The simple joining of two compatible souls in the bond of marriage will allay any fears resulting from celibacy; and to the Bachelors and Maids of England I would have one final motto to give on this important matter, Choose Love, Choose Life.

The Marriage Age: -

‘When does it arrive?’ I hear you cry. The medical answer is that it depends very much upon solar heat. In those hot latitudes of which I have already spoken, and where the young are believed to develop quickly – again, like the vegetation – boys reportedly become husbands at the age of 14, and girls become wives as young as 12. This is somewhat shocking to our ears, after our own battles on the age of sexual maturity, but such cultural differences come with our ever-expanding Empire.

In England, happily, the marrying age depends on two certain things: if there is money enough to provide and if there is a suitable lover. In medical opinion the age of this causes some argument. One voice claims that this may range anywhere from a woman who has turned 16 until she has reached the age of 40; for a man, it will be from the age of 18 until he feels he is ready to make his will. Other voices, and more numerous and vocal in their conviction, say that neither man nor woman should marry till the physical powers of the whole body have most fully developed. For a man this will be seen between the ages of 23 and 26, for a woman it is 18 to 21. I favour the latter opinion.

One final word on when to marry, if you will allow me to further indulge. Permitted and sanctioned by social usage and our current laws, the marriage of first cousins is often seen in our society, but it has disastrous consequences for the health of all parties concerned. Great families who intermarry, believing it will preserve their wealth or maintain their titles, have been seen to follow the path of invariable decay, leading only to their extinction.

The Practice of Physiognomy: -

It is not difficult, even in our modern world, to see the relics of simpler times. Fortune-telling was often a relied-upon practice for those seeking advice on the right circumstances to find a proper mate. Self-constituted oracles loudly claimed the ability to offer prophetic glimpses into the future with a ‘science’ based on a limited understanding of the applicants. Although still a common sight today, they are under threat from that most practical of sciences:

Physiognomy.

Although this wonderful art has its detractors, its practitioners should be shown the same degree of respect as those marvellous individuals engaged in the study of Phrenology. I am an avid supporter of both Physiognomists and Phrenologists, the first being designed to identify the workings of the inner mind of man from his outer form, and the second being the focus of careful cranial observations of the human head to divine internal character.