The normal idea of matrimony supposes a perfect union, in which husband and wife mutually live for each other: but if a man has several wives, all of whom have to regard him as their only husband, and to bear him unswerving fealty, how can he reciprocate this devotion, seeing that he cannot belong wholly to more than one? In polygamy there cannot be a perfect matrimonial alliance, or an equal surrender of husband and wife to one another; for whilst each wife is expected to devote herself wholly to the husband, the husband, being only one, cannot give himself wholly to each one of several wives, and consequently he is not a true and real husband to any of them. The union between husband and wife being thus incomplete, how could we expect it to produce a united and healthy family life? The house of a man living in polygamy cannot form one united family at all, but as many defective families as there are wives. Each wife of a polygamist, with her children, has her own separate family interests, differing from those of her husband, and those of every one of his other wives. Hence the common experience, to which even the harem of the Arabian prophet itself proved no exception [see Suratu't-Tahrim (lxvi) 1-5], that wherever there is more than one wife, there must also be endless feuds and jealousies. ¹ It is therefore not surprising, that, in spite of the sanction of their

religion, comparatively few of the richer Muslims, especially in Turkey, indulge in marrying more than one wife, and the poor very rarely; a fact which clearly proves that polygamy is an unnatural institution, unsuited to the actual circumstances of human society. Nor can it be denied that it is degrading to the female sex; for it rests upon the admission that one woman is inadequate to the duty and dignity of conjugal companionship, and that a man consults his happiness more by having two, three, or four wives. There can be little doubt, that if women in Muhammadan countries were more enlightened and educated, they would scorn to accept so degrading a position. It is undeniable that Islam, in sanctioning polygamy, departed at once from the practice of the Christian world during the previous six hundred years, and the normal law of the divine Creator; for nothing is more clearly established by the statistical science of modern times than that the primal law of the Creator, ordaining one woman for one man, remains unaltered; since it is found all over the world that the proportion of male and female births is still about equal. It is evident, then, that no provision has been made by the God of nature for Muhammad's plurality of wives, and that his precepts, and practice on this head are in direct antagonism to natural and revealed law. Hence it follows as a general result, in ordinary circumstances, that where