he observed the vanity and absurdity of other nations, where people
study to have their horses and dogs of the finest breed they can procure
either by interest or money; and yet keep their wives shut up, that they
may have children by none but themselves, though they may happen to be
doting, decrepit, or infirm. As if children, when sprung from a bad
stock, and consequently good for nothing, were no detriment to those
whom they belong to, and who have the trouble of bringing them up, nor
any advantage, when well descended and of a generous disposition. These
regulations tending to secure a healthy offspring, and consequently
beneficial to the state, were so far from encouraging that
licentiousness of the women which prevailed afterwards, that adultery
was not known amongst them. A saying, upon this subject of Geradas, an
ancient Spartan, is thus related. A stranger had asked him, "What
punishment their law appointed for adulterers?" He answered, "My friend,
there are no adulterers in our country." The other replied, "But what if
there should be one?" "Why then," says Geradas, "he must forfeit a bull
so large that he might drink of the Eurotas from the top of Mount
Taygetus." When the stranger expressed his surprise at this, and said,
"How can such a bull be found?" Geradas answered with a smile, "How can
an adulterer be found in Sparta?" This is the account we have of their
marriages.

It was not left to the father to rear what children he pleased, but he
was obliged to carry the child to a place called Lesche, to be examined
by the most ancient men of the tribe, who were assembled there. If it
was strong and well-proportioned, they gave orders for its education,
and assigned it one of the nine thousand shares of land; but if it was
weakly and deformed, they ordered it to be thrown into the place called
Apothetæ, which is a deep cavern near the mountain Taygetus; concluding
that its life could be no advantage either to itself or to the public,