Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c9.25

v1.c9.25

from such unions, but mainly because he could afford himself such a luxury. This had to be dearly bought. The small townsman gave his money, the poor poet or artist the fruits of his talent. Then it was something distinguished to yield fitting homage to this the “ eternal woman ”. Cp. Iwan Bloch, *Die Prostitution*, i, 283 f.; 340 ff.; 354 ff. The same thing is probably true of Old India. Setting aside a few exceptions, there could probably be no question in either place of real “ spiritual pleasures ”, not to speak of all the fine things in Indian poets, and the mystic-Germanic sentimentalism about the union of souls between “ kindred individuals ”. More sensible here is the glowing dithyramb of Robert Hamerling in Socrates’ words addressed to Theodata (*Aspasia*, i, p. 234).