BOOK　II：　OF　THEIR　SLAVES；　AND　OF　THEIR　MARRIAGES
  THEY　do　not　make　slaves　of　prisoners　of　war；　except　those　that　are
  taken　in　battle；　nor　of　the　sons　of　their　slaves；　nor　of　those　of
  other　nations：　the　slaves　among　them　are　only　such　as　are
  condemned　to　that　state　of　life　for　the　commission　of　some　crime；
  or；　which　is　more　common；　such　as　their　merchants　find　condemned
  to　die　in　those　parts　to　which　they　trade；　whom　they　sometimes
  redeem　at　low　rates；　and　in　other　places　have　them　for　nothing。
  They　are　kept　at　perpetual　labor；　and　are　always　chained；　but　with
  this　difference；　that　their　own　natives　are　treated　much　worse
  than　others；　they　are　considered　as　more　profligate　than　the　rest；
  and　since　they　could　not　be　restrained　by　the　advantages　of　so
  excellent　an　education；　are　judged　worthy　of　harder　usage。　Another
  sort　of　slaves　are　the　poor　of　the　neighboring　countries；　who
  offer　of　their　own　accord　to　come　and　serve　them；　they　treat　these
  better；　and　use　them　in　all　other　respects　as　well　as　their　own
  countrymen；　except　their　imposing　more　labor　upon　them；　which　is
  no　hard　task　to　those　that　have　been　accustomed　to　it；　and　if　any
  of　these　have　a　mind　to　go　back　to　their　own　country；　which　indeed
  falls　out　but　seldom；　as　they　do　not　force　them　to　stay；　so　they
  do　not　send　them　away　empty…handed。
  I　have　already　told　you　with　what　care　they　look　after　their　sick；
  so　that　nothing　is　left　undone　that　can　contribute　either　to　their
  ease　or　health：　and　for　those　who　are　taken　with　fixed　and
  incurable　diseases；　they　use　all　possible　ways　to　cherish　them；
  and　to　make　their　lives　as　comfortable　as　possible。　They　visit
  them　often；　and　take　great　pains　to　make　their　time　pass　off
  easily：　but　when　any　is　taken　with　a　torturing　and　lingering　pain；
  so　that　there　is　no　hope；　either　of　recovery　or　ease；　the　priests
  and　magistrates　come　and　exhort　them；　that　since　they　are　now
  unable　to　go　on　with　the　business　of　life；　are　become　a　burden　to
  themselves　and　to　all　about　them；　and　they　have　really　outlived
  themselves；　they　should　no　longer　nourish　such　a　rooted　distemper；
  but　choose　rather　to　die；　since　they　cannot　live　but　in　much
  misery：　being　assured；　that　if　they　thus　deliver　themselves　from
  torture；　or　are　willing　that　others　should　do　it；　they　shall　be
  happy　after　death。　Since　by　their　acting　thus；　they　lose　none　of
  the　pleasures　but　only　the　troubles　of　life；　they　think　they
  behave　not　only　reasonably；　but　in　a　manner　consistent　with
  religion　and　piety；　because　they　follow　the　advice　given　them　by
  their　priests；　who　are　the　expounders　of　the　will　of　God。　Such　as
  are　wrought　on　by　these　persuasions；　either　starve　themselves　of
  their　own　accord；　or　take　opium；　and　by　that　means　die　without
  pain。　But　no　man　is　forced　on　this　way　of　ending　his　life；　and　if
  they　cannot　be　persuaded　to　it；　this　does　not　induce　them　to　fail
  in　their　attendance　and　care　of　them；　but　as　they　believe　that　a
  voluntary　death；　when　it　is　chosen　upon　such　an　authority；　is　very
  honorable；　so　if　any　man　takes　away　his　own　life　without　the
  approbation　of　the　priests　and　the　Senate；　they　give　him　none　of
  the　honors　of　a　decent　funeral；　but　throw　his　body　into　a　ditch。
  Their　women　are　not　married　before　eighteen；　nor　their　men　before
  two…and…twenty；　and　if　any　of　them　run　into　forbidden　embraces
  before　marriage　they　are　severely　punished；　and　the　privilege　of
  marriage　is　denied　them；　unless　they　can　obtain　a　special　warrant
  from　the　Prince。　Such　disorders　cast　a　great　reproach　upon　the
  master　and　mistress　of　the　family　in　which　they　happen；　for　it　is
  supposed　that　they　have　failed　in　their　duty。　The　reason　of
  punishing　this　so　severely　is；　because　they　think　that　if　they
  were　not　strictly　restrained　from　all　vagrant　appetites；　very　few
  would　engage　in　a　state　in　which　they　venture　the　quiet　of　their
  whole　lives；　by　being　confined　to　one　person；　and　are　obliged　to
  endure　all　the　inconveniences　with　which　it　is　accompanied。
  In　choosing　their　wives　they　use　a　method　that　would　appear　to　us
  very　absurd　and　ridiculous；　but　it　is　constantly　observed　among
  them；　and　is　accounted　perfectly　consistent　with　wisdom。　Before
  marriage　some　grave　matron　presents　the　bride　naked；　whether　she
  is　a　virgin　or　a　widow；　to　the　bridegroom；　and　after　that　some
  grave　man　presents　the　bridegroom　naked　to　the　bride。　We　indeed
  both　laughed　at　this；　and　condemned　it　as　very　indecent。　But　they；
  on　the　other　hand；　wondered　at　the　folly　of　the　men　of　all　other
  nations；　who；　if　they　are　but　to　buy　a　horse　of　a　small　value；　are
  so　cautious　that　they　will　see　every　part　of　him；　and　take　off
  both　his　saddle　and　all　his　other　tackle；　that　there　may　be　no
  secret　ulcer　hid　under　any　of　them；　and　that　yet　in　the　choice　of
  a　wife；　on　which　depends　the　happiness　or　unhappiness　of　the　rest
  of　his　life；　a　man　should　venture　upon　trust；　and　only　see　about　a
  hand's…breadth　of　the　face；　all　the　rest　of　the　body　being
  covered；　under　which　there　may　lie　hid　what　may　be　contagious　as
  well　as　loathsome。　All　men　are　not　so　wise　as　to　choose　a　woman
  only　for　her　good　qualities；　and　even　wise　men　consider　the　body
  as　that　which　adds　not　a　little　to　the　mind：　and　it　is　certain
  there　may　be　some　such　deformity　covered　with　the　clothes　as　may
  totally　alienate　a　man　from　his　wife　when　it　is　too　late　to　part
  from　her。　If　such　a　thing　is　discovered　after　marriage；　a　man　has
  no　remedy　but　patience。　They　therefore　think　it　is　reasonable　that
  there　should　be　good　provision　made　against　such　mischievous
  frauds。
  There　was　so　much　the　more　reason　for　them　to　make　a　regulation　in
  this　matter；　because　they　are　the　only　people　of　those　parts　that
  neither　allow　of　polygamy　nor　of　divorces；　except　in　the　case　of
  adultery　or　insufferable　perverseness；　for　in　these　cases　the
  Senate　dissolves　the　marriage；　and　grants　the　injured　person　leave
  to　marry　again；　but　the　guilty　are　made　infamous；　and　are　never
  allowed　the　privilege　of　a　second　marriage。　None　are　suffered　to
  put　away　their　wives　against　their　wills；　from　any　great　calamity
  that　may　have　fallen　on　their　persons；　for　they　look　on　it　as　the
  height　of　cruelty　and　treachery　to　abandon　either　of　the　married
  persons　when　they　need　most　the　tender　care　of　their　comfort；　and
  that　chiefly　in　the　case　of　old　age；　which　as　it　carries　many
  diseases　along　with　it；　so　it　is　a　disease　of　itself。　But　it
  frequently　falls　out　that　when　a　married　couple　do　not　well　agree；
  they　by　mutual　consent　separate；　and　find　out　other　persons　with
  whom　they　hope　they　may　live　more　happily。　Yet　this　is　not　done
  without　obtaining　leave　of　the　Senate；　which　never　admits　of　a
  divorce　but　upon　a　strict　inquiry　made；　both　by　the　Senators　and
  their　wives；　into　the　grounds　upon　which　it　is　desired；　and　even
  when　they　are　satisfied　concerning　the　reasons　of　it；　they　go　on
  but　slowly；　for　they　imagine　that　too　great　easiness　in　granting
  leave　for　new　marriages　would　very　much　shake　the　kindness　of
  married　people。　They　punish　severely　those　that　defile　the
  marriage…bed。　If　both　parties　are　married　they　are　divorced；　and
  the　injured　persons　may　marry　one　another；　or　whom　they　please；
  but　the　adulterer　and　the　adulteress　are　condemned　to　slavery。　Yet
  if　either　of　the　injured　persons　cannot　shake　off　the　love　of　the
  married　person；　they　may　live　with　them　still　in　that　state；　but
  they　must　follow　them　to　that　labor　to　which　the　slaves　are
  condemned；　and　sometimes　the　repentance　of　the　condemned；　together
  with　the　unshaken　kindness　of　the　innocent　and　injured　person；　has
  prevailed　so　far　with　the　Prince　that　he　has　taken　off　the
  sentence；　but　those　that　relapse　after　they　are　once　pardoned　are
  punished　with　death。
  Their　law　does　not　determine　the　punishment　for　other　crimes；　but
  that　is　left　to　the　Senate；　to　temper　it　according　to　the
  circumstances　of　the　fact。　Husbands　have　power　to　correct　their
  wives；　and　parents　to　chastise　their　children；　unless　the　fault　is
  so　great　that　a　public　punishment　is　thought　necessary　for
  striking　terror　into　others。　For　the　most　part；　slave