By The Laws Of This Country, These Nayres Cannot Marry, So That No One
Has Any Certain Or Acknowledged Son Or Father; All Their Children Being
Born Of Mistresses, With Each Of Whom Three Or Four Nayres Cohabit By
Agreement Among Themselves.
Each one of this confraternity dwells a day
in his turn with the joint mistress, counting from noon of one day to the
same time of the next, after which he departs, and another comes for the
like time.
They thus spend their lives without the care or trouble of
wives and children, yet maintain their mistresses well according to their
rank. Any one may forsake his mistress at his pleasure; and in like
manner, the mistress may refuse admittance to any one oL her lovers when
she pleases. These mistresses are all gentlewomen of the Nayre cast; and
the nayres, besides being prohibited from marrying, must not attach
themselves to any woman of a different rank. Considering that there are
always several men attached to one woman, the nayres never look upon any
of these children born of their mistresses as belonging to them, however
strong a resemblance may subsist, and all inheritances among the nayres
go to their brothers, or the sons of their sisters, born of the same
mothers, all relationship being counted only by female consanguinity and
descent. This strange law prohibiting marriage, was established, that
they might have neither wives or children on whom to fix their love and
attachment; and that being free from all family cares, they might the
more willingly devote themselves entirely to warlike service.
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