king of her mind, than is contained in the
following pages.

The details of the domestic and social life of the early Hindoos would
not be complete without mention of the courtesan, and Part VI. is
entirely devoted to this subject. The Hindoos have ever had the good
sense to recognise courtesans as a part and portion of human society,
and so long as they behaved themselves with decency and propriety, they
were regarded with a certain respect. Anyhow, they have never been
treated in the East with that brutality and contempt so common in the
West, while their education has always been of a superior kind to that
bestowed upon the rest of womankind in Oriental countries.

In the earlier days the well-educated Hindoo dancing girl and courtesan
doubtless resembled the Hetera of the Greeks, and being educated and
amusing, were far more acceptable as companions than the generality of
the married or unmarried women of that period. At all times and in all
countries, there has ever been a little rivalry between the chaste and
the unchaste. But while some women are born courtesans, and follow the
instincts of their nature in every class of society, it has been truly
said by some authors that every woman has got an inkling of the
profession in her nature, and does her best, as a general rule, to make
herself agreeable to the male sex.

The subtlety of women, their wonderful perceptive powers, their
knowledge, and their intuitive appreciation of men and things, are all
shown in the following pages, which may be looked upon as a concentrated
essence that has been since worked up into detail by many writers in
every quarter of the globe.

CHAPTER I.

OF THE CAUSES OF A COURTESAN RESORTING TO MEN; OF THE MEANS OF ATTACHING
TO HERSELF THE MAN DESIRED; AND OF THE KIND OF MAN THAT IT IS DESIRABLE
TO BE ACQUAINTED WITH.

By having intercourse with men courtesans obtain sexual pleasure, as
well as their own maintenance. Now when a courtesan takes up with a man
from love, the action is natural; but when she resorts to him for the
purpose of getting money, her action is artificial or forced. Even in
the latter case, however, she should conduct herself as if her love were
indeed natural, because men repose their confidence on those women who
apparently love them. In making known her love to the man she should
show an entire freedom from avarice, and for the sake of her future
credit she should abstain from acquiring money from hi