[1] The earliest theory I have met with is that of St. Augustine, who states (De Civitate Dei, Bk.  XIV, Ch.  XVII) that erections of the penis never occurred until after the Fall of Man.  It was the occurrence of this “shameless novelty” which made nakedness indecent.  This theory fails to account for modesty in women.

[2] Guyau, L’Irreligion de l’Avenir, Ch.  VII.

[3] Timidity, as understood by Dugas, in his interesting essay on that subject, is probably most remote.  Dr. H. Campbell’s “morbid shyness” (British Medical Journal, September 26, 1896) is, in part, identical with timidity, in part, with modesty.  The matter is further complicated by the fact that modesty itself has in English (like virtue) two distinct meanings.  In its original form it has no special connection with sex or women, but may rather be considered as a masculine virtue.  Cicero regards “modestia” as the equivalent of the Greek sophrosune.  This is the “modesty” which Mary Wollstonecraft eulogized in the last century, the outcome of knowledge and reflection, “soberness of mind,” “the graceful calm virtue of maturity.”  In French, it is possible to avoid the confusion, and modestie is entirely distinct from pudeur.  It is, of course, mainly with pudeur that I am here concerned.

II.

Modesty an Agglomeration of Fears—­Children in Relation to Modesty—­Modesty in Animals—­The Attitude of the Medicean Venus—­The Sexual Factor of Modesty Based on Sexual Periodicity and on the Primitive Phenomena of Courtship—­The Necessity of Seclusion in Primitive Sexual Intercourse—­The Meaning of Coquetry—­The Sexual Charm of Modesty—­Modesty as an Expression of Feminine Erotic Impulse—­The Fear of Causing Disgust as a Factor of Modesty—­The Modesty of Savages in Regard to Eating in the Presence of Others—­The Sacro-Pubic Region as a Focus of Disgust—­The Idea of Ceremonial Uncleanliness—­The Custom of Veiling the Face—­Ornaments and Clothing—­Modesty Becomes Concentrated in the Garment—­The Economic Factor in Modesty—­The Contribution of Civilization to Modesty—­The Elaboration of Social Ritual.

That modesty—­like all the closely-allied emotions—­is based on fear, one of the most primitive of the emotions, seems to be fairly evident.[4] The association of modesty and fear is even a very ancient observation, and is found in the fragments of Epicharmus, while according to one of the most recent definitions, “modesty is the timidity of the body.”  Modesty is, indeed, an agglomeration of fears, especially, as I hope to show, of two important and distinct fears:  one of much earlier than human origin, and supplied solely by the female; the other of more distinctly human character, and of social, rather than sexual, origin.