Page:Montesquieu - The spirit of laws.djvu/411

Rh is no more. These women ought then to be in a state of dependance; for reason cannot procure in old age, that empire, which even youth and beauty could not give. It is therefore extremely natural that in these places, a man, when no law opposes it, should leave one wife to take another, and that polygamy should be introduced.

In temperate climates, where the charms of women are best preserved, where they arrive later at maturity, and have children at a more advanced season of life, the old age of their husbands in some degree follows theirs; and as they have more reason and knowledge at the time of marriage, if it be only on account of their having continued longer in life, it must naturally introduce a kind of equality between the two sexes, and, in consequence of this, the law of having only one wife.

In cold countries the almost necessary custom of drinking strong liquors, establishes intemperance amongst men. Women, who, in this respect, have a natural restraint, because they are always oh the defensive, have therefore the advantage of reason over them.

Nature, which has distinguished men by their reason and bodily strength, has set no other bounds to their power than those of this strength and reason. It has given charms to women, and ordained that their ascendant over man shall end with these charms: But in hot countries, these are found only at the beginning, and never in the progress of life.

Thus the law which permits only one wife, is physically conformable to the climate of Europe, and not to that of Asia. This is the reason why Mahometanism was established with such facility Rh