mi
ll and feventeen
which effeél
an irreverjtble
divorce.
tention, a fingle divorce reverfible takes place, as by this form fuch a
divorce is effected,) or it may mean “ you are fingle (having mo
other along with you,” ) or “ you are fingle (among women,1 in
“ ]aeauty, and fo forth:” ) thus, thefe words bearing a variety of
conftruftions, intention is effentially requisite to their effedt:— and it
is to be obferved that thofe forms occafion no more than a Jingle divorce,
becaufe fuch forms amount to “ you are divorced;”— and as,
where the words *“ you are divorced" are exprefsly mentioned, no
more than a fingle divorce takes place, fo alfa, in this :,cafe, a fingle
divorce only takes-place a fortiori, becaufe mere implication is weaker
in its effedt than the exprefs mention of any thing * .— A nd from all
other implications of divorce befidea thofe three, , where divorce is the
hufband’ s intention, a fingle complete (or1. irreverfible) ,divorceJtakes
place; or, i f he intend three divorces, threeiiworcci take place ;|pr .
i f two, two divorces: and thefe expreffions of implication ofdivorce
are as f o l l o w y o u are feparated!”— “ you are c u to ff!”— “ you
“ are prohibited!”— “ the reins .are thrown upon your own neck!”
— “ be united unto your people!”— “ you are devoid!”— “ I give-
“ you to your family!” — “ I fet you loofe !”— “ your bufinefs is in
“ your own hands!”— “ you are free!” — “ veil yourfelf!”— “ be
“ clean!”— “ go forth!”— “ ■ go to !” — “ go !”— “ arife !” — “ feek
“ for a mate !”— all which expreffions are implicative of divorce, as
each of them hears a conffrudtion either of divorce; or otherwife;—
fince '■ '■ you are feparated!” may either mean, “ you are feparated
(from me in marriage,” ) or “ you are feparated (from your family.”)
In the fame manner, “ you are cut. o ff!" may either mean “ you are
“ cuto ff (from marriage,” ) or “ you are cut off from (your family
“ and friends;” ’) and fo alfo "■ you are prohibited'." may either mean
“ you are prohibited (in marriage,” ) or “ you are prohibited (to me
“ as a companion becaufe of your evil difpofition.” ) In the fame man-
* A n obfervation is here introduced in the text, which* as it turns upon a. point
o f grammatical criticifm> is incapable, o f tranflation, and is therefore, ne.ceflarily
omitted,
ner.
Chap. l i ner,
“ the reint are thrown upon your own neck'." may either mean
“ you are at liberty to go where you pleafe, (as I have divorced you,” )
or “ you may go (to vifit your parents,” and fo forth;) and fo alfo,
“ be united unto your people ! ” may either mean “ return to your fail
mily (as I have divorced you,” ) or ( “ as you are unfit for fociety
“ on account of the badnefs of your difpofition.” ) “ You are devoid,"
mav, in the fame manner, either mean “ you are devoid (of mar-
“ riage.,” ) or “ you are devoid (o f virtue and religion;) and fo alfo,
1“ I gme.you to your family!" may either mean, “ I return you to
. “ your family (as I have divorced you,) or “ I return. you to your
“ family (on account of your evil difpofition, in order “ that you may
“ remain there;” ) agreeably to the fame mode of reafoning, “ I fe t
“ you loofe ! " may either mean “ I'fet you loofe (from the reflraint
I “ af marriage, as, haying divorced you,” ) or “ I fet you loofe (to go
I “ where you pleafe;” ) fo alfo "y o u r bufnefs is in your own hands'"
[.may either have refpedt to divorce, or to any other circumflance; and
| “ you are fr e e '." may either imply “ you are free (from the bond of
I “ marriage,” ) or, “ you are free (as not being a flave;” ) and fo alfo
| “ veilypurfelf!” may either mean “ veil yourfelf (from me, as I have
I “ divorced you,” ) or “ veil yourfelf (that you may not be foen by a:
“ ftranger;” ) in the fame manner “ be clean'." may either mean
“ afcertain whether your womb be free from feed, that you may be
I “ enabled to marry with another man,” or “ that the defcent o f a
; “ child begotten upon you may be known;” and fo alfo “ go fo r th '."
may either mean “ go forth (as I have divorced you,” ) or “ go forth
“ (to vifit your parents;” ) and “ go to '."— “ go!” — “ arife!" may
' either fignify " go to (and fo forth) as I have, divorced you,” or “ go
“ to (and fo forth) and,do not. provoke me to divorce you ;” fo alfo
"feekfor a mate!" may either mean “ feek for a hufband, as I have
‘ divorced you,” or “ feek for a proper companion to fit with you :”
fmce therefore all thofe expreffions admit the conflruffion either of
divorce or otherwife, the intention is- effential to their effeft, except
Where, the hufband ufes them in reply to a requilition of divorce made
by