Thomas Paine

In June 1775 Thomas Paine wrote an article for the Pennsylvanian Magazine called 'Reflections on unhappy marriages'. It talks of the folly of marriage and how sour things can easily turn. Thomas Paine was prevented in his deed of separation, that dissolved his marriage, from 'slandering or defaming' his second wife. These articles, although written in a general sense, give us an insight into his views and experience. Here he comments on what happens after the wedding:

"Sure of each other by the nuptial band, they no longer take any pains to be mutually agreeable; careless if they displease; and yet angry if reproached; with so little relish for each others company, that anybody's else is welcome. Their union thus broke, they pursue separate pleasures; never meet but wrangle, or part but to find comfort in other society. After this the decent is easy to utter aversion, which having wearied itself out with heart-burnings, clamours, and affronts, subsides into a perfect insensibility; when fresh objects of love step into their relief on either side, and mutual infidelity makes way for mutual complaisance, that each may be better able to deceive the other."

"I shall conclude with the sentiments of an American savage on the subject, who being advised by one of our countrymen to marry according to the ceremoies of the church, as being the ordinance of an infinitely wise God, he briskley replied "That either the Christians' god was not so good and wise as he was represented, or he never meddled with the marriages of his people; since not one in a hundred of the had anything to do either with happiness or common sense,.."