Thus, after a long, difficult, and careful investigation into a hundred marriages among persons of different classes, he obtained the following results, here briefly summarized:
Upper Classes.
- 1. The marriage not unhappy, wife suffering from disorder arousing suspicion of syphilis; conjugal fidelity of the husband prior to the occurrence of this illness doubtful. Children sickly.
- 2. Both parties to the marriage happy in advanced age, after the husband had lived freely.
- 3. Both parties happy in advanced age—childless.
- 4. Husband impotent, wife unhappy.
- 5. Husband an old man, wife unfaithful.
- 6. Husband and wife apparently happy—children scrofulous.
- 7. The husband removed from home by circumstances, wife unfaithful.
- 8. Both parties unhappy, the husband a libertine.
- 9. Both parties apparently content in advanced age.
- 10. Husband a dissolute old libertine, wife unhappy, but resigned—no children.
- 11. Condition precisely similar to No. 10.
- 12. A happy mésalliance.
- 13. The husband phlegmatically happy, wife dissolute, children ill, mother sickly.
- 14. Husband dissipated, wife resigned. Husband and wife have come to an understanding.
- 15. Husband a libertine, wife a Messalina. Both parties syphilitic. Children sickly.
- 16. Both parties unhealthy and miserable. Husband dissipated, coarse. Wife ill, in a decline.
- 17. Husband a coarse libertine, wife separated from him and unhappy.
Upper-Middle Classes.
- 18. Both parties unhappy. Husband impotent. Wife, who is elderly, a Messalina. Marriage childless and unceasingly stormy.
- 19. Both parties tolerably happy, owing to gentleness and good-heartedness. Husband a sensualist and unfaithful. Wife faithful, ailing.
- 20. Both parties unhappy. Incessant domestic warfare in the house.
- 21. Phlegmatic rich husband, poor suffering wife—marriage childless—happily, as it seems.
- 22. Both parties in very advanced age, apparently happy. Their past doubtful. Scrofulous children.
- 23. Childless marriage between a former high-class mistress and a dissolute man.
- 24. An apparently happy marriage between a still young husband and an elderly wife. The former compensates himself secretly.
- 25. Unhappy marriage. Both parties unsatisfied. Husband dissolute. Wife resigned.
- 26. Happy marriage.
- 27. Doubtfully happy marriage.
- 28. Extremely unhappy marriage. Husband a libertine, unprincipled; wife half insane; children syphilitic.
- 29. Unhappy marriage, the husband formerly somewhat fickle, the wife unforgiving.
- 30. Happy marriage. Both parties immoral, dissolute; the wife carries on secret prostitution with the knowledge of the husband, who on his side keeps several mistresses. They take matters philosophically!
- 31. The husband a libertine and seducer by profession, the wife separated from him.
- 32. Happy marriage. The husband inclined to gallantry, without being absolutely dissolute. Wife gentle, patient, fond of her husband, and faithful.
- 33. The husband ill as the result of dissipation, the wife frivolous. Indifferent marriage.
- 34. The husband made happy by means of his wife’s money, but neglects her; she is very ill, wasting away. Childless marriage.
- 35. Husband impotent. Wife, with knowledge of her husband, on intimate terms with a friend of the family. In its way a happy marriage.
- 36. Dissolute husband, dissolute wife, both shameless and free-thinking—in mutual indifference they seem fairly happy.
- 37. Husband old and sickly, a worn-out libertine. The wife on intimate terms with a friend of the house. Happy marriage!
- 38. Unhappy marriage. Husband phlegmatic, wife extremely passionate and voluptuous.
- 39. Unhappy marriage. A worthless speculator who led astray the wife of a wealthy man and then deserted her. Childless.
- 40. Husband debilitated by excesses; wife immoral. Happy marriage!
- 41. Husband debilitated by excesses; wife patient. Happy marriage!
- 42. A similar state of affairs.
- 43. Happy marriage. Both parties still very young, untried.
- 44. Happy marriage. Husband phlegmatic—wife faithful.
- 45. Husband debilitated by excesses, wife rich. At the moment, a happy marriage.
Professional and Trading Classes.
- 46. Happy marriage. The husband phlegmatic and seldom unfaithful; wife forbearing, good, and faithful.
- 47. Happy marriage. Both parties rich and young. Husband, without his wife’s knowledge, loves the joys of Venus.
- 48. Unhappy marriage. An enforced marriage of prudence. The husband lives with a concubine, wife separated from him.
- 49. Unhappy marriage. Poverty, jealousy, and childlessness.
- 50. Happy marriage, owing to the forbearance and consideration of the wife towards the sullen, irascible husband.
- 51. Unhappy marriage. Husband lives happily with a concubine, the wife unhappily with a false friend.
- 52. Unhappy marriage. Phlegmatic husband, immoral wife, continuous quarrelling.
- 53. Unhappy marriage. The husband henpecked, impotent. The wife masterful, quarrelsome, and ill-tempered.
- 54. Husband and wife have separated.
- 55. Happy marriage. The husband is good-humoured and deceived; the wife a sensual libertine; children sickly; wife incurably ill.
- 56. Happy marriage. The husband a worn-out debauchee, the wife a worn-out prostitute. Both incurably ill, for the same reason.
- 57. Happy marriage, happy from necessity and phlegm.
- 58. Happy marriage. The husband, a swindler, does everything possible for those dependent on him. The wife, formerly a prostitute, is happy in consequence of his care.
- 59. A happy, artistic marriage. Happy on account of mutual laxity and accommodation.
- 60. Similar circumstances.
- 61. Happy marriage. The husband conceals his diversions with success. Wife faithful and always gentle.
- 62. Unhappy marriage. Light conduct on both sides, with usual results.
- 63. Happy marriage. The conjugal fidelity of the husband not above suspicion.
- 64. Similar
- 65. circumstances.
- 66. Unhappy marriage. A marriage of prudence. The husband set himself up with his wife’s money, but spends it on light women; the wife revenges herself by boundless ill-temper.
- 67. Unhappy marriage. Marriage of prudence. The young husband settled in business on the money of his elderly wife; she nags, and he is drinking himself to death.
- 68. Marriage happy owing to avarice on both sides.
- 69. Marriage compulsorily happy owing to poverty on both sides.
- 70. Happy marriage! Husband a drunkard. Wife avaricious. Childless.
- 71. Husband and wife are separated; the husband abandoned his wife to poverty and prostitution.
- 72. Unhappy marriage. Husband impotent, wife lustful. Continued unhappiness.
- 73. Young married pair; wife mistress of a wealthy Jew, who supports the family.
- 74. Unhappy marriage. Husband dissolute, no longer cares for his wife; the latter incurably ill; children syphilitic.
- 75. Unhappy marriage. Both parties sickly and poor.
- 76. A marriage of speculation. Husband has sold his wife three times to different wealthy men; in this way he makes his living.
- 77. Immoral marriage. The husband lives by a swindling industry. The wife lives on a pension given by one whose mistress she formerly was—children brought up to prostitution.
- 78. Easy-going marriage. Husband formerly a domestic servant, now in business; wife formerly a prostitute who had saved money. Childless.
- 79. Happy marriage, between a fool and a clever woman.
- 80. Unhappy marriage. The husband dislikes his wife, is plagued to death by her; she brought the property into the house.
- 81. Dissipated husband, dissipated wife, separated from one another. The children scrofulous.
- 82. Impotent husband, licentious wife, sickly children; angry and stormy scenes.
- 83. Worn-out libertine, young wife; the parties are not unhappy, owing to affluence and freedom from cares.
- 84. Artistic marriage. Wife the mistress of a great man. The household goes on comfortably.
Lower Classes.
- 85. Dissolute husband. Formerly well-to-do, owing to his wife’s dowry, now reduced with her to beggary. Living by a trifling commission business. Wife sickly. Children dead.
- 86. Marriage happy, in consequence of great poverty.
- 87. A procurer’s family.
- 88. Happy marriage. Husband a thief, wife a prostitute.
- 89. The marriage unhappy in consequence of poverty.
- 90. Unhappy marriage. The husband a drinker, the wife working amid trouble and poverty.
- 91. Unhappy marriage. Poverty, misunderstanding, jealousy, and illness.
- 92. A family of servants. Wife and daughter at the disposal of the master.
- 93. Unhappy marriage. Frequent brawls. Mutual mistrust, hatred, and contempt.
- 94. Unhappy marriage. Upright husband deceived by his wife, and, in consequence of great poverty, is unable to control her.
- 95. Unhappy marriage. Husband has run away.
- 96. Immoral marriage. Husband, wife, and children live on the wages of unchastity.
- 97. Miserable marriages,
- 98. which ended in
- 99. the poor-house.
- 100. A happy pair, who had endured all the severe trials of life, had forgiven each other everything, and never abandoned one another, a virtuous marriage in the noblest sense.
Thus, among these hundred marriages there were: