come　to　believe　that　I　was　a　purely　rational　creature：　a　thinker！
  I　said；　with　the　foolish　philosopher；　〃I　think；　therefore　I　am。〃
  It　was　Woman　who　taught　me　to　say　〃I　am；　therefore　I　think。〃　And
  also　〃I　would　think　more；　therefore　I　must　be　more。〃
  THE　STATUE。　This　is　extremely　abstract　and　metaphysical；　Juan。　If
  you　would　stick　to　the　concrete；　and　put　your　discoveries　in　the
  form　of　entertaining　anecdotes　about　your　adventures　with　women；
  your　conversation　would　be　easier　to　follow。
  DON　JUAN。　Bah！　what　need　I　add？　Do　you　not　understand　that　when　I
  stood　face　to　face　with　Woman；　every　fibre　in　my　clear　critical
  brain　warned　me　to　spare　her　and　save　myself。　My　morals　said　No。
  My　conscience　said　No。　My　chivalry　and　pity　for　her　said　No。　My
  prudent　regard　for　myself　said　No。　My　ear；　practised　on　a
  thousand　songs　and　symphonies；　my　eye；　exercised　on　a　thousand
  paintings；　tore　her　voice；　her　features；　her　color　to　shreds。　I
  caught　all　those　tell…tale　resemblances　to　her　father　and　mother
  by　which　I　knew　what　she　would　be　like　in　thirty　years　time。　I
  noted　the　gleam　of　gold　from　a　dead　tooth　in　the　laughing　mouth：
  I　made　curious　observations　of　the　strange　odors　of　the　chemistry
  of　the　nerves。　The　visions　of　my　romantic　reveries；　in　which　I
  had　trod　the　plains　of　heaven　with　a　deathless；　ageless　creature
  of　coral　and　ivory；　deserted　me　in　that　supreme　hour。　I
  remembered　them　and　desperately　strove　to　recover　their　illusion；
  but　they　now　seemed　the　emptiest　of　inventions：　my　judgment　was
  not　to　be　corrupted：　my　brain　still　said　No　on　every　issue。　And
  whilst　I　was　in　the　act　of　framing　my　excuse　to　the　lady；　Life
  seized　me　and　threw　me　into　her　arms　as　a　sailor　throws　a　scrap
  of　fish　into　the　mouth　of　a　seabird。
  THE　STATUE。　You　might　as　well　have　gone　without　thinking　such　a
  lot　about　it；　Juan。　You　are　like　all　the　clever　men：　you　have
  more　brains　than　is　good　for　you。
  THE　DEVIL。　And　were　you　not　the　happier　for　the　experience；　Senor
  Don　Juan？
  DON　JUAN。　The　happier；　no：　the　wiser；　yes。　That　moment　introduced
  me　for　the　first　time　to　myself；　and；　through　myself；　to　the
  world。　I　saw　then　how　useless　it　is　to　attempt　to　impose
  conditions　on　the　irresistible　force　of　Life；　to　preach　prudence；
  careful　selection；　virtue；　honor；　chastity
  ANA。　Don　Juan：　a　word　against　chastity　is　an　insult　to　me。
  DON　JUAN。　I　say　nothing　against　your　chastity；　Senora；　since　it
  took　the　form　of　a　husband　and　twelve　children。　What　more　could
  you　have　done　had　you　been　the　most　abandoned　of　women？
  ANA。　I　could　have　had　twelve　husbands　and　no　children　that's　what
  I　could　have　done；　Juan。　And　let　me　tell　you　that　that　would　have
  made　all　the　difference　to　the　earth　which　I　replenished。
  THE　STATUE。　Bravo　Ana！　Juan：　you　are　floored；　quelled；
  annihilated。
  DON　JUAN。　No；　for　though　that　difference　is　the　true　essential
  differenceDona　Ana　has；　I　admit；　gone　straight　to　the　real
  pointyet　it　is　not　a　difference　of　love　or　chastity；　or　even
  constancy；　for　twelve　children　by　twelve　different　husbands　would
  have　replenished　the　earth　perhaps　more　effectively。　Suppose　my
  friend　Ottavio　had　died　when　you　were　thirty；　you　would　never
  have　remained　a　widow：　you　were　too　beautiful。　Suppose　the
  successor　of　Ottavio　had　died　when　you　were　forty；　you　would
  still　have　been　irresistible；　and　a　woman　who　marries　twice
  marries　three　times　if　she　becomes　free　to　do　so。　Twelve　lawful
  children　borne　by　one　highly　respectable　lady　to　three　different
  fathers　is　not　impossible　nor　condemned　by　public　opinion。　That
  such　a　lady　may　be　more　law　abiding　than　the　poor　girl　whom　we
  used　to　spurn　into　the　gutter　for　bearing　one　unlawful　infant　is
  no　doubt　true；　but　dare　you　say　she　is　less　self…indulgent？
  ANA。　She　is　less　virtuous：　that　is　enough　for　me。
  DON　JUAN。　In　that　case；　what　is　virtue　but　the　Trade　Unionism　of
  the　married？　Let　us　face　the　facts；　dear　Ana。　The　Life　Force
  respects　marriage　only　because　marriage　is　a　contrivance　of　its
  own　to　secure　the　greatest　number　of　children　and　the　closest
  care　of　them。　For　honor；　chastity　and　all　the　rest　of　your　moral
  figments　it　cares　not　a　rap。　Marriage　is　the　most　licentious　of
  human　institutions
  ANA。　Juan！
  THE　STATUE。　＇protesting＇　Really！
  DON　JUAN。　＇determinedly＇　I　say　the　most　licentious　of　human
  institutions：　that　is　the　secret　of　its　popularity。　And　a　woman
  seeking　a　husband　is　the　most　unscrupulous　of　all　the　beasts　of
  prey。　The　confusion　of　marriage　with　morality　has　done　more　to
  destroy　the　conscience　of　the　human　race　than　any　other　single
  error。　Come；　Ana！　do　not　look　shocked：　you　know　better　than　any
  of　us　that　marriage　is　a　mantrap　baited　with　simulated
  accomplishments　and　delusive　idealizations。　When　your　sainted
  mother；　by　dint　of　scoldings　and　punishments；　forced　you　to　learn
  how　to　play　half　a　dozen　pieces　on　the　spinet　which　she　hated　as
  much　as　you　didhad　she　any　other　purpose　than　to　delude　your
  suitors　into　the　belief　that　your　husband　would　have　in　his　home
  an　angel　who　would　fill　it　with　melody；　or　at　least　play　him　to
  sleep　after　dinner？　You　married　my　friend　Ottavio：　well；　did　you
  ever　open　the　spinet　from　the　hour　when　the　Church　united　him　to
  you？
  ANA。　You　are　a　fool；　Juan。　A　young　married　woman　has　something
  else　to　do　than　sit　at　the　spinet　without　any　support　for　her
  back；　so　she　gets　out　of　the　habit　of　playing。
  DON　JUAN。　Not　if　she　loves　music。　No：　believe　me；　she　only　throws
  away　the　bait　when　the　bird　is　in　the　net。
  ANA。　＇bitterly＇　And　men；　I　suppose；　never　throw　off　the　mask　when
  their　bird　is　in　the　net。　The　husband　never　becomes　negligent；
  selfish；　brutaloh　never！
  DON　JUAN。　What　do　these　recriminations　prove；　Ana？　Only　that　the
  hero　is　as　gross　an　imposture　as　the　heroine。
  ANA。　It　is　all　nonsense：　most　marriages　are　perfectly
  comfortable。
  DON　JUAN。　〃Perfectly〃　is　a　strong　expression；　Ana。　What　you　mean
  is　that　sensible　people　make　the　best　of　one　another。　Send　me　to
  the　galleys　and　chain　me　to　the　felon　whose　number　happens　to　be
  next　before　mine；　and　I　must　accept　the　inevitable　and　make　the
  best　of　the　companionship。　Many　such　companionships；　they　tell
  me；　are　touchingly　affectionate；　and　most　are　at　least　tolerably
  friendly。　But　that　does　not　make　a　chain　a　desirable　ornament　nor
  the　galleys　an　abode　of　bliss。　Those　who　talk　most　about　the
  blessings　of　marriage　and　the　constancy　of　its　vows　are　the　very
  people　who　declare　that　if　the　chain　were　broken　and　the
  prisoners　left　free　to　choose；　the　whole　social　fabric　would　fly
  asunder。　You　cannot　have　the　argument　both　ways。　If　the　prisoner
  is　happy；　why　lock　him　in？　If　he　is　not；　why　pretend　that　he　is？
  ANA。　At　all　events；　let　me　take　an　old　woman's　privilege　again；
  and　tell　you　flatly　that　marriage　peoples　the　world　and
  debauchery　does　not。
  DON　JUAN。　How　if　a　time　comes　when　this　shall　cease　to　be　true？　Do
  you　not　know　that　where　there　is　a　will　there　is　a　waythat
  whatever　Man　really　wishes　to　do　he　will　finally　discover　a　means
  of　doing？　Well；　you　have　done　your　best；　you　virtuous　ladies；　and
  others　of　your　way　of　thinking；　to　bend　Man's　mind　wholly　towards
  honorable　love　as　the　highest　good；　and　to　understand　by
  honorable　love　romance　and　beauty　and　happiness　in　the　possession
  of　beautiful；　refined；　delicate；　affectionate　women。　You　have
  taught　women　to　value　their　own　youth；　health；　shapeliness；　and
  refinement　above　all　things。　Well；　what　place　have　squalling
  babies　and　household　cares　in　this　exquisite　paradise　of　the
  senses　and　emotions？　Is　it　not　the　inevitable　end　of　it　all　that
  the　human　will　shall　say　to　the　human　brain：　Invent　me　a　means　by
  which　I　can　have　love；　beauty；　romance；　emotion；　passion　without
  their　wretched　penalties；　their　expenses；　their　worries；　their
  trials；　their　illnesses　and　agonies　and　risks　of　death；　their
  retinue　of　servants　and　nurses　and　doctors　and　schoolmasters。
  THE　DEVIL。　All　this；　Senor　Don　Juan；　is　realized　here　in　my
  realm。
  DON　JUAN。　Yes；　at　the　cost　of　death。　Man　will　not　take　it　at　that
  price：　he　demands　the　romantic　delights　of　your　hell　whilst　he　is
  still　on　earth。　Well；　the　means　will　be　found：　the　brain　will　not
  fail　when　the　will　is　in　earnest。　The　day　is　coming　when　great
  nations　will　find　their　numbers　dwindling　from　census　to　census；
  when　the　six　roomed　villa　will　rise　in　price　above　the　family
  mansion；　when　the　viciously　reckless　poor　and　the　stupidly　pious
  rich　will　delay　the　extinction　of　the　race　only　by　degrading　it；
  whilst　the　boldly　prudent；　the　thriftily　selfish　and　ambitious；
  the　imaginative　and　poetic；　the　lovers　of　money　and　solid
  comfort；　the　worshippers　of　success；　art；　and　of　love；　will　all
  oppose　to　the　Force　of　Life　the　device　of　sterility。
  THE　STATUE。　That　is　all　very　eloquent；　my　young　friend；　but　if
  you　had　lived　to　Ana's　age；　or　even　to　mine；　you　would　have
  learned　that　the　people　who　get　rid　of　the　fear　of　poverty　and
  children　and　all　the　other　family　troubles；　and　devote　themselves
  to　having　a　good　time　of　it；　only　leave　their　minds　free　for　the
  fear　of　old　age　and　ugliness　and　impotence　and　death。　The
  childless　laborer　is　more　tormented　by　his　wife's　idleness　and
  her　constant　demands　for　amusement　and