he Romans the
general respect for its peculiar virtues, and the consideration for its
weakness which forms one of the brightest pages of modern civilization.
With the spread of Christianity, there was for centuries no
improvement. The low standard by which the Jews had judged the sex
exerted a strong and an evil influence. The spirit of asceticism,
rapidly gaining ground in the Roman Church, pointed out absolute
chastity in both sexes as the only praiseworthy condition of life, made
marriage only an excusable sin, and recognized in that relationship,
merely its use for the propagation of the species. Views so absurd and
unnatural could not fail in producing the most evil results. Woman came
to be regarded by the church as the origin of all sin, the favorite
medium of the temptations of the Devil, the sanctity and happiness of
marriage were interfered with, and the priesthood, debarred from that
condition, showed themselves not insensible to the charms they so
fiercely denounced, and presented to their flocks demoralizing examples
of profligacy. The Northern invaders brought with them their own ideas
concerning women, rough and crude, but containing the germ of much
good. Being met by Christianity, they embraced it in large numbers,
unreflectingly, at the command of their leaders. But in embracing it
they changed it to suit themselves. Their minds were unfit for the
reception of the dogmas of the church, or for the realization and
worship of an invisible being. They seized on the ideas of Christ, the
Virgin Mary, and the Saints, and worshipped in a great degree their old
gods under the new names. But of the new objects of worship, Mary most
struck their imaginations and won their affection. The meek and
forgiving Christ was unsuited to their fierce and warlike dispositions.
But Mary, the beautiful, the tender, the merciful mother of God became
the object of an enthusiastic adoration, and with the worship of Mary
the position of the whole sex was elevated. The brutish and unnatural
teachings of the Fathers were overridden by the new and noble ideas
which were springing up. Doctrines such as that of the Immaculate
Conception rapidly won ground, and Catholic Mariolatry, taking root in
the fertile soil of Northern chivalry, worked benefits which have
lasted down to our own time, and conferred great blessings upon it.

The purely military character of feudalism impressed itself on the
habits of the time, and moulded domestic