The wife is his slave, the children his servants.

This king sleeps or smokes his pipe, while his wife and daughters perform all the drudgery of the house, and even that of tillage and cultivation, as far as occupations of this nature are practised in such societies; and no sooner have the boys acquired strength then they are allowed to beat the females and make them serve and wait upon them as they do upon their fathers.

Similar to this is the state of our own uncivilized peasants.

In proportion as civilization spreads, the manners become milder, and the condition of the women improves, till, by a contrary excess, they arrive at dominion, and then a nation becomes effeminate and corrupt.
It is remarkable that parental authority is great in proportion as the government is despotic.

China, India, and Turkey are striking examples of this.