9. The Spartans had the custom of encouraging intercourse between their best men and women for the sake of a superior progeny, without any reference to a marriage ceremony. Records show that the ancient Roman husband has been known to invite a friend, in whom he may have admired some physical or mental trait, to share the favors of his wife; that the peculiar qualities that he admired might be repeated in the offspring.
PROPOSING
Hasty marriage seldom proveth well.—Shakespeare, Henry VI.
The reason why so few marriages are happy is, because young ladies spend their time in making nets, not in making cages.—Swift, Thoughts on Various Subjects.