exercise no direct or instinctive power over her, for the simple reason that these are not inherited from the father.  A lack of intelligence carries no weight with her; in fact, a superabundance of mental power or even genius, as abnormities, might have an unfavourable effect.  And so we frequently find a woman preferring a stupid, ugly, and ill-mannered man to one who is well-educated, intellectual, and agreeable.  Hence, people of extremely different temperament frequently marry for love—­that is to say, he is coarse, strong, and narrow-minded, while she is very sensitive, refined, cultured, and aesthetic, and so on; or he is genial and clever, and she is a goose.

  “Sic visum Veneri; cui placet impares
  Formas atque animos sub juga aenea
    Saevo mittere cum joco.”

The reason for this is, that she is not influenced by intellectual considerations, but by something entirely different, namely, instinct.  Marriage is not regarded as a means for intellectual entertainment, but for the generation of children; it is a union of hearts and not of minds.  When a woman says that she has fallen in love with a man’s mind, it is either a vain and ridiculous pretence on her part or the exaggeration of a degenerate being.  A man, on the other hand, is not controlled in instinctive love by the qualities of the woman’s character; this is why so many a Socrates has found his Xantippe, as for instance, Shakespeare, Albrecht Duerer, Byron, and others.  But here we have the influence of intellectual qualities, because they are inherited from the mother; nevertheless their influence is easily overpowered by physical beauty, which concerns more essential points, and therefore has a more direct effect.  By the way, it is for this reason that mothers who have either felt or experienced the former influence have their daughters taught the fine arts, languages, etc., so that they may prove more attractive.  In this way they hope by artificial means to pad the intellect, just as they do their bust and hips if it is necessary to do so.  Let it be understood that here we are simply speaking of that attraction which is absolutely direct and instinctive, and from which springs real love.  That an intelligent and educated woman esteems intelligence and brains in a man, and that a man after deliberate reasoning criticises and considers the character of his fiancee, are matters which do not concern our present subject.  Such things influence a rational selection in marriage, but they do not control passionate love, which is our matter.