nd Islamite polygamy, which regard woman as
merchandise and place her entirely under the dependence of man, are
barbarous customs of semi-civilized people, which have already fallen
into disuse. Polyandry is contrary to human nature and to the
requirements of reproduction, and its implantation is everywhere a
sign of decadence. Our present religious monogamy, completed by the
shameful promiscuity of prostitution, is both hypocritical and
unhealthy. Till the contrary is proved, I consider the most
advantageous form of marriage for the future a kind of free monogamy
(eventually polygamy), accompanied by obligations relative to the
procreation of children and to the children procreated. Polyandry
should only have an accessory right to existence in certain
pathological or exceptional cases. We shall return to this point
later.

DURATION OF MARRIAGE

Among birds, marriage is generally concluded for life; among mammals
rarely for more than a year, with the exception of the anthropoid apes
and man.

The duration of marriage varies enormously in man. Among the
Andamanese, the Weddas, certain Papous, marriage can only cease with
death. Among the North American Indians, on the contrary, it is only
concluded for a limited period. Among the Wyandottes the custom exists
of trial marriages for several days. In Greenland, divorce often takes
place at the end of six months. Among the Creeks marriage does not
last more than a year. In this way is constituted a kind of polygamy
by succession or limited monogamy, which results in the father not
knowing his children.

Among the Botocudos, marriage is performed without ceremonies and only
lasts a short time; it can be broken off on the slightest pretext, for
the pleasure of changing; divorce then becomes as frequent as
marriage. This is also the case in Queensland, Tasmania and the Samoan
islands. Among the Dyaks and Cingalese, quite young men and women have
already had several wives or husbands; a man often marries and deserts
the same woman several times, to take others during the intervals.
Among the Mantras there are men who have been married forty or fifty
times.

In Persia a woman may marry for periods varying from one hour to
ninety-nine years. In Egypt similar customs are met with; a monthly
change is allowed, so that a man may marry twenty or thirty times in
two years. Among the Maues of Sahara the women consider it
fashionable to marry as often as possible, and a long ma