A mistress is a man's long term female sexual partner and companion who is not married to him, especially used when the man is married to another woman. A sexual partner is a person with whom one engages in sex acts. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** The relationship is generally stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple do not live together openly. Also, the relationship is usually but not always secret, and there is the implication that a mistress may be "kept", i. e. that the man is paying for some of the woman's living expenses, or provides her with an allowance.
The term can also be used to describe the "other" companion in a female same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same Likewise, a woman may be married to a man and have a mistress of her own.
Unlike a concubine, a mistress has no legal relationship to the man. Concubinage is the state of a woman or youth in an ongoing quasi-matrimonial relationship with a man of higher social status
There is no specific word in English for a "male mistress", a man in the same relationship to a woman as a mistress is to a man, except for the more general term "lover", which does not carry the same implications. In 18th- and 19th-century Venice the terms "cicisbeo" and "cavalier servente" were used to describe a man who was the professed gallant and lover of a married woman. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the In 18th- and 19th-century Venice, the cicisbeo (ˌtʃitʃizˈbeo Plural: cicisbei) or Cavalier Servente, was
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Definition
Historically, the term has denoted a kept woman, who was maintained in a comfortable (or even lavish) lifestyle by a wealthy man so that she will be available for his sexual pleasure. Such a woman could move between the roles of a mistress and a courtesan depending on her situation and environment. A courtesan in mid-16th century usage referred to a mistress or trained artisan of dance and singing especially one associated with wealthy powerful or upper-class Today however, the word mistress is used primarily to refer to the female companion of a man who is married to another woman; in the case of an unmarried man it is usual to speak of a "girlfriend" or "partner. Girlfriend is a term that can refer to either a Female partner in a non- marital romantic relationship or a female non-intimate Friend A domestic partnership is a legal or Personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by a traditional "
Historically a man "kept" a mistress. As the term implies, he was responsible for her debts and provided for her in much the same way as he did his wife, although not legally bound to do so. Debt is that which is owed usually referencing Assets owed but the term can cover other obligations In more recent and emancipated times, it is more likely that the mistress has a job of her own, and is less, if at all, financially dependent on the man. Emancipation is a term used to describe various efforts to obtain Political rights or equality, often for a specifically Disenfranchised group or more The field of finance refers to the concepts of Time, Money and Risk and how they are interrelated
A mistress is not a prostitute. Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money. While a mistress, if "kept", may essentially be exchanging sex for money, the principal difference is that a mistress keeps herself exclusively reserved for one man, in much the same way as a wife, and there is not so much of a direct quid pro quo between the money and the sex act. Quid pro quo ( Latin for "something for something") indicates a more-or-less equal exchange or substitution of goods or services There is also usually an emotional and possibly social relationship between a man and his mistress, whereas the relationship to a prostitute is predominantly sexual.
The mistress historically
The historically best known and most researched mistresses are the royal mistresses of European monarchs, for example Nell Gwynne and Madame de Pompadour. A royal mistress is the historical position of a mistress to a monarch or senior Royal Eleanor "Nell" Gwyn (or Gwynn or Gwynne) (1650 - 14 November 1687 was one of the earliest English Actresses to receive prominent recognition Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour ( December 29, 1721 &ndash April 15, 1764 However, the keeping of a mistress in Europe was not confined to royalty and nobility but permeated down through the social ranks. A royal family is the extended family of a monarch. Generally the head of a royal family is a king or queen regnant Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime Anyone who could afford a mistress could have one (or more), regardless of social position. A wealthy merchant or a young noble might have a kept woman. Merchants function as professionals who deal with Trade, dealing in commodities that they do not produce themselves in order to produce Profit. Also some popes and other clergy kept mistresses, in violation of the celibacy vows required by the Catholic church. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. Celibacy refers to the lack of participation in Sexual intercourse. Being a mistress was typically an occupation for a younger woman who, if she was fortunate, might go on to marry her lover or another man of rank.
In the courts of Europe, particularly Versailles and Whitehall in the 17th and 18th centuries, a mistress often wielded great power and influence. Versailles (vɛʀsaj in French) formerly de facto capital of the kingdom of France, is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and is still an important Whitehall is a road in Westminster in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards traditional A king might hold numerous mistresses but have a single "favourite mistress" or "official mistress" (in French, "maîtresse en titre"), as with Louis XV and Mme de Pompadour. Louis XV (15 February 1710 &ndash 10 May 1774 ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774 Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour ( December 29, 1721 &ndash April 15, 1764 The mistresses of both Louis XV (especially Mme de Pompadour) and Charles II were often considered to exert great influence over their lovers, the relationships being open secrets. Louis XV (15 February 1710 &ndash 10 May 1774 ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774 Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour ( December 29, 1721 &ndash April 15, 1764 Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
While the extremely wealthy might keep a mistress for life (as George II of England did with "Mrs Howard"), even after they were no longer romantically linked, such was not the case for most kept women. George II (George Augustus 10 November 1683 &ndash 25 October 1760 was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg ( Henrietta Howard ( 1689 - July 26, 1767) was a mistress of King George II of Great Britain. In 1736, when George II was newly ascendant, Henry Fielding (in Pasquin) has his Lord Place say, "…but, miss, every one now keeps and is kept; there are no such things as marriages now-a-days, unless merely Smithfield contracts, and that for the support of families; but then the husband and wife both take into keeping within a fortnight. Year 1736 ( MDCCXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Henry Fielding ( April 22, 1707 &ndash October 8, 1754) was an English Novelist and Dramatist known for his Pasquinade refers to an anonymous Lampoon, whether in verse or in prose "
During the 19th century when morals became more puritanical, the keeping of a mistress became more circumspect, but conversely the tightening of morality also created a greater desire for a man to have a mistress. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Morality (from the Latin la moralitas "manner character proper behavior" has three principal meanings A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of Worship and Doctrine, When an upper class man married a woman of equal rank, as was the norm, it was likely that she had been strictly brought up to believe that sexual intercourse was firmly for procreation rather than recreation. Is a concept in Sociology that refers to the group of people at the top of a Social hierarchy. Sexual intercourse, in its biological sense is the act in which the male reproductive organ (in humans and other higher animals enters the female reproductive tract Some men thus went to a mistress if they wanted a less prudish female companion. A prude ( Old French prude) is a person who is described as being overly concerned with Decorum or Propriety.
Role reversal
On occasions it is possible that the mistress is in a superior position both financially and socially to her lover. Catherine the Great was known to have been the mistress of several men during her reign; however, like many powerful women of her era, in spite of being a widow free to marry, she chose not to share her power with a husband, preferring to maintain absolute power alone. Catherine II, called Catherine the Great (Екатерина II Великая Yekaterina II Velikaya;) reigned as Empress of Russia for 34 years
In literature, D. H. Lawrence's work Lady Chatterley's Lover portrays a situation where a woman becomes the mistress of her husband's gamekeeper. David Herbert Richards Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930 was an English writer of the 20th century whose prolific and diverse output included Novels short Lady Chatterley's Lover is a Novel by D H Lawrence written in 1928 Until recently, a woman's taking a lover socially inferior to herself was considered much more shocking than the reverse situation.
In the 20th century
During the 20th century, as many women became better educated and more able to support themselves, fewer women found satisfaction in the position of being a mistress and were more likely to pursue relationships with unmarried men. Since divorce became more socially acceptable, it was now easier for men to divorce their wives and marry the women who, in earlier eras, would have been their mistresses. However, the practice of having a mistress still existed among some married men, especially the wealthy. In Europe, for example, many cultures continued to acknowledge and condone the practice of keeping mistresses.
Occasionally, men married their mistresses. The late Sir James Goldsmith, on marrying his mistress, Lady Annabel Birley, declared, "When you marry your mistress, you create a job vacancy". Sir James Michael Goldsmith ( February 26, 1933, Paris, France - July 18, 1997, Benahavis, Spain Lady Annabel Goldsmith (born 11 June 1934) is an English Socialite and the eponym for a celebrated London nightclub of the late 20th [1]
In literature
In both John Cleland's Fanny Hill and Daniel Defoe's' Moll Flanders, as well as in countless novels of feminine peril, the distinction between a "kept woman" and a prostitute is all-important. John Cleland ( baptised 24 September 1709 &ndash 23 January 1789) was an English Novelist most famous and infamous Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, popularly known as Daniel Defoe (1659/1661 — April 24, 1731 was an English Writer, Journalist, and Pamphleteer, who gained enduring fame for The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders (commonly known as simply "Moll Flanders") is a Novel written by Apologists for the practice of mistresses referred to the practice in the ancient Near East of keeping a concubine and would frequently quote verses from the Old Testament to show that mistress-keeping was an ancient practice that was, if not acceptable, at least understandable. B Syria - Belka Woman from Damascus Arab from Baghdadjpg|thumb|Inhabitants of the Near East late nineteenth century Concubinage is the state of a woman or youth in an ongoing quasi-matrimonial relationship with a man of higher social status In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. John Dryden, in Annus Mirabilis, even attempted to suggest that the king's keeping of mistresses and making of bastards was a result of his abundance of generosity and spirit. John Dryden (– was an influential English poet Literary critic, Translator and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England Annus mirabilis is a Latin phrase meaning "wonderful year" or "year of wonders" (or "year of miracles" In Common law, legitimacy is the status of a Child that is born to parents who are legally married to one another or that is born shortly after the In its more sinister form, the theme of being "kept" is never far from the surface in novels about women as victims in the 18th century in England, whether in the novels of Eliza Haywood or Samuel Richardson (whose heroines in Pamela and Clarissa are both put in a position of being threatened with sexual degradation and being reduced to the status of a kept object). England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Eliza Haywood (1693 - February 25, 1756) (born Elizabeth Fowler was an English Writer, Actress and Publisher. Samuel Richardson (19 August 1689 &ndash 4 July 1761 was an 18th-century English Writer and printer. Pamela or Virtue Rewarded is an epistolary Novel by Samuel Richardson, first published in 1740. Samuel Richardson 's Clarissa or the History of a Young Lady Epistolary novel, published in 1748, tells the tragic story of a heroine whose
With the Romantics of the early 19th century, the subject of keeping becomes more problematic, in that a non-marital sexual union can occasionally be celebrated as a woman's free choice and a noble alternative. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Maryann Evans (better known as George Eliot) defiantly lived "in sin" with a married man, partially as a sign of her independence of middle class morality, but her independence required that she not be "kept. Mary Ann (Marian Evans ( 22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880) better known by her Pen name George Eliot, was an " Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre (1848) presents impassioned arguments on both sides of this question, as Rochester, unable to be free of his insane wife, tries to persuade Jane to live with him, which she resists. Charlotte Brontë (ˈbrɒnti (21 April 1816 &ndash 31 March 1855 was a British Novelist, the eldest of the three famous Brontë sisters whose Novels Jane Eyre (dʒeɪn ɛə by Charlotte Brontë, published by Smith Elder & Company of London in 1847, is one of the most influential and
References
- ^ Rees, Nigel (ed. ) Cassell Companion to Quotations (1997) ISBN 0-304-34848-1 There is some dispute about the exact wording. Quotesmith has it as "When a man marries his mistress it creates a job opportunity. " John Simon's obituary of Goldsmith in the National Review (1 September 1997) says this:
Women adored him and he adored women. He married three times and had numerous mistresses. (Yet another Jimmyism: 'When you marry your mistress you create a job vacancy. ') He was loyal, in his own way, to all of them, and all of them were loyal to him. He had eight children by four different women, and never have I seen a more closely knit family.
See also
An English royal mistress is the unofficial title used to refer to the person who held the position of unmarried lover to the king of England either before or after his accessionDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic