g and singing, all became intoxicated and went to
sleep. If the recently-married couple did not suit each other, another
sacrifice was ordered, in which the bridegroom himself danced and slew
the victim--the while talking to his anito, and offering himself to
it for the sake of peace and harmony with his wife. That having been
done, he calmed himself, confident that then and thenceforth the two
would live in harmony, and enjoy their married life in peace.

These nations consider it important to take a wife only from their
own family, and the nearer the better. Only they except the first
grade [of kinship], for they always considered that as a dissolving
impediment. But what marriages were those in which the contract was
not indissoluble, and could be dissolved by the woman, if she were to
blame, merely returning the dowry! If the husband were to blame, it
was not returned; and the marriage could be repudiated by themselves,
without any solemnity of law. That was done daily for very slight
causes, and new marriages were formed with others. Polygamy was not
the fashion among the Tagalogs. However, if the wife bore no children,
the husband could with his wife's permission have them by his slave
women, in accordance with the example of the ancient patriarchs. Among
the principal Visayans, the ministers of the gospel found established
the custom of having two or more legitimate wives, and large dowries,
which was a great obstacle to Christianity.

123. Thus far in regard to marriage. As to the children and their
succession and inheritance, if they were legitimate they inherited
equally in the property of their parents. For lack of legitimate
children the nearest relatives inherited. If there were illegitimate
children, who had for example been had by a free woman, they had their
share in the inheritance, but not equally with the legitimate children,
for the latter received two-thirds, and the illegitimate one-third. But
if there were no legitimate children then the illegitimate received
all the inheritance. The children of a slave woman who belonged to
the man were given some part of the household effects, according to
the will of the legitimate children. In addition the mother became
free for the very reason that her master had had a child by her.

There were also adopted children, and the practice was that the one
adopted bought his adoption. For the natural parent gave a certain sum
to the adopted parent in order to hav