two, Man and Wife; whenever this Affection fails, either in the Woman
or the Man, that Marriage is unhappy, and all the good Ends and Designs
of this State entirely frustrated. To give the Women their Due, they
must have the Preference in Point of Constancy; their Passions are not
so easily rais’d, nor so suddenly fix’d upon any particular Object:
but when this Passion is once rooted in Women, it is much stronger and
more durable than in Men, and rather increases than diminishes, by
enjoying the Person beloved. Whether it is that Women receive as much
Love as they part with, and that the Love they receive is not entirely
lost, but takes Root again by Conception; whereas what a Man parts with
never affects him further, than just the Pleasure he receives at the
time of parting with it: or whether this Difference is owing to the
different Turn of Mens Fancies, which are more susceptible of fresh
Impressions from every handsome Face they meet, or perhaps that their
Heads are so much employ’d in worldly Affairs, that they only take Love
_en passant_ to get rid of a present Uneasiness, whereas Women make it
the whole Business of their Lives: Whatever the Reason is, I say, it is
experimentally true, that a Woman has but a very _slippery Hold_ of a
Man’s Affections after Enjoyment. Let us see therefore which of these
two, the chaste or the experienc’d Man, will be least liable to this
Failure of Affection, and consequently which of the two will make the
best married Man.
The first great Cooler of a Man’s Affections after Marriage, is the
Disparity of the Match. When a Man has married entirely for Love,
and to the apparent Detriment of his worldly Affairs, as soon as the
first Flash of it is over, he can’t help reflecting upon the Woman as
the Cause, and, in some Sense, the Author of his Misfortunes; This
naturally begets a Coldness and Indifference, which, by Degrees, turns
to an open Dislike. Now it is these sorts of Marriages that chaste Men
are always in danger of falling into, as I have already proved; neither
is there any effectual Way to convince a Man of this Folly, and secure
him against it, but by giving him some Experience in Love-Affairs.
Again, as chaste Men seldom marry for any thing but sheer Love, so they
have framed to themselves such high extravagant Notions of the Raptures
they expect to possess in the Marriage-Bed, that they are mightily
shocked at the Disappointment. A chaste unexperienc’d Man is strangely
surprized, that those bewitching Charms should make such a faint
Impression upon him after a thorow Perusal; he can scarce believe that
the Woman is still possessed of the same Charms which transported him
formerly; he fancies he has discover’d abundance of little Faults and
Imperfections, and attributes his growing Dislike to this Discovery,
not dreaming that this Alteration is entirely in himself, and not in
the Object of Desire, which remains still the same. The Truth is, when
a Man is full fraught with Love, and that his Pulse beats high for
Enjoyment, this peccant Love-Humour falls down upon the Eye, which may
be observ’d at such a time to be full brisk and sparkling: ’Tis then
the Beauty of every Feature is magnified. and _Parthenope_ is no less
than a Goddess. But when this dazzling Humour is drawn downwards by
a Revulsion, as in the Case of Marriage, a Man’s Eyes are perfectly
open’d; and though they may look languid, sunk, and environ’d with
blueish Circles, yet he actually sees much better than before; for
_Parthenope_ will now appear to him a Mortal, such as she really is,
divested of all those false Glosses and Appearances.
The chaste Man is surprized at this Change; he is apt to lay the Fault
upon the Woman, and generally fixes his Affections on some other
Female, who, he imagines, is free from those Faults: then farewel happy
Wedlock. The experienc’d Man, on the contrary, has try’d several Women;
he finds they all agree in one Particular, and that after a Storm of
Love there always succeeds a Calm: When he enters into Matrimony, he is
prepar’d against any Disappointments of that Nature, and is ready to
make Allowance for those Faults and Imperfections which are inseparable
from Human Kind. This is so true, that Women have establish’d a Maxim,
that Rakes make the best Husbands; for they are very sensible how
difficult it is to monopolize a Man’s Affections; that he will have
his Curiosity about those Affairs satisfied one time or other: And
tho’ this Experience is useful before Marriage, it is very dangerous
afterwards.
Besides, to compleat the Happiness of the Marriage-State, or indeed to
make it tolerably easy, there must be some Agreement in the Temper,
Humour, and Disposition of the two Parties concern’d. If, for Instance,
the Man can’t endure the Sight of a _Metropolis_, and the Woman can’t
enjoy herself out of it; if the Man is grave, serious, and an Enemy
to all jocular Merriment, when his Wife is a profess’d Lover of Mirth
and Gaiety, these two can never agree: Differences will arise every
Day, and Differences in Wedlock are as hard to reconcile as those in
Religion: We may guess at the Reason from a parallel Instance.
After the Revocation of the Edict of _Nantz_, several Protestant
Gentlemen were shut up in the _Bastile_ at _Paris_, where they liv’d
constantly together for a considerable Time: They made an Observation,
during their Stay there, That whenever the least Difference or Dispute
happen’d amongst them, it was never reconciled till some time after
their Enlargement; because, said they, altho’ we were Yoke-Fellows
in Affliction, yet never being out of one another’s Company, our
Animosities were always kept up warm, for want of a little Absence to
cool them. It is the same Case with Matrimony; and People ought to be
particularly careful to chuse a Wife as nearly of their own Temper as
possible.
Now this Consideration never enters into the Head of a chaste
unexperienc’d Man, he is so infatuated with personal Love, that he
imagines his whole future Happiness depends upon the Possession of such
a Shape, or such a Composition of Features; when he is disappointed
in this, how much will it add to his Chagrin, to find himself yoked
for Life to a Woman whose Temper is quite opposite to his own, and
consequently whose Satisfaction is quite inconsistent with his? We
may guess the Sequel; separate Beds, separate Maintenance, and all
the whole Train of Conjugal Misfortunes. In short, let us consider
Matrimony under what View we please, we shall still find that the
experienc’d Man will make the best Husband, and answer all the Ends
of Marriage much better than a Man who lives perfectly chaste to his
Wedding-Day.
Thus, we see, by this happy Regulation of the _Publick Stews_, that
Whoring, instead of being an Enemy to Matrimony, will advance and
promote the Interest of it as much as possible.
* * * * *
We come to the last great Point propos’d, _viz_. that this Project of
the _Publick Stews_ will prevent, as much a possible, the debauching
of modest Women, and thereby reduce Whoring to the narrowest Bounds in
which it can possibly be contain’d.
To illustrate this Matter, we must step a little back to consider the
Constitution of Females, while they are in a State of Innocence; and
when we have taken a View of the Fortifications which Nature has made
to preserve their Chastity, we shall find out the Reason why it is so
often surrender’d, and be the better able to provide for its Defence.
Every Woman, who is capable of Conception, must have those Parts
which officiate so framed, that they may be able to perform whatever
is necessary at that Juncture. Now, to have those Parts so rightly
adapted for the Use which Nature design’d them, it is requisite that
they should have a very quick Sensation, and, upon the Application of
the _Male-Organ_, afford the Woman an exquisite Pleasure; for without
this extravagant Pleasure in Fruition, the recipient Organs could never
exert themselves to promote Conception as they now do, in such an
extraordinary Manner: The whole _Vagina_, as one continu’d _Sphincter_,
contracting and embracing the _Penis_, while the _Nymphæ_ and adjacent
Islands have their particular Emissions at that critical Minute,
either as a Vehicle to lubricate the Passage, or else to incorporate
with the Masculine Injection: Add to this, that the _Fallopian Tubes_
put themselves in a proper Posture to receive the impregnating Fluid,
and convey it, as is suppos’d, to the _Ovaria_. Now it is hard to
imagine, that so many alert Members, which can exert themselves in such
a lively Manner on this Occasion, should be at all other Times in a
State of perfect Tranquillity; for, besides that Experience teaches us
the contrary, this handsome Disposition would be entirely useless, if
Nature had not provided a prior Titillation, to provoke Women at first
to enter upon Action; and all our late Discoveries, in Anatomy, can
find out no other Use for the _Clitoris_, but to whet the Female Desire
by its frequent Erections; which are, doubtless, as provoking as those
of the _Penis_, of which it is a perfect Copy, tho’ in Miniature.
In short, there requires no more to convince us of the Violence of
Female Desire, when raised to a proper height, but only to consider,
what a terrible Risque a Woman runs to gratify it. Shame and Poverty
are look’d upon as Trifles, when they come in Competition with
this predominating Passion. But altho’ it must be allow’d, that
all Women are liable to these amorous Desires, yet, the Variety of
Constitutions will make a considerable Difference; for as in some Men
the _Olfactory_, _Auditory_, or _Optick_ Nerves, are not so brisk and
lively as in others, so there are some Women who have the Nerves of
their _Pudenda_ more lively, and endow’d with a much quicker Sensation
than others. Now, whether this Difference is owing to the Formation
of the Nerves, or to the different Velocity of the Blood circulating
thro’ those Parts, or whether it is owing to the different Quantity, or
perhaps Acrimony, of that Fluid which is separated from the Blood by
the _Nymphæ_, and other titillating Glands: I say, from whencesoever
this Difference proceeds, according to the Degree of this Sensation,
we may venture to pronounce a Woman more or less in their own Nature
Chaste.
To counterballance this violent natural Desire, all young Women have
strong Notions of Honour carefully inculcated into them from their
Infancy. Young Girls are taught to hate a _Whore_, before they know
what the Word means; and when they grow up, they find their worldly
Interest entirely depending upon the Reputation of their Chastity. This
Sense of Honour and Interest, is what we may call artificial Chastity;
and it is upon this Compound of natural and artificial Chastity, that
every Woman’s real actual Chastity depends.
As for Instance, some Women are naturally more Chaste, or rather, to
speak properly, less Amorous than others, and at the same time have
very strict Notions of Honour. Such Women are almost impregnable, and
may be compar’d to Towns strongly fortify’d both by Art and Nature,
which, without Treachery, are safe from any sudden Attacks, and must be
reduc’d by long and regular Sieges, such as few Men have the Patience
or Resolution to go thro’ with.
Other Women, again, have the same Value for their Reputation, and
stand as much upon the Puncto of Honour; but then they are naturally
of a very sanguine amorous Disposition. A Woman of this Class may not
unjustly be compar’d to a Town well garrison’d, but whose mutinous
unruly _Inhabitants_ are strongly inclin’d to revolt and _let in_ the
Enemy. Such Women, it’s true, by extraordinary Care and Vigilance
may suppress these Mutinies; and Honour may for a long while keep
Inclination under, but yet they are never perfectly safe; there are
certain Times and Seasons, certain unguarded Hours, when Honour and
Interest are lull’d asleep, and Love has got the entire Ascendant.
Besides, altho’ we allow Love and Honour to be pretty equal Combatants,
nay even granting, that in a _Pitch’d Battle_, when they have muster’d
up all their Forces, Honour will have the Advantage, and quell
Inclination; yet, in the Course of a long _Civil War_, it is Odds but
Love one Time or other obtains a Victory, which is sure to be decisive:
for Inclination has this unlucky Advantage over Honour, that,
instead of being weaken’d, it grows stronger by Subjection; and, like
_Camomile_, the more it is press’d down and kept under, the sturdier it
grows; or, like _Antæus_, it receives fresh Vigour from every Defeat,
and rises the brisker the oftener it is thrown. Whereas Honour once
routed never rallies; nay, the least _Breach_ in Female Reputation is
irreparable; and a _Gap_ in Chastity, like a _Chasm_ in a young Tree,
is every Day a _Widening_. Besides, Honour and Interest require a
long Chain of solid Reasoning before they can be set in Battle-Array:
Whereas Inclination is presently under Arms, the Moment Love has
pitch’d his _Standard_: For, as we find that the least wanton Glance
of a Lady’s Eye quickly alarms a Man’s Animal Spirits, and puts the
whole Body Corporate into an unruly Ferment; so, doubtless, the Female
Imagination is at least equally alert: and in such a sudden Scuffle
betwixt Love and Honour, it is ten to one but the Enemy _enters_; for
the _Gate_ of Chastity, like the _Temple_ of _Janus_, always stands
_open_ during these Conflicts. It must indeed be granted, that if the
Loss of Honour was immediately to succeed the Loss of Chastity, the
Virtue of these Women would be much stronger than it is; but they
flatter themselves with the Hopes of Secrecy, and fancy that they have
found out an Expedient to purchase Pleasure without the Expence of
Reputation; by this Means Honour is reconciled to Inclination, or at
best made to stand Neuter; and then the Consequence is very obvious.
In short, a wanton Woman of Honour may withstand a great many Attacks,
and possibly defend her Chastity to the very last; but yet she is every
Day in danger of being surpriz’d, and at best will make but a very
precarious Defence.
A third Sort of Women, the very Reverse of the preceding, have neither
Honour nor Inclination; that is to say, they have neither the one nor
the other to an equal Degree with the rest of the Sex. These Kinds of
Women, who put a slighter Value than ordinary upon their Characters,
are generally, in their Circumstances, either above the World or below
it; for when a Woman has her Interest and Fortune depending upon her
Reputation, as all the middle Rank of Womankind have, she is a Woman of
Honour of course. Interest, indeed, is inseparable from Female Honour,
nay, it is the very Foundation of it; and Honour and Interest, when
they are consider’d as Guardians to Chastity, are synonimous Terms. The
bare Puncto of Honour, when abstracted from Interest, would prove but
a small Rub to Women in their eager Pursuit of Pleasure: Thus we see
the Conduct of a Maiden Lady, how much more circumspect it is whilst
her Fortune in Marriage is depending, than afterwards, when that Point
of Interest is secured by a Husband; for all marry’d Women are above
the World, in so far as they are out of the Reach of any Suspicions or
Surmises, or even a Probability of Incontinence; and since they are not
liable to be detected by Pregnancy, there’s no other Sort of Conviction
able to prejudice them, but downright ocular Demonstration: Which seems
to be the Reason why so many of them take such Liberties, as if they
were of _Falstaff_’s Opinion, when he said, _Nothing but Eyes confutes
me_. Female Honour, therefore, being so nearly ally’d and closely
annex’d to worldly Interest, we must confine this Class of Women to
two Sorts: First, those whose Fortunes are independent, and above
being influenc’d by the Censure of the World; and, secondly, those
who are far below the World, that they either escape its Censure, or
else are incapable of being hurt by it. The first Sort lie under this
Disadvantage, that let their natural Chastity be ever so great, the
smallest Spark of Desire is capable of being blown up and rais’d to a
considerable Pitch; whereas, when a Woman is once arriv’d to Maturity,
that Portion of Honour which she has acquir’d, is with Difficulty
preserv’d, and at best is incapable of any Improvement. The second Sort
are equally liable to have their Passions rais’d, however low they may
be naturally, and besides lie under this farther Disadvantage, that
tho’ they cannot promote their Interest by preserving their Chastity,
yet, if they have the least Spark of Beauty, they will find their
Account sufficiently in parting with it. The Virtue, indeed, of this
Class of Women, seems chiefly to depend upon the Degree of Beauty which
they stand possess’d of; for if they have Charms sufficient to provoke
young Men to be at any tolerable Pains and Cost, their Chastity can
never hold out long, but must infallibly surrender.
The fourth and last Kind of Women we shall mention, are those who have
a very moderate Share of Honour, join’d to a very amorous Constitution.
The Virtue of these Women is entirely defenceless; and, as soon as
a Man has removed that little timorous Coyness, which is natural to
young Women in their first Attempts, he may proceed with Confidence,
and conclude the Breach to be practicable; for whatever Resistance he
meets with afterwards, will only enhance the Pleasure of Conquest. Most
Women, indeed, let them be ever so fully resolv’d to comply, make as
great a Shew of Resistance as they can conveniently counterfeit; and
this the Sex would pass upon the World for a kind of innate Modesty:
but it is very easily accounted for.
As soon as Women have entertain’d any Degree of Love, they make it
their whole Study to raise and maintain an equal Degree of Passion in
the Men; and they are very sensible how far the bare Appearance of
Modesty will prevail to render them amiable. The Pain they suffer in
smothering their Desires, is fully recompenced by that secret Pleasure
which a Lover’s Eagerness gives them, because they esteem it a Proof
both of the Sincerity and Violence of his Passion. A Woman is not,
without some Reason, afraid, lest a Man’s Love should diminish after
Enjoyment, and would gladly bribe his After-Love, by the great Value
she seems to put upon her Chastity before she makes him a Present of it.
Besides, not to mention the actual Pleasure a Woman receives in
Struggling, it is a Justification of her in the Eye of the Man, and a
kind of _Salvo_ to her Honour and Conscience, that she never did fully
comply, but was in a manner forced into it. This is the plain natural
Reason why most Women refuse to _surrender_ upon _Treaty_, and why
they delight so much in being _storm’d_.
Having thus taken a cursory View of the Sex, in their several Classes,
and according to their several Circumstances, we may conclude,
preferring Truth to Complaisance, that by far the greater Part of
Womenkind hold their Virtue very precariously; and that Female Chastity
is, in its own Nature, built upon a very _ticklish_ Foundation.
_Hudibras_ has ludicrously plac’d the Seat of Male-Honour, in the
Posteriors, whereby it is secur’d from any Attack in Front; but Female
Honour, notwithstanding the apparent Safety of the Situation, like a
Debtor’s House upon the Verge of two Counties, is liable to be attack’d
both Ways; _à parte_ ante, & _à parte_ post,
That the Seat of Honour in Females has this double Aspect, like _Janus
bifrons_, and consequently that it is two Ways accessible, has already
been taken Notice of by almost all the _Writers_ upon this Subject; but
it is worth remarking here, that _Lycurgus_ had an Eye to it when he
modelled the _Spartan_ Petticoat; for tho’ the Warmth of the Climate
obliged the Women to be very open in that Part of their Dress, insomuch
that, if we believe _Plutarch_, in his Comparison of _Numa_ and
_Lycurgus_, the Habit which the Maidens of _Laconia_ wore came but to
their Knees, and was open on both Sides, so that as they walked their
Thighs appear’d bare; yet this wise _Law-giver_ would not permit them
to make the least Aperture, either in the fore or hind Part of that
Garment; rightly judging, that those two sacred _Avenues_ to a Maid’s
Honour ought to be guarded with the utmost Caution.
For this same Reason the upright Posture of the Body has always
been esteem’d the most decent; and it has ever been the Mode, in
all Countries, for Ladies to cursey instead of bowing: for, tho’ a
Female-Bow, might seem a modest and coy Reclension of the Body, with
regard to the Person saluted, yet it would occasion a very indecent
Projection to those who should happen to be behind; especially since
that dangerous Fashion of _Postern-Plackets_ has crept into the
_European_ Petticoat.
* * * * *
But to return to our present Argument, the Design of which was to prove
the following _Syllogism_.
The only way to preserve Female Chastity, is to prevent the Men from
laying Siege to it: And this Project of the _Publick Stews_ is the only
Way to prevent Mens laying Siege to it: Therefore this Project is the
only Way to preserve Female Chastity.
The former Part of the Proposition is, I hope, sufficiently proved.
It is, indeed, evident, from the bare Consideration of the Nature of
Females, that if the Men are suffer’d to go on, as they now do, in
the Pursuit of Pleasure, there is no possible Way can be found out,
effectually, to secure the Virtue of any one Woman of any Rank, or in
any Station of Life. If a Woman is handsome, she has the more Tryals to
undergo; if homely, and for that Reason seldom attack’d, the Novelty of
the Address makes the greater Impression: If she is married, it is odds
but there’s a Failure at home, and habitual Pleasures are not easily
foregone, especially when they may be enjoy’d with Safety: If a Maid,
her unexperienc’d Virgin-Heart is capable of any Impression: If she is
rich, Ease and Luxury make the Blood run mad; and Love, if high-dieted,
is ungovernable: If poor, she will be the easier bribed, when Love and
Avarice jointly must be gratified.
In short, to sum up all, there is in the Passion of Love a certain
fatal _Crisis_, to which all Womenkind are capable of being wrought-up:
The Difference of Virtue consisting only in this, that it is very hard
to work a virtuous Woman up to this _Crisis_, and requires a very
unlucky Concurrence of Circumstances: Whereas a Woman without a good
Stock of Virtue, must have an unaccountable Series of good Fortune if
she escapes. But, virtuous or not virtuous, when this Passion is once
rais’d to the _critical_ Height, it is absolutely irresistible.
Since therefore Female Virtue cannot effectually be secured, but by
preventing the Men from laying Siege to it, it remains for us to
examine, if this Prevention can be effected by any other Method than
that of erecting the _Publick Stews_, and whether or no when erected,
they will have the desired Effect.
That young Men, in a good State of Health, have their Desires towards
Women much stronger, and more violent, than for the Enjoyment of any
thing else in this Life, is a Truth not to be contested. And it is
likewise as certain, that young Men will gratify these Desires, unless
the _Legislature_ can affix such a Penalty to the Commission of the
Fact, that the Apprehension of the Penalty may give their Minds more
Uneasiness, than refraining from the Gratification.
Now there are but three Things which Men fear in this Life, _viz._
Shame, Poverty, and Bodily Pain, and consequently but three Sorts of
Punishments, which the _Legislature_ can inflict. The first of these,
indeed, might be omitted; for Shame is so very little in the Power
of the Laws, that it hardly deserves the Name of a Penalty. If the
Pillory, and such like infamous Punishments, are more terrible for the
Shame that attends them, than for the bodily Pain, it is not because
such a Posture of a Man’s Body, with his Neck through a Hole, is in
itself ignominious, or that any Law can make it so; but because it
publishes to the World, that a Man has been prov’d to commit such a
certain Action, in its own Nature scandalous, which he is asham’d to
have thus publickly made known. The truth is, “Honour and Dishonour
being only the different Opinions of Mankind, as to the Good or Evil
of any Action; and these Opinions in the Mind arising, as Dr. _Clarke_
well observes, from the natural Fitness or Unfitness of the Actions
themselves, cannot be alter’d or determin’d by any _Secular Force_.”
And that they are entirely out of the Power of the _Legislature_, is
evident in the Instance of _Duelling_; where a Man often receives
Honour for a _Breach_ of the Law, nay is forced to _break_ it in
_Defence_ of his Honour.
The utmost Scandal, therefore, which the Laws can affix to any
Action, is to make a full and open Publication of the Fact: Now it is
evident that this Publication cannot have a sufficient Influence over
Mens Minds to deter them from Wenching, a Crime which meets with so
favourable a Reception in the Eye of the World, that young Men are not
asham’d to boast of it.