Page:Montesquieu - The spirit of laws.djvu/412

360 in Asia, and so difficultly extended in Europe; why Christianity is maintained in Europe, and has been destroyed in Asia; and in fine, why the Mahometans have made such progress in China, and the Christians so little.

Some particular reasons induced Valentinian to permit polygamy in the empire. That law, so improper for our climates, was abrogated by Theodosius, Arcadius, and Honorius.

HOUGH in countries where polygamy is once established, the number of wives is principally determined by the riches of the husband; yet it cannot be said that riches established polygamy in these states; since poverty may produce the same effect, as I shall prove when I come to speak of the savages.

Polygamy in powerful nations, is less a luxury in itself, than the occasion of great luxury. In hot climates they have few wants, and it costs little to maintain a wife and children; they may therefore have a great number of wives.

CCORDING to the calculations made in several parts of Europe, there are here Rh