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82 several women who have been successively their wives, and a story is told, I believe truly, of four couples in the same dance, each of whom by regular progress of law had exchanged wife or husband with one of the others, so that each man saw before him two women of whom one had been, as the other was then, his wife.

"That may be an extreme case, I will not vouch even for it being a fact; but I do know of persons in the best society in the town where they live, who do meet in that society those that once were joined to them in this closest of earthly ties, but who now are united to others, while they themselves in their turn have formed that tie anew, and yet associate familiarly with their discarded consorts.

"My best wishes attend you in your efforts to avert from your favoured isle such a state of things.

"If you make any public use of this letter, I request only that you do not mention my name, though if the accuracy of my statements be questioned, I shall be ready to substantiate them under my own signature if you desire it.

"I mention, as a perhaps not uninstructive instance of the unsteady movements of civil legislation when once the Bible is lost sight of, that in a neighbouring State, where divorce is allowed for almost any allegation, first cousins are forbidden to marry."