[Footnote 662: "They that will, from this Example, be fond of Marrying Cousin-Germans, Let 'em!"--_Ibid._, II, 19.] [Footnote 663: _Ibid._; _cf. ibid._, I, 290-93, where Sewall opposes the marriage of his cousin John Sewall with the _widow_ of the latter's cousin german; also _ibid._, I, 17; and his _Diary_, in 5 _Mass. Hist. Coll._, V, 96, 424, for further illustrations.] [Footnote 664: The Mosaic code does not clearly prohibit marriage with a _deceased_ wife's sister: Lev., chaps. 18, 20; Deut., chaps. 23, 27. _Cf._ MIELZINER, _Jewish Law of Marriage and Divorce_, 31-40; and chap. xi, sec. ii, _b_.] [Footnote 665: WHITMORE, _Col. Laws of Mass._ (1672-86), 102; _Mass. Col. Rec._, IV, Part II, 454.] [Footnote 666: They published the decision in a printed tract of eight pages: _The Answer of Several Ministers to that Case of Conscience whether it is Lawful for a man to Marry his Wife's own sister_: GODDARD, in _Mem. Hist. Bost._, II, 415 n. 2.] [Footnote 667: "Friday, June 14. The Bill against Incest was passed with the Deputies, four and twenty Nos, and seven and twenty Yeas. The Ministers gave in their Arguments yesterday in Writing; else it had hardly gon, because several have married their wives sisters, and the Deputies thought it hard to part them. 'Twas concluded on the other hand, that not to part them, were to make the Law abortive, by begetting in people a conceipt that such Marriages were not against the Law of God."--SEWALL, _Diary_, in 5 _Mass. Hist. Coll._, V, 407; _cf._ MCKENZIE, in _Mem. Hist. Bost._, II, 197.] [Footnote 668: But, on the other hand, marriage with a husband's brother or nephew is not expressly prohibited; _cf._ 5 _Mass. Hist. Coll._, V, 407, note.] [Footnote 669: _Acts and Resolves_, I, 209; also _Charters and General Laws of Mass._, 283. GODDARD, _Mem. Hist. Bost._, II, 415 n. 2, is plainly in error when he says that this act "suggested the leading incident of HAWTHORNE'S _Scarlet Letter_." It probably originated in the similar law, already mentioned, for the punishment of adultery which is expressed in nearly the same words: see _Acts and Resolves_, I, 171.] [Footnote 670: 5 _Mass. Hist. Coll._, V, 407 n. 1.]