“In primitive countries the married woman—that is to say, the woman belonging to a man—has herself the conscience of being a thing, a property (it is proved to her often and severely enough), but she does not think of retaliating, especially in what concerns the conjugal relations. Moreover, as her condition is oftenest that of a slave overburdened with work, not only does she not resent the introduction of other women in the house of the master, but she desires it, for the work will be so much the less for herself. Thus among the Zulus the wife first purchased strives and works with ardour in the hope of furnishing her husband with means to acquire a second wife, a companion in misery over whom, by right of seniority, she will have the upper hand.”—(“The Evolution of Marriage,” Chap. VIII.) Yet, in point of fact, this is not woman seeking to establish her own dominion, but rather to secure somewhat more of freedom for herself. As Alexandre Dumas fils tells us, concerning the Mormon women:— “Non seulement elles donnent leur consentement à leurs maris, quand ils le leur demandent pour un nouveau mariage, mais elles sont quelquefois les premières à leur proposer une nouvelle femme qui a, disent-elles, des qualités nécessaires à la communauté, en réalité pour augmenter un peu la possession d’elles-mêmes, c’est-à-dire leur liberté.”—(“Les Femmes qui Tuent,” &c., p. 169.) 8.—“... _vassalage to man_.” The Laureate Rowe makes his heroine bitterly but with reason exclaim:— “How hard is the condition of our sex, Through every state of life the slaves of man! In all the dear delightful days of youth, A rigid father dictates to our wills, And deals out pleasure with a scanty hand: To his, the tyrant husband’s reign succeeds; Proud with opinions of superior reason, He holds domestic business and devotion All we are capable to know, and shuts us, Like cloistered idiots, from the world’s acquaintance And all the joys of freedom. Wherefore are we Born with high souls, but to assert ourselves, Shake off this vile obedience they exact, And claim an equal empire o’er the world?” —(“The Fair Penitent,” Act III. sc. i.)