PHI LOS 0 P H Y . - Classic Works of Apologetics Online

DulJ of Parmls.
celibacy is in whion with the men, a father should
endeav.1ur to enable his daughten to lead a single
life with independency and dec:o!'Um, even though
he subtract more for that purpose from the portions
of t,is sons, tban is agreeable to modem usage, or than
they But expect.b went b· e exJgences f b · era}. •
0 t en- sev S1tuabO!lS
are ?rovided for, and not before, a parent ought
to aduut the second consideration, the satisfaction of
his children's expectations; and upon that principle
to prefer the eldest son to the rest, and sons to
daughters: which con..qjtut~
the right, and the
whole right of primogcnitm·e, as well 2S the only
reason for the preference of one sex to the other.
The preference, indeed, of the first born bas one
public good effect, that if the estate were divided
equally amongst the sons, it would probably make
them all idle; whereas, by the present rule of de ..
scent, it mak~ only one so; which is the less evil of
the two. And it must fanber be observed on the
part of son..~ that ~if the rest of the community make
!t a rule to prefc sons to daughters, an individual
cf that co!~munity ought to guide himself by the
~e rule, upon pricciples of mere equality. For,
as the son suffers by the rule in the fortune he may
expect in marriage, it is but reasonable that he
should receive the advantage of it in his own inheritance.
Indeed, whatever the rule ~, as to the
preference of one sex to the other, marriage restores
the equality. And as moltey is generally more
convertible to profit, and more likely to promote
industry, in the hands of men than of women, tbe
custom of this country may properly be complied
with, when it does not interfere with the weightier
reason explained in the last paragraph.
The point of the children's actual expectations, together
with the expediency of subjecting the illicit
commerce of the sexes to every discourag€ment
which it an receive, nlakes the diflcrence between
the claims of legitimate children and of bastards. But