ht,
nor even visiting his bride but with great caution and apprehensions of
being discovered by the rest of the family; the bride at the same time
exerted all her art to contrive convenient opportunities for their
private meetings. And this they did not for a short time only, but some
of them even had children before they had an interview with their wives
in the daytime. This kind of commerce not only exercised their
temperance and chastity, but kept their bodies fruitful, and the first
ardour of their love fresh and unabated; for as they were not satiated
like those that are always with their wives, there still was place for
unextinguished desire. When he had thus established a proper regard to
modesty and decorum with respect to marriage, he was equally studious to
drive from that state the vain and womanish passion of jealousy; by
making it quite as reputable to have children in common with persons of
merit, as to avoid all offensive freedom in their own behaviour to their
wives. He laughed at those who revenge with wars and bloodshed the
communication of a married woman's favours; and allowed, that if a man
in years should have a young wife, he might introduce to her some
handsome and honest young man, whom he most approved of, and when she
had a child of this generous race, bring it up as his own. On the other
hand, he allowed, that if a man of character should entertain a passion
for a married woman on account of her modesty and the beauty of her
children, he might treat with her husband for admission to her company,
that so planting in a beauty-bearing soil, he might produce excellent
children, the congenial offspring of excellent parents. For, in the
first place, Lycurgus considered children, not so much the property of
their parents as of the state; and therefore he would not have them
begot by ordinary persons, but by the best men in it. In the next place,
he observed the vanity and absurdity of other nations, where people
study to have their horses and dogs of the finest breed they can procure
either by interest or money; and yet keep their wives shut up, that they
may have children by none but themselves, though they may happen to be
doting, decrepit, or infirm. As if children, when sprung from a bad
stock, and consequently good for nothing, were no detriment to those
whom they belong to, and who have the trouble of bringing them up, nor
any advantage, when well descended and of a generous disposition. These