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A N 
 
 ESSAY 
 
 1 N 
 
 Praise of WOMEN: 
 
 O R, A 
 
 Looking-glafs for Ladies 
 
 To fee their Perfections in. 
 
 WITH 
 
 Observations how the GODHEAD 
 feemed concerned in tlieir Creation : 
 what refped: is due to them on that 
 account : how they have behaved in all 
 Ages^particularly in our Saviour's time. 
 
 "Our modem Ladies proved no lefs vir- 
 tuous and induflrious than thofe in 
 King Solo77ion^s Time. Several Obfer- 
 vations of their Virtue's furpaffing 
 thofe of Men's. Their Drefs commend- 
 ed. The ufe of the TEA-TABLE 
 vindicated. Remarks upon Mufic and 
 Dancingy and other Recreations fit for 
 Ladies. Proper Advice for the Ladies 
 to beware of Fortiine-htnters, Exhorta- 
 tions to keep good Company, and 
 Cautions ^p refrain bad, trc, tc. 
 / . 
 By J. BLAND, Physician. 
 
 EDINBURGH: 
 
 Printed for, and fold by W. Darling, at his 
 
 Waichoufe, Turl'i CloJ^. MDCCLXVII. 
 
A 
 
 :iitt^ 
 
The PREFACE. 
 
 NOtwithftandIng the long cuftom of 
 prefaces^ I find fevcral modern authors 
 who lecm to write them with rcludlauce j but 
 fince they own them to be fail^ioaable, 1 have 
 the lets reafon to omit the ufe of them : and 
 particularly when I confider that I write to 
 fafhionable ladies, whoin I have not debarred, 
 Dor do 1 defire to debar them, from any thing 
 in faihion, fin only excepted. And fince 
 my book may ju(Uy be called, The Ladies 
 Looking Glafsy what a fad fight would it be, 
 if it fhouid be put in an old-fafliioned frame I 
 Would not this deem the glafs imperfeit, and 
 render it unfit for a Udy's ufe ? For hovv caa 
 perfecftion be feen in an imperfefl glafs I The 
 cfteem for the fair has almoft conilrained me 
 to write in their behalf; and when I confiJer 
 them in all ftations of life, and fee their 
 wonderful indujiry ^ their furpiifing frugality ^ 
 their fingular temperance and chajtity, their 
 incorrupt j^v/Z/r^, their ho\ind\tk charity y their 
 polite education, and their zeal for our holy 
 u/igion ; 1 Ciy, when 1 confider thecn ia all 
 
 A 2 
 
iv PREFACE. 
 
 tbefe refpefls, on which account I find myfeif 
 unable to polifh my glafs enough, or to render 
 Its tranfparency fufficient to illuftrate their 
 pjaife ; why (hould I grudge, or rather why 
 ihould I not ufe my utmolt endeavour, fo to 
 embeliifh my frame ^ as to engage the fair to 
 look into my glafs P 
 
 I have not compared them to other fine 
 things, as fome authors have done ; fuch as 
 coral^psarl, alabajieVy and the like ; for what 
 are all thefe, though nev^r fo well levigated, 
 when compared with a fine woman P Alas, 
 they are^ood for nothing, till the apothecary 
 has beat them in his mortar^ and prepared 
 them hy othtx pharmacoph'tcaldfc'tpline: tbeo 
 they are fit for the ufe of ladies, but not at 
 all to be compared to them. Hath not the 
 charms of woman laid the ftouteft champions 
 at her feet ? And how abfurd would it be. to 
 compare her to any thing below her ? Doth 
 not the fnowy whttenefs of her ire aft make 
 the lil/ies die with pa/enefs, and the rofcs 
 bluih into an unwonted rednefs at the fight 
 of her^ and die with defire to emulate the 
 
PREFACE. T 
 
 ieauty of her cheeks ; for the colour of which 
 I have not found a name I And how blame- 
 able are ihofe, who compare her t^cs to dia- 
 monds, when there is more beauty in a iady^ 
 ViiXXe finger y than the fineft diamond ring that 
 ever was made by the moil curious artiricer. 
 And though I ihould compare her to the gold 
 of Ophir^ the t»paz vf Et/jiopia, and ail other 
 terrellrial things, it would be To far from 
 redounding to her praifc, that it would only 
 tarniih and impair it. 
 
 To what then (hall I compare her, or what 
 name fliall I give her ? I will call her ivoman, 
 becaufe y^dam gave her that name ; and be- 
 caufe our Saviour, who knew bed her defer ts, 
 molt frequently called her fo. And, indeed, 
 under this name is couched far more than all 
 the allegorical expreflions, in relation to 
 earthly things, can contain. What then (hall 
 I compare her to, as I faid before ? Why, to 
 nothing on this fide Heaven : and the dtlie I 
 have of her future happinefs, has eng^^ed me 
 to chalk out the ivaj, and make it as plain 
 A 3 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 as it is in my power ; as ftie will fee in th« 
 following difcourfe. 
 
 And left flie fhauld, by the weaknefs of 
 her nature, faint in her road, I have allowed 
 her all the refrefhment the countries (he 
 travels through will afford her. If (he works 
 hard for her bread, let her cat the beft meat 
 to her liking ; and for the fupport of her fpi- 
 rits, let her drink what (he pleaies in modera- 
 tion. If (he is a fine iadyy I have given her 
 encouragement to live up to her birth and 
 fortune, and to follow the fa(hions in every 
 thing, except that of fin. And, to render 
 her journey ftill more pleafant to her, I have 
 recommended to her choice that innocent and 
 harmonious recreation of mufic ; and, left 
 that (hould want fome thing to keep due this 
 to it, fhe may, if (he pleafes, take a dancs 
 for that end, 
 
 I would by no means have her leave off 
 the ufe of the tea- table ; nor do I fee why (he 
 fliould be debarred of rings and jewels: 
 
PREFACE. til 
 
 kings daughters (if we will believe the Rayal 
 Pfalmifl) had their cloathitig all of wrought 
 gold; or rather gold itfelf, wrought with 
 divers colours, 
 
 Thefe things confidered, what a (hame is it 
 to find fault with a lady's brocaded gown ? 
 And, as for platting their hair (which a late 
 author makes mention of) I think he had 
 better let that alone ; for I am afhamed to 
 fee, and much more to o\k n, what apes men 
 make of their heads. Had they not better 
 have a good warm peruke^ to keep in their 
 brains i if they have any^ than comb all.thetr 
 hair on the top of their head^ like mollies, or 
 I do not know what to call them ? But^ per- 
 haps, they are difordercd in their heads j why 
 then, let them bleed and blijler, and inftead 
 o^ fpirituous liquors y let them drink purging 
 potlonsy and take cephalic dropSy with weak 
 julepSy and drink no wine without a double 
 quantity of water in it ; and let them not 
 come abroad again, till they can (hew them- 
 felves like msn* 
 
▼ill PREFACE. 
 
 But I am afliamed to fay any more, as 
 being a man myfelf : I therefore return to the 
 ladies^ and wi(h them all a good journey, and 
 fafe arrival at the place before-mentioned. 
 And here let me beg leave to recommend to 
 them the perufal of this book ; to look into 
 this gla/s ; where they may fee the beauty of 
 their /oulsy with as full ideas y as I have here 
 defcribed that of their bodies ; not doubting 
 but they will find fuitable meditations both 
 for their temporal and fpiritual welfare. 
 
 I know I (hall have many critics upon this 
 my undertaking; that men almoft of all 
 ratiks and degrees will either condemn or 
 commend me : fome will fay, I had better 
 minded my patients ; others, that I had better 
 wrote upon phyfic^ if I muft have been fcrib- 
 bling ; and others, that my fubje{i is well 
 enough, had it but been well handled : the 
 laft of which, I hope moft of my readers will 
 allow, and I muft own my deficiency in prai- 
 fing fo fublimc a creature as I have made the 
 fubje£l of my treatife. 
 
P R E F A C E. \A 
 
 'Tis impoflible to extol a virtuous woman 
 to perfciSlion : fhe requires the loudeft ha- 
 rangues of f/o^/z^/zr^ ; (he demands the loftiedi 
 flights of art and nature , as well as juftly 
 deferves the moll florid encomiums of human 
 rhetorie^ 
 
 A virtuous woman is the moft valuable 
 and inellimablc of all terreftrial beings ; and 
 for her better diltindlion (he ought to wear a 
 crown of laurel : but ftiii it is impodibie (he 
 fhould be fufBcitntly recommended, in the 
 moft iliuftrious characters, to the efteem, reve- 
 rence- and admiration of tiie world. 
 
 And whofoever are the authors o? fat ires 
 againft her, they a^t the part of antipodes to 
 human reafon ; and *tis little lefs than a piece 
 of bhfphemy again ft her unblemifned virtue ; 
 and is fo far from doing her harm, that it 
 rather redounds to her eftabli(hed charader. 
 Moft of her sritagonifts have wrote againft 
 virtue itfeif, and no wonder if they cavil 
 againft thofe in whom it is moft conrpicuou*. 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 . As for my own part, nothing is more cer- 
 tain than I (hall be roafted by divers Ibrta 
 of men. The drunkard will call me fool, 
 milk fop ^ foft, effeminate puppy ^ and 1 know 
 not vA hat. The marriage-haters will fay, I 
 know not the world fo well aj they ; and the 
 cndorferSy who ought to be burnt at a (lake, 
 • will wilh me hanged in chains. Nay, the 
 fool^ who hath faid in his hearty there is n§ 
 Cod, will wifh there were a devil to puniih 
 and torment me. 
 
 Thus I am arraigned, convi<ned, and con* 
 demnfd, becaufe I have taken upon me to fay 
 fomething in the praife of thofe who are the 
 bert prcteCjors of innocence, the readie(t pro^ 
 meters of indujlry^ the friend lieft vindicators 
 of virtue, and the mofl faithful propagators 
 ©f religion. 
 
 But however guilty confciencesy which al« 
 ways accufe them (elves, may judg^ me, they, 
 will find the following dtfcourfe an impartial 
 mixture, or an exact compofition of the virtues 
 and vices of people, as well in praife of the 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 XI 
 
 goodf according to their merits^ as in dilpraife 
 of the bady according to their demerits among 
 both k^t% ; and in fome meafure I hope it 
 will have its defired efFe(fl, fo far as to %bl'tge 
 the one^ if not to reform the other : the laft 
 of which I could heartily wifh, and hope the 
 candid reader will plainly perceive, that I 
 have faid nothing tmmodef}, or immoderate, 
 much lefs oi party -ma lice ; that I have ad- 
 vanced no new do^frine, whereby I may either 
 offend ma/e or female ; where either the Holy 
 Scripture is not reckoned contrary to their 
 behavioury or their behaviour contrary to the 
 Holy Scripture. And therefore, without 
 troubling my reader with any more prefacing, 
 this book contains the charaHer of all virtue, 
 but more particularly that of a virtuous wo- 
 man • and they who befl deferve it; will 
 doubtlefs be the bejl plcafed with it. 
 
Authors made ufe of, and 
 quoted in this WoRK^ 
 
 jRiftotk. 
 •^ Bafil, St. 
 
 Horace. 
 
 Jujiinian. 
 
 Beveridge^ Dr. 
 
 Kettlewelly Dr, 
 
 Cato. 
 
 La^antius. 
 
 Charotiy JDr. 
 
 Ovid. 
 
 Cicero, 
 
 Patrick^ Dr. 
 
 Duty of Man. 
 
 Plato. 
 
 DykeSy Mr. 
 
 Plautus. 
 
 EpiEletus. 
 
 Plutarch. 
 
 Erafmus. 
 
 Pythagoras. 
 
 Hejiod. 
 
 ^linti/ian. 
 
 Hieromy St. 
 
 Seneca. 
 
 Homer. 
 
 Socrates. 
 
OBSERVATIONS 
 
 O N T H E 
 
 CREATION. 
 
 AS any thing is the 'better, the Hker it 
 is the beft, fo every thing (hould 
 be efteemed, that is moft worthy the 
 Cbfervation of the Moft Infallible. Who 
 IS the moft infallible, there needs not many 
 words to prove ; why, it is the only true 
 God; He, and He only is infallible, tvho 
 made every living creature by the word of 
 his mouth. And after he had confultcd 
 with the other perfons in the Trinity about 
 the making Man more particularly than the 
 other creatures, he feems flill more con- 
 cerned in making this fine creature ivoman : 
 He caufes a deep Jleep to fall upon Adam ; 
 He takes one of his ribs^ clofes the flefh in- 
 ftcad thereof; and the rib whicb the L^rd 
 B 
 
14 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 >Cod had taken from man, made he a w^-- 
 man^ and brought her unto the man, Gen. ii, 
 21, 22. 
 
 Obferve here the pains our Great Creator 
 takes in perfedling this noble creature* 
 Whether his power could not complete fo 
 excellent a work, with a word of his 
 mouth, as eafiiy as he did the inferior part 
 cf the creation, far be it from me to dif- 
 pute or imagine; but rather believe he 
 chofe to Jfhew us an example that might 
 render her more worthy our obfervatioa 
 and adoration. And what is more reafon- 
 able, than that we fhould fupport and 
 adore a being, whom the Being of all 
 beings has given us for a bleffing? And 
 fiQce he feemed fo particularly. concerned in 
 creating her, doth not this plainly demoa- 
 ftrate her worthy our praifc ? 
 
 But what am I, that I fhould take upon 
 me to fet forth the praifes of fo fublime a 
 creature ? wherein we muft ackaowlcdgc 
 
wt /^ CREATION. I J 
 
 riic infofBciency of hutnaa rhetoric itfelf ; 
 and which deferves more florid encomiums - 
 than the moil eloquent orator can fancy, or 
 imagine fo much as a full idea of ? Nay, 
 fo many and great are the perfeftions and 
 endowments of a virtuous ivoman^ that a 
 man might write all his whole life in her 
 praife, and, after all, leave room for more 
 fupplements on the fame occafion. What 
 a (hame is it then to find fo many, who 
 ought to be her inccmiafis^ demean them- 
 felves fo, as unreafonably to write fuch non^ 
 {cnfica\ fatyrs againf!: her. We are not 
 deftitute either of the mofi: honeil, virtuous, 
 or honourable women. Doth not the Royal 
 Family abound with the mod illuflrious 
 examples of this kind ? Are there not many 
 excellent perfons of nobility and quality, of 
 the greateft diftinftion among the fair ? 
 Do we want the devouted ladies of great 
 integrity and religion, any more than thofe 
 of noble extrafiion ? May we not find many 
 deferving maids of honour^ endowed with 
 x^ fmall (hare of chaflity \, Doth not the 
 B 2 
 
i6 OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 world produce many an indulgent mo^er, 
 of the great^ft affedlion and tendernefs to 
 their children ? Can any one number the 
 many endearing wives, of the moft dutiful 
 inclinations towards their hulbands ? Is it 
 poffible to compute the multitude of obe* 
 dient daughters to^their tender parents i 
 
 Thefe things confidered, may we not 
 reafonably conclude, that they live up to 
 the moft laudable characters of grace and 
 mrtue, as well as goodnefs and luifdomy iq 
 their feveral ftations, whether in a fingle or 
 conjugal ftate ? Do they not behave well io 
 the choice or treatment of their refpeftive 
 fpoufes ? May they not be fuppofed to have 
 adted the parts of induftrious daughters, by 
 their commendable houfewifery ; and the 
 good conduft of their domeftic employ- 
 ments, in their feveral vocations, as well as 
 civil concerns of humanity, or ftations of 
 conjugal life ? 
 
 Now, what fhall I fay more, or how dare 
 
on the CKE AT lOU. 17 
 
 I pretend to make comparifons with a vir- 
 tuous woman ? Alas ! all that I can fay, 
 will but le^cn her charadler, diiniallh her 
 worth, or depreciate her incftimable value, 
 as well as extenuate her dignity. Great 
 care ought to be taken of fullying the glory, 
 where the fun is the theme ; and precious 
 jewels are not to be mingled with pebble 
 ftones, for fear of lowering their fublimicy. 
 We may think it a blelnng that we are al- 
 lowed to admire what is fo far above our 
 reach; and inftcad of writing futires agaiaft 
 her, praife her wonderful wifdom in all her 
 ofRcQS^QiihtT oi humanity, morality, divi^ 
 nity, or religion, fecular fociety, or /acred 
 community. Can any thing then be more 
 reafonablc, than to acknowledge her exter- 
 nal imbeHifnmenrs which appear with luftre, 
 unlefs it be the daty we owe to her more 
 refined intei-nal beauties and perfections ? 
 
 What is to be done in this cafe ? and 
 how fliall I be able to make good my taik, 
 when all the inventions of aa eloqueaC 
 
 ^ 3 
 
i8 B S E R V AT I N S, cSrr: 
 
 tongue cannot find words to exprefs a thou- 
 fandth part of her beauties and virtues ? 
 Why, give her the fruit of her bands y and 
 Jet her own works praife her in the gates, 
 Prov. xxxi. 31. This was the conclufion 
 of King LemitePs leflbn, and this is the be- 
 ginning of my tafk. 
 
 And that I may difchargc myfelf in cha- 
 rafters becoming this excellent creature, as 
 far as lyes in my power, I (hall, 
 
 FirJI, Confider Her Industrt.. 
 Secondly, Her Frugality.. 
 Thirdly^ Her Chastity. 
 Fourthly y Her Temperance. 
 Fifthly^ Her Charity. 
 Sixthly, Her Justice. 
 Seventhly, Her Education. 
 Eightly, Her,RELiGiON. And, 
 Ninthly^ Her Marriage* 
 
CHAP. I. 
 Of her INDUSTRY. 
 
 I. /^ONsiDERWeher Ww/7ry;andherc- 
 ^^^ iQ let us obferve her daily employ- 
 ment, and how unaccountably diligent fhe 
 is in the operation of her hands ; and that 
 fhe may not want to employ herfclf or fer- 
 vants, in fuch exercifcs as may conduce to 
 her private intereft, or publick advantage, 
 Shefeeks wool and flax y and ivorketh vjilling- 
 fy ivith her own hands ^ Prov. xxxi, ij. 
 Such is her Induftry, fo great is her defire 
 for juft gain, and fo folicitous in her pur- 
 fuits for the good and welfare of her fami- 
 ly ; fhe flicks at no domeftic employment 
 that may conduce to their interefl or fer- 
 vice : thus (he cards, fpins, or knits ; and 
 what fhe cannot do herfelf, fhe fets others 
 tQ do, and never fails to give them Encou- 
 
» INDUSTRY. 
 
 ragement, adapting every one fhe employs 
 to the bufinefs they can beft perform. 
 
 Thus (he has cloth made, both woolen ' 
 and linen, which ferves for the ufe of her 
 hulband, herfelf, children, or fervants ; ne- 
 ver thinking her time well fpent, but when 
 fhe is purfuing fuch laborious performance, 
 which confequently mufl produce much 
 profit to her family, and render herfelf wor- 
 thy of the greateft praife. She not only 
 fets her fervants to work, but alfo lends her 
 own helping hand. She does not bind hea- 
 vy burdens^ too grievous to be borne ^ and lay 
 them on thejhoulders of others : nor fet them 
 to work purely to (hew her authority over 
 them ; nor, with the JEgyptian tafk-mafters, 
 oblige them to make brick without ftraw. 
 No, (he puts them to that work which is 
 inuch more conducing to their health, ihaa 
 jloth and idlenefs would be. 
 
 Thus fhe fets one to card, another to fpin, 
 a third to knit, a fourth to work with her 
 
INDUSTRY. ar 
 
 flecdic, be. And that they may not want 
 to be encouraged in thefc commendable em- 
 ployments, nor give them room to believe 
 flie does all this to exercife her power over 
 them, but rather for their own good, and 
 to fliew them an example of Induftry, as a 
 mark of her favour, fhe, like a good miftrefs, 
 fits down among them, as I obferv'd be- 
 fore, and lends her helping-hand ; and nei- 
 ther defpifes the diflaff, the needle, the foul 
 linen, or any thing elfe that requires tba 
 help of her indullrious hand. 
 
 Such a doftrinc as this may feem very 
 
 ftrange; and 'tis altogether ufelefs to our • 
 Iradefmens wives in and about London; for 
 certain it is, we have many an induftrious 
 woman, who has been brought up by mo- 
 thers no lefs fo than themfelves, and yet was 
 never learned to knit, or fpin, or make Glcth 
 of any kind ; but the' they are flrangers to 
 this fort of houfewifery, yet are they not fa 
 to all others ; for we have many a good 
 defervinghoufewife in all ranks and degrees^ 
 
%^ I N D U S T R r. 
 
 even from the court to the cottage, An^ 
 not to trouble the ladies of Jigur€ and rf/- 
 JlmSlioriy "With too much of this domeftic 
 anxiety, fince fortune has been fo liberal as 
 to provide for them without it ; and the 
 only weight they have upon them is to 
 take care to provide theoafelves fervants en- 
 dowed with fuch qualifications as I have, 
 or hereafter fnall defcribe : I fay, not to 
 lay thofe loads upon them, whom the Di- 
 vine Providence has fo plentifully provided 
 for ; and it would look more like vice thaa 
 virtue in them to dive into thofe arts, 
 which feem to be only applicable to thofe 
 whofe circumftances more immediately re- 
 quire it : 
 
 I lay, to clear all thofe who are not at 
 all concerned v/ith this laborious induflry, 
 or, at leaft, no more than they themfelves 
 think fit ; let us confider the induftry of 
 others, whofe circumflanccs more imme- 
 diately call for their aid and aflilhnce. 
 
I N D U S T R 1. 2^ 
 
 But here I mufl beg pardon of the Fair 
 "Sex, for my deficiency, and hope my good- 
 will, confidered with their good humours, 
 may alone for my impotency in Co great an 
 undertaking. Though theie branches of 
 indiijtry are peculiarly belonging to thofe 
 exclufive of the bills of mortality, yet arc 
 not our women lefs fo, whether 7?/?^/^ or 
 married : for how many ftngh women have 
 we in London^ who maintain themfelves 
 merely by their own honeft endeavours; 
 and either by plain-worky quilting , clear* 
 jiarching, working for the upholjlerers^ and 
 many other juft employments, for the defirc 
 they have to live up to the end of their 
 creation, appear no Icfs induftrious thaa 
 thofe difiant from it. Do we not find thetn 
 admirable in their cooking, nice m keeping 
 their chambers clean, as well as ambitious 
 in appearing fo themfelves ; and very oftea 
 fo circumfpe(fi: in their duty, that there is 
 fcarce any uncleannefs about them either ia 
 body or mind. They quickly wafh away 
 all (luttilhoefs and impurities^ as well as' 
 
^4 INDUSTRY. 
 
 exert their faculties of induflry, frugality^ 
 €rckr and decency. 
 
 Snch is their natural inclinations, that it 
 excites a willingnefs in their minds to un- 
 dertake any employment to render themfelvcs 
 prudent women in the eye of the world . 
 
 Neither is the married woman lefs indu- 
 ftrious, if we look into the many offices 
 which confequently fall upon her in the 
 managing of. her family : for, no fooner 
 has (he undergone the hardftiip of lofing 
 ber virginity, than (he finds exquifite pains 
 in her head, occafioned by the fupprejfwn 
 of her menjlrous purgations. Neither is 
 this all, for the time of her breeding, which 
 is at leaft tune months ftcknefs, flie is in- 
 clined to naufeoufnefs of the Jlomach^ pains 
 <f the backy reins, and hips ; violent fwel* 
 lings of the legs ; and many other difeafcs, 
 vrhich render this tender creature capable 
 of little more than to grapple with her di* 
 temper. Aad yet, for all this, (he has a 
 
INDUSTRY. >i5 
 
 f^reat deal of bufinefs upon her hands, 
 which the unmarried women, as well as the 
 married men^ little confidcr. 
 
 Perhaps flie has never a fervant, and then 
 •in courfe (he has a room to cl^an, if not 
 two or more. She has alfo her hufband's 
 ■Jinen to make and mend. And if (he doth 
 not wafh it herfelf, by reafon of her indif- 
 |)ofition, or lack of ftrength, ih.Q-waJher- 
 ivoman is fure to make her work that will 
 take up as much time as the wajhing 
 would do. 
 
 But fuppofe (he has a ferrant, or more; 
 why, if (he is nice in her houfehold af&k-a, 
 fhe fpends a great deal of time in following 
 them about; for fervant s, you know:, arc 
 not always to he trifled. The more fer- 
 vaots ftie has, the more care lyes upon her 
 head. And how unable fbe is, at this 
 time, to undergo it, is plain, I think, from 
 the obfervations I made of the nine months 
 ficknefs which ufually attend her. 
 C 
 
:2.'6 I IN D U S T R Y. 
 
 If all this bufmefs and fatigue falls m 
 her way, at her firft fetting out, what thea 
 will come upon her when her family ia- 
 creafes ? If here is fo much to employ her, 
 >vhen the firft child is breeding, muft there 
 not be much more when, perhaps, fhe has 
 one in her lap, one at her foot, and another 
 in her belly ? In fuch cafes as thefe, there 
 is a great deal of occafion for her indtijlry ; 
 but the narrownefs of her circumftances, 
 either occafioned through her hufband's 
 misfortunes or extravagancies, often puts 
 it out of her power to fhew it. 
 
 Confider we then the indujlry of thofe 
 in better circumftances, and fee how they 
 difcharge themfelves, and I doubt not but 
 we fhall find a great many worthy our ob- 
 fervation and praife : for fure I am many 
 a (hop. keeper, and others in and about 
 LondoYiy might long ago have (hut up their 
 fhops and houfes, was it not for the ma; 
 nagement of their wives, when all the fhop- 
 bufmefs muft often ly upon their hands. 
 
INDUSTRY. 2f 
 
 becaufe you muft know the hulband pre- 
 tends to be out upon bufinefs. Yes, and 
 fo he is ; but was the truth to be known, 
 he is either at the tavern, roafting his nofc, 
 or perhaps gaming his wife's fortune away, 
 if not in ih^. Hundreds of Drury. 
 
 And what makes it ftill worfe on the 
 woman's fide is, that the hulband coming 
 home about tea time, which he contrives 
 to do, if his diverlions detain him not late ; 
 when, finding his wife (who has been fa- 
 tigued the greatefl part of the day from 
 the Jhop to her kitchen) regaling herfelf 
 with her five-farthing banquet, which is 
 half a quarter of an ounce of tea, and fome- 
 
 times fugar, and fometimes none 
 
 rare ftjop- keeping (fays he;) I fee I viuft 
 never go cut at this rate ; for ivhat I five 
 by going abroad, I am fure to fee it con- 
 founded at hjme^ by the negligence of my -wife. 
 
 And poffibly here he is in the right ; for 
 as fhc h as fpent Jive farthings^ who knows 
 C 2 
 
29 industry: 
 
 but he has fpent as many, if not more* 
 pounds? If he has no more pleafures to 
 purfue, perhaps be may flay at home the 
 evening ; but then it is a wonder if he h 
 not as crofs as the devil, and the lofs of his 
 money can make him : and what atonement 
 he is likely to make in bed for his ill be- 
 haviour, is fcarce worthy any one's obfer- 
 vation, 
 
 Butnotwithftandingall this, his deceived 
 innocent wife goes on in her duty of ma- 
 caging her houfe with the greateft care and 
 indiifiry. She coniiders, with the ancient 
 phihfjpherSy as well as modern divines^ that 
 idlenefs is the greatejl enemy to virtue ; 
 and fo confequently the greater inlet for 
 vice ; for, as Cicero fays, They that do no* 
 thing, learn to do ill. 
 
 The defire (he has to do well, makea 
 her banifli all floth, which (lie well knows 
 is the greatefl ilavery of the foul, lulling it 
 into fuch a lazy lethargy, that it ftagnatei 
 
INDUSTRY. 29 
 
 all Its operations, infomuch as they appear 
 as if they were all afleep, or fallen into a 
 fit, or even dead with drowfinefs : the fenfes 
 are benumbed^ the tinderjiandingjliipi/ied, the 
 ivill depraved, drawn into bondage , or driven 
 into captivity, with no more freedom left 
 than a lifelefs lumpy or a breatblefs carcafs. 
 
 She confiders we were born to work, 
 and that labour was entailed upon us even 
 from the beginning of the world, which 
 fhe never fails to purfue, either by her hand 
 or her head, according as the various cir- 
 cumflances of her family requires. She 
 knows that Nature requires us to work out 
 our temporal /upper ty as well as our fpiri" 
 Uial welfare, fafety and falvation. 
 
 And to render a life happy, or make it 
 cither ufeful, profitable, or even rational, 
 Pythagoras advifes. To take heed not to fit 
 upon a buficL That is, to avoid Jlotb and 
 lazinefs^ And his dlfciples better knew 
 
 C3 
 
3Q INDUSTRY, 
 
 their own 'welfare^ than to difobey hb 
 €Gmmands» 
 
 Indujlry, (he knows, makes a great ad* 
 dition to the charafter of a virtuous woman ^ 
 which obliges her to exercife all her facul- 
 ties in doing good to her neighbours and 
 friends, as well as herfelf and family. She 
 is always cafting her watchful eye about 
 her domeftic affairs, and ufes her vigilance 
 to find out fomething of profit or advantage, 
 not only to exercife her own genius, but 
 alfo for the good of the induftrious poor, 
 ■whofe bread is owing to her goodnefs, next 
 to Him who is the giver of all good things^ 
 
 And indeed, a few fuch wives as thefe 
 are worth more by far than a thoufand 
 
 times ten thoufand Char — C ns f Her 
 
 only and chief delight is ferioufly to apply 
 herfelf to * aftion and bufinefs, which fhe 
 
 * never fails to prove to fome notable em- 
 
 * ployment, or confiderable gain, looking 
 
 * upon idlenefs with difdain.' She reckons 
 
INDUSTRY. 5f 
 
 It the impertinence of human life, as well 
 as the root of all evil; which whofo in* 
 dulge, bring a curfe upon thcmfclves, the 
 end -whereof is everlajiing death. 
 
 Hefiod places fweat before virtue, and 
 bids the huibandman make his vows to 
 Jupiter and Ceres j with his hand upon the 
 plough-tail, if he expefts any profic, or 
 plentiful harvefl by it ; which if he fails to 
 do, his defliny is to be read in the 24th 
 chapter, the 30th and 31ft verfes of the 
 Proverbs ; I pajfed by the field of the floth* 
 fuly and went by the vineyard of the man 
 void of underflanding ; and lo it was all 
 grown over with thorns^ and nettles had 
 covered the face thereof and the ftone-waU 
 thereof was broken down. * Negligence 
 
 * produces nothing but barrennefs, and the 
 
 * want of common neceiTaries of life.' And 
 how can he hope for any, that will take no 
 pains ? Idlenefs will certainly bring the in- 
 dulgers thereof to extreme poverty. No 
 man of fpirit, one would think, could ever 
 
'32 INDUSTRY. 
 
 fubmit to it. Beggars, indeed, make it 
 their trade, and get their bread thereby, 
 though they very ill deferve it, nor any 
 ether livelihood better than the workhoufi 
 has provided for them. 
 
 Sloth is pernicious both to body and 
 foul. A life of reft, indolence and carer 
 lefsnefs, are much more prejudicial to a 
 man's conftitution, than either moderate 
 excrcifes, or hard labour. 
 
 Doth not a fupinc ftupidity flcken all 
 enjoyments, render the palate infipid, nau- 
 feate the ftomach, and difrelifh all pleafure 
 into a difgiift, or an indigeftion ? Is there 
 any conftitution requires continual reft, or 
 flcep, which are fo full of difadvantagea, 
 difeafes and dangers, that they reader them 
 next to death itfelf i 
 
 I think I need not fear difobliging my 
 reader with thofe fevere expreffions, becaufe 
 fuch notorious fluggards as thofe will 
 
 J 
 
I N D U S T R Y. y^ 
 
 fcarce give themfelves the trouble of look- 
 ing into my book ; much lefs will they be 
 > at the pains to perufe it : and if they fliould 
 read over thofe pages, wherein this vice is 
 fo much condemned, and none of thofe 
 admonicioas will be of ufe to them, or not 
 fo m-uch as they ought, let them go to an 
 ant- hilly and fee what they can learn there. 
 
 But what fh'^ll wx fay to one vjho never 
 t/jtnks of to morrow, any more than if it 
 was never to come, but lives like a worth- 
 lefs dormoiife, an unweildy flow dromedary^ 
 or a helpiefs drcne, in fummer ; and fo con- 
 fequently muft ly ftarving by his owa 
 indolence and Jloth, like a fenfelefs, unwary, 
 unthinking fool of an afsy in "jjinUr. 
 
 And what frrall I compare fuch lazy- 
 lubbers to, but to thofe lifelefs people of 
 conceit, who, as one obferves, ' Think 
 
 * much to move a foot, oi wag a finger, 
 
 * for fear of fpraiuing their arms, or break* 
 
 * ing their legSi They dare not look out 
 
34 I N D U S T R Y. 
 
 "^ at their eye-lids, for fear of hurting their- 
 
 * fight; or are afraid of fpeaking, as if 
 
 * they were tongue-tied, for fear of fpoiling 
 
 * their voices. Whereas many good offices, 
 
 * and honeft duties of humanity, might 
 
 * not only preferve them both as well, but^ 
 
 * likewife employ them to much better ad- 
 ' vantage in fociety, upon any ufeful coa*- 
 
 * \'erfation, or more prefitable bufinefs.' 
 
 Hide thy/elf, fays an Epicurean; but a 
 wifer moralij? fmartly confutes his error, 
 and plainly declares 'tis difhoneft to live to 
 ourfelves alone, for our own fatisfadlion, 
 and no one to be bettered thereby, 
 
 Tis no great matter, I think, if thofe 
 that are vicious ftay at home, unlefs they 
 go abroad to be better admoniQied, and 
 corrected by their betters, in order that 
 they may repent, and reform their manners. 
 But thofe that are virtuous, let them ap- 
 pear in public as much as they car>, that 
 idle offenders may be inftrufted by their 
 good examples. 
 
INDUSTRY. 35 
 
 They that deal in truth and ingenuity, 
 never need be afraid cf the day-light, much 
 lefs will they fly into lurking holes, or live 
 in obfcurity, without any ftudious applica- 
 tion to philofophy, piety, or learning for 
 the public good. To light a candle^ and 
 put it under a hujhely is to no manner of 
 purpofe ; and our Saviour bids us let our 
 light fo Jljine bef$re meUy that they may fee 
 tur good works, and glorify our Father 
 'which is in Heaven* 
 
 It was the obfervation of Plutarch^ That 
 as clofe ftanding waters quickly putrify, fo 
 unaftive perfons fooneft ftink and corrupt, 
 for want of exercifing their faculties. Se^ 
 neca afcribes all viclory, conqueft, or fuc- 
 cefs, to care and vigilancy. Nature requires 
 us to work out our temporal fupport, as 
 well as our fpiritual welfare ; and aftion 
 muft be joined to ftudy and contemplation, 
 to render a life completely happy. 
 
 How oftea doth kzinefs prove the banc 
 
^ I N D U S T R Y. 
 
 -snd plague not only <^f couiltries, but even 
 of commonwealths and kingdoms. The 
 Roma?! emperors and generals were To fen- 
 fibly apprehenfive of this, that they always 
 employed their laz} foldiers, as well as in* 
 doient ftibjefts, :n digging unnecefTary 
 trenches, making bng marches, or cutting 
 Vikiul channels. / 
 
 Celon, King of Syraciife^ was To careful 
 to correft this vice, that he frequently led 
 his flothful people into the fields, both to 
 till the ground, and to learn how to plant, 
 <£S well S3 fight ; for fear of their falling 
 into effeminacy 'and cowardice, for want of 
 military, or good honefl: cxercife. And 
 the Roman laws fuffered none to walk 
 the ftreets, without wearing a badge of 
 their trade. 
 
 In thort, Idlenefi is the greatefl: nurfery of 
 impiety, as well as the ftrongeft feminary 
 of fin ; repugnant to reafon, and peccant 
 ;^ainft the very- rules of our birth, and the 
 end of creatioft. 
 
INDUSTRY. 37 
 
 A virtuous and induftrious woman is 
 ever beft known by the health and ftrength 
 of ber conftitutioQ. She is feldom or never 
 out of adlion, very communicative of her 
 knowledge, and always in a good humour. 
 She is fo difFufive of her flowing bounties, 
 and her benign influences, in the happy 
 neighbourhood where {he dwells, that they 
 are blefled with her enlivening prefence; 
 and the country is overflowed by the fulnefs 
 of her fruits and produftions. 
 
 She knows induftry aird exerclfc muft 
 accomplifli her abilities. She confiders *tis 
 for want of ufe the fword rufts in the fcab- 
 bard, the money ^moulders in the chefl:, 
 and the foul grows rj^ftive and unadtive in 
 the body; therefoj^ her diligence is un- 
 wearied, and her mind indefatigable. She 
 refufes no pains ; flie is never flothful, but 
 quick and aftive, briflc, lively, and vigorous 
 in all her emotions. She invigorates all 
 her faculties by cuftom, and habituates her 
 powers by her daily praftice. She is fo 
 D 
 
38 INDUSTRY. 
 
 blefled with health and ftrength, that (he 
 eafily repels the force of the grand enemies 
 of fm and iloth, whenever they attempt to 
 attack her ftrong-holds, to break down her 
 bulwarks, or to gain ground upon her vi- 
 gilant forces. 
 
 Neither is the health of her delicate 
 body lefs vifible. Behold her fair and fan- 
 guine compleftion, as well as her pleafant 
 afpeft, and fmiling countenance ! Give ear 
 unto her clear and harmonious voice ! View 
 her humble and familiar carriage ! Ob- 
 ierve how prudent, modeft, and mannerly 
 her behaviour is among her maidens I 
 Harken to her lively oracles ! Confider her 
 in her virtuous commands; and add to 
 that, her virtuous and wholefome precepts, 
 and unparallelled examples J And fo I con- 
 clude this chapter, and pafs on to the next. 
 
G H A p. 11. 
 Of her FRUGALITY. 
 
 INDUSTRY and Frugality^ have fuch an 
 affinity wiih each other, that neither 
 can be truly praflifed feparately of thecn- 
 felves : for, as faith without works, or 
 works withczit faith, are faid to be dead; 
 fo I think may induftry without frugality^ 
 or frugality without induftry, be faid to 
 be of little effect. But not to trouble my 
 reader too much about the decifioa of 
 thefe two attributes, I take it that indiijiry 
 fjgnifies to get money, and frugality to 
 fave it, ox lay it oiit to the beft advantage: 
 fo that as the former is more peculiarly the 
 duty of the poor, or thofe in a middle 
 ftate, the latter will naturally appear to be 
 no lefs incumbent upon thofe ihat move in 
 a. higher degree. 
 
 D 2 
 
40 FRUGALITY. 
 
 We may learn from the 3 1 ft chapter of the 
 book of Proverbs, that even qtieetis employ- 
 ed themfelves in manufafturing Jine linen, 
 as well as the moft curious girdles ; which 
 they ufed to traffic with, and fell to the 
 merchants, or other trading ftrangers. On 
 which account they were juftly efteemed to 
 be the moft ufeful and nxeritorious. 
 
 But to fay nothing about the necelEty 
 (which might cafily be proved) they were 
 under to make cloth in thofe days ; if we 
 confider the efteem that girdles were in at 
 that time, and how few there were that 
 could make them, we need not wonder that 
 the moft fafhionable ladies^ or even queens 
 themfelves, were employed therein. /Anti- 
 quity will inform us, that girdles and em^ 
 br cider ed belts were a famous old fafhioD, 
 both among Grecians and Romans, as well 
 as jews and CeritHes, Phoenicians, and 
 other merchants. Had not the Remans 
 their marriage-girdles in facred efteem ; 
 iafomuch that they were looked upon as tb« 
 
FRUGALITY. 41 
 
 very badges of virtue and chajlity, trom 
 whence we recerve fo many excellent 
 phrafes, relating to the deflowering of 
 women, or their unlawful folutions with- 
 out wedlock ? May we not often read of 
 Aaron's curious girdle, of St PaiiN girdle^ 
 Xht girdle of right eoiifnefsy and many others, 
 which would be too numerous to mention 
 in this place, though frequently recited, 
 cither really or metaphorically, in Holy 
 Scripture ? 
 
 We may alfo learn from biflory, that 
 queens and goddejjes ufed to gird up their 
 loins for diverfions, or paflimes, as well as 
 honeft cxercifes.. 
 
 Thefe things premifed, what need we 
 wonder that the moft fafhionable ladies^ as 
 Well as queens^ took fo much pains in ma- 
 king them ? But, pray, what is all this to 
 our prefent queen^ or any of the vzaids of 
 honoury or other ladies of diftinftion ? Is 
 there any occafion now for queens and ladies^ , 
 
 D3 
 
42 FRUGALITY, 
 
 to make girdles^ when we have fo many 
 ribbon-weavers and e?ubroideren, fome of 
 which are ftarving for want ? Would it be 
 frugality to fpin and make cloth, when, 
 notwiihftanding the labour, it is to be 
 bought cheaper than any houfewife can 
 make it ? would it not be mifpending a 
 lady's time, to be ever and anon carding, 
 fpinning, knitting, quildng, ^c. when there 
 are fo many induftrious women, whofc 
 livelihoods folely depend upon fuch em- 
 plbyments ? 
 
 Let a lady be induflrious in reading the 
 Holy Scriptures, and other good books. 
 Let her (hew her frugality in laying out 
 her money to the bed advantage, and in 
 encouraging thofe who are molt ingenious 
 and induftrious in their refpedive callings. 
 Let her drefs herfelf accordmg to her for- 
 tune ; take time to vifit her relations, as 
 Well as other acquaintance, whofe innocent 
 converfation are moft agreeable to her birth 
 and education. Let her manifeA her mo- 
 
 J 
 
FRUGALITY. 45 
 
 defty by her afts of piety, religion and 
 charity. Let her ^the herfelf with the 
 vefture of probity. Let her head and heart 
 be covered with the whiteft lawns of fanc- 
 trty, and gird her with an unblemifhed 
 chaftity : or let her garment be made up 
 of modefty, virtue and glory ; of honefty, 
 humility, and holinefs, the infide and out- 
 fide be of the greateft purity, and fee 
 whether this is not more becoming her cha- 
 racter, than a pair of cards , a /pinning^' 
 luheel, or any other fervile employ the 
 great ones were formerly bufying them'*- 
 felvcs about. 
 
 May wenot afk, Whether one godly prayer 
 will not prepare their way to heaven, and 
 make them more acceptable in the eye of 
 the Almighty, than all the applaufe they will 
 ever gain by all their /pinning and carding^ 
 were they to live as long as Met/m/akm, 
 and card and /pin all their lives ? 
 
 Whether one fuit of cloaths given to 
 
44 FRUGALITY. 
 
 thofe who want them, will not more re* 
 dound to their falvation, than fpinning one 
 or many more for themfelves ? 
 
 And whether riding out one day, and 
 fpending their money freely with their 
 neighbours, who confequcntly rejoice at 
 their bounty and liberality, is not more 
 conducive to the intereft of their country, 
 than flaying at home twenty, to rob poor 
 tradefmen and women of their bread, by 
 following thofe employments which their 
 livelihoods depend on i 
 
 Nay, that to dance out a pair of (hoes, 
 IS better than to knit a pair of ftockings, 
 for two trades. 
 
 And if at rcmps a gown ihould be tora 
 off a young lady's back, whether 'tis not 
 for the good rather of a third ? Or in one 
 word, Whether any innocent recreation, is 
 not more commendable to thofe of fafliion, 
 Ihaa taking the poor's bread from them, by 
 
 J 
 
FRUGALITY. 45 
 
 dedicating their lime to the knowledge of 
 thofe arts they have found out for their 
 fupport and fuftenance, provided they are 
 purfued in moderation ? 
 
 But to fpeak more particularly on fru* 
 gcilityy when a virtuous -woman beholds the 
 bleffings of either her own, or her anceflors' 
 endeavours, and with an impartial eye fees 
 what great effects and advantages care pro- 
 duces, it immediately makes her a confider- 
 able purchafer ; every thing profpers fhe 
 takes in hand, hugely contributing to th« 
 augmentation of * her fortune, as well as 
 
 * felicity. She is in a fair way of getting 
 
 * an eftate by her frugal afliduity ; by this 
 ' means fhe will be always increafmg her 
 
 * flock, and multiplying her numerous ac- 
 ' quifitions. And confidering what fhe 
 
 * has is well got, and will either lafl the 
 
 * longer, or thrive the better, fhe weighs 
 
 * the matter with her mind, how to lay 
 ' out her fuperfiuouc money to the beli 
 
 * advantage/ 
 
4(5 FRUGALITY. 
 
 She knows it is money that buys land, 
 upon which confidsratioQ (he enquires out 
 a piece of ground, a field, or an eflate ; 
 ponders the nature of the foil, the fituationi 
 and other conveniencies, and then makes a 
 purchafe of it. Her prudent Oeconomy, 
 fcdate temper, together with her critical 
 watchfulnefs, feldom fail to in title her to 
 make the bell bargain, as well as accomplifh 
 the moft beneficial purchafe imaginable. 
 And being pofTcflld thereof, and her title 
 made as good as law can make it, ifhe never 
 fails to mariage it to the beft advantage. 
 
 * Thus (be plants a vineyard, which 
 
 * produces the richeft grapes, as well as 
 *■ affords the moft generous wines, for her 
 ' own ufe, or more public benefit. She 
 
 * likewife adorns it with pleafant orchards 
 
 * and gardens, ftocks it with feveral kinds 
 ' of fifh and fowls wild and tame, fit for 
 ^ food 5 replenifhes it with poultry, cattle, 
 
 * and corn of all forts, proper for the ufc 
 *'of her family, the ferv^cc of her houfe* 
 
T R U G A L I T Y. 47 
 
 ^ 'hold, or the better entertainment of her 
 
 * neighbours and friends ; through the ho- 
 < neft ambition of maintaining the honour 
 
 * of her great hofpitality, and fupporting 
 
 * the generofity of her good houfe-keeping.' 
 
 This is oeconomy, and a becoming fru* 
 gality for a gentlewoman, a lady, or even a 
 queen hcrfelf. 
 
 * The ways of her houfebold are never 
 ' from under the infpeftion of her curious 
 
 * eye; nor can they fail of prdfpering 
 « under the countenance of fo admirable 
 -* a miftrefe/ 
 
 She is fo nice and circumfpe6l in the or- 
 dering her affairs, either with refpeft to her 
 own exemplary deportment and behaviour, 
 or the conduft and carriage of her domeftics, 
 that (he makes her manfion not only a feat 
 of public beauty and delight, virtue, di- 
 ligence and eloquence ; but likewife a pri- 
 vate houfc of prayer and devotion, as well 
 
4« FRUGALITY. 
 
 as a family of love, kindnefs, and hofpita- 
 lity. Her conftant abode feems to be ia 
 blifs and holinefs, by the devoutnefs and 
 greatnefs of her mind. 
 
 'Tis the greateft comfort of her life, to 
 fee her habitation prudently regulated in all 
 the good offices of induftry and moderation, 
 according to her difcreet management : 
 without either impofing any flavery on the 
 one hand, or fufFering any fluttifhnefs on 
 the other. And all this fhe does without 
 a fpinning'wheel, cr -any of thok iooms the 
 great ones in old times were fo much de- 
 lighted with. For (he is as much an enemy 
 to drudgery, brutal fervitude, and over- 
 working her fervants, as (he appears to be 
 to their flutti(hnefs, flothfulnefs, and negli- 
 gence in their houfehold employments. 
 
 She never defires them to over-do their 
 duty, but only requires their beft care to 
 maintain the honour of her fervice, pre- 
 serve the reputation of her houfe, and vin- 
 
FRUGALITY. 49 
 
 dlcate it from all unclcanlincfs, difordcr oi- 
 corifufion. 
 
 Thus, by her prudent regulation, (ht 
 puts them in the wifeft way to get their 
 own livelihoods hereafter, without lazinefs, 
 •or eating the bread of idlenefs, provided 
 they have grace to imitate her inftruftivc 
 example* 
 
 * This virtuous woman, whether a queen, 
 ** a lady, or one in a lower degree, knowing 
 
 * idlenefs to be the enemy ofvh'tue, as rjeil 
 '^ as nourifier of vice, (he difcountenances 
 
 * all JlittSj difcards all Jlovens^ and <:afhier3 
 
 * all JIuggards out of her domeHic fervice. 
 
 * She ftrictly regulates their principles, by 
 
 * teaching them the true knowledge of 
 "^ their duty, and laying a good foundation 
 
 * of true underftanding, as well as a lafling 
 ^ frienddiip upon her own family relations. 
 
 * She eafily wins their hearts to a wi!- 
 
 * Ibg obedience, by the fwectacfs of her 
 
 £ 
 
50 FRUGALITY, 
 
 * temper, or the lawfulnefs of her com- 
 
 * mands. By her juflicc and generofity 
 
 * (he quickly engages them to the greatefl 
 
 * faithfulnefs, without breach of trufl ; 
 
 * either through neglefting, wafling, de- 
 
 * frauding, purloining, or imbezzeling her 
 
 * goods. By her goodnefs and afFability, 
 < Ihe gently brings them over to the greatefl: 
 
 * fubmiflion, patience and meeknefe. By 
 
 * her condefcending familiarity, good ad- 
 
 * monition, edifying example, tender in- 
 
 * ftruflion, and indulgent moderation in all 
 
 * her undertakings, fiie even charms them 
 
 * to the greatefl diligence, and firi<fleft 
 
 * attendance to their refpeftivc fer vices/ 
 without giving iherafelves up to floth, 
 fluttiihnefs, and indifFerency, to company- 
 keeping, gaming, and gamboling abroad, 
 or to any diforderly courfe of life, and 
 licentioufnefs, which may take them from 
 their more neceflary bufinefs, as well as 
 divert them from the better pradiice of their 
 boundea duty. 
 
FRUGALITY. 51 
 
 •• This excellent houfewife as wifely 
 
 * obferves and pries into their private tranf- 
 
 * aftions and clandefline praflices ; left, if 
 *■ poflible, Dotwithftanding all her gracious 
 ' ufiige, they (hould turn ingrates, and be 
 
 * guilty of fraud or infidelity, after all fuch 
 
 * in{lru<^ions. She will ever be looking 
 
 * circumfpe6tly into her own ways;* and, 
 in all reafoQ, experts the fame, regard from 
 the eyes of her juft, faithful, and obedient 
 fervants* 
 
 Infomuch that this incomparable lady 
 at lall becomes fo curious and fo difcernlng 
 a houfe-keeper, that, fuppofing her to be 
 
 * a queen, fhe will manage her houfehold 
 
 * fo well, as not to let the king's chcefe go 
 
 * half away in parings at court (as ths 
 
 * proverb exprefTes it) for want of her 
 
 * royal care and conduft. She would not 
 ' fufFer her palace to be impaired, or the 
 
 * crown impoveri(hed, by any exorbitant 
 
 * grants, or foreign gratuities; nor wil- 
 
 * liogly allow the beft jewels to be cai' 
 
 E 2 
 
52 FRUGALITY. 
 
 ' bezzeled, nor the glorious prerogative 
 
 * itfelf to be leflened, by any ignoble prac- 
 
 * rices, profufe conceffions, or improvident 
 *' liberalities ; provided it was in her power 
 
 * to prevent fuch extravagancies, to tax 
 
 * reprlfals', and to niake realuamptions, for 
 '■ the better fervice or interell of her royar 
 
 * confort.' 
 
 But if this is out of her power, yet iq 
 her private family floe admits of no over- 
 fjghts, or mal adminiilration of her civil 
 aitairs. She never overlooks bufiiiefs either 
 of greater or fmaller account, for the be* 
 nefit and welfare of her houfehold concernsi 
 
 This is frugality becoming a court; 
 this prudence is worthy of a queeiu And' 
 where can we find it more applicable than 
 to the Royal Confort of our Sovereign Lord' 
 King George ? Should not this render the 
 progeny of fuch a defer ving parent happy 
 beyond expreflion ? Should not the tender 
 care both of their good education, and daily 
 
 \ 
 
F R U G A L I T Y. 53 
 
 jjrovifion, excite in her fons and dau<^hters 
 the greateft veneration for their indulgent 
 mother's virtue : May not the hufband of 
 fuch a ble/Ted wife be indifputably happy, 
 Nvhofe glorious endowments of mind he can 
 never fufficiently commend ; but when he 
 has faid all he can in reciting her praife^ 
 he muft at laft refolve himfelf into a pro- 
 found filcnce ? 
 
 Herchildren think It the greateft fellcity^ 
 of their lives, that ever they were born of 
 fach a nurfing and affevflionate mother; 
 and muft needs rife up with prayers and 
 praifes in their mouths, both for the pre- 
 fervation of her good health, and long life. 
 They muft call her the moji blejfed of women 
 here below, for the faithful nurture of their 
 infancy, the careful tuition of their child- 
 hood, and the prudent inftrudtion of their ' 
 riper years. 
 
 Nothing is more commendable, except' 
 learning, morality acd religion, than good- 
 
 E3 
 
54 FRUGALITY. 
 
 htijhandry : its ftudy is praife-worthy, its 
 employment is fruitful, its bufinefs pleafant^ 
 irs praftice healthful, its pofTeflion delight- 
 ful, and its improvements profitable. Nay, 
 and which renders it ftill more agreeable, 
 it crowns all our labours with the fuitablc 
 enjoyment of a comfortable livelihood, 
 
 Plato obferves, '7/V a happy thing to hdive 
 one's private affairs ivithout injujiice. And 
 there is nothing more beautiful than a 
 houfehold well and peaceably governed; 
 and though fome may pretend it is not 
 difficult, yet I think it muft be owned 
 to be both careful and painful, as well 
 as troublefome, by reafon of the multi- 
 tude of affairs, which confequently attend 
 it : for as they are common and frequent, 
 and never at an end, they mufl of neceifity 
 much annoy and weary thofe concerned ia 
 them. It is a great happinefs, and we 
 may reafonably fuppofe to have one whom 
 a man may truft, will much cogtribute to 
 bis living at cafe 
 
FRUGALITY. 5;? 
 
 There 'are fcveral principles and precepts^ 
 as well asK^un/els, that belong to good 
 hufbandry, houfewifery, or frugality: fuch 
 as buying or felling any thing at the bcfl: 
 ii?nes and feafom ; that is, when they are 
 hefty and heft cheapeft. To take heed that 
 the hoiifehold goods be neither fpoiled, loft, 
 nor carried away, 6c, And a woman who 
 difcharges her duty in thefe, and fuch-like 
 hoiifthold affair Sy 1 think may juftly be 
 reckoned among the friigaU 
 
 Ariftotle predes this authority and care 
 upon them, to provitle for three things, 
 necejfity\ cleanlinefsy and order. 
 
 It is not fo much to the commendation of 
 a hovfe-keepery to have a feaft that is coftfyy 
 as to have it cleanly, and fet forth in the 
 moft ample and decent manner. And it 
 muft be allowed a good piece of philof-yphy 
 in the miftrefs of a family, to rule and mode- 
 rate the expence of hoiife-keepingy by taking 
 away ftiperfiuitics^ and rightJy to know 
 
s^ 
 
 F R' U G A L r T 1^ 
 
 how to provide necejfaries in the moft' be- 
 coming manner, according to the circuny* 
 fiance of her hujland. 
 
 It requires the utmoft induftry and fru- 
 gality, to make a handfome appearance with 
 a little charge; and not to fufFer the ex^ 
 pence to go above the receipt and income. 
 The vigilance and prefence of the majiery 
 ' fatteth the horfe^ as the proverb well ob- 
 ferves. 
 
 'Tis a general complaint, and I wifli I- 
 could venture to fay, not a common calamity^ 
 that fervantSy at this time, are not to be 
 trufted without the majier or mifirefs's eye 
 over thera. Some fay, they are come to 
 that perfedlion in their villainy, that they 
 can cheat them to their faces. And how 
 true this aflertion is, I will not pretend to ^ 
 vouch ; but, however, I think it may be a 
 caution to ail giddy ^hcaded houfe- keepers, 
 not to leave their domeftic affairs to the fole 
 care of their fervants, without ever ovet- 
 
 vf^.S 
 
FRUGALITY. 57 
 
 looking them as to the faithful dlfcharge of 
 their duty, or exa^nining into the honefty 
 atid frugality of their fervice. 
 
 A wife, indufh-ious, and frugal woman, 
 well knows this careful adage reaches farther 
 than the horfe in the fiabky and therefore 
 ihe readily and chearfully applies it to her- 
 fclf ; on which account (he refoives to have 
 a watchful eye over ail her fervants. 
 
 Thus /hs narrowly infpe<5ls iRto every 
 coryur cf the houfe ; and feldom or never 
 intrufts others, but takes a particular care 
 of her own concerns, herfelf; as well know-* 
 iog^her head mud manage for the bed; 
 her prudence,mufi: preferve what is already- 
 got ; and, in fine, her frugality and difc ra- 
 tion mull improve every thing to the 
 greatefl: advantage* 
 
 This prcverb likewife holds good la 
 nwfcries^ where the maid's care, for tha 
 Bjoft part, if not always, falls fhort of their 
 
58 'FRUGALITY. 
 
 mijlrejfes and mothers ; as well as in JhopiSp 
 where apprentices will never look fo well 
 after the bufincfs, as we may reafonably 
 fuppofe the owners will do thcmfelves ; in 
 which the prcfence of a frugal wife is 
 ▼ery often of great fervice in the mafter's. 
 abfence. 
 
 But, not to dwell too long upon this 
 proverb^ I think it will naturally follow^ 
 that it is neceflary for fome tradefmen's 
 wives to know how to lay out a little 
 money to the heft advantage.. And, as thofe 
 that arc rich fliew their frugality in pur- 
 chafing fields, or eftates, fo may the frugal 
 tradefman's wife, in laying out a little with 
 difcretion in their ftiops, while their huA 
 bands are out upon bufinefe. 
 
 And-fometimes teyi or twenty fhi/li?7gs, 
 laid out this way, may juftify a woman's 
 frugality, as well as fo many hundreds or 
 ihoufands of pounds may another. 
 
FRUGALITY. 59 
 
 And to defcead lower, a crown, or ten 
 JJjillings, csLTcfuWy laid out by an cj^er- 
 ivoman, or one that fells fruit, &c. may as 
 cafily juftify her frugality and ioduflry, ^ 
 thofe who gather ivooly and card or fpitiy 
 or lay out their money for either wool or 
 fiaXy or /pinning' wheels^ as fome of the 
 honeft country-women do. Whereas a tea^ 
 table may be proved a utenfil far more 
 becoming a citizen's wife; and the right 
 management of it to redound more to the 
 inter ejl of her huiband, than a /pinning- 
 vjheel. 
 
 It may be objefted, How a tea-table re- 
 dounds more to a family's advantage, than a 
 Jpinning'wheelf and how it pofEbly can be ? 
 
 Why, veryeafily: and I will prove it. 
 How will you prove it, whea Solomon <x)m» 
 mends the virtuous woman /or gathering 
 wool and /ax ^ carding and /pinning? &c» 
 
 I know the wife Solomon obferves, that 
 
e-0 FRUGALITY. 
 
 virtuous nvomm gathered '^ool and flax, 
 cardedandf^u,,hntzr.^rh^\^^^-._^^l^^ 
 they do in this age too: but then 'us where 
 
 tbe« have no better emp'^oyment, and that 
 at the leaft two huadred miles from London. . 
 And for any of the Undm women to go 
 
 there,...^^--^.--^^^-; "fe- 
 lons as for thofe to come to London ior a 
 .pemr^orth f-tbread, cr tape: oyofe^ 
 
 L z/pinning -wheel in any one houfe m 
 <:U>^.,-ouldbeasabfurdalmoftasto 
 ^arry the ^or>^ at the corner o. St P.«/s 
 into the 'a,=./-gafi.rm country. And who- 
 ever (hould pretend to turn the world thus 
 upfde-down, one -might eafUy conclude 
 their wits -were gone awool-gathermg. 
 
 But to return to the tea-table, and that 
 . „,. "ot be thought to impofe upon my 
 xeader, I am to make it appear more bene- 
 fic-al than a fpinning-wheel ; and ..us « 
 eafiiy done, when that is proved to be no 
 benefit at aU. But I am obliged alfo, for 
 th. good of the Fdr Sex, to prove it really 
 
FRUGALITY. 6i 
 
 beneficial, rather than prejudicial, provided 
 'tis only ufed with difcretion. 
 
 I fuppofe it will be granted, that the 
 tandfomer a man and his wife appears, 
 they are admitted into the better company ; 
 and fo confequently, when they vifit, are 
 treated in the handfomer manner, as well 
 as bring better cuftomers to their fliop. 
 
 Now, fuppofe a tradefman and his wife 
 has been at a gentleman's houfe who is a 
 cuftomer to him; and after having bcea 
 treated in their refpe6live ftations, they 
 haye drank, perhaps, both tea and luine ; 
 the gentleman hardly expefts, when he 
 comes to his houfe, to have any return for 
 his wine, becaufe the other's circumftance 
 cannot admit of it : but if his wife is a 
 woman of good breeding and converfatioo, 
 the lady may likely be defirous of her ac- 
 quaintance ; and how can flic receive her 
 at a fmaller cxpence than a diih of tea P 
 F 
 
62 FRUGALITY. 
 
 And as womea are more ready to fpeak 
 for, or ferve their acquaintances, in recom- 
 mending them to biiftnefsy than men, who 
 knows but (he may bring another or more 
 ladies with her, who may not only lay out 
 money then, but alfo buy of them for all 
 their lives afterwards ? Thofe may bring or 
 recommend others; and fo, by the frugal 
 management of the tea fable, a man may 
 gain no ftnall crudity inter ejl and reputation. 
 
 If It appears, that the man can live 
 without this piece of frugality y then the 
 greatnefs of his circumflance will juflify the 
 nfe of it, and he have the lefs occafion to 
 : grudge the expence of it. 
 
 I might run this to a great length, and 
 find arguments to fill feveral pages, all 
 which would plainly demonftrate the utility 
 of this genteel, though cheap equipage; 
 but fearing I have trcfpafied too much on 
 my reader's patience, I muft haflen to my 
 r*ext head. But before I enter upon it, I 
 
FRUGALITY. 63 
 
 muft beg leave to obferve one thing more; 
 and that is, 
 
 That a woman may by her drefs contri- 
 bute as much to her hujhand's interejl, as 
 the tea-table itfelf. 
 
 Woman, you know, is of all creatures 
 the moft fair and beautiful, feparat^ of 
 herfelf ; and if fhe adds to that the curious 
 art of a decent drefs, who can pafs by a 
 Jhop^ when he fees her behind a count er, if 
 his optic fe-nfes are not impotent, without 
 looking at her? And if he has any thing 
 to buy, he is moft likely to go into that 
 (hop where be fees the- moft agreeable 
 woman* 
 
 How many eyes thofe fine creatures at- 
 traft in one day, in and about London, I 
 am as unable to determine, as how many 
 {hillings or pounds they may caufe to be 
 laid out in their hulband's (hops ; and all 
 thiSj I mean, in an honeft way : for I 
 F 2 
 
64 
 
 FRUGALITY. 
 
 would not be thought to ftand up for ihofe 
 who dre/s to lead men into fnares, to draw 
 them from their duty and affeflion to their 
 wives; butfpeak In praife of thofe virtuous 
 ones who, after they have fet, or caufed 
 their houfe to be fet in order, appear in a 
 dre/s fuitable to their chara6ler, agreeable 
 to their Jiation^ pleafing to their hu/hands-^ 
 and Gommendable to the ivorld. 
 
CHAP. III. 
 Of her CHASTITY. 
 
 LET us next confider this amiable 
 creature, and fee how fhe behaves 
 in her duty of chajiity, 
 
 Chajlity flie knows to be a virtue of that 
 excellent and inexpreffible worth, that {he 
 looks upon it almoft celeftiai. It produces 
 the moft congruous efFefts of prudence^ 
 piety and devotion, which never fail to 
 check, fubdue, and quite extinguilh lufcious 
 thoughts, lafcivious words, or lufifui aciions^ 
 
 It corre(5l5 all unlawful appetites which 
 are moft violent and head-ftrong. 
 
 It curbs, though never fo unruly, all 
 filthy pafHons. 
 
 F 3 
 
66 CHASTITY; 
 
 It gives beauty to the body, enlivens^ the* 
 fenfes ; brightens the eyes, even like fpark- 
 ling diamonds ; and iiluftrates both the 
 faireft completion, and exafteft fymmetry 
 of the whole mcrocofm. 
 
 It renders all the compofition lively^ 
 
 - gay, and briflc, beautified with a pleafaat 
 
 afpefl, fmiling chearfulnefs, and fluttering 
 
 innocency, to the grcateft wonder and ad^ 
 
 miratioaof the moft enamoured beholders. 
 
 It lets ofF the natural colour of the cheeks 
 11 \ to the life, with great luftre. 
 
 ii 
 
 It invigorates the lovely compofition of 
 every limb ; and there is not a joint but is 
 ftrengthened and beautified thereby. 
 
 It renders all the compofition lively, 
 gay, and brifli, and corroborates and refines 
 the parts. 
 
 It is not only a prefer vative againll fick- 
 
CHASTITY. gf 
 
 nefs, but alfo imbellifhes the whole form^ 
 and eftablifhes the very frame of the body 
 ^ in its well-being. 
 
 In fine, the ineflimable gift of continency 
 
 wants nothing to reward its merit, but a 
 
 fortunate marriage^ which could never fail 
 
 to complete the felicity of a dejerving 
 
 buiband. 
 
 This^ noble virtue raifes all the powers 
 and faculties of the foul, and fets them a 
 fpiritualizing the materiality of the more 
 terreftria] part. 
 
 It guards all the avenues of the fair 
 citadel ; defies the longed fiege, or the 
 mofl: vigorous attacks ; laughs at the mofi 
 refolate, furious, or terrible alTaults ; will 
 never capitulate or furrender upon any 
 fuch difhonourable terms as debauchery ^ 
 and is fure to vanquilli the ajfailant at laft, 
 as well as conquer in the florm. 
 
69 C H A S T I t Y. 
 
 It was the remembrance of her chajlity 
 that brought comfort and fortitude to Su- 
 fannah upon the fcaffold ; it was continency 
 that elevated her to thofe undaunted ex- 
 preffions fhe then- uttered. And though 
 (he fuppofed herfelf at the hovr of deaths 
 fhe was not difmayed thereby, but rather 
 feemed jucundary to the moft fublime pitch 
 of innocency and faithfulnefs; and like the 
 chafte, early lark in fummer, ftill foaring 
 and finging up towards heaven ; as it were 
 chanting her Maker's praifes, from whence' 
 this great grace came to felicitate the earth 
 with good health as well as harmony. 
 
 It carries the afcendant over all terreflrial 
 pleafures ; and purifies the mind from all 
 fenfualities, by the condant prafVice of 
 private, public^ and fervent prayer, up- 
 right nefs and fidelity. As fine gold is 
 purged from drofs^ and nllayed by fire^ fo 
 chajlity ftands the teji of ail temptations, 
 by its integrity i and refifts all triah in the 
 
CHASTITY. e^ 
 
 furnace^ by lis truth, goodnefs, and intrinftc 
 tuorth. 
 
 It defeats the grofleft impurities of na- 
 ture, refines upon the carnal body, and 
 almoft turns fiejh and blood .into angels^ or 
 redintegrates nature into its prifline purity. 
 
 Many are the temptations that are laid 
 before this beautiful creature ; and though 
 Goi> gives this fingular grace of chajlity^ 
 yet how hard is it to be retained among 
 the many flagrant incentives to luft in this 
 lewd wcrldP Therefore a virtuous womaa 
 is ever moft careful to keep herfelf, as much 
 as poffible, I fay, to keep herfelf out of 
 the way of temptation; on which account 
 fhe fets a watchful guard over all her 
 fenfes ; and out of profound reverence to 
 her foul, in purity of thought, -ward, and 
 deed, (he looks moft warily about her, 
 takes a ftrift care of her eyes, the windows 
 #/ her heart, as well as the doors by which 
 tQVc and lujl make their eatrance for con^ 
 
70 CHASTITY. 
 
 quejls and ufurpation. Winking at the at- 
 tempt is what (he never fubmits to, as well 
 Imowing the connivance is as bad as the 
 fin. Therefore (he (huns all bad company, 
 like wolves and bears^ that delight in no- , 
 thing but Jiejh and bloody carnage or carna* 
 lity, among lambs, and the mod chafte, 
 innocent, harmlefs creatures. 
 
 She alfo flies from idlenefs^ as the plague 
 or infcdlioQ of lewdnefs, which often carries 
 the body to the grave before Its time, or 
 buries its nobleft parts and faculties in laf- 
 civioiifnefs alive, for want of mortifying it 
 by flfti'^gt good difcipliney and abjlinence^ 
 * either from carnal lufts, lufttul appetites, 
 ' or the lufcious tielh-pots of Egypt / well 
 knowing in how defperate a condition the 
 fouls of thofe mull be, who only take care 
 to pamper their carcafes to the prejudice of 
 their continency. 
 
 Incontinence transforms men into fomc- 
 thing far more beafUy than the beails- 
 
 mm 
 
CHASTITY. 71 
 
 thcmfelves, though never fo unmanly or 
 ungovernable: and the giving reins tofuch 
 unbridled, fuch ungovernable, unruly paf- 
 fions, will throw down the very bulwark 
 of ihcir prefer vation ; and fubdue all vir- 
 tue, as well as be an inlet to all corruptioQ 
 and vice. 
 
 It win confequently prove quite contrary 
 to chqfiityy as much as darknefs is to light. 
 And whoever is of a luftful inclination, 
 will be cajoled out of both fenfe and 
 reafon thereby. And whatever may be 
 propofed by glaring allurements, and ima- 
 ginary fatisfaftion, which for the mod part 
 delude, captivate, or even deftroy the un- 
 thinking and unwary, under the mafk of a 
 pretended innocence and fanflity ; 
 
 I fay, whatever is hoped for from the 
 embraces of a lewd woman, and how far 
 the ungovernable paffions of men may pre- 
 vail upon poor innocent virgins, under a 
 pretence of making better provifioa for 
 
7^ .CHASTITY. 
 
 them as gentlewomen; and inftead of being 
 fcrvants, pretend they (hall have fervants 
 to wait on them : either of thefe, at the 
 beft, are but dangerous precipices, which 
 often leave them in the lurch, to repent at 
 Jeifure for what they have fo inadvertently 
 brought upon themfelves-, and fometimes 
 throws them head-long into a pit, whofe 
 bottom is beyond the comprehenfion of any 
 finite underftanding. 
 
 How many and great are the mifchlefs 
 that fall upon families, through the un go- 
 vernable, brutal paffions of debauched and 
 •v/icked men ; by offering violence to vir- 
 gins, forcing the fair, and taking people's 
 wives from them, either by compulfion,* 
 confent, or delufion? What fatal tra- 
 gedies of old have enfued from .violent 
 rapes, notorious debauches, and inceftuous 
 marriages ? 
 
 And not to mention the barbarous ra- 
 vifhmcnt of chafte Lucretia, by Sextus 
 
CHASTITY. 73 
 
 "Tarqulnius, which quickly changed the 
 Jloman government, deftroyed mofmrchy 
 itfelf for fo long a time; which made a 
 tragical revohitim of national affairs for a 
 worfe, till great Cafar turned the fcaJes, by 
 overthrowing their uforped common-'wealth^ 
 end working an imperial rejlauratim. 
 
 After many public lapfes and relapfes of 
 tWs unchafte and libidinous nature, let us 
 ccnfider how he himfelf ordered one of his 
 captains to be beheaded immediately, for 
 deflowering his landlady, without any com- 
 plaint of her injured huiband. 
 
 Let tis confider the melancholy ftory of 
 M3rk Anthony'^ falling in love with the 
 beautiful Cleopatra^ leading his lawful wife, 
 ^nd defiling her marriage- bed: how the 
 gallant Angujlus beat him at fea, and drove 
 liim to defpair; on which account he laid 
 violent hands upon liimfelf, and (he loll her 
 fife, by clapping poifonous afps to her 
 breads, in the extremity of that fatal amour. 
 G 
 
74 CHASTITY. 
 
 Add to this, the hiftory of Oedipus anfl 
 Jocajla, to find out the miferable fatality, 
 as well as the moft forrowful cataflrophe 
 ^ofinceji; which, though fabulous of itfelf, 
 ifet it affords us an excellent moral. He is 
 faid to have married his mother, though 
 •unknown to either ; and yet when this un- 
 lucky match was found out, ic proved a 
 moft fatal misfortune; he pulled out his 
 eyes for grief and madnefs; fhe put an end 
 to her own life for vexation ; and their foos 
 liew one another for trouble. 
 
 But how much more abominable will 
 this crime be, if it fhould at any time be 
 done to their knowledge ? God threatened 
 Abimelech with death, becaufe he had like 
 to have had Abraham's wife ; by appear- 
 ing unto him, in a dream, and declaring 
 unto him, if /he vjas not returned, he was 
 a dead man. Abimelech had not yet come 
 near her, and therefore be feems to expo- 
 ilulate with the Almighty, faying, Lord^ 
 nvilt tb(fU Jlay a righteous nation? PlaJDly 
 
G » A S T I T Y. 75 
 
 declaring it was through the integrity of 
 his heart, as well as the innocency of his 
 hands. And had it not been for wrong 
 information, he would not have done what 
 he did ; as is plain in the 2Cth chapter of 
 Cettefis^ the 2d, and foUowiDg verfes. 
 
 Auguftm made a law to punifh adultery 
 with death ; and thofe wronged perfons 
 who took advantage of it, were abfolved 
 by the fenate for their making reprifals, or 
 revengiog the injury by way of faiisfa^ftion. 
 
 The Egyptians were no lefs fevere in 
 pMnifhing this heinous fin, by cutting off ihe 
 womaG*s nore> and the ma&'s nobier parts. 
 
 Acd the great Alexander was fuch a 
 profefTed enemy to it, that he dlfcarded 
 fuch offenders for ever out of his favour, 
 as unpardonable malefaftors. 
 
 Nay, all biftory abounds with fuch va- 
 riety, not only of mrio's ftverity, but aifo 
 G Z 
 
76 C H A S T I T Y. 
 
 of God's wrath, indignation and judg* 
 ments, whether national or perfonal, never 
 to be buried in filenc«, or forgot in obii* 
 vion, againft whoredom, that one would 
 think a due confideration of them would 
 make the greateil: prince, as well as tha 
 meaneft fubjeft, look about him with trem- 
 bling, and fay, Stif^ely there can h no true 
 liberty m lafcivioufnefs ; no true mrtue in 
 venery : no trua fatisfa^ion in unchaftnefs i 
 no true happinefs in debauchery : and no 
 felf'intereji, fecurityy.orfatvaiionfor Uwd^ 
 incontinent, and impenitent whore -mongers y 
 either in this lifc^ or in that which is to come,. 
 
 . A virtuous woman, Dotwlthftandlng all 
 the temptations wicked men can lay before 
 her, and though with the chafte Sitfannah 
 (he finds herfelf y?rai/^;.Won every fide, yet 
 rather than (he will do this great miquity, 
 and fin in the fight of the Lord, (he will 
 fubmit to death itfelf. She knows the 
 Lamb of God's firft inconceivable defcent 
 was into the womb of the bieiTed Virgin^, 
 
C H A S T I T Y. 77 
 
 and' that he loves to dwell wiih'pure virgin 
 hearts ; * therefore flie prays unto him, to 
 
 • cleanfc her from all filthinefs of jlcj}:> and 
 
 • fpirit ; that her body may be a meet 
 
 • Umple for the Holy Ghojl to iahabit in ^ 
 
 • that fo fhe may be kept from all pollu- 
 
 • tions and flefhly lufts ; and that fhe may 
 
 • never defile that temple -with uncleannefs* 
 She farther prays, that her heart may be 
 daily deanfed by his renewing grace ; that 
 no depraved afFecftions, foul defircs, or ob* 
 fcene thoughts, may have any harbour 
 there: whereupon (he befeeches him to 
 keep her both in body and foul, pure, 
 harmlefs, and undefiled. And all for the 
 fake of Him who was holy, harmlefs, and 
 feparate from fmners, even. Jefus Chrijl tht 
 righteous^. 
 
 The only way of dcfcribing ^t beauty 
 and lovelinefs of this duty of chajlity^ is, 
 firft to confider the deformity and loath- 
 fomenefs of the fm contrary to it ; which 
 has already been (hewn to be brutifh, info* 
 G3 
 
78- C H A S T I T Y. 
 
 mueh that ir renders us more cxiious than 
 the very brutes rhcmfelves.- 
 
 Beafts afV according to their nature, and^ 
 feeai to anfwer the end cf their creation 
 better than unruly and unthinking men. 
 
 Fire and hail, /now and vapours y vnnd 
 and Jiorm, all fulfil God's ivord ; as well- 
 as mountains and hills , fruitjul trees and"- 
 cedars. 
 
 The fan and moon nevef ceafeth to praife 
 feim, by the light of which, his loving 
 hindnefs is daily before our eyes, and his 
 mer-cy every* moment made manfefi unto us» 
 
 The heavens praife him^ and receive 
 none who praife him not. 
 
 The waters that are ' ahve the heavens 
 praife him; and if we are filent, the floodf 
 thereof will overflow our fouls. 
 
C H A S T I T Y. 79 
 
 The dragons praife him^ as well as other 
 ^aft*: and if we tail fhort of ihem, what 
 is iTiOre rcafonable than inftead of being 
 fubfervieat to us, they fhould be niade to 
 devour us ; the deeps ^ who do the fame, 
 to fwallcw us up; aad the Jire, to burn. 
 us evei lalliugly i" 
 
 Therefore deceive not thyfelf, vain 
 man I fght not againji God, when thou art 
 every day ioling ftrengih, through thy 
 wicked, lewd and unchafte life. Give not 
 thy Jlrength unto woman, ?ior thy ways ta 
 that which dejiroys kings , Prov. xxxi. 3, 
 
 Take the advice given in this profitable 
 leffon, fo ftrenuoufly urged by fo good a 
 mother, whom none but God himfelf 
 could put upon fo good an undertaking. 
 Nothing but divinity was able to furniih 
 her with fuch wholefome counfd to a child 
 of either fex, as is here laid down, in all 
 points of fafety, benefit, and biefling to 
 the lateft pofterrty. Therefore,. Civs not 
 
«o C H A S T I T T. 
 
 thy Jlrength unto ivoman. The wife king 
 tells us, He that goeth after her, is as an 
 ex gchig to the Jlaiighter. He alfo fays^ 
 ^he will bring us to a morjel of thread; or 
 rather the extreme wants of neceflaries, as 
 well as fupports of being. 
 
 * Kings are in as much danger under 
 
 * fuch fatal fruitions, as the meaneft fub- 
 
 * jeft ; and the perciidous jilt will laugh 
 
 * at the deftruftion of the one, as well as 
 
 * the other.' *Tis below, the dignity of a 
 king to give himfelf up to fuch vile pur- 
 fuits; or to fubmit to fuch ignoble, difhor 
 nourable, corrupt embraces, as well as un- 
 lawful amours with fubjedls fo much inferior 
 to him. Therefore his virtuous mother 
 in treats him, out of regard to his own 
 perfon, or profperity, as well as obedience 
 to her requeft, to afl- the chafle part, to 
 moderate the defire of his mind, and plea^- 
 fures of his body, with- an abfolutc fway ; 
 "fupprefs all the rifings and rebellions of 
 
 bumaa nature^ conquer bis heart, and 
 
 -J 
 
CHASTITY. 31 
 
 bring dawn the obflinate confpiracies, 
 proud contentions, or tempting frailties of 
 the flefh, into a due fubjeftion, obedience, 
 and conformity with the fpirit; and turn 
 the weaknefs of the former^ into- the* wil- 
 lingnefs of the latUr. 
 
 'Tis below the dignity of any humaa 
 creature, as well as contrary to folid reafoo, 
 to aft a part fo much beneath even a brute 
 itfelf; and how then can man, in the 
 meaneil ftation, be guilty of a crime of fo 
 deep a dye, which leads and hurries on all 
 who purfue it, to the moft imminent dan- 
 ger of mifery, difgrace, and difappointment 
 of the greateft happinefs; a large catalogue 
 ef evils, not fit to be mentioned in the 
 prefence or hearing of the chafle, and will 
 certainly bring a man to utter deftruftion ? 
 For if any man defile the temple of G^d^ 
 him foatl Goddeftroy, i Cor. iii. i 7, 
 f 
 
 It was this that brought fire and brim* 
 Jione itpon Sodom and Gomcrah : * and he 
 
tl 
 
 C IT A S T r T Y. 
 
 * that committetb fornication, finneth 
 
 * againft his own body, and leaves himfelf 
 
 * little more than human fliapc/ 
 
 O how ftrangely does he look, Who is 
 lately come out of a falivation P And what ' 
 a fordid figure muft he make, when he is 
 capable of nothing but the commiferation 
 of others, and remorfe and repentance of* 
 himfelf, the abjeft of nature,, and objcft of 
 fcorn and contempt f 
 
 Chiijiity reaches not only to the reftl^in- 
 iog of our groiTeft anions, but to all lower 
 degrees; fetiiag a guard upon our eyes 
 wA inclinations, according to that of St 
 Matthew i he that looketh upon -a ivoman to. 
 bijl after her, hath committed adultery al* 
 ready in his heart. Neither is our tongue. 
 cxempied from this great duty; for we 
 are to let no corrupt contmunicaticr.s come out' 
 9f her mouthy Eph. iv. 29. 
 
 ^ * What then /hall we fay. of fomc. pa» 
 
CHASTITY. €3 
 
 ** rents, who teach their children only to 
 ** read romances y ft age plays ^ lovefongs^ 
 
 * and the moft pernicious books of bi'f^ 
 
 * foonry, prcfanenefs and immorality , in- 
 
 * {lead of curious needle-works y and other 
 
 * ingenious exergifes, or induflrious arts, 
 ' or refclving the Holy Scripture; and 
 
 * more particularly in contempt of perufing 
 ' the wife Proverbs of Solcmioii ;' looking 
 upon them as vjajle paper, or writings 
 obfolete or inifajljionabky or beneath their 
 tafte, and rejefted as unworthy their read- 
 ing; pretending they are unfit to qualify 
 our young ladies for Iknow not what more 
 agreeable liberties. 
 
 But a virtuous woman has things more 
 tranfcendently glorious in her, moft noble 
 and divine ideas ; and Ihe will teach her 
 children more advantageous and more cc- 
 leftial lelTons. 
 
 With Mary, (he will magnify ^he Lord 
 
64 
 
 CHASTITY. 
 
 ivith her foul ; and her fpirit Jhall rejoxct 
 in Cod her Saviour. 
 
 For he has regarded the low ejlate of ha 
 handmaiden: for behold^ henceforth, all ge* 
 derations fhall call her hleffed. 
 
 For He that is mighty hath magnified 
 her, and holy is his name, Luke -i. 46, 6'c. 
 following verfes. 
 
 To (hew the virtues of this almoft di- 
 vine creature more fully ftill, let us obfervc 
 how this godlike queen prefTes the dutjr 
 Of temperance upon her fon Lemuel. 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 Of her TEMPERANCE. 
 
 7T is net for kings, fhe fays over 
 and again, to drink wine ; nor for 
 princes firong drink. Proverbs xxxi. 4^ 
 Therefore fhe advifes him to avoid im- 
 moderate drinking^ as fhe had before the 
 fin of whoring, 
 
 'Tis not proper for any, though never 
 fo mean in circumftance, to give themfelves 
 up to too much drinking, for fear of getting 
 ill habits of body, as well as ill difpofitions 
 of mind ; much lefs for you ng prince's, for 
 fear of debauching their morals, and dif- 
 f araging their noble charaSlers. 
 
 Kings, above all other people, ought to 
 be extremely fober, and exemplarily grave 
 H 
 
86 TEMPERANCE. 
 
 and fedate in their behaviour, either in 
 public or private : therefore this pious 
 queen, and indulgent mother, prefTes this 
 duty home to her fon, as a farther degree 
 of perfedlioR, as well as a greater progrefs 
 in virtue. And fuch a wife leflTon it is, that 
 whofoever learns it fo as to praftife it, 
 will make him the mod polite proficient in 
 theJr'Aoo/j of humanity and temperance, or 
 the completeft gentleman in the univerfe, 
 
 TTIs highly improper, fays this fovereign 
 lady, for a king or prince of wifdom, ever 
 to be in drink, or overcome with wine, 
 rich cordial, or any potent liquor; very 
 unbecoming a peribn of fo auguft defcent ; 
 and unfit to indulge himfdf with any thing 
 that will intoxicate his brain, difgrace his 
 perfdn, or uncrown his head. 
 
 Plato fays. Much v^tne and 'wifdom are 
 two contraries, therefore they cannot agree ; 
 that wine unmeafureably taken is an enemy 
 to the foul ; and that drunkennefs makes a 
 
TEMPERANCE. 87 
 
 nan worfe than a bead. Socrates^ That 
 it ought to be efchewed of ail men, but 
 chiefly rulers, watchmen, and officers: that 
 it is abomiuable in teachers ; and that a 
 drunkard is unprofitable for any kind of 
 good fervice* 
 
 Obferve here this philofophic lady, and- 
 fee how agreeable her inilructions are to 
 thofe of pl:iioiophy, as well as that of di- 
 vinity. She knew nothing could give 
 greater fcandal, diflaile, or deteilation to 
 the world than this beaAly, nay, worfe 
 than beaflly fin ; and therefore fhe ufes the 
 raoft cogent arguments and reafons to dif- 
 fuade him from it. 
 
 Temperance is fuch a fovereign virtue, 
 that nothing is more becoming a cro^jjned 
 head ; and it is no fmall argument in wo- 
 man's praife, not only from the good ad- 
 monition of this virtuous queen, but evea 
 from the example of their fex in geaerai* 
 H 2 
 
8» 
 
 TEMPERANCE. 
 
 The temperance of women, compared 
 "With that of man, is fupcrlatively great ; 
 and as it will redound to their happinefs^ 
 fo it ought to render ihcm worthy, mudx 
 more worthy our praife. 
 
 Whatever the generality of men may fay 
 in contempt of this duty, it fhews them 
 more refined in their manners ; of better 
 conduft, more fubfervient, and more obe- 
 dient to the will of their Maker, than man*. 
 
 How does her Royal Majefty^ as a moft 
 exemplary loving mother, difcovcr her 
 goodnefs, by thus difcharging her con- 
 fcience to her beloved fon, in admonitions 
 altogether conducive to his welfare ? How 
 ftrangely is fhe wrapped up in his wifdom 
 and virtue? Such is h^r concern for the 
 inftru6Hon of this young prince, and the 
 growing hopes flie has of her noble family I 
 Nothing comes in competition with it, but 
 God and her fpoufe; which (he never fails 
 to obey, by the ftrifteft obligations of 
 
TEMPERANCE. 89 
 
 facred worfhip, divine reverence, and hu- 
 mane honour. Next to which her chief 
 care is to cultivate the natural endowments 
 of his mind, with the greateft pleafurc and 
 fatistadlion of her own foul. 
 
 And I hope there are not wanting many 
 good mothers at this day, who ufe their 
 utmoft endeavours, both out of natural af* 
 fc<flion and duty, to follow the example 
 here fet before them, in bringing up their 
 children in the fear of God; who take 
 the utmofl care of their well-doing, and 
 are ever follicitous for the improvement of 
 their underfranding, by their daily inftruc- 
 ting them both in morality and religiGn;^ 
 as well as cultivating their bodies and 
 miads with the beft education in their ten- 
 der years. Mothers careful never to leave 
 their children wholly to their own choice • 
 and inclinations, or liberties of the wide 
 world ; much lefs abandon them to fhift 
 for themfelves, and chufe w^hat per fuafion, 
 or what way of living they pleafe : never- 
 
 H3 
 
90 TEMPERANCE. 
 
 admitting them to follow the dictates of 
 their childifti fancies, or gratify their giddy 
 heads, untaught, unadvifed, ungovernable 
 paffions; for which they mud at laft be 
 undone, was it not for their wholefome 
 chaftifement, and inftru6tion in virtue. 
 
 Little fins are ufually harbingers to great- 
 er ; and the want of curbing thefe, brings 
 them to commit all forts, without remorfe 
 of confcience, or defire of repentance* 
 
 If holy David had accounted with his 
 confcience, after his luftful look on Bath-^ 
 Jhebdy doubtlefs thofe fins, into which he 
 afterwards fell, might have been prevented, . 
 
 And what fin is it a drunken man is not 
 obnoxious to ? Woe unto them that are 
 mighty to drink Jlrong drinky Ifa. li. 22. 
 Heb. ii. 15. JVoe unto him that giveth his 
 n^ighbjur drink; that putteth thy bottk.tQ 
 him, oiid mahth him drunk. 
 
TEMPERANCE. pi- 
 
 Temperance, with which the females are 
 for the mod part endowed, is fuch an hea- 
 venly virtue, it qualifies them for ail other 
 virtues whatever ; and there can be no 
 more precious or valuable jewel in a diadem^ 
 than this in the heart of a prince. 
 
 And, as a late author fays, * R dignifies 
 
 * his very regalia ; he wears his coronation . 
 
 * without a fhaking hand. It recommends . 
 
 * his perfon, confirms his parts, and extends 
 
 * his power. It does not only reftify, bus 
 
 * refines all his corporeal pleafures, and 
 *-fenfuai delights, that arife either from the 
 
 * tafte or touch ; by the judeft reftridlioQ 
 
 * of right reafon, honour and neceffity. It 
 
 * regulates both his meat and his drink^ 
 
 * by an abfolute averfion againllall artifi- 
 *- cial dainties, or fuperfluous varieties. It 
 
 * gives him health and long life, by abdain-- 
 
 * ing from all furfeiting and delicacies.* 
 Ii makes him ftand in defiance of any di- 
 fiempcrs or indirpofitions. By moderate 
 eating he fupports theftrength of his body, 
 
Cjt 
 
 TEMPERANCE. 
 
 invigorates the fpirits, attenuates the hu* 
 mours, prevents obftruftions, dlfperfes cru- 
 dities, fubdues infirmities, and preferves 
 the fenfes in their integrity, the afFeftions 
 in their purity, as well as the ftomach in its 
 due tone of appetite and digeftion, for the- 
 requifite offices and bufmefles of the day, . 
 
 By moderate drinking he reftores decayed 
 nature, enlivens the dull raind, revives the 
 drooping faculties, fortifies the weak fto- 
 mach, ftrengthens the vital heat, helps the 
 heavy concoftion, difFufes the necefTary 
 food, chears up the fainting heart, and 
 wonderfully refrefhes the animal fpirits, . 
 for their proper operation of vigour and 
 activity. . 
 
 Infomuch that this rare abftemioufnefs 
 feu forth a glorious example, * both of 
 
 • inftruflion and imitation, from the Su- 
 
 * preme Head to the very foot of the 
 « people ; even to all the little tiplers, as 
 ^ well as famous topers, and infamous 
 
TEMPERANCE. 95 
 
 * drunkards about the kingdom ; which 
 
 * ought to have a better cfFeft upon thcic 
 ' neglefted reformation of manners. 
 
 * A temperance like this would crown a 
 
 * nation with profperity and plenty, peace 
 
 * and quietnefs, obedience and good neigh- 
 
 * bourhood. It was temperance and fo* 
 
 * briety made the old Thracians, CaridianSy 
 
 * ^egyptianSy Chmefe, Japanmfe^ with 
 
 * ma%y other couniries, fo long lived, 
 
 * healthful, and famous in hiftory. 
 
 ' Before the flood our fathers did not-. 
 
 * wallow in flowing bowls, nor inundations 
 
 * of wine, much lefs did they fally out into. 
 
 * fuperfluities of unneceflary food. 
 
 * The antideluvians lived moft upon* 
 
 * lentileSy or kgimiincm fare. The noted*- 
 
 * puitifugiy among the Romans, fed more 
 
 * upon pulfe and herbs, than we do upoa 
 
 * meat ^nd pudding. The Turks feed more 
 
 * chiefly upon roots, rice, and oihcv fruits,. 
 
94^ TEMPERANCE. 
 
 • and all countries, upon more healthy 
 *^ food than we EngliJ}>, 
 
 ^ The more Jlmple the meat, and the 
 
 * /mailer the drink, are to the hungry and 
 
 * thirfty moft pleafant and agreeable. Thus 
 
 * a cup of cold water was fweet to Darius 
 
 * in extremity : and how lufclous was a 
 
 * bit, of barley bread to Artaxerxes ia 
 
 * real want:' 
 
 Plato thought it a monftrous thing in 
 Dhnv/ius, to fee him eat twice in a day ;. 
 to dine at ?ioon, and fup at night : wherea$. 
 we daily multiply our entertainments in 
 doying furfeits, fqueamilh atrophies, and 
 fourifli forrows. 
 
 Cato fays, * We muft not live to eat^ bat 
 *■ eat only to live, according to the beft 
 
 * rules of moderation: and a man ought 
 
 * to take Yns meat and drink as he does 
 ^ Phf^^y merely for health's fake. To the 
 
 * goodnefs of which prefcription, length of 
 
TEMPERANCE. 95 
 
 ' days fets an undeniable probatum, as well 
 « as a general approbation by experience. 
 
 Temperance is certainly the mcft noble 
 qualification of any perfon, either for the 
 pulpit y the bar, -or any other fcicnce. The 
 young divine endued with it, is fure to 
 f\udy hard, read much, and accomplifh 
 himfelf with the bed ornaments of incom- 
 parable Wit, as well as fine language, and 
 admirable learning. 
 
 Thus his head is always cool, his mind 
 ferene, his judgment fedate, his faculties 
 unclouded, and ail his thoughts flowing 
 into the moft exquifite performances of the 
 ^en and tongue. 
 
 'Tis no lefs fufficient to qualify either 
 the virtuous advocate^ or celebrated lawyer^ 
 for the higheft pofts of honoui, or the 
 mcft noble offices of government. It rea- 
 ders him a deliberate fiatefmm^ as well fis 
 a dofe politician, or a cool-headed peace- 
 maker. 
 
5>6 TEMPERANCE. 
 
 This virtue has the gift of fo many va»- 
 luable benefits and bleffings in its power, 
 fuch as heahh, wealth, or intereft, one 
 V'ould wonder it (hould prove infufficient 
 of itfelf, to affeft and charm both clergy 
 and laity, to a regular and difcreet way 
 of living within the bounds of commoa 
 ibbriety. 
 
 Plato gave thanks that he was a man^ 
 and not a beaft : but many of us chufe to 
 make ourfelves heafisy notwithftanding the 
 Almighty has been fo good to us, as to 
 make us men. He is alfo thankful he is a 
 man, and not a 'woman ; whereas many a 
 man, now a-days, ought to defire to live 
 fo temperate a life as the woman ; and the 
 women be daily thankful they are not men, 
 or at leaft live not fo intemperately as the 
 men do. 
 
 He deferves not the name of a Ckriflian, 
 %vho ftrives to make himfelf equal with a 
 heafti that bafely ufes his noble parts ; that 
 
TEMPERANCE. 97 
 
 IS like a feather Jhahen 'with the wind, and 
 lyes down at the foot of every pleafure, 
 >and fpcnds his time in eaiing and drinking, 
 deeping and playing. Eating and drinking 
 in moderation together, has always been 
 as tokens of friendftiip and agreement, as 
 we may fee, Joh xlii. i !• Then came unto 
 him his friends and kinsfolk, and did eat 
 bread with him. And when Ifaac and 
 j4bimelech made a rovenant, they made a 
 fea/}, and did eat and drink, Gen. xxvi. 30. 
 And fo again, in the covenant of Jacob and 
 Laban, where they gathered Jiones, and 
 made a heap, and eat upon them, Geaefis 
 Kxxi. 44> 46. 
 
 The Turks have a faying, / have eat 
 bread and fait with fuch and fuch a one. 
 And we have a faying, / have dined, or 
 fupped, or drank tea with fuch a one. From 
 all which it appears, that friendflnp has all 
 along been got and retained by eating and 
 drinking; and tradeftoen, at this day, hardly 
 make any bargains, pay or receive money ; 
 I 
 
98 TEMPERANCE^ 
 
 or indeed, any perfons, of what rank foever, 
 when they come together, but they muft 
 ^rink before they part. 
 
 Now, rhopc my reader will not take it 
 amifs, if I fay fomething in vindication of 
 the tea-table. If thofe friendly receptions 
 ^e allowable, I hope the more innoceat 
 our entertainment is, 'tis likely to be more 
 juftifiable. And more harmlefs liquor could 
 never be invented than the ladies in this 
 age have made. choice of. What is fo plea- 
 fant and grateful to the tafte as a dl/h cf 
 tea^ fweelened with fine haf-fugar ? What 
 more innocent banquet could ever have 
 been in ufe than this ? And what more be- 
 coming confervation than the inoifenfive, 
 fweet, and melodious exprefTions of the 
 fair cnes^ over an entertainment fo like 
 themfelves, and fo much preferable to all 
 Others? Is not this better than to be gorged 
 with vjine, or to fill the air with Bacchus ^ 
 or to talk all together, like geefe^ or 
 drunken vien? 
 
TEMPERANCE. 99 
 
 Speech is a divine work, of great admi- 
 ration ; and 'tis no fmall virtue ro /peak" 
 little^ and well to the purpofe: but to what 
 purpofe can they be faid to fpeak, when 
 they are fo intoxicated with liquor, they 
 know not whether they fpeak or not ? 
 
 'Tis faerilege to polute or defile fo holy 
 a thing, with profane, vile, or filthy talk. 
 St Matthew puts it upon the trial of life 
 zni death, chap. xii. ver. 35, 36, 37. 
 
 Plutarch ci[\s Jpeech compzrziwxly the 
 Bourifhnient of the foul. But how can he- 
 be capable of exprefTions of that kind, who 
 is daily caroufing, and almoft continually 
 tippling intoxicating liquors ? 
 
 The tongue is compared to a mujtcal 
 inflriimenty which, if well managed, will 
 play a tune with all the concords of a true 
 harmony and virtue. Vocally confidered, 
 11 will fing us a fong of ivifdom, directed 
 fcjf a rcBgious undcrftanding/ A few fig- 
 
 1 2 
 
100 TEMPERANCE. 
 
 nificant words of wit, well contrived, are 
 the moft agreeably grave, graceful, and 
 comprehenfive of edification. 
 
 But to return to the tea-table. The tea* 
 tnble is a promoter of feveral trades^ nay^ 
 I may venture to fay, almoft all trades in 
 general. And a tradefman's wife that can 
 manage her tea-table well, will in all pro- 
 bability render it very advantageous to her 
 family. Who can tell what a Unnen- draper 
 may pofTibly take among thofe ladies, and 
 others of his acquaintance, which would 
 perhaps never have known him had it not 
 been for drinking tea with his wife, his 
 fiiler, or any other he confides in as hisv 
 houfe-keepcr ? And who knows what a 
 mercer, or a woolen-draper may take upon 
 the fame account? and indeed the like may 
 be faid of all other trades. An apothecary 
 may fend out many pounds worth of me^^ 
 dicines on this account ; a grocer many 
 hundred weight of fugar, as well as tea 
 itfelf. The filver-fmirh and copper-froith 
 muft be employed, and fo m.uft the cbina*. 
 
TEMPERANCE. loi 
 
 iTiTin, and joiner. The coal-trade is aug^ 
 mented hereby; and thofe that fell fouff' 
 are never the worfe; the milliners get by 
 it, and no one can make it appear that any 
 employment is worfe for it; nay, was it' 
 Dot that it would be- loo iroublcfome to 
 my reader, 1 would make it appear, that 
 all trades in and about London are really 
 the better by the ufe and right management' 
 of the tea-table. And if any thing may be 
 allowed the fairfex by way of regaling' 
 ihemfelves after the fatigues of their do- 
 meftic employment, I think this will appear 
 the mofl becoiriing, moft innocent, moft 
 rcafonable, and moft commendable that has. 
 y^t been thought of. 
 
 The pooreft woman in the moft obfcure* 
 parts of England, are allowed to treat their ' 
 acquaintance with the beft their homely*' 
 cottages will afford ; namely, fweet-buttcr, 
 cream-cheefe, or cream itfelf, which are 
 ir.oc^ expenfive to them, cheap as they are, 
 than either green or bohea tea to us. And 
 if tbefe arc allowable, how abfurd would 
 
 is 
 
I02 TEMPERANCE. 
 
 ii be to deny a citizen's wife the innocent 
 ufe of her tea-tabk, was there no advantage^^ 
 to accrue thereby ? But fince it plainly ap- 
 pears it may prove advaniageobs, how 
 much more unreafonable is it to find fauk" 
 with it, and for no other reafon I fuppofc, 
 but the hulband either likes it not kimfelf, 
 or at leaft pretends fo, becanfe he grudges 
 his poor innocent wife the ufe thereof? And 
 why is all this, but becaufe he is fo ftupid 
 a fellow, that he never confiders fhe is a 
 part of himfelf, and fo confequently had 
 rather fhe fhould be debarred of the nwfl 
 innocent, as well as the mofl reafonable 
 banquet, becaufe he thinks all is lofl which 
 he doth not partake of, and her five-far- 
 things go nearer to his heart than all he 
 fools away in either ale-houfes, or taverns, 
 nay, and fometimes worfe places. I might 
 fay fomething, how particularly becoming 
 the management of the tea-table is to young 
 ladies ; but that I omit till I treat of their 
 education, and fo proceed to my next go* 
 neral head^ which is that of Charity. 
 
G H A R V- 
 Of her CHARITY.. 
 
 PROV* xxxi. 6. 
 
 Give Jirong drink unto him that is ready to 
 perijh^ and Auine to ihoji that are heavy -^ 
 €f heart. 
 
 OBSERVE here this vlrtuous^ queen, 
 who, after her ftrenuous exhortations 
 to chajlity and temperance^ how flie prefTes 
 the duty of Charity home to her beloved 
 fon. AgreeaWe to that of St Paul to the 
 G^datianSf which, after his admonition to 
 mortify their members which were upon 
 earth, fuch as fornication^ uncleannefs^ 
 and many others, he exhorts them above 
 all things to put on Charity, luhich is the 
 
104 C H A R I T Y. 
 
 hnd of perfeSlimy Gah iii. 5. and follow^ 
 iDg verfes. 
 
 Sb likewife obferve the advice of this^ 
 godly fair, who, after (he had declared her 
 deteft^tioQ of the abufe of thefe creatures, 
 by (hewing the ill confequence of taking 
 too much of them himfelf, in the next 
 place gives .him to underftand upon whom . 
 the fuperfluity thereof was to be beflowed : 
 and that there might be no miflakein the 
 exhibition of them, but that they might be 
 juftly adapted to the malady of the objefts, 
 file, like a careful phyfician, as well as a 
 nurfing mother, gives a diredVion as plaia 
 as words could exprefs : Give firong drink 
 to him that is ready to perifb^ and luine iff . 
 tho/c that be heavy at heart* 
 
 'Tis the mofV generous aft of chanty, 
 to comfort and to relieve the nece(fities of 
 theindigent poor hungry and thirfly ftarve- 
 lings, as well as thofe that are in forrow, 
 ficknefs, or any other adverfity, whofcf 
 
CHARITY. 105 
 
 hearts are overwhelmed with grief, and 
 minds funk down with troubles inexprcf- 
 fible, and in all circumftances are in im- 
 minent danger of death. Therefore this 
 virtuous queen prefTes this divine precept 
 as an excellent remedy for any one languifh- 
 ing under misfortunes, impoverifliments, 
 or forrowful hearts, very well knowing he 
 ought to make as much of himfelf as his 
 circumftances wUl admit him: he may well 
 be allowed a chearful glafs in tribulation, 
 to mitigate the pains of his acliing heart, 
 as well as afTuage the anguifli of his mind. 
 But if any are fo poor as not to afford" 
 thenafelves this comfortable. refre{hmcnt, 
 in fuch a cafe (he advifes her fon to ftiew 
 his liberality and princely generofi^ : thus 
 (he befeeches him, whenever be meets wiih\ 
 aay at the brink of perifhing through po» 
 verty, or of breaking his heart almoft with 
 heavinefs and forrow, then to fhew his 
 tender compaflion ; and not only to relieve 
 bis neceffiiies^ but alfo to fupply him with 
 a^ceflaries, out o( his gracious goodnefs^ 
 
im C H A R r T Y. 
 
 bounty and abundance : defiring that his' 
 wine may be brought forth in plenty, to 
 relieve his poor languifhtng fpirit ; that it 
 naight be fet before him in the ampleft 
 manner of hofpiiality ; that he might drinlc 
 freely of it, to chear his heart, and raife 
 his faculties above the melancholy of his 
 poor and difconfolate condition; that his 
 fadnefs and forrow may be changed into^ 
 joy ; that it may put into him new life, his 
 drooping fpirits may be revived, and ,his> 
 mind recreated with joy and alacrity; that 
 his thoughts may be diverted from repining 
 at his poverty j adverfity, or mifery; that- 
 it may immediately make him merry and' 
 pleafant, and with the greateft moderation 
 to bury his anxieties in obfcurity and obii- 
 ^on ; that the troubles of his mind may be 
 alleviated by drinking heartily, as well as 
 the wearifomnefs of his body, or rhe fretting 
 cares of his fortune benefited by the good 
 converfatioD of fober company. 
 
 I cannot attribute fo many phyfical nu- 
 
CHARITY. 107 
 
 iues to drinking \vine, as a late author has 
 been plcafed to confer upon it, when he 
 feems to prefer it to all elixirs^ an:.dynes, or 
 febrifuges; but it is certainly good for what 
 this companionate and virtuous queen re- 
 comoieDds the ufc of it, io drink and forget 
 poverty^ as well as banifb and extinguijb 
 the remembrance of mifery. 
 
 Therefore, in fuch cafes, let him drink 
 the moft generous wices, without ftinting 
 him to the juice of the grape only. 
 
 * But as moderatiottxan only make them 
 
 * exaftly wholefome, and good for pro- 
 *. curing patience under all his fufFerings, 
 ^ difafters, or forrows, they muft be drank 
 'to no higher pitch than an exhilerating 
 ' degree of fatisfaftion ; to drive away the 
 
 * cares and anxieties of the world ; to ba- 
 
 * ni(h the troubles and vexations of the 
 
 * fpirit to difcard the thoughtful refiedtions 
 *xof the mind; tocapxel the memorial of our 
 ^ mod diilurbiog misfortunes; or to orlag 
 
io8 CHARITY. 
 
 * all our difpiriting lofles, difappointments^ 
 
 * diftrefles, adverfities, and ill treatments, 
 « into an entire oblivion. A moderate glafs 
 
 * will be fufficient to make fach heavy 
 ^ hearts forget their poverty, think no more 
 ^ of their hardfhips, and grieve no longer 
 ^ at the remembrance of their miferies.' 
 
 Poverty, whatever opinion the generality 
 of mankind have of it, or what comparifons 
 they may make between the poor and the 
 rich, and how flighting foever they may 
 look upon the objefts thereof; yet I hope 
 it will not always be proved a fin, nor al- 
 ways require a forrowful repentcnce ; nor 
 always occafion tormenting thoughts ; nor 
 never oblige us to drink of fo bitter a cup 
 as a guilty and accufing confcience; for it 
 is not always in a man's power to prevent 
 It, and it may come erpon him without his 
 own fault. How many are drove to it by 
 mere neceffity, many more by manifeft 
 compulfioQ, and more fcili by ootprious 
 iftjuftice i 
 
CHARITY. 109 
 
 But be that as it will, and however it is 
 coufidcred by its objefts; whether wc look 
 upon it abftraftively in itfelf, or view it in 
 its unfortunate circuin (lances : if wc caft 
 our eyes upon the moft deplorable and mi- 
 ferable confequences it carries along with 
 it, we fhall find it more than a bare nanne, 
 far more grievous than the word imports ; 
 and a greater affliflion than words them- 
 felves can exprefs. 
 
 Though I cannot imagine poverty (o 
 terrible and frightful a thing as fome repre- 
 fent it, yet the confequences which often 
 attend it, require no fmall condudl, no fmall 
 fortifications of courage, no fmall armour 
 of refignation to the divine providence, no 
 wavering of faith, nor weak refolutions 
 rather to fuffer than fin, and to lay down 
 even life itfelf, rather than diflrud his pro- 
 teftion, or difobey his authority. 
 
 Now, what confolation is there in fuch 
 -: cafe as this ? Why, though I am aiilivted, 
 K 
 
no CHARITY. 
 
 I am not forfakea. Iknow whom the Lord 
 loves, he fcourgeth ; therefore I look upoa 
 this chaftifement as a mark of his favour, 
 or fatherly afFe<fl:ion. It was my going 
 aftray occafioned my affliftion ; and O 
 that my affliftion may prevent my future 
 going aftray I 
 
 IBut notwithftanding all this, how often 
 does it fteal into our hearts ? And though 
 poor and defencelefs as it is, it felzes upon 
 the moft noble faculties of the mind ; fur- 
 prizes fome unthinking cowards unawares 
 with the moft melancholy confternations ? 
 How often does it deter them from virtue, 
 either by difordering their memory, per- 
 verting their reafon, or diflurbing their 
 wills ? It confounds their judgment, ruffles 
 their patience, rifles the cabinet of their 
 nnderftandings, carries off the brighteft 
 thoughts of value, the jewels of wit; or 
 deprives fuch difcontentcd fufFerers of theu: 
 freedom, fatisfaftion, and fecuritj. 
 
CHARITY. Ill 
 
 Tis the nature of it to triumph over 
 weak minds. It will fhew no favour to 
 cowards, nor ever give quarter to the fub* 
 mitting defpondent. Nothing but a good 
 Chrijlian hero is able to defeat it ; and non^- 
 but the truly magnanimous will ever ftand 
 his ground, in hopes of better times. 
 
 Many are the melancholy confequences 
 which attend the poor and the needy; yea^ 
 fo many they are, I am as unable to exprefi 
 them, as I am unwilling to experience them* 
 Who can exprefs to what unaccountable 
 fhifts, and fordid extremities fome are re- 
 duced, through their extreme poverty ? 
 Sometimes it afflifls like a judicial fatality, 
 or even a famine itfelf. 
 
 * There's neither corn in E^ypt, nor mo* 
 
 * ney in the land of the living ; no fnftenance 
 
 * for a poor family ; nothing to relieve their 
 
 * neceffities, to provide for a livelihood, or 
 
 * to procure fo much asone meal's meat, or 
 
 * the meaneft necefFary of life, to flop th& 
 
 K 2 
 
112 
 
 CHARITY. 
 
 * mouths of a wife and children, ftarving fo? 
 
 * want.' And tho' bread and water would 
 appeafe or mitigate their woes, yet money is 
 wanting to buy bread. Are not thefe hard 
 trials ? Hard indeed. And what would not 
 a man do, to filence the murmurings of a 
 wife, and flop the crying complaints of the 
 poor,' innocent, unthinking babes ? Would 
 not this make a man look about him for 
 belter fortune ? But which way he knows 
 not. Digging he is an entire ftranger to, 
 and to beg he is afhamed. And though he 
 had the confcience of the unjuft fleward in 
 the gofpel, yet he wants the opportunity 
 which he had, and is ftill at a lofs how to 
 refolve. 
 
 Therefore he concludes to fly to divine 
 providence : and this will move him to the 
 greatefl induftry, and oblige him to take 
 the mod laborious pains in his power, or 
 his prayers. But, alns ! the unthinking 
 children's complaints will almoft difcomfit 
 him of his labour ; and create in him no 
 
CHARITY. 113 
 
 fmall uneafinefs, diflfatisfaflion, and difcou- 
 ragement in the greatefl: efforts of bis 
 getting his living in an honeft way. 
 
 ' Would not ^thc confinement from 
 
 * drinking what is neccfTary for the confo- 
 *■ lation of his mind, the comforts of his 
 
 * heart, or the fatisfaftion of his body, even 
 
 * caufe his tongue to cleave to the roof of 
 ' his mouth ? How mufl the thoughts and 
 
 * defires of him be didurbed, who hath no 
 
 * bread to eat, nor money to buy any* 
 
 * nor, perhaps, fo much as a draught of 
 
 * fmall beer i' 
 
 Can any thing be more perplexing to a 
 great mind, than to fee himfelf incapa- 
 citated of getting his daily food ? and 
 though he would content himfelf to liwo. 
 upon bread and water, yet bread itfclf is 
 fometimes wanting. 
 
 A man of fpirit cannot endure to beg 
 iQ public J on which account, he too^ 
 <1^3 
 
714 CHARITY. 
 
 too often ftarvcs for hunger or thirft ia 
 ■private. 
 
 Nothing but a true philofophic confola* 
 tion, or the pure comfoi;ts of divinity, can 
 help a man out in fuch calamitous times as 
 thefe. Nothing will contribute to our relief 
 in fuch a cafe, but our due application to 
 God by prayer. 
 
 It was by this Elijah was fupplied by the 
 ravens. It was by prayer that Daniel was 
 preferved from the lion's rage. Great was 
 the efFeft of Elias's prayer, when he prayed 
 that it might not rain : yea, fo effeflual it 
 was that it rained not for three years and fix 
 months; and when he prayed again, the 
 heavens gave rain, and the earth brought 
 forth fruit. 
 
 The regretting confequences oi poverty ^ 
 for the moft part, appear in the moft me- 
 lancholy characters imaginable ; and to 
 fome forts of murmurers 'tis almoft intoler* 
 
CHARITY. 115 
 
 able. They confider the difadvantages 
 which attend them, by being deprived of 
 good company, and they plainly conceive it 
 difcards them almoft of human fociety. 
 
 This makes them grieve too much for 
 their misfortunes, and by a difhooourable 
 defpair to feclude themfelves from better 
 enjoyment. How many inftances have wc 
 of defpair in this kind, as well as many 
 tragedies of its fatal confequences ? Has it 
 not occafioned many to lay on themfelves 
 mod violent hands ; and by putting a knife 
 to their throat, a fword to their belly y a 
 fiftol to their head, or a rope about their 
 neck, have endeavoured to free themfelves 
 from their prefent calamity ? But this is aa 
 unrepented crime ; and what mercy is in 
 ftore, may I never have occafion to expe- 
 rience ? What will be the future events of 
 cowardly felf-murder, they that commit it, 
 and He who renders to every man his re- 
 ward, can beft tell : For who can limit tht 
 mercies of the Almighty P 
 
ii6 
 
 CHARITY. 
 
 How many are driven, through infup* 
 portable grief, upon their neceffities, to the 
 temptation of ufing unlawful means ; and 
 either by Jlreet 'robbing, or going on the 
 highway y violently to rifque their own lives, 
 as well as take others money from them, 
 for their difhoneft fupport, which is no lefs 
 than afting their own tragedies in reality 
 upon a fatal exit ? 
 
 There are fome, and I am afraid too 
 many, who, through their idlenefs and in- 
 dclence, h\\ into poverty. Others again, by 
 their vain prodigality, have brought them* 
 felves into this diifolute condition ; and will 
 not fo much as call upon God to help 
 them, nor exercife their faculties o. under- 
 ftanding and induHry, nor exerc their owq 
 power and ftrength in their own defence ; 
 and fuch as thefe ought not to be pitied; 
 Bor efteemed meet for better converfa- 
 tion, than that of beggars, rakeJhameSy 
 fpend- thrifts, pick pockets, and profligates. 
 And though they do not prove fuch coun- 
 
CHARITY. 117 
 
 terfcils, as to tye up a leg, or bfh down an 
 arm, yet they have this to refleft on, that 
 they have difqualified themfelves from any 
 noble empioymeat among gentlemen, fcho- 
 lars, or any others of good repute, charafter 
 and credit, through the opprefTive indi- 
 gencies of their own creating, and miferable 
 exigencies of their mifpent fortunes. 
 
 But what difmal and deplorable effects 
 does poverty fometimes produce, even in 
 the moft indufirious, as well as the mod 
 ingenious men ? What regrets, what refent- 
 Hients, what afflifting after thouj;^hts do 
 often rife in a- generous foul, to find hitn* 
 felf the objefl of fcorn, or the fubjeft of 
 derifion, for want of money, or better 
 cloaths, to make a finer figure in the world ? 
 What can be of greater concern, or more 
 diftrafting to a young gentleman, or a 
 fcholar, than to be unable to purchafe a 
 fufficiency for his being, much lefs for his 
 well-being ? And what adds flill more to 
 his misfortune is, that the vulgar will al- 
 
ii8 
 
 CHARITY. 
 
 ways be falfely judging of their better? 
 underftanding and merit, according to their 
 fuperficial appearance, apparel, and pockets : 
 as if there were no brains from under a 
 fine periwig, no learning but under fine 
 cloaths, and no underitanding in a man, 
 without a pocket full of money* 
 
 But what is ftill worfe, he happens to 
 be in debt ; and though he is not afraid of 
 a goal, yet this is no fmall addition to his 
 forrow ; for what through the greatnefs of 
 his fpirit, and what through the juftnefs 
 of his principle, the thoughts of this is 
 more intolerable than all the reft. 
 
 Who can defcribe with what heavinefs 
 of heart he is opprefTed, when he is afhamed 
 to go where he owes a trifle, which he was 
 obliged to contrail out of mere ncceflity ? 
 Or, perhaps, fometimes afraid to meet an 
 old acquaintance, or a fchool- fellow, be- 
 caufe he has not a (liiliing, nay, not fix- 
 pence to fpend v/ith him ? And if this, ia 
 
CHARITY. 119 
 
 inexprefTible, muft it not be much more fo 
 when he is in fear of a goal, or dying in 
 prifon, upon a difability of fatisfying his 
 creditors ? 
 
 Many are the direful confequences which 
 attend the poor and needy ; yea, fo many 
 are they, that I (hall not trouble my reader 
 %vith any more than I have already recited. 
 
 Hunger and thlrjl, indeed, are two very 
 prefling calamities: yet are they not fo ter- 
 rifying to right reafon, when there is not 
 an abfolute impo/Tibility of being relieved: 
 as the one is foon fatisfied, fo the other is 
 foon quenched. So that poverty or want 
 may juftly be defpifed for virtue's fake, 
 
 * True hunger fweetens the moft ordi- 
 
 * nary entertainment, and is eafily grati- 
 ^ fied without favoury fauces, or lufcious 
 
 * difhes. True thirft renders the fmallefl 
 
 * liquor no Icfs agreeable than the mofl: 
 
 * ftrong and potent mixtures. A little will 
 
120 
 
 CHARITY. 
 
 < fuffice nature, and (he takes more plea- 
 ^ fure in that which is plain and whole- 
 
 * fome, than in all the magnificent varieties, 
 
 * and nice delicacies, at the mod voluptuous 
 ^ feafts, or moft delicious banquets.' 
 
 Ncceflity cannot be any juft plea for an 
 excefs, either in eating or drinking againfl 
 the bounds of moderation. 'Tis true, the 
 body requires nouriftiment, but no great 
 fuperfluity. 
 
 But far be it from me to pretend to 
 prefcribe rules to the world what fort, or 
 how much they are to eat : for though one 
 plain di(h might be fufficient to fatisfy 
 nature, yet I do not fee why thofe whom 
 the Almighty has endowed with plentiful 
 fortunes, may not juftly be allowed as many 
 more as they pleafe, provided they keep 
 within the rules of moderation : for a man 
 may furfeit himfelf as well with one difli, 
 as he may with a great many ; and there- 
 fore I hardly think 'cis fo much a crime in 
 
CHARITY. i2t 
 
 the bettei* fort to have fevcral dirties at their 
 table, as feme pretend. 
 
 But be that as it will, let thofe in mean 
 circumftances be content with their condi- 
 tion, and let them confider a little will 
 fuffice nature. Let not him who has one 
 wholefome difli at his tabic, murmur becaufe 
 he has no more ; but let hira be thankful, 
 and confider thofe who have none at all. 
 Nay, let thofe who have but fmali-beer and 
 bread not be unthankful, but compare 
 their condition with thofe that want both. 
 Let not any one repine at his fate, but 
 let hitn apply it to its right ufe. Neither 
 poverty nor riches are curfes of themfelves, 
 and *tis our own faults^ if they are mads 
 
 fo to HS. 
 
 The true management of an aifllclrion is 
 a duty incumbent upon all that arc vifited 
 therewith; and God gives us this talentt 
 with expeflation to have it ioiproved. 
 L 
 
122 
 
 CHARITY. 
 
 Therefore, let not any one fay, he has 
 a hard maftcr ; nor pretend to let his talent^ 
 whether of riches or poverty, ly hid, or 
 uncultivated in the earth, left his Lord 
 ihould take it from him, and give it to thofc 
 that know better how to improve it ; and, 
 which is ftill worfe, he be caft into titter 
 darknefs, where there JImU be weeping and 
 gnajhing of teeth. But rather let him imitate 
 the good and faithful ferv ant ^ who y for his 
 faithfulnefs in a few things, was made ruler 
 over many things ; and was immediately re* 
 ceived into the joy of his Lord, Matth. xxv. 
 
 Charity is a virtue fo difFufive in its 
 nature, that there is no one, though in never 
 fo mean circumflances, exempt from it. 
 What though I am fo poor, that I cannot 
 fpare one farthing to an indigent pcrfon, 
 yet it may ly in my way to ferve him 
 in fome other rcfpcft : and if I fall fhort 
 in any thing according to my power, I am 
 as guilty as he that with- holds an alms kom 
 
CHARITY. 123 
 
 iny one he is able to relieve ; and then, hoijtj 
 dwelkth the love of Cod in rm ? 
 
 Is it not in the power of every one to 
 Wi(h his neighbour well ? to put on the 
 hcrjjch of mercy y kving-kindnefs ^ humblenefs 
 of mind, to be kit idly affe^ioned one to an- 
 other^ and with brotherly love, as far as in 
 us lyes, in honour to prefer one another P Is 
 it amife to believe all things, hope all things, 
 or to bear nvith aU things ? Does any cir- 
 cumllancc of life render us incapable of 
 kving our enemies, bleffing them that curfe 
 us, or praying for them that defpitefully ufc 
 Uf, or perfecute us P 
 
 Our blefled Saviour laid down his life 
 for his enemies, and alfo in fuch a meek 
 aanner, as we find excellently fet forth by 
 the apoftle St Peter, chap. ii. 22, 23, 24 • 
 which confidercd, we may well make 
 St John's inference ; Beloved, ifCodfo loved 
 ttf, Jo we alfo ought to love one another, 
 L 2 . 
 
124 CHARITY. 
 
 Mercy is an excellent, well-meaning,^ and? 
 tender-hearted virtue; the nature and pro-». 
 perty of which is moderating the violence 
 of wrath and vengeance, keeping it ftill 
 within the due bounds of reafon, honour,- 
 and humanity. Jjiger, nor a /word ought 
 not to be put in the hands of a madman : 
 as it was iQ King P/mroah's, when,lie or- 
 dered all the 7nale children to be flain aa 
 fooQ as they were born ; which,, by the. 
 contrivance, and tender compaffion of the* 
 godly midwives^ many oL their lives were- 
 (iived. 
 
 Obferv^ here the cotnpaffion of the* 
 tender-hearted midwives, who, to fave the 
 innocent babes, ventured the incurrance of 
 the king's difpleafure, and thereby endan- 
 gered their own lives. But this hard-hearted 
 prince, ftill perfifting in his. barbarity, and 
 finding his cruelty could not be put in ex» 
 ecution by the midwives, he charges his 
 own people to caft all the. male-children- 
 imo the river. But here he is defeated. 
 
CHARITY. 125 
 
 again by the compaflion of his own daugh- 
 ter, which caufed her to contribute to the 
 nourifhment of a child in his court, which 
 afterwards proved his deflruftion, and the 
 deliverance of the children of Jlfrael^ as iS' 
 plain in the ift and 2d chapters of Exodus. 
 
 YoQ fee here, it was through the com* 
 pafTion of this young princefs, that Mofes's 
 life was preferved, though at the fame time 
 fhe believed him to be one of the Hebrew 
 children, whom her father had ordered to 
 be deftroycd. 
 
 Compaflion is feated in the moft inward 
 and fenfible part, as we fee, Gal, iii. 12. 
 Put on therefore^ as the eU6i of Cod^ holy 
 and beloved, bowels of mercy. And again, 
 PhiL ii. I. Bowels and mercy ^ 
 
 The female fex, being of fbfter mould, 
 isi more pliable and yielding to impreffions 
 of pity, than man ; and by the ftrength of 
 fancy, redoubles the horror of any fad ac- 
 
 L3 
 
126 
 
 C H A R I T Y. 
 
 cident; infomoch that God himfelf; wha 
 3S th« God of mercy, when he would mofl-^ 
 magnify his own compaflion, illuflrates its 
 by that of womaD, as the higheft humaa> 
 iaAance. 
 
 The next branch of charity is- that of 
 fiJm/givhigf which confequently muft follow 
 Vi/h^re boiuels of mercy are concerned, and* 
 where they bear fo great a-fway as they 
 naturally do in the female kind. Not to faj) 
 any thing more ctf what the virtuous queen. 
 preiTed upon her fon, St Paw/. makes men?, 
 tion of an ecclefiaHical order of widows, in 
 the primitive times, v/hofe whole miniiky 
 was devoted to charity, i Tim. ch. i. v. 5^- 
 And again, Heb. vi. 10. God promifes he. 
 will not forget their works of labour and. 
 Jove which they fhewed towards his name^, 
 in that they have minijired to the faints, 
 and yet do minijier. 
 
 But I am afraid I have dwelt too long 
 upon the other branches of charity^ ta 
 
e H A R I T Y; 127 
 
 crave my reader's paticocc much longct 
 upon this ; therefore I (hall only beg leave 
 to mention two more examples : 
 
 The one is, that of the bcx 0/ precious 
 mtmcnty the woman in the gofpel poured 
 upon our bleffed Saviour's feet ; and though 
 reproved by fome of his apgltles, yet highly 
 commended by our Saviour himfclf.. 
 
 And the .other is, the poor viidowy who 
 caft i\ic.y^xylaji fanthing into the treafury^ 
 
 However thefe may be forgot by vaia 
 and unthinking man, our blefied Saviour, 
 who took fuch particular notice of them, 
 "Vvill never blot them out of hisbook of re^ 
 Oiembrance; nay, he exprefly declares, iAj£ 
 'where- ever the gofpel is preached^ this Jhould 
 be told cQjicerning the box of ointment. 
 
 A certain author obferves, * That a vir- 
 *'tuous woman's charity is fo univerfaliy 
 * extenjQvc, that it diffufes itielf to thq 
 
t28 
 
 C HA R IT Y. 
 
 * fartheft parts, and, like the fun, fpreadsl 
 
 * all over this worH with its cherifbing 
 
 * beams, or kinder influeDccs. Every vir* 
 
 * tuous perfon fhfe bears of, is immediately^ 
 
 * intitled to her purfe. If any one fuffers 
 
 * for conftience-fakc, his exigencies are the- 
 
 * greater exercifes of her virtues; his po- 
 
 * verty makes her rich in gcod vjorh^ and 
 
 * caufes her but ftill the more to abound 
 
 "^ in her duty.* And, according to that* 
 cxpre/Edn of the 31ft chapter of the Pro- 
 verh, and the 20 th verfe, She Jlretchetk 
 out her hand to the poor, yea, Jhe reacheth^. 
 forth her hands to the needy. 
 
 I 
 
 She is not contented to give with one- 
 hand only, but fo great is her defire to give, 
 plentifully, thac {he employs them both, in. 
 giving over and above expeftation. 
 
 In fhort, no diftance of place can out- 
 reach it, nor length of time can come be- 
 yond it. It extends to the fartheft part of ■ 
 the eartb| and is not bounded OQ this fide^ 
 
C H' A R 1 T Y. 12^ 
 
 heaven ; for the memorial of it is recorded 
 ia the everlafling books above. 
 
 Agreeable to that of tlie apoftle, charity 
 never faileth : but whtther there be pr^o- 
 phefieSf, they Jhall fail; ivhether there ^ be 
 tongues y they Jhall ceafe ; ^whether there ^ be 
 hiowledgCy it JJjall vanijh away. Therefore, 
 above all things, (he puts on charity. To 
 do good, and to diftribute, fbe never for- 
 gets ; for fhe knows with jucb facrifice Cod 
 ii well pleafedt 
 
 She IS merciful after her power : if ftie 
 hath much, (he gives plentifully; if (he has 
 little, (he doth her diligence to give of that 
 little. She gives alms of her goods, and 
 never turns her face from any poor man ; 
 on which account, the face of the Lord 
 (hall never be turned away from her. She 
 fo well knows both- the law and the prO' 
 phets, that Jhe doth unto all mefj, as JU. 
 would they Jboulddo unto hern 
 
T3d C ir A R I T Y. 
 
 Thus (he lays up for herfelf treafures irt 
 
 heaven, vjhere neither moth nor ruji doth 
 corrupt^ nor ivhere thieves do not break 
 through andfleal. She makes herfelf friends 
 of the mammon of tinrighteoufnefs : fo that 
 when they fail, (he (haU be received iato 
 
CHAP. VL 
 Of her JUSTICE. 
 
 CHaritt and jujlict are fo near a-kin, 
 that whoever is endowed with the 
 former^ can hardly be fuppofcd to be a 
 ftrangcr to the latter: for he that com- 
 mands us to put OQ bowels of compaffion, 
 bas undoubtedly fet up a feat of juft judg* 
 ment in that breaft where thofc bowels 
 have fo commaoding a power. 
 
 This virtuous queen, who had before 
 fo recommended to her fon the praftice of 
 charity^ as well as chajiity and temperancCp 
 now exhorts him to that oi juftice^ ^s wq 
 fee In the 8 th and 9th verfes of the 31 ft 
 chapter of Proverbs » Open thy mouth for 
 the dumb ; for the caufe of all fuch as arc 
 €pp9int€df9r defiruSiion. Open thy mouth. 
 
132 J U S T I C E. 
 
 judge -right eoujly^ and pkcd thecaufe of 4ht 
 
 poor- and needy. 
 
 'Tis no wonder that (he who had beea 
 To prefliDg for affifling the poor and help- 
 lefs, with the fuperfluity of his fiibftance, 
 fhould no lefs recommend this duty of ad- 
 xniniftring the trueft juflice, with the mofl: 
 equality, exaftnefs, or impartiality. 
 
 Openthy moiith for the dumb : that is, if 
 any one is, through fear, modefry, or ig- 
 norance, want of elocution, or any other 
 faculty of addrefs, rendered incapable of 
 fpeaking for himfelf, hold not thy tongue 
 upon fuch weighty occafions, left the in- 
 DoceRt be caft, and for want of an advocate 
 the right be wronged, or the juft caufed 
 to fuffer. Immediitely undertake the vin- 
 dication of his juft caufe upon thee. 
 
 And to fil^nce the petitions either of his 
 eloquent adverfary, or the numerous ac- 
 curate expreflions of -his learned or artful 
 
JUSTICE. 133 
 
 coiinfel, fliew thy prudence as well as 
 power or prerogative. 
 
 And to give the (Irongefl: arguments 
 and plaincft demonftrarioa of thy conde- 
 fcenGit>g humility, frequent the courts of 
 judicature thyfclf ; let them be honoured 
 with your own prefence. 
 
 Supprefs the accumulations of partial 
 juftice, and never fpare to fpeak in defence 
 or favour of the dumb and defencelefs. 
 
 If flrangers, or others, who underftand 
 nothing of the laws, are in danger of fuf- 
 fering fome confiderable damage in body, 
 reputation or eftate ; and for want of the 
 trued interpreters, faithfullefl advocates, 
 or unbiaiTed tincbrrupt judges, appear as 
 though they were appointed to deflruflion: 
 if orphans be like to be oppreiFed by might, 
 foreigners by malice, or natives by mif- 
 vinderflanding, or want of eloquence to 
 defend themfelves in cafes of liberty aud 
 M 
 
134 JUSTICE. 
 
 property, as well as life and death ; then 
 open thy mouth, judge righteoufly, and 
 plead the caufe of the poor and needy. 
 
 Seneca obferves, that no kingdom, com- 
 monwealth, city, or family, can pofiibly be 
 well governed, or kept in due decorum, 
 nor ever be intitled to a happy eftate, 
 unlefs 'tis governed by divine and human 
 juftice; by the former of which we arc 
 united to God in devotion; and by the 
 latter, we are clofely tied to our neigh- 
 bour in the ftrongell bonds of mercy and 
 iiumanity. 
 
 We are particularly bound to the love 
 of our great Creator, above all fublunary 
 or terreftrial beings, by whofe almighty 
 jiat, and omnipotent power and goodnefs, 
 we were all created ; without whofe fup- 
 porting power we (hould ceafe to be, much 
 lefs to be well. Next we are obliged to 
 the jujlice of charity towards our fellow- 
 creatures, and efpecially our Chriflran brc- 
 
JUSTICE. 135 
 
 thren, as well by the law of nature, as 
 that of nations, and civil fociety ; without 
 which, it would be impoflible to be toler- 
 ably happy in this world, or completely fo 
 in the world to come. 
 
 Judice and mercy are fuch fignal virtues^ 
 fublimc and fingular qualifications, and il- 
 luftrious ornaments of crowned heads, as 
 well as inferior minifters, and ether Aib- 
 ordinate magiftrates, or fellow- fulie': 5, that 
 they render any reign, or adininiUration of 
 government, both happy in itfcif, and tran- 
 fcendently glorious in the eyes of all their 
 beholders. So attracting is their virtue, 
 that, like a loadjlone, they dnrv upon a 
 particular kingdom the genera: r.dmiratioa 
 of foreign countries ; and how much more 
 that of their own natives ? May they not 
 unaDimoufly rejoice, with exulrarion, under 
 the favourable influences and difPafivc good- 
 aefs. of their gracious governor, lawful 
 prince, and pacific fovereign. 
 M 2 
 
136 JUSTICE. 
 
 Upon thefe, and fuch like con fi derations, 
 it was, that this good queen fo ftrenuoufly 
 urges her foa Solomon, fo pathetically to the 
 praftice of thefe two royal excellencies, 
 and noble endowments of mind ; well 
 knowing that no government could long 
 fubfift in a firm conilituiion, or flouiifliing 
 condition without them. 
 
 What more divine or philofophic ex- 
 hortation to mercy, than is here laid down, 
 could ever be given ? And what jufticc 
 may we not e^^peft, where fo much cle- 
 mency wields the fceptre ? What is more 
 agreeable to God's own word, than fuch 
 precepts as we find here recommended, 
 conformable to that of another text of 
 fcripture, V/hat doth the Lord thy God re- 
 quire cf thecy but to do jujiice, love mercy, 
 and walk humbly vjith thy God P Again, 
 Prov, xxix. 14. The king that faithfully 
 jiidgeth the poor, his throne Jhall be efta'- 
 biyhed for ever. 
 
JUSTICE. 137 
 
 Of all which duties, women of all ranks 
 and degrees have appeared fo fenfibly ap- 
 prehenfive, they have always been follicitous 
 of having them put in execinion ; and 
 when in their own power, feldom or never 
 fail to execute them to the greateft per- 
 fei^ion. 
 
 Several inftances niight be given to prov<^ 
 this afTertion; but, for brevity*s fake, I (hall 
 mention but a few. 
 
 What niore could Pilate's wife do ? or 
 wliat ftronger demonflration of juftice and 
 mercy was it in her power to give, tha^i 
 appears by her behaviour, when her huf- 
 band fat upon the. feat of judgment, to 
 judge the Lord of the whole univerfe ? (ha 
 fent unto him, faying, Have nothing to do 
 ijjith the blood of this jujt per/on. 
 
 B«t this proving infufHcient, and our 
 blefTed Saviour being condemned, what 
 was it the tender- hearted woman, who fol- 
 M 3 
 
133 JUSTICE. 
 
 lowed him to the place of execution, would 
 not have done, to have refcued him from 
 the band of foldiers, and infults of the mob ? 
 Luke xxiii. 27. Matih. xxvii. 19. 
 
 But what need I go fo far for inftances 
 of this kind, when our own age hath been, 
 and ftill is produ£l:ive of fo many ? We 
 need but look back a little, and we (hall 
 find juftice was never more truly difplayed, 
 than has oftener than once appeared under 
 the petticoat governments. 
 
 But not to be too particular, to trouble 
 my reader, nor name names, which are ua- 
 genteel, and might perhaps render this 
 treaiife difagreeable to the ladies, let us 
 confider the juflice of the fair, in relation 
 to their hufbands; and how they difchargc 
 themfelves when truRed with their fortunes. 
 'And I hope it will not be hard to produce 
 a great many of thofe, to whofe care and 
 indufrry, as well as juftice, are owing the 
 well-being of many families, in all ranks 
 
JUSTICE. I3P 
 
 and degrees : but I mull be excufcd par- 
 ticulars in cafes of this nature, 
 
 I might eafily prove by many, nay, too 
 many inrtances, and plain demonftrations, 
 that not only ladies, but alfo women of all 
 ftations, have been, and, i am afraid, are 
 ftill ruined and undone, through the in- 
 juftice and extravagance of their hulbands; 
 many of which are apparently evident, and 
 many more would be fo, were it not for 
 the frugality and juflice of the domeftic 
 managers at home. 
 
 That many families fufFer on this ac- 
 count, is proved beyond all difpute, and 
 plainly manifeft to too many beholders; and 
 many more, whofe downfall does not yet 
 appear, but through the prudent oeconomy 
 of the virtuous ladies, as well as other de- 
 ferving women, are yet unknown to the 
 world, and for the fake of whom may it 
 ever remain a fecret. 
 
140 J U S T I C E. 
 
 I tremble to think how many baudy tta* 
 veras are kept upon the fpoil of families, 
 and the deftruftion of ladies, who have 
 frequently been deceived by pretended 
 gentlemen, who have carried on their in- 
 trigues by the afliftance of common women 
 of the town. And when they have gained 
 their point, and the lady*s fortune, as well 
 as perfon, is at the /harper's command, 
 then, My dear honey ^ fays he, Imnji go into 
 my own count ry^ to look after my ejlate. 
 
 And taking as much money as he thinks 
 fit, to fupply his extravagances, leaving the 
 deluded lady little enough, he takes his 
 leave of her, committing her to th^ care of 
 fome pretended friend of his, with a line 
 or two how to direft to him ; which very 
 often proves In fome remote pnrt, where he 
 has fome correfpondence, without which he 
 could never have completed his defign. 
 
 And, in a little time after, he writes to 
 her, as from the place before-mentioned, 
 
JUSTICE. 141 
 
 with all the indearing expreffions a hypo- 
 aite can utter ; not failing, in the conclu' 
 fion, to defire an anfwer ; adding withal, 
 that if fhe cannot remit him fome money, 
 he is afraid he mufl return before his bu- 
 iinefs is half done; for his houfes and 
 hedges, and many other things, which fhe 
 is an entire ftranger to, are all out of repair, 
 and much more than he imagined. 
 
 And this he does only to try if (he has. 
 any private funds; well knowing he has 
 already got what money could immediately 
 be called in, according to the contract of 
 matrimony, and the nature of her fortune. 
 
 If either through her inability, or good 
 conduft, he is difappointed of his requeft, 
 the next time he writes, he gives her to 
 underfland, that he muft come to London^ 
 and ftay there till he has a frefli recruit ; 
 when perhaps all this while he has never 
 been out of it ; and the houfes and hedges 
 v;hich he had to repair, were fome taverns. 
 
142 J U S T I C E. 
 
 where he formerly kept his rendezroos; 
 and for a gratuity of former favours, he 
 pays ibeir wine-merchant, repairs their 
 breaches, the decays of the houfe, and 
 efpecially the windows, which very crfieo 
 fuf&r martyrdom. 
 
 Neither is this all, for he has feveral 
 tally-men to pay, both for his own cloaths, 
 an J the jlrum^ets who perfonated his rela- 
 tions^ and took upoa them fictitious names* 
 
 Add to thefe, his malc-aeq.aaintance,. 
 which m j(l not be forgot. Perhaps he is 
 one of t. e nine which often live in a garret; 
 for the conveniences of whom there are 
 three beds place- in fo artful a manner, 
 that they can hold a confultation together. 
 when all the houf' is quiet, and lay fchemes 
 bow they m^y catch fome lady of fortune; 
 who is to be geatlemaD next day, who fkip, 
 and who the coach-man. And his tura 
 being at prefent ferved, he rauft advance 
 money tc the ailidance of the reft ot hi* 
 
JUSTICE. 143 
 
 fcUow death or rather deftruftion-hunters; 
 for fo they may moft properly be called, 
 who feldom fail to deflroy the ladies in 
 body and eftate ; very often bringing rot- 
 tennefs to their bones, and draining ihcra 
 of all the comforts the frugal management 
 of their fortunes would afford them. 
 
 All this being done, as far as his cafh 
 would reach, he, according to his appointed 
 time, returns to his innocent lady, with all 
 the feeming alacrity imaginable ; acquaint- 
 ing her how uneafy he has been while 
 cbfent from her : but he had this fecret 
 fatisfaftion, that the improvement he was 
 making of his eftate, would contribute to 
 her happinefs, as well as his own ; and that 
 he had only one trip more to make, and 
 then all his defires will be accompliftied, 
 which v/ould add no fmall fweetuefs to his, 
 and his dear honey's fouL 
 
 Thus he flays, till he turns all her effefl:s 
 into money, or gold j and leaving her with 
 
144 JUSTICE. 
 
 a little to keep her alive, bids her take 
 care of herfelf till he returns, and thcQ all 
 will be well. 
 
 And fo indeed it will, for he never in- 
 tends to fee her more ; and if fhc has been 
 wife enough to referve fomething to hcrfelf, 
 from the hands of him who has been feek- 
 ing to ftrip her of all, flie may thankfully 
 fit down and fay, it is well it is no worfe. 
 
 However flrange this may feem to the 
 innocent ladies, I wifti, for their fakes, it 
 was only roinantic^ and out of the power 
 of all the fair fex, to give a demciiilration. 
 But left we {hould ftill have more of thefc 
 melancholy inftances, let me, with humble 
 fubmiflion, intreat them to take care, and 
 know well the charafter of a gentleman, 
 before they give him any place in their af- 
 feflions, or any room to believe he is ever 
 likely to find the way to their tender hearts, 
 never to be captivated by their perfonal ap- 
 pearance, completenefs of drefs, courteouf- 
 
JUSTICE. 145 
 
 nefs of behaviour, fine dancing, or finging, 
 or any other fuperficial graces whatever, 
 though all qualifications very becoming a 
 gentleman, yet are no lefs acquired by them 
 who daily feek their deftruftion, namely, 
 the common bites of the town, who, like 
 wolves, roaring lions, or devils themfelves, 
 go about feeking -whom they may devour. 
 
 And here I would advife them to give 
 00 encouragement to thofe who are fome- 
 times in the appearance of perfons of qua* 
 lity, and perhaps have the aflbrance, as they 
 think, to fet afide all fufpicion of their ho- 
 nour, to put on a Jiar and garter, and 
 place themfelves in a front or fxde-box ia 
 the phy houfe, only with a defign, if pof- 
 fible, to attradl the eyes of innocent ladies ; 
 and if he can but come fo near them as 
 to beg 2l pinch of fnujf from one of them ; 
 6t compliment her with one out of his 
 gold-like fnuff'box (the beauty of which is 
 owing to Mr P'uichbeck) he will, perhaps, 
 have the good manners (or the ajfurance^ 
 N 
 
146 JUSTICE. 
 
 which you will call It) to offer his fervice 
 to conduct the lady home. And though 
 fhe has modefty enough to refufe him, he 
 is fure, if he has no other intrigue which 
 is likely to conduce more to his advantage, 
 to keep within fight of her, and fee her 
 into her hcufe, though at a diftance. And, 
 fifty to one, if by one means or other, lie 
 finds not a way to pinch her belly ; and 
 either through his own inftigation, or fome 
 of his fellow death and deftru6i:ion hunters, 
 does not take an opportunity of carrying 
 her off marrying her, or, which I had al- 
 moft faid is worfe, robbing her of her 
 jewels ; and, Which is the greateft of aH, 
 hei* chajiity. 
 
 The fame care oughf likewrfc to be taken 
 even at court; for thefe Jljarpers have 
 friends in every place of public refort. 
 
 And if all this care is to be taken here, 
 there ought a great deal more to be takea 
 ^\ the mafiiierades^ And indeed, the ovXj 
 
X U S T I C E,. 147 
 
 advice I can give them, to prevent the im- 
 pofitions of a place where faces are all h 
 unlike their own, is never to frequent 
 them : humbly beg[»inn; their pardon, if 
 they imagine 1 am perTuading them to walk 
 in an ungenteel way: but this will appear 
 no longer genteel, than ir is graced with 
 their prefence : and when they pieafe, they- 
 may, by their abfconJing it, deprive thdfe 
 ik^olves of this opportunity of devouring the 
 innocent lambs; thofe birds of prey , from 
 the harmlefs doves, the touch of whofe 
 garment will confume the ladies fofter 
 raiment, as the ^^^/^*s feathers does that of 
 innocent birds. 
 
 Give^ me leave,* therefore, once more to 
 exhort you to beware of fuch cattle, as I 
 juft now obferved ; and thou who art jull, 
 be fo juft to thyfelf, as not to be impofcd- 
 upon by mere fcoundrelsy who go about in 
 the habits o{ Jzne gentlemen ; and though 
 they accofk you in the mofl fmooth and 
 £5Qieel manner, gratify thy fmjll withi 
 N-2 
 
148 JUSTICE. 
 
 perfumes, thy fight with a feetniog good 
 face, as well as gay apparel ; attraft thy 
 ears with a mufical voice, and feem as- 
 though they would worfhip you, by their 
 wry faces and grimaces, which they are never 
 fparing of when in purfuit of their prey ; as 
 thou tendered thy welfare, give no regard 
 to them, but bid them depart from thee. 
 
 He has already given his ftrength to 
 harlots, by which he muft of ncceffity be 
 infefted ; and if thou haft any thing to do- 
 with him in conjugal afFecftion, thy fine 
 body muft confequeatly be corrupted by. 
 his polluted one. 
 
 His familiars are either bawdsy pimps^ Or 
 ivhores ; and if thou makeft him mafter of 
 thy fortune, they muft be fupported there- 
 by, add thy fair feif become the ridicule of 
 his Jlrumpets' difcourfe. 
 
 And which is worfe ftill, perhaps thou 
 art a lady of the moft refined religion;: 
 
J U S X I C E. i-i^ 
 
 whereas he has no more in him than a 
 dray-horfe. Or a wild afs's colt. Such con- 
 trarieties as thefe muft cerrainly biee^d dif- 
 cord to the laft degree, and fuch as I hope 
 will never befal any of my fair aiid cour- 
 teous readers. 
 
 Now, that young ladies may be the better 
 armed againft fuch alTaults as 1 h^ve bcea 
 mentioning, they muft make choice of a 
 prudent converfation ; for 1 would not be 
 underftood, from what has been faid, to 
 debar them of any innocent company. 
 
 God never intended the world fhould 
 be a wildernefs ; nor the chief inhabitants 
 thereof, as barbarous btafis, to live alone 
 lurking in their dens. Monks ^ nuns, and 
 htrmits, who under pretence of fan6lity, 
 fequefler themfelves from all focicty, are fo 
 far from being more holy, or better Chri- 
 flians than others, that they rather feen^ 
 to have put off hunian nature, and not to 
 be fo much as men. Unclean, filthy per- 
 N 3 
 
ISO JUSTICE. 
 
 fons, almoft always love to be in private, 
 and very often chufe neither to fee, nor be 
 lecn of others. Birds of prey fly always 
 alone; and ravenous brutes come not a- 
 broad, till others are retired. Our very 
 fenfeswill tell us, that God would have us 
 ibciable; and our very natural voice de- 
 clares the fame unto us : for, was every- 
 man to immure himfelf in his own cell, 
 would not our fpeech, and hearing, and- 
 fight be in a great degree loft, as well as 
 our Maker's end fruflrated, in giving us 
 thofe organs and inftruments, to qualify us 
 for converfation ^ 
 
 The graces of good men would be in a 
 great roeafure ufelefs, were they not to 
 deal with fome to whom they might di- 
 ilribute them. 
 
 The law of man condemneth ingrofTers 
 of external goods, and the law of Go d con- 
 demneth iagroHers of fpiritual good things. 
 
JUSTICE. 151 
 
 They who Andy to monopolize all to 
 themfelves, undo others. 
 
 That the wealthy may never want ob- 
 }c(\s of charity, and opportunities of laying. 
 uut and improving thofe talents which are 
 committed to their truft, our great and- 
 wife Creator has fo contrived it, that the 
 ^vo^ld fliall never want poor men. 
 
 And again, That thofe who are rich la 
 grace, may have fit objects and cccafions 
 of employing their gifts, he has no !cfo 
 thought fit to fupply the world wkh needy 
 Chridians. 
 
 'Tis a true maxim, That every^good thing 
 is fo much the better as it hath many 
 jlmrers. Truth itfelf intimates as much, 
 when, he plainly declares, 'Tis not good for 
 man to be alone. 
 
 Infinite Wifdom hath fa difpenfed his 
 gifts aad graces, that no maa is fo fterile. 
 
152 JUSTICE. 
 
 bin he has fomething wherewith to pj-offt 
 others; nor any man fofufoifhed, and fruit- 
 ful, but he ftandeth in need of others help. 
 
 If the head cannot fay to {h^foct, I havt- 
 no need of thee ; much lefs can the foot 
 fey to the head, I have no need of thee. 
 
 The very greateft monarch in the whck 
 univerfe, who feems to have the leaft want, , 
 cannot fubfifl without the meanefl work-^ 
 men, even them that grind at the mill. 
 
 Company is both comfortable and pro- 
 fitable. The pelican avoideth other birds, 
 and keepeth alone j but her tone is always > 
 forrowful. 
 
 Chriftians walk more merrily in the way 
 of God's commandments, when they have 
 many fellow-travellers. 'Tis a favour to 
 have a partner, tho' even in mifcry ; and 'tis 
 no fmall eafe and fatisfa(fi:ion to have one to 
 fympathize with us i^ our fuiFerings, 
 
JUSTICE. 153. 
 
 The way to prevent thofe veflTels from 
 burfting to pieces^ filled with mofl piercing 
 forrows, is to give them vent by opening 
 ourfelves to others. 
 
 Holy David {ccmeih to be very fenfible 
 of this ; and the want of fuch friends ex- 
 torted thefe expreflions from him ; My 
 hvers and my friends Jiand aloof from my 
 fore ; and my kinfmen fiand afar off. 
 
 Heman cxprefles himfelf to the fame pur- 
 pofe, and fighs, rather than fings to the 
 fame doleful tune; lover and friend hafi 
 thou put far from me ; and mine acquaint- 
 ance into darknefs, Pfalm xxxviii. 11, and' 
 Ixxxviii, 18. 
 
 In fhort, many arc the benefits and ad- 
 vantages that arife from good companions ; 
 but then there is as much evil and dit 
 advantage arifing from bad ones. 
 
 Many a good Chrifliaa would be eafily 
 
i«54' J U S T I C E, 
 
 overthrown by the ftorms of temptations, 
 were they fingle and folitary, who refill' 
 them with courage, and come off with 
 viftory, by being affiftcd with good com-- 
 panions. But this benefit doth not proceed 
 from every companion ; fome are like coals ^ 
 which inflead of vjurming us, do only, 
 Hack or burn us.. 
 
 'Tis better to travel alone-, than with a . 
 thief. As bad humours infeft the blood, 
 fo evil men with their communication cor- 
 rupt good manners. 
 
 Melancholy as it is, it is better to be 
 alone, than with thofe that ly in wait for 
 cur blood. And who in his fenfes will; 
 knowingly go with them, that will lead 
 bim into by-paths to his ruin ? 
 
 God did not like that Adam fnould be 
 alone, ^ut intended him a companion, yet^ 
 it was fuch a one as might be a help meet 
 for him. BeaAs were not ftt comf-anions &r. 
 
JUSTICE. isS 
 
 Adam; nor thofe whom God calleth and 
 counteth hearts, for Chrifliaijs. 
 
 / care not for living with him that hath 
 more /kill in his meat than his mind^ was 
 the zui^cx oiCato, when defiredof a volup- 
 tuous wretch, that he might live with him. 
 
 Great care ought to be taken in the 
 choice of our companions ; for they will 
 either be great helps, or great hinderances, 
 according as the choice is right or wrong. 
 
 We cannot converfe with any thing, but 
 It infenfibly affimilates us to its own pre- 
 dominant quality. Waters vary their tafit* 
 according to the veins of the foil throagh 
 which they Aide. Beajis alter tbcir natures 
 according to the climate id which they live ; 
 and men are apt to be changed for the 
 belter or worie, according to i^t' conditions 
 of them with wnom they converfe. 
 
 Our future good or evil depends fo mucli 
 
IS6 JUSTICE. 
 
 on the ele&ion of our companions, that it 
 appears to be one of the weigh tieft aflions 
 of our whole lives. 
 
 St Chryfoftom obferves, If men, good 
 and bad, be joined together in a fpecial 
 band of fociety, they either quickly part, 
 or ufually become alike. It was upon this 
 account, that the mother of Alexander^ 
 the twenty- fixth emperor of Rome^ kept 
 a guard of men continually about him, that 
 vicious perfons might not come to him to 
 corrupt him. 
 
 They who make a bad choice, are in a 
 double danger of fm and fufftring. Firft 
 they are in dant^er of being drawn to fin. 
 'Tis ill and unwholcfome to breathe in an 
 infeflious air. Looking glafTes that are 
 tranfparent and cle^n, are quickly obfcured 
 and made dim with the foul breath that 
 blows upon them. They that dwell in 
 JEthiopia^ quickly change their fkins into 
 'a black colour ; bu: no JEthioiian changes 
 
JUSTICE, 157 
 
 his flcin white, by living in another climate. 
 The river Hypams, famous for the fweet- 
 nefs of its wat^r, was poifoned by receiving 
 the bitter waters of the fountain Erampes. 
 It was with living among them whofc 
 tongues were tipp'd with fuch language, 
 that Jofeph learned the court-phrafe; that 
 is, to fweur by the life (j^Pharoah. It was 
 by aflbciating with uncircumcifed Achijljy 
 that David was brought to feign himfelf 
 frantic, and to diflemble, as if he could 
 have fought againfl: God's favourites, and 
 fheathed his fword in the bowels of his 
 friends. It was Feter^s needlefsly thrufting 
 himfelf among the high-prieft's fervants, 
 that made him with a curfe and an oath 
 to deny his Lord and Mafter. 
 
 Men come in time to fpeak the wicked 
 language and curfed dialeft of the country 
 and company in which they dwell. Make 
 no friendjbip with an angry man, and with 
 a furious man thou fhalt not go, faith the 
 wtfe man. And the reafon why he gives 
 O 
 
158 JUSTICE. 
 
 us this caution, is, lejl tve Jhonld learn his 
 ways, and get a fnare to our folds. *Tis 
 too common for the love of friends, t9 
 create a love for their faults; and fometimes 
 by getting what we call a friend, we get a 
 Inare. The only way to avoid the contagion 
 of fiD, is to avoid all needlefscommunicatioQ 
 Twith finners. He who walks much in the fun, 
 is tanned infenfibly. Wicked men are more 
 likely to make us worfe, than we to make 
 them better. Egypt brought Ifrael to offer 
 facrifice to their falfe gods ; but Ifrael 
 could not bring Egypt to worfhip the triit 
 God, Lewd men are continual weights, 
 preiTing down others to wickednefs. 
 
 'Tis natural for men to put on the fafhions, 
 be they never fo wicked, of the country or 
 company wherein they abide. Who lives 
 among the Dutch, that doth not learn to 
 drink ? or in France, and are not fantaflic? 
 or in Spain, and become not proud ? or in 
 Venice, that grow not lecherous? The 
 mind, like Jacob's ihecp, receives the tine- 
 
JUSTICE. 159 
 
 tare and colour of thofe objedls that are 
 prcfent to it. Sin is to the foul as a gangrene 
 is to the body, which no fooner feizes one 
 part, but it quickly fpreads and infefts 
 the other parts which are near it. A little 
 leaven leaveneth the whole lump ; and efpe- 
 cially if it be the leaven of error , or fcandah 
 Sinners are plague-fores, that convey the 
 contagion to all they converfe with, A 
 little wcnmuocd will bitter much honey; 
 and a fmall matter of gentian will make a 
 great deal of bitter infufion. The unclean 
 leprous perfon, under the law^ tainted 
 where-ever he touched ; on which account 
 God would have him diftinguiihed, by 
 his bald head, and his habitation aparr, 
 that all men fnould avoid him. God for- 
 bids Ifrael to make a covenant with the 
 Canaanites ; and what was the reafon of it, 
 but for fear of being corrupted by them ? 
 
 Great is the prevalency of evil patterns. 
 Evil precepts perfuade, but evil patterns in 
 a manner compel men to fin. 'Tis too 
 2 
 
i6o JUSTICE. 
 
 common to fin for company, and that bitter 
 cup is too much put about, and handed 
 from one to another. Evil company muft at 
 lead abate the good in thofe that frequent 
 it, becaufe the herb of grace cannot poffibly 
 thrive in focl^ a cold foil. How is it to be 
 fuppofed that good corn (hould ever grow 
 to perfe<5lion, which is incompafled about 
 with weeds ? What good will cordials or 
 reftoratives do to the natural body, whilft 
 itaboundeih with ill humours? Ordinances 
 and duties can have no great effeft as to 
 our fpiritual welfare, whilft we are di»- 
 ft^empered with fuch noxious inmates, as 
 the converfation of lewd and profligate 
 fmners. 
 
 'Tis difficult beyond exprefTion to keep 
 God's commandments and evil company at 
 the fame time: therefore, when David had 
 refolved to confine himfelf to the love of 
 them, and to live in obedience to them, he 
 thoroughly refolves to fhake off all wicked 
 companions : Depart frani me^ ye workers 
 
JUSTICE. i6i 
 
 ^ iniquity y for I ivill keep the command* 
 ments of my God, Pfalm cxix. 115. As if 
 he had faid, Be it known uQto you, O fia- 
 ners, that I have made a covenant with the 
 Almighty ; and 1 like his commandments fo 
 well, that I am refolved to give myfelf up 
 to them, and to walk in conformity to them 
 io all things ; which I can never do, unlefs 
 you depart ; for you are like ftrumpets, 
 who will Real away the love from the true 
 wife: I cannot do my duty as I ought, 
 whilfl you abide in my prefence ; therefore. 
 Depart from me, ye ^workers of iniquity, for 
 J viili keep the commandments of my God. 
 
 It would be endlefs to enumerate the ill 
 confequences that attend the converfatioQ 
 of wicked men; and whoever frequents 
 their company, are in danger of fuffering 
 with them, whether they follow their vices 
 or no. The wheat hath many a blow for 
 being among the chaff. The gold would 
 not be put into the fire, was it not for the 
 drofs with which it is mingled. God hates 
 
 03 
 
i62 JUSTICE. 
 
 finners fo much, that even his own people 
 being among them, have fufFered temporally 
 with them. 
 
 Lot chofe Sodom for a pleafant habitation; 
 but what did he get by it, when he was 
 
 captivated with its inhabitants, and after- 
 wards forced to leave that wealth, which 
 drew him to love it, to the deftroying 
 flames ? Jofiah, though remarkable for his 
 piety, was not fparcd, when he joined with 
 the Ajfyrians^ but his league with them cofl 
 him his life. The very heathens had fomc 
 fenfe how unfafe it was to aflbciate with the 
 vicious. A true inftance of this we have 
 when Bias was in a (hip among a wicked 
 crew, and a ftorm arifing, they cried aloud 
 for mercy ; he bid them hold their peace, 
 and not let the gods know they were there, 
 left the (hip ihould be funk, and all perifh 
 for their fakes. They who would not fhip- 
 wreck themfelves, muft decline the company 
 of wicked men. The Pfalmift durft nqt 
 be fo familiar as to eat of their dainties, nc^ 
 
JUSTICE. 163 
 
 drink of their cups, left he (hould fare like 
 them. Therefore the only way not to 
 fuffer with men of an ill charafter, is to 
 take heed not to fit with them. The choice 
 of companions will, in a great meafure, dif- 
 cbver any one's condition. It is a Spanijh 
 proverb, Dime conquiem andis y dezirte he 
 quiem eres ; Tell me with whom thou goejt, 
 and I will tell thee what thou art* Augujlus 
 Cafa,r found out the temper of his two 
 daughters, by obferving their company at 
 a public fhcw, where much people wer« 
 prefent; at which his daughter Iiz;/a dif- 
 courfed with grave and prudent fenators ; 
 and his daughter Julia joined with Icofe 
 and riotous perfons. The Lacedemonians , 
 enquired after the difpofitions of their 
 children fent abroad to fchool, and only 
 demanded of their mafters to what play- 
 fellows they were linked; whether thofe 
 who were ftudious, or thofe who were 
 wanton and vicious. 
 
 But to be brief, this world is an inn, 
 
i64 JUSTICE. 
 
 and all men arc, in fome fenfc, pilgrims and 
 ftrangers in it. Here we are afTured wc 
 have no abiding place, therefore the com- 
 pany we enquire after, or delight to travel 
 with, will plainly declare whether we arc 
 going towards heaven or hell. A wicked 
 man will not defire the company of them 
 who walk in a contrary way, nor a righ- 
 teous man delight in their fociety who go 
 crofs their journey. They who walk to- 
 gether, are fuppofed to have one will, 
 becaufe they have one way. If the proverb 
 be true, That birds of a feather flock to- 
 gether, this fhould be an occafion for every 
 ope who valoes his chara6ler, to make 
 choice of good company. Magpies have 
 no bufinefs among nightingales, wrens a- 
 mong eagles, nor geefe among fwans. 
 
 Society is very powerful and attraftive, 
 and fubjeft to draw thofe of the fame kid- 
 ney together, with as ftrong an affeftion 
 and fympathy as the loadjione gathers up 
 the iieedlc. And to fay nothing of the in- 
 
JUSTICE. 165 
 
 flucnce it has upon thofe that traffic a- 
 broad, doth it not daily appear among the 
 merchants, i:c, upon the Royal Exchange ? 
 The Englijh, Scotch, Irijh, Dutch, and all 
 flocking together in their feveral walks ; 
 fomeiimes conferring with one another, 
 about buying and felling their goods; 
 and fometimes fpreading falfe news, In 
 order to raife their own flocks. 'Tis equally 
 the fame among lawyers every term at 
 Wejlminjler-hall, who get their living by it. 
 i'^nd it may juflly be faid to couch a rc- 
 fleftioa upon our divifiocs, faftions, and 
 parties. Some people go to church, fome 
 to the conventicle, and others are above 
 going to either; as if there were no God 
 at all to be worfhipped : and fo birds of a 
 feather Jlill flock together^ as long as they 
 have wings to fly. 
 
 From what has been faid, it plainly ap- 
 pears, Men may be juftly fuppofed to be 
 fuch as they themfelves chufe to converfe 
 with : and from whence perfons of all ranks 
 
i66 JUSTICE. 
 
 and degrees may learn to pay a due refpeft' 
 to their fuperiors, as well as keep their in- 
 feriors at a diftance. How fcandalous would 
 it be for lords to mix themfelves with their 
 fervants; or ladies to be familiar with their 
 pages ? and neither is it tolerable that fuch 
 mean fellows (hould either infult their ma« 
 fters, or abufc their miftrefles. 'Tis very 
 indifcreet in a young lady, to make her 
 chamber-maid fo much her favourite, as to 
 become hail feilow, vjell met. In fhort, 'tis 
 a fcandal for perfons of quality to keep 
 company with fcoundrels on any account, 
 except in cafes of necefTity ; becaufe it often 
 breeds ill blood in families. Whores and 
 rogues will meet together ftill, notwith- 
 landing all that \hQ focieties for reformation 
 tf manners can do to prevent them. And 
 to fay nothing of the goflips who backbite 
 their neighbours y there is a fociety of floar- 
 ferSy a fociety of Newgate-birds ^ a fociety 
 of anythingarians, a fociety of cccafional 
 conformijisy and a fociety of dog-ftcakrs* 
 What is more common than to meet with 
 
JUSTICE. i6f 
 
 • knot of knaves got together at nine-pinr 
 ifl public, or at all-fours in private ? a pack 
 of rakes at a tavern, or a pack of gamejiers 
 at the grG(mi'porter*s, who, like birds of 
 prey, attend the carcafes of the cullies, and 
 all fympathize, and amicably agree in the 
 decoy ? One fop admires another ; one foci 
 loves the company of another ; and one 
 blockhead is pleafed with the aflurance, 
 conceit, and affeftation of another. Some 
 men chufe to live in wedlock ; fome chufc 
 to live upon the common ; fome delight to 
 keep miftreffes, and others keep men : fome 
 women get their bread by obliging of men ; 
 and, which is worfe ftill, fomc men live bj 
 obliging one another. 
 
CHAP. VII. 
 Of her EDUCATION. » 
 
 ON this It IS that the happinefs and 
 mifery of moft in a great meafure 
 depend. By Education^ I do not mean that 
 which they ought to have iDftilled into 
 thetn from their infancy; our church has 
 already furnifhed us with rules fufficient for 
 that purpofc; or if it has not, I fhall leave 
 it to the divides to judge in that cafe, as 
 being mofl: fit to make up the deficiency, 
 if there is any. But my prefent bufinefs , 
 is to fhew, as far as lyes in my power, what 
 young ladies are to be employed in, to 
 render them leaft obnoxious to temptation^ 
 and moft conformable to, or moft becoming 
 the end of their creation ; moft conducive 
 to their beiog and well-being in this 
 
EDUCATION. 169 
 
 world, and mod: likely to entitle them to 
 happinefs in the world to come. 
 
 Let us look into the 3ifl: chapter of 
 ProverbSy and 2d verfc, and obferve the 
 exprefiions of King Sohnon's mother, con- 
 cerning her fon's education : 
 
 IVhaty my foil ? and what, the fen of my 
 womb, and what, the fon of my vowsP &cc* 
 
 This virtuous queen fpeaks the moft na- 
 tural fentiments of her foul, with no fmall 
 ea^ernefs and vehemence of paffion and 
 affcclion for her fon ; with the moft prefTing 
 earneflnefs of coRcern for his profperiiy 
 and welfare for the time to come. Hear 
 your mother, my love and delight, and give, 
 ear unto her with the mofi diligent attention. 
 What, my dear child, my only fon, and the 
 fole heir to your father's glory, as well as 
 eflate ! the child that I carefully bare of my 
 cvjn body ! the child of my vows, prayers 
 and defircSf whom I begged of God to give 
 P 
 
170 EDUCATION. 
 
 we as the greatcft hlejfing from heaven 1 t 
 knonjj not how to exprefs the care and ten* 
 dernefs I have for your f acred per/on ^ as 
 ivell as good education, y:lnd, that I had 
 ivords fufficient to injlru^ your tender mind 
 in all manner cf virtues y that fo you might 
 be made happy according to the fidl extent 
 of my ivifhes / - 
 
 And, indeed, this exhortation (hould be 
 ufed by all parents to their children. What 
 greater comfort can any parent afk, than 
 to imitate the virtues of their fathers or 
 mothers ; and, as they grow up, to learn 
 true wifdom and religion, by their glorious 
 examples. 
 
 As if this queen had faid, I was confined 
 fome months in carrying you in my womb, 
 and underwent no fmall pain in bringing 
 you into this world : I have fufFered natural 
 hardfliips of body, as well as political pains 
 of mind for your fafe delivery: which con- 
 fidered, what requelt can you deny, Great 
 
EDUCATION. 171 
 
 Sir I bora to empire and dominion ? for 
 whoni 1 feat fo many petitions to heaven, 
 before ever you faw the face of the earth ; 
 and for whom I will not ceafe to continue 
 my devotion, that you may live to be a 
 man ; a wife and gracious king, accom- 
 pliQied wirh the mofl princely endowments, 
 and divine excellencies; fo that at Idft you 
 may be crowned with univerfal renown, 
 the greateft applaufe, and moft everlafting 
 acclamations ot joy, when you come to take 
 polTeflion of your legal and royal fceptre, 
 and your paternal kingdoms. Hearken to 
 my advice then, which will the better qua- 
 lify you to afcend the throne of your an- 
 ccftors, with the lead popular oppofuioa 
 or rcfledlioa. 
 
 Thefe> or fuch paflionate expreffions of 
 love, are fuppofed by fome writers to flow 
 from the mouth of Q^cen BathJJjeba^ with 
 an intent to reclaim her fon Sohnon, whea 
 (he perceived in him fome vicious inclina- 
 tion, by which he daggered hi§ manhood, 
 P 2 
 
172 E D U C A T I O N. ^ 
 
 by taking ill courfes, and delighting in the 
 converfation of lewd and difTolute women. 
 But it is more probable (lie began this ia 
 his infancy; and that (he did not fail giving 
 it him, during his innocent and untainted 
 years; before he could pofTibly be corrupted 
 by either filthy thoughts, wicked words,- 
 or worfe aftions. And out of tendernefs 
 and concern for his well-doing and living 
 virtuoufly in the world, (he lays before him 
 in his minority three or four of the moft 
 momentous precepts of human life, as well 
 as the moft proper for a prince ; hoping he 
 might continue to praftife them no lefs 
 faithfully in his majority, as never to forget 
 his duty either to God or man afterwards. 
 
 And moft expellent and wife was this her 
 cxpoftulation. Here is the moft remarkable 
 palTion of a loving mother, wrought up to 
 the higbeft pitch of pathology, as well as 
 the moft feeling efoquence. And this is no 
 lefs a tender and pr-iTing repetition of a 
 natural duty incumbent upon mothers, ia 
 
EDUCATION. 173 
 
 all ranks and degrees, from the higheft to 
 the loweft, and no lefs plaufibly inculcated 
 in behalf of their children, to give them 
 good education, and to kafon their younger 
 years with everlafting principles of moral 
 honeAy and virtue, as well as religion. 
 And ipdeed, a pious and in(lru6live mother, 
 is a complete volume of virtue and good- 
 .nefs to her obfervant children; and they 
 need no plainer hock to learn them perfectly 
 their lefTjas to the utmoft degree of duty, 
 as well as devoucnefs and obedience. 
 
 From hence appears the neceffity of pre- 
 paring for the early education of children ; 
 and that it is never too fcon for them to 
 learn go:d, hiJlru3ion is as neceflary- as 
 nutrition, or their daily food ; the one to 
 fupport life, the other to adorn it, or make 
 it eafy and happy. No lefs caie fhould be 
 taken in bringing them up, than is taken 
 in bringing them forth. Nature of itfelf 
 is blind and dull, or at the bell: but dim- 
 fighted, aad therefore muft needs be po- 
 
 p 3 
 
174 EDUCATION. 
 
 lifhed by art to enlighten it. It is like a 
 barren field that wants cultivating, which 
 never grows better without tillage. 'Tis 
 this that prevents the growing of tares, as 
 well as briars, thorns, thiltles, or any other 
 weeds, or noxious plants. The befl natural 
 parts are of themfelves imperfeft without 
 learning. 'Tis good difcipline, and ac- 
 quired knowledge, that muft bring us to 
 any great perfection. There are no furcr 
 foundations of virtue and honour, or of 
 our future happinefs, than may be laid ia 
 our cradles, and raifed up in the arms of 
 our nurfes. Plutarch obferves, the begin- 
 ning, middle, and end of a happy life con- 
 fifteth in good education. It keeps youth 
 from difobedience, preferves them from 
 corruptions, and prevents their contracting 
 ill habits. 
 
 But, to be more particular in relatioti 
 to the young ladies ; who having made 
 choice of fome prudent converfation, the 
 next thing they arc to purfue, in order 
 
EDUCATION. 175 
 
 to their prefervatioQ, is feme innocent em- 
 ploy, of which there are many. And as I 
 am firft to obferve thofeio a fuperior rank, 
 1 would willingly adapt to them what ii 
 moft becoming them, as well as ingenious, 
 and worth their time. The firft of which 
 is to be given to the offices of piety, which 
 in this place I (liall barely mention ; in the 
 intervals of which there are divers others, 
 by which they may not unufefully fill up 
 the vacancy of their lime. Now, among 
 many others, I would recommend needle^ 
 work, writings languages, miific, and mode- 
 rate dancing ; but more particularly the art 
 of oeconomyy and houfehold managery ; as 
 being a bufinefs moft proper for their fex ; 
 and though they are never {o wealthy and 
 great, the knowledge of it will be of ex- 
 cellent ufe to them ; and the theory of it 
 in their father's houfe, will be of Angular 
 fervice when they come to their own. 
 
 There are many more parts of knoiuUdg^^ 
 nfcful for civil as well as divine life, the 
 
176 EDUCATION. 
 
 improvement of which is a rational employ- 
 ment, I fliall not particularize any of 
 them, but leave it to every one's choice 
 to employ themfelves in which are moft 
 agreeable to their genius, or conducive to 
 their inclinations. 
 
 But there are fome mothers who would 
 Willingly be thought careful and indulgent, 
 and yet very rarely fend their children to 
 fchool, except that of dancing ; and fuch as 
 nvriting, readings accounts, needle-work, and 
 other commendable employments, as well 
 as the rudiments of religion, or inftruftions 
 of the fundamentals of Chriftianity, are 
 quite laid afide by them : thefe are by no 
 means to be imitated. And though dancing, 
 of itfelf, be a very commendable, genteel 
 qualification, for either young ladies, or 
 gentlemen, and, I think, I may venture to 
 fay, perfectly innocent; yet it may, like 
 many other innocent things, be made fNifuI. 
 ^And I hope moft of both young and old 
 ladies in this age, have too great a value 
 
EDUCATION. 177 
 
 for the inftrii(ftion of their heads, than to 
 fpend all their time in the education of 
 their heels. Nothing, 1 tbink, is more gen- 
 teel, than to fee a fine lady and a gentleman 
 dance together; nor any thing more be- 
 coming, than to keep time with a mujtcal 
 injirument. St John the Baptiji loft his 
 head, I know, at a dancing- bciit ; and I am 
 perfuaded, he would not have favcd it, if 
 there had never been any dancing in the 
 world. I fuppofe this was not without 
 mufic neither ; and if that be ftill commend- 
 able, why is dancing to be condemned oa 
 that account? David bids us prai/e Cod 
 in the dance ; by which we are not to uq- 
 derftand it as a Chriftian duty, but rather 
 an innocent recreation, the moderate per- 
 formance of which, as other innocent cae^, 
 are, in feme meafure, praife- worthy. 
 
 I could fay a great deal more in either 
 the praife or difpraife of dancing .• but, as 
 1 fuppofe this treatife may come into the 
 bands of ladies and others of diiferent 
 
178 EDUCATION. 
 
 opinions, left I fliouU offend apy of my 
 readers, and efpecially in fo trifling aa 
 article as dancings I fhall leave it to^every 
 one's choice whether they will dance or 
 DO ; only begging, they that ufe it may 
 Dot abufe it, by fpending too much time, 
 either in learning it, or purfuing it, whea 
 learned. 
 
 But I am informed of another fort of 
 mothers, and I am very forry for the ladies 
 fakes to hear it, that actually infufe ill 
 principles into their children ; and, which 
 concerns me more, ftill it is more particu- 
 larly levelled againft the females ; and that 
 inftead of virtues, they bring them up to 
 Dothing but feme barren or bafe obferva- 
 lions of the tea table : fo that by their bad 
 examples, there they are often goffipping, 
 back-biting, and difturbing the peace of 
 their neighbourhood, over that unhealthful 
 liquor (as my author calls it), where all the 
 falfe ftories of the town come to be fcan- 
 .daloully recounted, with ridicule, banter. 
 
EDUCATION. 179 
 
 and barbarity, while they are immoderately 
 drinking hot or cold tea, to the great de- 
 triment and defamation of abfent perfon?, 
 as well as the prejudice both of the public, 
 and their own private welfare ; and that all 
 fuch goffips are eftecmed either the preateft 
 inventors of flander, or the veriefl: rchearfers 
 of lies. And, in the mean time, the chil- 
 dren have no better leflbn but only to take 
 care of ihejilver kettle, the goUeji pot, and 
 the chifia difhes, as ihey would of their 
 lives; for fear of breaking them, and four-* 
 ing their immoral converfation the next 
 merry-meeting at breakfaft. 
 
 But I hope better things from all my 
 courteous readers, and that common fame 
 may prove a common liar. But to be a 
 little particular upon the tea-table. 
 
 The tea-table, fimply confidered, is alto- 
 gether harmlefs, and the right managing it 
 3s a becoming qualification for a young 
 lady J and as the theory of other domeftic 
 
i8o EDUCATION. 
 
 virtues are enough for her tender years, it 
 is requifite ilie fnould be (killed in the 
 praftice of this. Care and diligence are 
 every one's duty; and can there be any 
 thing raore worthy a young lady's care, and 
 good oeconomy, than a fiiver tea-kettle, or 
 a gold pot ? Is any one's hands more fit to 
 handle china difhes, than the foft ones of a 
 fair lady ? Could any liquor be more be- 
 coming her innocency, than that innocent 
 one of tea ? Can any banquet be more be- 
 coming her fweetnefs, than that tea fweet- 
 ned with fine loaf-fugar ? Can any thing 
 be lefs prejudicial to a family, than the mo- 
 derate ufc of it ? And it is fo far from de- 
 trimenting the public, that it redounds to 
 their advantage. Doth not many a one get 
 an honcft living by buying and felling it ? 
 And, as 1 before obferved, many a tradef- 
 man gets by his wife's frugal managing it, 
 and many more are employed to make and 
 fcl! tlie ingredients cr utenfils belonging 
 to it. And, to name no more, does not 
 the mariners get immenfe fums by \\i 
 
EDUCATION. i8i 
 
 And it is of no fmall advantage to fomc 
 merchants, - 
 
 But then, fay feme, there is a great deal 
 of goflipping over the tea-table; and, which 
 is worfe, falfe (lories, and railing againft 
 their neighbours. And all I can fay for 
 that, is to defire them to leave them off; or 
 at leafl refrain the ufc of them at that 
 place, which I would have preferved for the 
 virtuous and fine ladies, who can find dif- 
 courfe more agreeable to it And if they 
 will not be admonidied, but perHft in their 
 irregularities in the abufe of it, I will do 
 what lyes in my power, for others who arc 
 deferving of it, to h^ve ail thofe who arc 
 not fo, excluded from it. 
 
 But to be more ferious : if any place of 
 refort rouft be df^-emed ill, becaufe wicked 
 people frequent them, and to talk ot thiDgs 
 not only indecent, and cuntr'^ry to their 
 intent, but alfo unbecoming Cnriitians in 
 any place, we may, at this rate, rail agaiaft 
 
i82 EDUCATION, 
 
 the ftruclure of St PatiN church, bccanfe 
 there arc many affignations made, which I 
 am afraid are not always the beft. I know 
 there is a difference between a place de- 
 dicated to divine fervice, and one that is 
 fimply of itfelf t>erther good nor evil ; but 
 the argument will hold equally good for 
 them both, only taking the one in a fpi- 
 ritual fenfe, and the other in a moral. But 
 admit tea-dr'mking were laid afide, and 
 there were no more refort to the tea-table^ 
 yet tatlers will be tatlers Hill ; and they 
 would no lefs inveigh againft their neigh' 
 hours over any other liquor : but it is very 
 probable they might get a habit of drink- 
 ing fomething that might occafion them 
 to rail more. 
 
 But I mud beg leave to be more ferions 
 ftill upon the education of the young la- 
 dies : for, according to the wife fentiments 
 of the philofophers of old, as well as our 
 modern divines, it is the chief foundatioQ 
 for ' their future happtnefs : and it is the 
 
EDUCATION. 183 
 
 grcateft duty of Chriftian parents, next t-o 
 their own everlafling falvaiion. Childrea 
 ought to be trained up to learning, religion, 
 and morality : for as they are brought up, 
 fo will they end their days, according to 
 the Holy Scriptures, either miferably vicious, 
 or happily virtuous, in the end of their 
 lives. As the plant is impregnated at firft, 
 fo will the tree prove afterwards, and ac- 
 cordingly produce the fame fruit. There- 
 fore inftruftion will be abfolutely necefTary 
 for the melioration of nature, as well as 
 redifying their manners. 
 
 ly?, By (hewing them how to honour, 
 worftiip, and glorify God, who fufFers no 
 evil to go unpunifhed through his jaffice, 
 nor no good unrewarded through his fpe-. 
 cial grace and favour, which muft always 
 be implored either for their afGftacce in the 
 one, or.prefervation as to the other, in all 
 their undertakings and performances. 
 
 2i3^/x, By leaching them how to tranfport- 
 Q 2 
 
184 EDUCATION. 
 
 their love of temporal things, as honour^ 
 beauty, riches, pleafure, and the like, to 
 that of eternal fatisfaftions, with contenapt, 
 in comparifon of wifdom, knowledge, and 
 virtue ; which can only entitle them to 
 true tranquillity in their life-time, and per- 
 manent.glory after death. 
 
 3^/j/, By letting them know, through 
 ©ther men*s misfortunes, how to fhun the 
 dangers of vice and difobedience, in pride, 
 luft, idlencfs, or keeping ill company, at 
 the peril of their own fouls and bodies ; 
 that they may imprint upon their pliant 
 hearts a becoming modefty and humilia- 
 tion of fpirit; which is the only prefervativc 
 againft fuch juvenile contagions, or cor- 
 ruptions of virtue. 
 
 /i^fhlyj By infuflng into their virgin- 
 ininds the moft pure precepts of prudence 
 and piety ; how to avoid luxury or pro^ 
 
 phanenefs in difcourfe, uncivil choler, 
 mannerly paflion, or impatience in coaveri 
 
 
 \ 
 
EDUCATION. 185 
 
 iiODj whereby their behaviour may be 
 deemed not only difhonell and difagreeable, 
 but alfo difingenuous and dillioaourable. 
 
 St/?ly, By fetting before their eyes the 
 good and bad examples of virtue and vice, 
 in reading true hiftories; that they may 
 learn to follow the former, and forfake the 
 latter, for their own welfare, profperity, 
 and prefervation ; according to the rules of 
 ^5si breeding, and genteel behaviour ; arxd, 
 in all likelihood, worchy the imitation of . 
 their youth. 
 
 ^nd, lafily, by informing their under- 
 ftandings, in giving them the bed lefTons 
 of induflry,- difcretion, and frugality : hovV 
 their bodies were naturally formed for la- 
 bour, as well as framed for plea/ure, that 
 ihey may thereby undertake lome profit- 
 able employment of getting their b^^ad by 
 their honefl: endeavours, and make their 
 irvif happy to pofterity. Admonition is 
 ndiefsaeceiTary for their better inllvufiioo. 
 0.3 
 
186 EDUCATION. 
 
 Youth is active, vehement and vigorous^ 
 but very apt to ftumble en the thre(hold 
 of virtue, for want of good advice. They 
 are giddy brain'd and forgetful, and mufk 
 be often told of their duty. To make them 
 tread their paths aright, according to their 
 glorious anceftors, their fteps muft be in- 
 culcated in their minds. Promifes are no 
 lefs proper motives for 'their applications to 
 learning : they are the moft powerful and 
 perfuafive argument to goodnefs. Nothing 
 draws youth more to the ftudy of glory 
 than coi2imendation. The holy Scripture 
 abounds with encouragements of this na- 
 ture. God himfelf promifes eternal life and 
 happinefs, for the reward of their perfeve- 
 rance in jufticc, uprightnefs, and integrity. 
 Horace preffes a young man to go on with 
 joy, whither he is led by the vein of virtue, 
 promifing he fhall reap the advantage of 
 his inJuftrious deferts. Plauius flipulates 
 the fame extraordinary recompence of his 
 labour and lucubrations. Nothing Ts more 
 Becefiary than praifes and threatnings, if 
 
EDUCATION. 187 
 
 iWfcreetly made ufe of^ for the edacatioa of 
 children, cither as a terror to evil, or a litil- 
 ladon to gcod works. Children expert to 
 be commended when they do well, as an in- 
 couragement of doing and deferving to do 
 better. Ovid obierves, that glory gives vi- 
 gour to the mind ; and the love of praife 
 makes the heart refoluiely ready to under* 
 take wonders, ^lintilian advifes, that iu- 
 duftrious youths may be exceedingly prai- 
 fed for their laudable improvements, and 
 the flothful ignominioufly difpraifed for 
 their fordid negligences, or obfiinacy. Aad 
 if all this will not do to make them mead 
 their lives, nor induce them to put in prac* 
 tice the good admonitions that are giveo 
 them, then good difcipline, difcrect correc- 
 tion, or fevere chadifemeat, muft be excr- 
 clfed, to reform their difingenuous child- 
 hood. By all which it appears, that the 
 chief end of their ftudies mufl be ftriftly 
 regulated by their fuperiors' diredtious. 
 
 jr 
 
 Ariftotk does not only recommead in gc- 
 
Ids ED U C A T I N.V 
 
 nenrl, but particularly prefcribes, that all 
 children of the moll: ordinary capacity (hould 
 diligently lcarn^ram;w^r, bodily exerci/e, rnu' 
 fic and paintmg ; becaufe, without gram- 
 matical kncnvledge he- affirms, no bufmefs' 
 can be well done, which depends u'poq- 
 /peaking, reading, and ivriting exaftly, fit. 
 iox commoa dealing, and modern com- 
 merce. 
 
 There are fome manly ftcdies, only fir 
 for males; but why ingenious females 
 fhould be abridg'd of any fort of learning, 
 languages, or philofophy, I cannot fee any 
 great reafon can t)e alledged for it, fave on- 
 ly an ill cuflom. Have not they the fame- 
 rational fouls, as good natural parts, and as 
 qv^r6k underilandings as mofl of men ? Cer- 
 tainly if any thing could, this would make 
 them better women, and morQ.?b!e to main- 
 tain their religion, which our mafculine 
 Atbeijis fay is owing to their impotence ; 
 and that it is only an impofiiion upon their 
 eafy and credulous tempers, on which ac- 
 
E D U C A T I O.N. .189 
 
 count they arc pleafed to allow them the 
 inclofure of it : wherein they fufficiently 
 Ihew their contempt of piety ; and at the 
 fame time give a greater honour to the 
 other fex than they intend, by confeffing it 
 more capable of affimilation to the fupremc 
 goodncfs, and of the renewal of God's 
 image ; for to that all piety is defign'd. 
 
 I fay, learning, join'd to thofe two feiii- 
 fible pafTions oifear and lovey of which the 
 female fex are fo eminent for their pun- 
 gcncy, would enable them to vindicate the 
 pradlice of their religion, beyond the cavils 
 of all the daring Atheifts, and convince all 
 fools of their error, "ivhofay in their hearty 
 there is no Cod, 
 
 I could name fereral of the ancient philo- 
 fophers, who not only commend this prac- 
 tice, but taught it to their female children 
 themfelvcs. But I fear I have dwelt too 
 long upon this fubjeft already; fo I fhall fay 
 a word or two in relatioa to Mujic, and fo 
 
rpo EDUCATION. 
 
 conclude this head. Mujtc will highly coa- 
 duce to their fatisfadllon, as well as fervc 
 to folace or recreate their minds after the 
 fatigue of cither their heads or bodies, witR 
 its innocent mirth, and reviving harmony. 
 Mufic is by fome called, th^ voice of Lovck 
 It. is what the learned and pious Biftiop Be 
 veridge preferred before all other recrea* 
 tion; and concludes, that there muft be 
 fomething extraordinary in it, by holy Da^ 
 i;iJ*s, making ufe of it, lo drive the evil fpi* 
 rit from Sauly and bring the good one upon 
 himfelf. And when this holy king feems 
 to be in the utmoIV tranfports of praife, he 
 recommends to us all manner oimufic. 
 
 I might fay a great deal more in the re- 
 commendation oimiific : but I confiJef they 
 who like it will need nothing to perfuade 
 them to it ; and they who like it not, may,. 
 if they pleafe, let it alone : for fince it can- 
 not be call'd a duty incumbent upon Chri- 
 ftians, I (liall not pretend to conKxain any 
 ooe.to ihe frequent ufe of it. 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 Of her PvELIGION. 
 
 SOME derive Religion from rekgand9 
 to remove or fever from one ; fome 
 from relegendo, to read again, or gather tO' 
 gether again ; feme from religando^ to tye 
 hard or to hindfaji ; and others from re- 
 linqiiendoy to leave or to forfake ; all which 
 are pertinent enough to Religion, But not 
 to trouble my reader with any farther ex- 
 planation of thefe words, which would be 
 very little to my prefent puipofe, I (hall 
 rather take it in the fenfe the learned BiQiop 
 Beiieridge takes it in ; that is, to worjhip 
 the true God in a true manner, * There 
 
 * is a certain- thing, called Religion, going 
 
 * up and down the world, as one obferves^ 
 ' which, how prefTed foever it be, lofeth 
 ' not its being. He who is an infinite good. 
 
192 RELIGION. 
 
 y^ as well as an Infinite God ; who is infi- 
 
 * nite in attributes, as well as infinite in ef- 
 
 * fence, and who hath bowels of mercy, 
 
 * as well as beams of glory, hath not left 
 
 * it without a witnefs more or lefs, fooner 
 
 * or later, living or dying. The reafoft, 
 
 * faith Bafily why Julian, and all other a- 
 
 * poflatcs flight it, is, becaufe they do not 
 
 * underftand it.' And I think I may ven- 
 ture to fay, the reafon why, they do not 
 underftand it, is for want of praclifing it. 
 Mofl: of the learned, if not all, have found, 
 that the notion of God and religion, is the 
 
 Jiifi engraven in, and the Idji defaced out 
 of the minds of men. The (acred fcripturc 
 
 * proves its own divinity. * The Chrijl' 
 
 * ion religion, as Jujiinian and the Civilians 
 ' truly fay i^ the general and ualvcrfal law 
 
 * of nations. And the mofl barbarous 
 « people in the vv.rld have often rrwde 
 ^ laws to pet Uich 'o uea^h, as denied all 
 
 * religion * But where the molt refined 
 one (hould be mod pr^doxinant then are 
 no fuch laws -, fo that the enemies of it have 
 
RELIGION. 193 
 
 iiberty not only to deny it, but barefacedly 
 to ridicule it with the fatyr of the moft dia- 
 bolical and blafphemous pen. And indeed, 
 thofe who pretend to be profeflbrs of it, 
 leem to be content with the bare profeilion, 
 Jcaving the praftice of it to thofe who arc 
 leaft able to defend it ; fuch as poor, illi- 
 terate men, or weak women t as tho* it were 
 below, or unbecoming their parts and learn- 
 ing; or as if they were too witty to fuf- 
 fer themfelves to learn the fear of God, 
 which is the trueft wifdom, and to depart 
 ^from iniquity, which is thek greateft under- 
 ilandiqg, 
 
 Atheifm is a fin the devil himfelf is not 
 .guiky of; and time will come when all 
 muft confefs the being of a God ; and 
 thofe who deny him under the enjoyment 
 of his bleflings, muft be forced to own hiai 
 when they ^o hence ; for into the place 
 where they are going, there is not one 
 Atheijl. Whoever heard of an Atheijl ia 
 Hell f or whoever read of a devil, that doth 
 R 
 
194 RELIGION. 
 
 not fear and tremble P Alas I his faith is 
 but a very flavifli one, but better it is thaa 
 none at all ; and tho' I can fcarce call a fer- 
 tile faith a faving one, yet 'tis very poffible 
 it may lead us to it. A fervant who has n# 
 love for his matter, may, thro' fear, do his 
 ma fter's bufinefs, on which account his ma- 
 tter may (hew him fome marks of refpc6t-; 
 which the fervant no fooner perceives, but 
 he is conftrained to love, and fo willingly 
 obeys his commands, as much out of pure 
 love, as he did before out of a flavifh fear: 
 and if this holds good in a moral fenfe, I 
 fee no reafon why it fhould not as well be 
 fo in a divine one. 
 
 To treat of all the branches of Religion 
 is not at all agreeable to my prefent under- 
 taking, becaufe I have already treated upon 
 fome ; neither would it be necefTary, fince 
 there are fo many treatifes extant on the 
 fame fubjeft : yet I (hall, the more clofely 
 to adapt it to my female readers, obferve 
 the property women have to it, not only as 
 
RELIGION, 19s 
 
 it 13 their advantage, but becaufe they have 
 fomewhat more of pre-dirpofitlon towards 
 it ID their native tempers. God's laws, 
 which are the rule of piet}', have this com- 
 mon with men's, that they are inforced up- 
 on us both by the propofals of punifliments 
 and rewards, by which means two of our 
 moft fenfible paffions are engaged, /<?.^;' and 
 tve; of both which, as I before obferved^ 
 x\iQ females are eminent for their pungency, 
 and confequently betcer prepared for the i»n- 
 prefijons of religion, A nd notwithfiiuiding 
 all the atheiftical banters, they, have fo little 
 reafon to be afliam'd of them, as the author 
 of the Ladies Calling obferves, * That they 
 
 * ought rather to glory in them, and mod 
 *■ gratefully to celebrate the goodnefs of 
 
 * God, who as he brings light cut of 
 *- darknefsy. fo converts their natural in^ 
 
 * firmities into a means of fpiritual ftrength, 
 
 * makes the impotency of their nature fub* 
 
 * fervient to the operation of grace, and by 
 
 * confecrating their very paflions makes 
 *■ even ihofe Cibeonites ferviceable to the 
 
 R- z 
 
196 R E L I G I tf. 
 
 * tabernacle : but then they arc to remcm- 
 
 * ber, the greater is their obligation to 
 
 * comply with this dcfign of Goix's, to let 
 ' their paffions run in the channels he has 
 
 * cut for them ; fo to confine their fear and 
 
 * love to fpiritual objefts, that they make 
 ' BO inordinate eruptions to any thing elfe.* 
 
 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of 
 wifilomy and the great foundation of all thofe 
 above-mention'd virtues in this effay ; vir- 
 tues which are not at all in thofe who have 
 no devout fenfe of their Maker, or elfe fuch 
 as are very imperfedl, varying as their fe- 
 veral paffions over-rule their minds, fway 
 their fpirits, gratify their fancies, or govern 
 their inclinations. But a religious lady de- 
 lights wholly in the divine law, and fin- 
 ccrely profefles this religious fear to fuch a 
 pitch, that fhe values herfelf for nothing fo 
 much as her devotion in the beauty of holi- 
 nefs, of which fhe herfelf is the livelieft or-^ 
 nament ; infomuch that her virtues rccom- 
 
R E L I G I N.\ 197^ '■^ 
 
 mend religion to others, and religion itfeif 
 is honour'd by her excellent virtues^ 
 
 Her pious example makes others Y^o- 
 fclytcs ; and they cannot but praife her for 
 ber converfation. This /ea?^ is not only 
 the beginning of all wifdimi, but likevvife the 
 grand foundation of all religion, as well as^ 
 the confwnmation of faith ^ hope, and charity^ , 
 ia full perfedtion. 
 
 Away, then, with all dubious deifls, or * 
 atheifiical eternalizers of matter^ which was 
 made out of nothing. It is a flat contra- ' 
 
 diftion in terms, that any thing fhould 
 make itfeif; who then can be fa foolifli, . 
 as to deny the being of a Goi> ? Woman ^ 
 may very jufliy be faid to ferye her Maker 
 much better than man, as hath been proved 
 almoft in every page of this book ; and not 
 only by that, but alfo by the Holy Scripture 
 itfeif: nay, which is more fiill, thofe who ' j 
 
 take all imaginable pains to cavil againft' I 
 
 her, acknowledge her to have a great deal 
 
 R 3 
 
ipS RELIGION. 
 
 more religion in her than man. Thefe are 
 ihe words of hrm who publifhed a book 
 called, The art of knowing women : and in- 
 deed, if I am any judge in the cafe, he 
 feems to know very little more of them 
 than what he has jnft now mentioned. It 
 would not at all be material, in this place, 
 fully to anfwer this monftrous piece of 
 railery ; but to let the Fair Sex fee how 
 they are trampled upon by thofe who ought 
 to adore them, and withal that they may 
 Dot be caft down by the calumnies and 
 banters of ill natured, Hl-principled men, 
 who, perhaps, may be called witSy by thofc 
 of as uncharitable drfpofuions as them- 
 felves; I fay, to let the ladies fee how they 
 are impofed upon in this moft ridiculous 
 treati/e, as well as to fhew them the au- 
 thor's wcaknefs, I fhall give a fliort nar- 
 rative how he proceeds, and this briefly 
 as I can. ' 
 
 He pretends to reprefent their virtues 
 and vices under twenty heads^ which would 
 
R E L f G I N: 199 
 
 ■ot be proper to particularize in this place. 
 In the conclufion of his title page, he calls- 
 his bookf A fatirical coUedlion ; and a very 
 proper oame indeed In hts chapter of the 
 ideas (f luomarif he tells us, She is an evil 
 'which is become abfolutely necejfary to him. 
 Thus he charges the Almighty with making 
 an evil, when he himfelf faw that all the- 
 creation was good. Next, to (hew his own 
 weaknefs, he acknowledges hrmfelf a Jlave 
 to her : to prove which, after fome French 
 words put into verfe, becaufe he has no 
 more to fay to the purpofe, he goes into 
 Spain for a faying, which none but himfelf 
 would go over the door-threjbold for. The 
 words in Englifo are as follows : 
 
 Man is fire, woman tow, 
 Satan Jiill at hand to blow. 
 
 He concludes his firft chapter with an- 
 other ftory from Spain, which gives us an 
 account of another Spaniard's beating his 
 wife with a rope's-end; and this is what be 
 calls, giving a woman rope enough. 
 
aoo R E L I G ion: 
 
 Next he makes ufe of feveral fi<flidous 
 names, that he may not waat objefts to level, 
 bis own vices upon. Then ho-hys fiil/ehood 
 on one, hatred on another ; envy and malice 
 en another; ccvetoufnefs on another; breach- 
 of fecrecy on another : and fo he goes on,. 
 till it plainly appears he is guilty of all thofc- 
 crimes he charges them with. He has al- 
 ready acknowledged impiety not to be a 
 female vice; and now he tells you, They go 
 to church only to JJjew themf elves ^ their Jine 
 cloaths, or for fome other end than to do 
 their duty. In treating upon (everal vices, 
 he, to make the/ignorant believe him, pre- 
 tends, in every concluHon, h^ could give 
 many convincing proofs of the woman's 
 being moji guilty of thofe crimes, which his 
 own words prove to be the very fins which 
 reign in his own breaft. Nay, fometimes 
 he tells you. he will give injiances by thou* 
 fands ; but the only one he gives us all this 
 while is when he treats upon fecrecy ; and 
 that is how Samfon was betrayed by hfs 
 miiVrefs Datilah^ He tells U5 he is contented 
 
RELIGION. 201 
 
 with this one, and (o he thinks all hii 
 readers muft be (o too. Thcfc and fuch 
 like, are what our author calls 77;4 art if 
 knowing woman. 
 
 But notwiihflanding all this gentlenaan'a 
 prctenfions to the art of this know ledge ^ I 
 think it would be better for hina to leara 
 to know himfelf. 'Tis a true and a prin- 
 cipal vocation for erery man to employ his 
 thoughts upon himfelf : the moft excelled 
 and divine counfel, the beft and moft pro- 
 fitable leflbn of all others, is to ftudy and 
 learn to know ourfelves. This is the high- 
 way to whatfoevcr is good, this will prove 
 the fountain and foundation of all wifdom. 
 It is as neccfTary for man to learn to know 
 himfelf, as it is natural unto him to think 
 nature has enjoined this work unto all ; 
 and to meditate and entertain our thoughts^ 
 iherein is a thing moft highly commend- 
 able, and above all things elfe to be pur«» 
 fued. Every thing in the world exhorts us 
 tO: the knowledge of ourfdves. Gq© eter- 
 
ao2 RELIGION. 
 
 nally, and without iDtermiiTioD, beholdeth^. 
 confidereth, and knoweth himfclf. The 
 ^'orld hath all the lights thereof contradled 
 and united within itfelf, and the eye opeo 
 to fee and behold itfelf. What folly and 
 xnadnefs is it, therefore, for man to be care- 
 kis about this knowledge of himfelf, whea 
 he pretends to contain the whole univerfe ; 
 to know all things, to controu!, and to 
 judge ? Doth he not, while he thus goeth 
 about to make himfeU fkilful and a judge 
 of nature, prove himfelf the greateft fool 
 in the world ; he becomes of all others the. 
 moft beggarly, moft vain and milejable, as 
 well as the moft proud and arrogant. Look 
 therefore into thyfelf ; fpare no pains to know 
 thyfelf ; let thy fpirit and will, which is eifc- 
 where employed, be reduced to thyfelf. Do 
 aot forget thyfelf, and bewilder or even lofe 
 thyfelf, in purfuing thou knoweft not what, 
 left thou betray thyfelf; be not folicitous in 
 finding out the faultsof others, in raking the 
 fores and probing the wounds. of thofe who 
 vere. never under thy care j but gather thy 
 
RELIGION. 203 
 
 felf to thy felf, (liut up thy felf withia 
 thy felf, and (earch to koow and under- 
 iland thy felf. ^v 
 
 By the knowledge of thy felf thou fhaJt 
 arrive fooner to the knowledge ot God, 
 than by any other means; both becaufc 
 thou (halt find in thy felf better helps, and 
 more remarkable footfteps of the divine 
 nature, than in whaifoever befides thoa 
 canft any way know ; and becaufe thoa 
 better underftandeft and knoweft that which 
 is in thy felf, than in another thing. Know 
 thy felf, was the fentence engraven in letters 
 of gold, over the porch of the temple of 
 Jpolio; which fignified that he that would 
 iiave accefs to that divinity, or entrance into 
 that temple, muft firil know himfelf, and 
 could not otherwife be admitted. 
 
 Without the knowledge of himfelf no 
 man can lead a regular and pleafant life; 
 and much lefs can he become truly wife^ 
 that is a ftrangcr to himfelf. We may, if 
 
/ 
 
 I204 RELIGION, 
 
 ave pleafe, karn good inilruftions from 
 •ourfelves ; and if we were noc dull fcholars, 
 wc might be well inftrufted in the book 
 of our own confciences -, and would we 
 tut call to nrlnd and coufider the exccfs of 
 our paflions, and how far thofe irregularities 
 "have carried, and ftill do carry us, vvc 
 might eafily be perfuaded of the deformity 
 of them, without the reafon that ArifhtU 
 ' 'or Plato alledges againft them : would wc 
 t)ut remember how often we have mifcarried 
 in our judgments and been deceived in our 
 tnemories, we fhould learn thereby to truft 
 'them DO more; (hould we but note how 
 often we have held opinions, and in fuch 
 fort underflood things even as to engage 
 our credit, or the fatisfying ourfelves and 
 ^others therein, and that afterwards time has 
 convinced us of our errors and mi flakes, 
 this would learn us not to depend upon our 
 ' own knowledge, and to (hake off thofc 
 important arrogancies and querulous ,ppe- 
 fumptions as are fuch capital enemies to 
 ^Jifcipline and truth. 
 
RELIGION. 205 
 
 No man can poflibly amend hlmfelf be- 
 fore he knows himfelf ; it is the very firft 
 flap to recover health, to acknowledge one's 
 fclf fick : what a misfortune mnft it then 
 be, to think all things go well with us, to 
 conclude we are in fafeiy, to live in content 
 with ourfelvcs to fuch a degree as to cor- 
 roborate and redouble our mifery ? Nemo 
 in fe tent at defteiidere : * No man endea- 
 
 * vours to defcend direftly into himfeif, 
 
 * fays the learned Dx Charcji; whereby, he 
 
 * further adds, it cometh to pafe that we 
 
 * fall many times to the ground, and tumble 
 
 * headlong into the fame fault, neither 
 
 * perceiving it, nor knowing what courfc to 
 
 * betake us to : we make ourfelves fools at 
 ^ our own charges. Difficulties in every 
 
 * thing are not difcerned, but by thofe 
 < that know them, and fome degree of 
 ^ underflanding is necetTary even in the 
 ^ marking of our own ignoratice: we mufl 
 
 * knock at the door, to know whether it be 
 ^ (hut; for when men fee themfclves re- 
 
 * folved and fatisfied of a thing, and think 
 
 S 
 
2o6 RELIGION. 
 
 * they fufficiently underftand it, it is a tokea 
 
 * they underftand nothing at all ; for if wc 
 
 * knew ourfelves well, we would provide 
 
 * far better for ourfelves and our affairs; 
 
 * nay, we fhould be afhamed of ourfelves 
 
 * and our eftate, and frame ourfelves to be 
 
 * others than we are. H€ that knows not 
 
 * his own infirmities, takes no care ta 
 
 * amend them ; he that is ignorant of his 
 
 * own wants, takes as little care to provide 
 
 * for them ; he that feels not his own evils 
 ' and miferies, advifeih not with himfelf 
 
 * for hdps, nor feeks for remedy.' 
 
 Socrates yyvis accounted one of the wifeft 
 men in the world ; and why was it ? Not 
 becaufe his knowledge was more complete, 
 or his fufficiency greater than all others, 
 but becaufe his knowledge of himfelf was 
 better than others. Let us call to mind 
 that which truth ^itfelf fpoke unto thofc 
 which were full of prefumption, and by 
 way of mockery faid unto him, Jre vje blind 
 €IJq? If ye 'were Mindy faith -he, that i^ 
 
RELIGION. 207 
 
 if ye thought yourfelves blind, you JJjould 
 fee; but becaufe you think you fee ^ therefors 
 you are blind; and fo confequently your fmi 
 reinainetk Which words, I thkik, import 
 as much as if our Saviour bad faid. They 
 that are blind in their own opinionSy fee 
 much better than you ; and notwithjlanding 
 you pretend to fee clearly^ you are ir^ truth 
 did reality no better than ftark blind. What 
 a miferable and calamitous thing is it for a 
 man to make himfclf-a beaft, by forgetting 
 himfelf 10 be a man ? 'Tis not one valiant 
 aft that makes a valiant man, nor one juft 
 thing a juft man. The circumftances and 
 fource of occafions alter us very much, and 
 fometimes a man is provoked to do good 
 by vice itfelf.^ 
 
 Some affirm, that the fentence that 
 Christ wrote with his finger in the duft 
 of the pavement of the temple, was the 
 fame that he fpake at that time concerning 
 the woman taken m adultery : he that is 
 innocent, let him throw the Jirfl fione. 
 S 2 
 
2o8 RELIGION. 
 
 Others think it was this ; Fejlucam in ocuh 
 cerniSy trabem in tuo 7ion vides ; Thou fiejl 
 the mote in thy brother s eye^ hut mt the 
 beam in thine own. Whether either of ihefe 
 comment at or s be right in their opinions, or 
 DO, doth not at all belong to my prefent 
 undertaking ; for fincc we may learn elfe- 
 where ia the Holy Scripture, that they were 
 the real words of our Saviour, it ought to 
 be a check to us from prying iaio others 
 faults, and fometimes condemning them 
 without any occafioa. Thou hypocrite^ Jirfi 
 caji the beam out of thine own eye, and then 
 thou Jhalt fee clearly to pull the mote out of 
 thy brother s eye. Where v/e find failings 
 ia others, we are not immediately to con- 
 demn nor dcfpife them, but rather pity and 
 pray for them ; and inflead of accufmg 
 them falfely, we fhould look into our own 
 fouls, and fee if there is not work enough 
 to repair the ruins that fin has made there. 
 We fhould never think ourfelves better than 
 others, but fee that we walk circumfpe6lly, 
 left we fhould become worfe. They that 
 
RELIGION. 209 
 
 flay at home, ought not to judge thofc 
 that go to church ; nor do I fee any tolera- 
 tion why we (hould deem any one worfe 
 than he appears to be. We ought not to 
 augment other's fins, to lefTen our own ; nor 
 to look into their infirmities through the 
 mift of envy, which confcquently makes 
 them bigger than they really are. 'Tis a 
 greit misfortune in finners, that they behold 
 their own fins afar off; and we may rea- 
 fonably fuppofe 'tis one reafon why the 
 Almighty beholdcth them fo. When aa 
 action is doubtful, and admits of a good 
 and bad conjiru^ion, the wicked will always 
 take it in the worft fcnfe ; and whenever 
 he meets with an ambiguous text, be is 
 fure to make a bad comment upon it. 
 When Christ converfed with Zachem^ 
 though not for communion with him io 
 his fins, but for the converfion of his foul, 
 he was immediarelv cried up for a vjine- 
 bibber y a glutton, and a friend of publicans 
 ^nd finners. St John came neither eating 
 nor drinking^ therefore they fay, lie hath a 
 
 S3 
 
2IO RELIGION. 
 
 devil. We find that our Saviour, and the 
 great apoftle St John, were equally cenfured 
 by vain and wicked men ; and what thea 
 need we wonder at this bantering hero's 
 treating the religious ladies in the fame 
 »anner, when, modeftly fpeaking, his own 
 writings will put him on the fame footing 
 with the Scribes and Pharifees^ though not, 
 perhaps, for making long prayers ; for it 
 doth not appear that he ever made any ; 
 yet by trujiing in his ow7i right eovfnefs-^ 
 and defpifing others ? But I have nobufinefs 
 to rake in his faults, but rather wi(h la 
 were in my power to admonifh him, left 
 the very dogs, ivho licked the fores of honeft 
 Lazarus, fhould rife up in judgment againft 
 him ; not only for his rubbing and fretting 
 thofe of the godly women, but for making 
 blemifhes and fpots, where there doth not 
 appear to be any in reality. 
 
 in (hort, I cannot conceive what religion 
 this gentleman is of; for he feems to find 
 fault with both the church of Rome, the 
 
RELIGION. 2rr 
 
 church of. England^ and thofe that diflent 
 from it ; infomuch that he fpares neither 
 clergy nor laity : but [ am afraid he is like 
 a great many other men which are too full 
 of ihcmfelves, and out of felf- conceit re- 
 fufe the advice of others, and fo bewray 
 their own vice and folly, ^tintilian fpeaks 
 of fome that might have been excellent 
 fcholars, if they had not thou/^ht them- 
 felves fo already ; and I wifh it were lefs 
 true, in fome who might prove good Chri- 
 ftians, did they not think theaifelves good 
 enough already. 
 
 The two grand ends of religion are the 
 honour of God, together with the future 
 felicity of man ; and of this religion one 
 may write with the greateA confidence and 
 innocency. The commonalty ought to 
 value it as fiiver^ the nobility (hould pr4ze 
 it as the gold of O^hir ; and that majefty 
 fiiould efteem it above the topaz oi Ethiopiam 
 David fecms to be very apprehenfive of 
 this, when he expreffes himlelf in the fol- 
 
^n RELIGION. 
 
 lowing words: On^ thing have I defireicf 
 the Lord, that will I fcek after ^ that I may- 
 d'well in the houfe of the Lord, all the days 
 ef my life^ to behold the beauty cf the Lord^ 
 And to enquire in his temple, Pfal. xxvii. 4. 
 By which we may learn he prefers this one 
 thing anicng many things ; this one thing 
 before many things ; and this one thing 
 above ail things : which confidered, what a 
 great (hame is it that it fliould be fo flighted 
 as it feems to be by the generality of men ? 
 It wasthc requeft of St Faidy that women 
 might learn of their hvjhands ; but I am 
 afraid many of us men are in fnch a flatc 
 of ignorance, that we have more occafioa 
 to karn of the women. What a fhame is 
 it that we (hould not frequent the houfe of 
 God more than we do? And what will 
 become of us, if ivc negleEl fuch means cf 
 falvaticnj as is offered daily unto us? Some 
 will fay, they have other bufinefs to em- 
 ploy tbemfelvcs in, and that their own trades 
 is enough to take up all their thoughts: 
 but though they may be allowed to follow 
 
RELIGION. 213 
 
 them fix dayst can they not dedicate the 
 ftventh to the fervice of their Lord ? Let 
 them confider, this is the Sabbath, the very 
 day the Lord has made for himfelf, and 
 which he experts they fliould, in a peculiar 
 manner, fet apart for his fervice. Has he 
 given us fix days for our own occafions, 
 and referved but ojie to himfeif ; how then 
 dare we deprive him thereof? or how can 
 we refufe to ferve him therein ? Every day 
 fhould be a rafting from fin, but more par- 
 ticularly this day, on which he rofe fro£a 
 the dead, that died for our fins; and there- 
 fore to continue in our fin, is to ufe our 
 xitmoft endeavours to keep our rifen Saviour 
 in his grave fliil. See what the leariicd 
 Dr Patrick fays on the like occafion. 
 
 * Chrijl was not fo much troubled to 
 ' die as he is to fee us live in fin. And 
 
 * therefore have a care what thou doft, 
 
 * unkfs thou wilt be worfe than a Jew^ 
 ' and wound him more than he did who 
 
 * lanced his fide, and be a greater and 
 
ai4 RELIGION. 
 
 * more dangerous enemy to him, than they 
 
 * that complotted his death. And confider, 
 
 * if fjQ be fo difpleaUng to him, that he 
 
 * will rather fuffer any torment than it 
 
 * fhould live ; how canft thou think ht 
 
 * will bear with thee, if thou negleft 
 
 * ferving him in his own houfe ?* The 
 devil will tell us, God requires no fuch 
 ftriftnefs from us, and our own corruptioQ 
 will perfuade. us that this courfe will dull 
 our fpirits too much, and iwike our lives 
 uncomfortable: bur ihefe arc delofions, 
 which will certainly betray us into greater = 
 mifchiefs ; for as there are degrees of pol- 
 lution, fo there are degrees of fandtification. 
 
 * Prayer, (fays the author 1 mentioned bc^ 
 
 * fore,) makes a Chriilian live holy^ and a 
 
 * holy Ufe makes us fit to pray fervently. 
 
 * And both the one and the other are not 
 
 * only parts of our duty, which God com- 
 ^ mands, but inftruments and helps to da 
 
 * bur duty/ And indeed all God/.s com- 
 mands have fuch an affinity with each 
 other, we can fcarce perform one duty but 
 
RELIGION. 215 
 
 It leads U3 into the way of another. If men 
 would but go to church every Sunday for 
 one month, and after that another, and to 
 that go out the third, who knows, but ia 
 a little time there might be more of them 
 feen at the facrament than appears there 
 now, the abftainiog from which makes 
 them, I am afraid, negligent in feveral other 
 duties, as the negligencies of other duties 
 makes them abftain from the table of the 
 Lord ; for I am perfuaded, was a man to 
 do his duty in other refpefls, he need not 
 be fo backwards in coming to this holy 
 table. But left I (hoold fay too much upon 
 this particular branch of duty, which is 
 more properly the bufinefs of a divine, 
 , than a man of my weak underftanding, I 
 '{hall only offer two or three fentences in 
 the exhortation in the communion fervicc 
 appointed by our church ; and I (hall only 
 make choice of thofe w^hich are moft in- 
 viting, as being moft fuitable to my prefect 
 purpofe, in this exhortation for our en- 
 couragement. The benefit is great, if w; 
 
216 RELIGION. 
 
 v;ith a true penitent heart, and lively faith, 
 receive that holy facrament; for then we 
 fpiritaally eat the flefti of Christ, and 
 drink his blood; we dwell in Christ, and 
 Christ in us; we ar^ one with Christ 
 and Christ with us. A penitent heart, 
 and lively faith, is all that is here required ; 
 and whoever flicks at that, may as well 
 almoft abandon all afts of worfcip, whether 
 ia public or private. 
 
 But let us obferve another inviting fen- 
 tence, which is this : Repent truly for your 
 fins paft ; have a lively and fledfafl faith ia 
 Christ our Saviour; amend your lives, 
 and be in perfcft charity ; and fo (hall yoa 
 be made partakers of thofe holy myfteries. 
 
 But why (hould I pretend to draw men 
 to this duty, when it is out of the power 
 of the mod eminent divines ? Has not the 
 author of The Whole Duty of Man, plainly 
 demonflrated, not only the ufefdnefs of 
 the duty of communicating, but alfo given 
 
RELIGION. 217 
 
 lortmfHons how to prepare ourfelves for 
 it ? Has not the learned Dr Kettlcwell^ ia 
 his Help and Exhortation to ivorthy Ccrnmu^ 
 nicantSy made it appear, that the negleft 
 of the facranicnt is a damning fin ? Have 
 we not the works of Dr Patrick, moft ftre- 
 nuoufly preffing us to this great and im- 
 portant duty ? And not to mention the 
 pious Bifhop Beveridge, as well as many 
 other learned divines, does not our Saviour 
 himfclf hivite us to his holy table ? and 
 tells us, Except vje eat his fiejh^ and drink 
 his bloody we have no life in us. If you love 
 nte, faith he, you will keep my commandments. 
 And, indeed, to what purpofe is it to call 
 any one Lord and Majier^ and pay no ho- 
 mage to himf If our Saviour is a king, 
 where is his honour ? and if he is a Lord, 
 where is his fear ? If he is a Saviour, where 
 are aJl his friends for whom he died ? or 
 what Ideas are in their heads, that they for- 
 get the Lord that bought them with no 
 kfs price than his own heart's blood ? 
 T 
 
2i8 R E L I G I N. 
 
 Toil are my friends^ fays he, if you de 
 zuhat/oever I command you Confider this, 
 O vain and unthinking man ! Weigh tbofc 
 •with many other threats and promifes, and 
 -think what will be the event, if thou ne- 
 glefteft fuch an opportunity of working 
 out thy own falvation. So manifeftly evi- 
 dent was the love of our bleiTtd Saviour 
 in woman, it feems to me out of all manner 
 of difpute ; but I defire no one to telieve 
 •it upon my report. 
 
 Uot to mention any more the compaf- 
 iion they (hewed before his conviftion and 
 execution, let us fee how they behaved 
 themfelves with the ftrongeft argument, 
 nay, even to a demooftration, in relation to 
 his refurreftion. And to put this matter 
 out of all difpute, let us look into the ioth 
 chapter of St John's gofpel, and the firfl 
 verfe. The Jirjl day of the week cometh 
 Mary Magdalene earlyy when it was yet 
 darky unto the fepvlchrCy and feeth the Jiom 
 likken away from the fe^ukhre. You fee 
 
RELIGION. 2117 
 
 here a true emblem of female love. The 
 defire (he has to fhew it, m.-^kes her rife 
 before break of day, to go and wait at the 
 Jepulchre with tears in her eyes. The two 
 angels afked her, "uuhy JJje wept ; (he aa- 
 fwered, Becnufe they have taken away my^ 
 Lord^ and 1 know not where they have laid 
 him. Next, our Saviour himfelt faith unto 
 her, JVomany why weepsft thou F She, not 
 knowing him, but fuppofing him to be th& 
 gardener^ only defireJ, that it he was car- 
 ried thence, fhe might know where he was. 
 laid, that fhe might tak^ him away. Jefu: 
 faith unto her, Mary ! She turned her/elf 
 unto htm, and faith, Rabboni ; which is ta 
 fay, Majier. Jefus forbids her to toucli 
 him, and gives a reafon for it; but com- 
 mands her to go to his brethren, and lei: 
 them know he was to afcend unto th& 
 Father. All which is to be feen from the 
 nth to the 19th vcrfe of the twentieth 
 chapter of St John's gofpel. 
 
 Nothing could flop thofe women from 
 T z 
 
220 RELIGION. 
 
 attending and fearching for their Lord: 
 they wduld fee what was become of their 
 Saviour, notwithftanding the earthquake, 
 which made the keepers rtiake, and become 
 as' dead men, Matt!?, xxviii. 2. 34, 35. 
 And as w^omen were in thofe days, fo I 
 think, or at lead, fo I hope they are now. 
 Who do we find attend his ordinances fo 
 irequendy as the women ? May I not ven- 
 ture to fay, there are at leaft five women 
 to a man, every Lord's day in the houfe 
 of God ? and does there want demonflra- 
 tions of five more at the holy facrament ? 
 Men, and efpecially gentlemen, will follow 
 the ladies any where but where they fhould. 
 They will follow them to balls^ plays, and 
 mafquerades ; but why they are fo feldom 
 at the table of the Lord, I know not, I 
 ciare fay they would fee as fine ladies there 
 as at any of the other places. But fear not^ 
 fays the angel to the Virgin M.iry, thou hajl 
 found favour of the Lord. Fear not, faith 
 the angel to Mary Magdalene, and the other 
 Mary : / knoia vjho you fcek, Jefus that was 
 
RELIGION. 221 
 
 crucified. And what need any one fear, 
 while (he feeks the Lord of Life, when 
 (he knows he is rifen ? it would be a great 
 encouragement to piety, it there were more 
 pradifers than there really are : but for the 
 encouragement ot thofe that follow our Sa- 
 viour, he has fent them angels over and 
 again, to fupport their weaknefs and im- 
 becility : and though thole miracles are now 
 ceafcd, yet have we not his own minifters, 
 as well as his own word to aflure us, that 
 none can harm us, if we are followers of 
 that which is good ; and that they that 
 love the Lord, (hall lack no manner of 
 thing that is good ; and that he who gave 
 his only begotten Son, will freely with him 
 give us all things. 
 
 T3 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 Of her MARRIAGE. 
 
 AFTER the Almighty had created 
 man, he confider'd it was .not fit for 
 him to be alone, and therefore he thought 
 good to make him a help-meet^ or a com- 
 panion ; and this he did not only that they 
 might increafe and multiply, and propagate 
 their fpecies, but alfo that they might be 
 helpful to each other, and folace themfelves 
 ^iih each in their moft folitary retirements: 
 from which wc may leain, that marriage 
 had its original from divine inflitution ; and 
 BOtwithftanding the great fall they had not 
 long after, yet does not the inflitution re- 
 main as facred as ever ? It cannot be denied 
 but by them we are all original linners ; 
 aeirher does it feem improbable that we are 
 alfo fufferers; but all this difanauls not the 
 
 \ 
 
MARRIAGE. 223^^ 
 
 holy mft'tution. It does nor appear that 
 - the ciirfe was upon the matrimony, but 
 the offenders, who brought it upon them- 
 felves thro' their own difobediencc. The* 
 price of a virtuous woman, we know, is 
 above rubies \ and if vve will believe the 
 wifdom of Solomon, he tells us who/o find* 
 eth a 'Wife, jindeth a good things and obtain^ 
 eth favour 0] the Lord, Pro v. xviii. 22. 
 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed 
 iindtjiled, Heb. viii. 4. The apoftie here 
 declares, that it is honourable, and we need 
 noi doubt its being lefs happy, St Paul 
 tells us in another place, that he that mar^ 
 ries does ivell \ but then he adds, he that 
 m*irrieth not, does better. How any one 
 can do better than well in this world, ir is 
 beyond my fiiiite cumprehenfion; but who- 
 fo mai iicth, muft mdxrsjor better or vjorfe\ 
 and as it is very poffible they .nay do well, 
 fo 'tis very probable fome who caarry not, 
 inOead of doing better, do much worfc. 
 Not that 1 pretend to confute the great apo- 
 ftle, when he fiys, they that marry not, ih 
 
«4 M A R R I A G E. 
 
 better : for doubtlefs there are fome who 
 for very good reafons never marry, and do 
 better by abftaining from it ; but thea 
 there are others who do much worfc. For, 
 as he himfelf fays, it is better to marry than - 
 burn ; and 1 may add, better to marry than • 
 commit*adu!tery with our neighbour's wife ; 
 and better to marry than to go about and 
 to delude poor innocent girls, as too maay 
 young gentlemen do. 
 
 Thefe truths, I think, are manifeftly 
 evident, and feem to be as plain as revela^ 
 iion can make them, or finite reafon caa 
 comprehend. I fhall not pretend to cona- 
 ment upon v.'hat the great apoftle faith in 
 relation to the clergy on this account ; and 
 however the church of Rome and ours dif- 
 fer about it, I (hall not trouble my reader 
 with it. Let it fuffice, that w^e were 
 brought forth to live in human fociety; 
 
 * And, as the learned Mr Dykes obferves, 
 
 * not alone, nor folitarily; not promifcuouf- 
 \ Jy, like brute beafts, male aadfcmale ; but 
 
MARRIAGE. 225 
 
 * far above their perfeftion, in lawful wed* 
 
 * lock ; which is the feminary and perfec- 
 
 * tlon of all other focicties in the commu- 
 
 * nion of life between man and woman» 
 
 * God himfelf was the author of marriage, 
 
 * and his glory ought to be the great end 
 
 * ot it, for our own good, welfare, and ad- 
 
 * vantage. Thus he peopled the world by 
 
 * his wifdom and power, and every crea- 
 
 * tore that hath a mouth or tongue, ought 
 
 * to praife his great Creator for it. Let 
 
 * every thing that hath breath, praife the 
 ^ Lord. We rationals, above all others, 
 ' are bound to praife him, for his infinite 
 
 * goodnefs and mercy ; and more efpecially 
 
 * for his inftitutlng and ordaining marriage/ 
 
 But, after all this, we find a great ma» 
 ny fo far from being thankful for it, that 
 they are become enemies to it ; nay, fo pro- 
 fligate are fome of our marriage- haters, 
 that they endeavour, notwithftanding the 
 Almighty's ordaining it for a bleffing, to 
 prove it a curfe. Of this opinion were ma- 
 
226 MARRIAGE. 
 
 ny of the ancient philofophers. Thu? ar- 
 gues M(rteilusy he (bouid lofe his libtrty by 
 marrying ; and concludes, rather to be his 
 own cnaller, than his wife's man: as if he 
 fcad not philofophy enough to be lord of 
 himfelf, tho' his wife proved never fo per- 
 verfe. Pythagoras being invited to the mar- 
 riage of a friend, defired to be excufed, be- 
 caufe he was not willing to go to fuah a 
 fcaft, or fuch a funeral: as if to marry a. 
 vife was to marry a coffin, or to put on 
 our grave-cloaths before we are dead. Se- 
 cundus tells as, a wife is the contrary of her 
 hufband. But all ihefe proceed from not 
 kDo>^ing the royftical union of marriage* 
 
 Thefe, and feveral others of the likena- 
 tiare, were the whimficar opinions .and* 
 crotchets of fome cf the ancient philofophers; 
 who were batchelors, perhaps, only becaufe 
 no women would be married to them for 
 their morofenefs. But v ^ ^ave a loofe fort 
 of gentry among us, in ou; own age, who 
 live upon the commoa ; and dther they caa 
 
MARRIAGE. ^^^ 
 
 get no virtuous women to marry them, for 
 th^ir wildoefs and extravagancies, as well as 
 debauchery ; or they are afraid of an imagi- 
 nary care, confinement, cuckoldom, or fuch 
 like ; the lad of which I leaft wonder at, 
 when they confider ihcir own guilt. Thefc 
 looft and diflolute livers call marriage a bed 
 of rofes among thorn^ ; and, left they fhould 
 prick their fingers, they will -ho-ve no hi^.nd 
 in it. 1 hey have ftcaege ideas of the mofl: 
 teripeftuousftormsof hail, but never coafi- 
 dei rhc foft breezes of a fweet and falubri- 
 ous rain-.jv-'And indeed, theie libertines, who 
 fpend their time with ioofe and mcontinent 
 Avo'iien, hitve fome reafon to dread a mar- 
 riage-It ate, not only from the behaviour of 
 thofe women they convcrfc with, but from 
 their own alfo ; ror a guilty conicience ge- 
 nerally condemns otneis, as weu as accufes 
 itfelf. Befides, thofe women who live 'ip- 
 cn fnch men, ei^^Uiyour to perfnade them, 
 that all their fex^^re guilty of :he fame as 
 themfelves, only they carry it on in a more 
 private manner j aad to corroborate their 
 
a2« MARRIAGE. 
 
 aflertion, 'tis poffible they find fome inflan* 
 ces which prove it by a demonftration ; on 
 which account they bring their cullies to 
 think as they do. But this, I prefume, is a 
 very miftaken notion ; and were thofe gen- 
 tlemen to frequent the converfation of vir- 
 tuous ladies, they would find it as hard to- 
 believe or inaagine there were any fuch no- 
 torious female ivretches as the company 
 they have made choice of daily convinces 
 them there are. 
 
 To give a narrative of loofe v/omen^ 
 would not at all be fuitable to my under- 
 taking, my intent being rather to celebrate 
 the praifcs of the virtuous ; and, as I hope 
 the generality of my readers will be fuch, 
 I have endeavour'd to adapt this treatifc 
 mofl to their virtuous inclinations. 
 
 But to be more particular in relation to 
 the marriage haters : they dread the 
 thoughts of a wife, becaufe they have a pro- 
 verbial faying, that vjomen andjbi^s, thdt 
 
MARRIAGE. 219 
 
 nev^r Jo tvell rigg'J, Jiill want fTtneihing : 
 but they little confider how they deceive 
 thcmfelves iQ this point ; and if they will 
 fuppofc a (hip iQ the feafe it ought to be 
 taken, or as it is in a better prov^erb than 
 that faying of theirs, they will find it quite 
 contrary to what they reprefent it. Look 
 into the 31ft chapter and 14th verfe of the 
 Proverbs of Solomon^ and you will find her 
 conapared to a merchant Jhipy and that fl^. 
 brings her food from afar. And I believe 
 there are few merchants grudge their (hips 
 rigging ; or if they do, they ill deferve 
 them ; and the like may be faid of thofc 
 that grudge their wives cloathing. Seve- 
 ral other excufes are made by thofe who arc 
 averfe to this honourable conjugal flate of 
 life : fomc are afraid of fcolding ; fome of 
 thicr pride and arrogancy ; (ome, with juft 
 reafon, of their jealoufy ; and others, of 
 their difcontentednefs. Some, I fay, arc, 
 or at leaft pretend to be afraid of thefe, and 
 the like difafters falling upon them ; but 
 they are only vain chimeras of their own 
 U 
 
230 MARRIAGE. 
 
 making; and fuch as none but thcunnwr- 
 •ried, imperfeft men, which are but half 
 themfelves, for want of a help-meet, could 
 rtxcr had an idea of. And thofe that refrain 
 marriage upon fuch accounts, generally fall 
 into a way more deftruftive in its commu- 
 nity. But to make their own caufe as clear 
 as they can, they pick out all the calumni- 
 ous expreffions againft the fair fex that Au» 
 thors will afford them. 
 
 Thus they prefent you with jihabh 
 being betrayed by Jezabel ; of Sam/on by 
 Delilah : of Solomon by concubines, ^c. 
 which would be too troublefome to relate 
 here, as not being at all to my prefent pur- 
 pofe, fince they are only the reports of maf- 
 xuline heroes, and ungovernable libertines, 
 and merely romance and envy : for parti' 
 ctilars will never prove univcrfal truths : 
 .nor will any one attempt it, who knows true 
 logic. Befides, they have neither a true 
 notion of marriage, nor have they ever met 
 with the virtuous ladies I aow fpeak for ; 
 
MARRIAGE. 231 
 
 nor fuch an one as is fet forth in the book 
 of Proverbs^ whofe characfier and conver- 
 fauon I want ability to purfue with defer- 
 ved encomiums. What occafion is there- 
 for a man's lodging thofe ill opinions above- 
 mention'd, when he is married to a ivoman 
 quite contrary to fuch as thofe whom thefe 
 heroes have been obferving ? Need any mart 
 be jealous of a woman that is chafte ? need 
 any one be afraid of fcolding, that hath a 
 difcreet and peaceable wife P need any one 
 fear an exceiSve expence, whofe -wife is en- 
 dowed with frugality ? may not any man 
 put an intire confidence in fuch a faithful 
 and virtuous wife P in fuch a valuable, in- 
 dtanng Jpoife F need he be debarred from 
 cither his lawful pleafures and divcrfiona 
 abroad, much lefs to attend his public bufi- 
 nefs of greater concern, when he is confi- 
 dent all things will be regulated and im- 
 proved to his advantage at home ; where 
 there is no room for either foiitude, diffij 
 dence, or diftruft of her diligence and faith- 
 Cttlnels; nor any caufe of lying, uadcs 
 U a 
 
232 MARRIAGE. 
 
 temptations either of relieving hi5 ncceffi* 
 ties, fupplying his wants, or faifely to inriclt. 
 his own eftate. There's no need to que* 
 flion the integrity of fo virtuous a woman. 
 
 * And, as a celebrated author fays on this 
 € occafion, fhe cannot in confcience fajfify 
 
 * her marriage-vow, nor play faft and loofo 
 
 * with that folemn and facred obligation. 
 
 * Never fear, (he will never defpoil you of 
 
 * your goods of fortune, wrong your nup- 
 
 * tial bed, nor leflen your charadVer. Sho^ 
 
 * knows no robbery, but that innocent one. 
 
 * of ftealing into your affeftions, and ma* 
 
 * king you the felon of her own heart.* 
 
 Now, what fidelity, juftice, fincere love 
 and comfort, may not a man expe^ from 
 the fruition of fuch a virtuous woman asl . 
 am now reprefenting ? here is no room for 
 jealoufy; no occafion to doubt of her in* 
 fmcerity ; no ^ant of fuccour or fubfift- 
 ence with this unparalleled lady. In one 
 word, (he will make you as happy as your 
 heart can wiih in this world ; aad noi^only 
 
MARRIAGE; 233 
 
 fo, but, in a great meafure, intitle you to 
 ID eterual happmefs and froition of bldfings 
 ia the world to come. 
 
 What has been obferved on this account 
 might, one would think, be fufficient to 
 confute all the objections of our raodera 
 marriage-haters, which they borrow frcn 
 fome morofe and mclancholly notions of the 
 unfociable Ancients. Among many of their 
 ridiculous objedlions, I fhall only trouble 
 my fair and courteous reader with two, - 
 which are as falfe and ridiculous as any of 
 the reft : Hefi$d fays, he that triifts a womarr^ 
 is asfafe as he that hangs by the leaves of a 
 €tree in Autumn, vjhen they begin to falL 
 And there is another ftory, no leii fooliili, 
 tho' more prophane 5 and that is, of a ftu* 
 pid felio\V, wbo hearing the fciipture bur^ 
 lefqued, that whofoever would be faved, muji 
 i>ear his crofs, ran to his wife, took her up, 
 and laid her acrofs his (boulders. Thefe, 
 and a great many more, were the conceits 
 of thofe buffQ(^ns, that knew DOthing of the ^ 
 U 3 
 
^34 
 
 MARRIAGE. 
 
 felicities of matrimony ; or elfe fuch as re-* 
 fented their injuries, or repented their mif- 
 fortunes in their marriages. Plutarch^ 
 Plato, Socrates^ Anjiotle, and SenecUy were 
 all married, if we believe hiftory, and made 
 as excellent ufe of their marriages as their 
 morals; which redounded very much to 
 the everlafting praifc of their philofophy. 
 
 * Marriage, faith the learned Mr Dykes ^ 
 
 * was firft confecrated in heaven, folemni- 
 
 * zed in paradife, and confummated in in- 
 
 * nocency. Can any thing be fuller of ho,. 
 
 * linefs, or happinefs ; of equity, or juftice ; 
 
 * of good converfation, or focicty ; of lore, 
 
 * content, ot confolation ? can any ftate of 
 
 * life be lefs folitary, or lefs unpleafant ?' 
 God bimfelf plainly declared, it ivas not 
 loodjor man to be alone. Does not the ho- 
 ly fpirit of God dignify marriage by the 
 mouth of his prophet, with no lefs than the 
 fimilitude and rcprefentation of his facred 
 unity with his church ? was not the wed- 
 diBg feaft honour^ with the firft miracle 
 
/ 
 
 MARRIAGE. 23J 
 
 ©or bleffed Saviour wrought in the world ? 
 what more then can be faid, to (hew 
 how great is the dignity and pre-eminence, 
 as well as the^ prerogative of lawful vv 
 marriage ? 
 
 Can there be any comfort or confolation 
 like that of a fccond felf, in humane Socie- 
 ty ? muft not the enjoyment be great, to 
 have a faithful partner, and true friend, ei- 
 ther in poverty, or a flouriftiing condition ? 
 If thou art rich, a virtuous wife will increafc 
 thy ftorc; if poor, (he will enrich theej if 
 thou art fick, fhe will be thy nurfe ; if hun- 
 gry, (he will do her endeavour to fiouri(h 
 thee ; if perfecuted, (he will comfort thee 
 in thy confinement : thou wilt have a fwcct 
 companion of her ; if thou art melancholy, 
 (he will devert thee, and afFord thee fuffi- 
 cient fatisfadtion when foiitary. Doth thj 
 hujtnefi caufe thee to go abroad? thou art furc 
 thou haft a faithful houfekeeper at home. 
 It would be endlefs to recount all the bene* 
 fits of aa advaiuagcoas marriage* Doth 
 
236 M A R R lA G E; 
 
 not a man increafe his friends by it ? ar^ 
 not enemies reccnciled b)' it ? and doth not 
 injured kings, fometimes, recover their rights^ 
 by it, as well as peace procured between great 
 emperors, monarchs, and foverelgn princes ?^ 
 thefe, and many more, are the vaft advan- 
 tages of marriage. Nor can any language 
 exprefs the benefits that accrue to a happy 
 conjugal ftate. It is very probable a man 
 may find a virtuous wife ; but 'tis hardly 
 pofTible to give her due praife: and of all ^ 
 difficulties this is the greatell.* 
 
 I have confider'd her in every circum-^ 
 {fence of life; and nothing is now wanting^ 
 but to render her praife for the wonderful 
 produ6>ions of her underftanding, the curi-^ 
 ous operations of her hands, and the prac- 
 tice of her we!l-fpent life. It would leffea 
 her charafter for me to pretend to extol a 
 lady's virtue to the full value of her merits; 
 and my feeble eloquence is altogether in* 
 fufficient to give her a thoufandlh part of 
 her praife^ What thea is to be doae la 
 
MARRIAGE. ijf 
 
 this cafe ? why, let every one pralfc her 
 according to his ability ; and kt poets, ors* 
 UrSf and hiftorians, men of all arts and^ 
 fcicnces, of all raoks aod degrees, from the^ 
 court to the pltrw tail, become her encomt* 
 afts. And though we could raiie as many 
 Popes and DrydenSy as there arc drops of > 
 water in the fea, and as many Henleys as 
 there are fands upon the (bore ; and all 
 tbefe, and ten times morci (hould . not 
 ceafe to advance her praiies, yet the; 
 would be, ftiil lefs than her almoA di« 
 Tine virtue merits ; and would only be 
 magnifying her fuperlativc charadler into 
 a diminution of it. Prophecy and infpiro/^ 
 tion can only reach the. height of this trail- 
 fcendently glorious topic 5 and all that I, or 
 any man elfe can fay, will only be, as I juft 
 now obferved, falling infinitely (hort of what 
 (he defcrves. 
 
 But notwithftanding all, or moft of men 
 Ihould be either filent in her praife, or in- 
 4uIlrious in their Xatires againA hoT; yet hei: 
 
238 MARRIAGE 
 
 own works will ftill praife her, and not 
 only pronounce her ineftimable endow- 
 ments, but alfo condemn the isgratrtude of 
 thofe who ought to adore her^ They will 
 promote her private interefl:, and public 
 reputation. They will fet forth her growing 
 fame in this world, far beyond any other 
 proclamations: nay, which is more ftill, 
 they will publi(h her good name at the very 
 gates of glory* 
 
 Many good obfervations may be drawn 
 from the fjngular afts of a wornain : it was 
 thecompaffion of ly^w^ that preferved iht- 
 lives of many a male chlfd, commanded to 
 be flain by Pharaoh King of Egypt, It 
 was through th^ tender compaffion of his 
 own daughter, that Mo/es efcaped being 
 drowned; ft was the charity of the poor 
 ividow in the Gofpel, that occafioned her 
 to give the laft farthmg to the treafury. It 
 was a good aft, if we will believe our 
 blefled Saviour, when the woman anointed 
 his ieet. 1 never beard of a woman that 
 
MARRIAGE. 239 
 
 confpired to take away the life of our blefied 
 Saviour. Pilate's wife took all imaginable 
 care, as far as lay in her power, to fave it. 
 Several women followed the Lamb of God' 
 to the place of execution, with forrowful 
 weeping ; but who ever read of any that 
 lifted up their heel againft him ? Christ's 
 firft inconceivable defcent was mto the 
 womb of the blefTed virgin, and he ftill 
 loves to dwell with pure and virgin hearts s 
 Fear not. faith the angel Gabriel to the 
 Virgin Mary, thou art highly favoured of 
 the Lord A learned author obferves, Go» 
 may be praifed for Mary, who made her 
 the inftrument of the coming of Christ 
 into the world. And the church of Rome 
 is fo far from forgetting her, that I think 
 they commit idolatry by giving her the 
 name of Mediatrix^ Sahatrix, She Saviour, 
 ^een of Heaven, ^een of Mercy, The 
 Xinly Hope of the Miferable ; with feveraj 
 ether idolacrous expreflions, or namcs^ 
 which I would not be thought to encoa* 
 rage my readers to afcribe unto her. But 
 
240 MARRIAGE. 
 
 llowe?f r, the Spirit did, as it were, caft t 
 cloud over her, which may give a check to 
 mortals from making too curious aa inqui- 
 Ctim into the myftery of the incarnatioa. 
 
 Who ever read of a woman that denied 
 the God that made her? Was not the wo* 
 fnen'shiih and love plainly demon rtrated^ 
 by their attendance at our Saviour's fe- 
 pulcbre before it was day, with tears ia 
 their eyes? I think, if we look into the laft 
 chapter of St Mark, and compare it with 
 the 28th of St Matthew, and the i8in of 
 St John, we may find reafon to believe thole 
 nvomen's faith was preferable to the very 
 apcjlles themfelves. Bat I will not pretend 
 to define thofe myfteries of the gofpcl, but 
 rather leave it to the divines* better judg- 
 caent. But be that as it will, great was 
 thtir obedience, and without doubt, great 
 will be their reward. Fear noty (aith the 
 an^el to Mary Magdalene^ I knew thou 
 feckefi J ejus, but he is rifeiu Nor no woman 
 need fear all the fatyrical, erroaeousi or dW 
 
MARRIAGE. 241 
 
 abolical tongues, if they are able to drink 
 of the cup that our Saviour has drank of. 
 And they may take it upon God's owa 
 word, none fhall harm them if they are 
 followers of that which is good. 
 
 The Greek poets, as the learned Mr Dykes 
 obferves, have been very copious in their 
 allegories concerning vicious women, and I 
 think too fatyrical, when they compare 
 them to fuch odious creatures as would be 
 unfit to name in this place. But then, as 
 my author again obferves, they fancied an- 
 other fort ot women, and could not forbear 
 
 * commending the virtuous ladies ; de- 
 
 * daring he was happy that married a nvifcy 
 
 * like a bee, whom they mofi excellently 
 
 * defcribed with the moft amiable cbarac- 
 
 * tcrs, for her beauty, fweetnefs, labour, 
 
 * modcfty, and divine grace.' 
 
 And it farther appears, by the author's 
 recommending us to the 2d chapter and 
 15th verfe ot St Pauls epillle to Timothy^ 
 X 
 
242 M A R U I A G E. 
 
 that (he was in a way df falvation by' the 
 apoftle's own words ; that is, * She Jhould 
 
 * be faved in child-bearing y if Jhe continued 
 
 * in faith and charity^ and holinefs, \bith 
 
 * fobricty : for by faith (he af:knowledges 
 
 * the true eternal God, both in trinity and 
 
 * unity ; glories in her Creator, confides ia 
 ^ her Redeemer, and rejoices in her Com- 
 
 * fortcr : that is, firmly believes in the 
 
 * 0/d and ^ew Tejiament, and accordingly 
 
 * praftifes all the duties of morality and 
 ^religion. From hence arifes her divine 
 
 * love of God, the Father, Son, and Holy 
 ' GhofI:, edentially one and the fame, my- 
 ^ fterioufly, and fignalized only in time, 
 < or rather perfonaiized by thofe diftinft 
 -^ offices of Creation, Redemption, and 
 ■* Sanftification of the world, which feem 
 
 * to unvail the myftery a little, for our better 
 
 * belief and underftanding, or edification. 
 
 * But, in (hort, (lie entirely acquiefcesin fuch 
 
 * incomprehenfible arcana's of Heaven ; 
 ^ without any farther defigning enquiries, 
 
 *. dimiaifhing curiofities, or -deftrudtive 
 
MARRIAGE, 243 
 
 ' mydus^sof human invention.* Hence pro** 
 ceeds her admirable charity. Hence (he 
 derives her great and moft remarkable 
 prudence, temperance^ and fobriety. Hence 
 flow, as from an original fountain of love, 
 her great kindnefs to her hujhand, her pro- 
 found charity to her neighbours^ as well as 
 her faithful jujiic£ to the whole 'world. 
 
 This is the true defcriptlon of a perfect 
 V>oman of probity , a ivife of celebrated vir- 
 tue y a lady of confummate love, worthy of 
 a diadem, worthy of a king, of a Solomon 
 la wedlock in all his glory : nay, and which 
 is ftill more, fhe is worthy of glory far 
 more tranfcendent than this world dan be- 
 flow on her, namely, of the everlajiing 
 glory in the world to come. Who then can 
 forbear chanting forth her praife, though 
 ever fo unequal or infufficient for her 
 merit. Let all ratiotmls praife her ; and let 
 all irrationals become rationals tor her fake. 
 
 But why fliould I pretend to fay more? 
 X z. 
 
244 MARRIAGE. 
 
 •Tis impoflible to fay the thoufandth part 
 of what (he deferves ; and her fuperlative 
 character is fo far from being praifed ac- 
 cording to its defert, that it is rather dimi- 
 ci(hed thereby, as I obferved before. And 
 therefore let this be the conclufion of all 
 terreftrial things : and let her reciprocal 
 virtue (he has hitherto praflifed, according 
 to the facred rules of fVi/dom, bring her at 
 laft to a happy eternity of joy ; where her 
 peace fnall be unalterable, her happinefs 
 (hall be inexprefilble, and her praifes fliall 
 be fet forth to their full perfeftion, with 
 divine acclamations of joy for evermore. 
 
To the ample and diffufe defcription of a 
 f^irtuous IVoman contained in the fore* 
 going fheetSy the prefcnt Editor has added 
 the folio-wing concife and fpirited Cha- 
 ra&er of a IVorthy Female , extraBed 
 from An excellent little work, entitled^ 
 The Oeconomy of Human Life. 
 
 GIVE ear, fair daughter of love, to 
 the inftruclions of prudence, and let 
 the precepts of truth fink deep in thy 
 heart : fo (hall the charms of thy mind 
 add luftre to the elegance of thy form ; and 
 thy beauty, like the rofe it rcfembleth, 
 fiiall retain its fweetnefs when its bloom is 
 withered. 
 
 In the fpring of thy youth, in the morn- 
 ing of thy days, when the eyes of cnen 
 gaze on thee wirh delight, and nature 
 whifpereth in thi'ie ear the iiieaaing of 
 their looks, ah! hear^ with caution their 
 feducing words, guard well thy heart, nor 
 lilVen to their fott perfuafions* 
 X 3 
 
 I A 
 
245 CONCLUSION. 
 
 Remember thou art made man's reafon^ 
 able companion, not the flave of his paflion; 
 the end of thy being is not merely to gra- 
 tify his loofe defire, but to affift him in 
 the toils of life, to footh him with thy 
 tcndernefs, and recompcnce his care wl^h 
 foft endearments.. 
 
 Who IS {he that winneth the heart of 
 
 man, that fubdueth him to love, and refgn- 
 eth in his breaft ? 
 
 Lo ! yonder fhe walketh in maiden 
 fweemefs, with innocence in her mind, and 
 modefty on her cheek. 
 
 Her hand feeketh employment, her foot 
 delighteth not in gadding abroad. 
 
 She is clothed with neatnefs, fhe is feJ 
 with temperance; humility and meeknefs 
 are as a crown ot glory circling her head. 
 
 On her tongue dwelleth mufic, thefwee^ 
 nefs of honey flowttb from her lips. 
 
CONCLUSION. 247 
 
 Decency is in all her words, in her aa* 
 fwers are mildnefs and truth. 
 
 Subnniffion and obedience are the lefTons 
 of her life, and peace and happinefs are 
 her reward. 
 
 Before her f!eps walketh prudence, and 
 Tirtne attendeth at her right-hand. 
 
 Her eye fpeaketh foftnefs and love ; but 
 difcretion with a fceptre fitteth on her brow. 
 
 The tongue of the licentious is dumb 
 in her prefence; the awe of ber virtue 
 keepeth him filent. • 
 
 When fcandal is bufy, and the fame 
 of her Deighbour is tofltd from tongue to 
 tongue: if charity and good nature open 
 not her mouth, the finger of filence reftetb 
 on h\;r lip. 
 
 Her breafl is the manfion of goodnefs^ 
 smd therefore (he fufpedteth no evil in others. 
 
 m 
 
243 CONCLUSION, 
 
 Happy were the man that fhould make 
 her his wife ; happy the child that fliall 
 call her mother. 
 
 She prefideth in the houfe, and there is 
 peace; fhe commandeth with judgment:, 
 and is obeyed. 
 
 She arlfeth in the morning, (he confiders 
 her affairs, and appoinieth to every one 
 their proper bufinefs. 
 
 The care of her family is her whole de- 
 light, to that alone fhe applieth her ftudy ; 
 and elegance with frugality is feen in her 
 manfions. 
 
 The prudence of her management is an 
 hon(^ur to her hufband^ and he heareth her 
 praiie with a fecret delight. 
 
 She informeth the minds of her children 
 with wildoin, (lie faftiiineth their manners 
 from the example ol her own gcodncfe^ 
 
CONCLUSION. <^4^ 
 
 The word of her mouth is the law of 
 their youth, the motion of her eyes com* 
 mandeih their obedience. 
 
 She fpeaketh, and her fcrvants fly ; flie 
 pointetb, and the thing is done: for the 
 law of love is in their hearts, and her 
 kindnefs addeth wings to their feet. 
 
 In profperity (he is not puffed up, in 
 adverfity fhe healeth the wounds of for- 
 tune with patience. 
 
 The troubles of her hulband are allc* 
 viated by her counfels, and fweetened by 
 her endearments: he puttcth his heart in 
 her bofom, and receiveth comfort. 
 
 Happy is the man that hath made her 
 his wife ; happy the child that calleth 
 her mother. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
1^ 
 
 I 
 
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