and that consciousness of right and wrong, which is never far remote from undegenerated minds, as alfo what is faid in defence of our national system

relative to marriage, and for the prevention

of

of prostitution; and that they may weigh the whole in the balance of the fanctuary, and attend, or not attend, accordingly to what is here inculcated.

CHAP.

CHAP. VII.

On the MARRIAGE-ACT.

A

S a neceffary appendix to the foregoing fheets, which have for one principal object the defence of our system of laws relative to marriage, I now proceed to take a view of Stat. 26 Geo. II. ch. 23. As there is no specific charge directly brought against this law, I am rather at a lofs how to shape an answer to its oppofers: but as the oppofition of our modern declaimers feems levelled against our whole matrimonial fyftem, in what I have to fay, I fhall have an eye to that, as well as to the particular provisions of the marriage-act, which I do not intend to debate claufe by claufe, but to contemplate the chief matters just as they happen to occur to me, after having adjusted fome preliminaries.

THE PROPAGATION of our fpecies is neceffary, for evident purposes, and nature has

been