Page:The Present State of Peru.djvu/256

222 sloth. For the rural and domestic labours, they tore from their fire-sides and household gods, the Nubians, Egyptians, and Abyssinians. The martial laws, the right of conquest, and the example of other nations, gave a legitimacy to this description of tyranny.

"The enervation of the Romans was infused, in an immediate way, into their wives; and they contributed to augment and perpetuate it. The Portias, Cornelias, and Lucretias, highly gratified at being relieved from their domestic duties by the African female slaves who surrounded them, laid aside the needle, and the spindle, delivering themselves up to vanity, and finally concentrating all their delight in the intrigues of Cupid. They were in need of secret agents and confidants; and for this purpose made choice of their bondwomen. The latter, constitutionally degenerate, and less conspicuous on account of the parity of colour, were better calculated to go abroad, to maintain an epistolary correspondence, and to promote a furtive introduction. Insensibly, those who had before served them in the meanest capacities, found themselves the depositaries of the confidence of their ladies.

"On another hand, these same Roman women, at whose breasts had been nurtured those who in the sequel gave laws to the whole world, viewed with disdain the noble occupation of suckling and rearing their infants. They confided this trust to the female slave, who saw hanging at her neck him who was destined to be one day her lord.

"Behold thus the monstrous Egyptian women at one and the same time the sovereign disposers of the life of those to whom they appertained, and of the honour of their mistresses. Elated by this double motive, they emulated the Roman