cepts that have been given them in their Minority; inftill'd like primo-genial Water, and ftamp'd on their Minds, like Impreffions in Wax: That, of making a handfome Provifion for their future Subfiftence, and putting them in the moft likely Way of living well in the World; left they fhould wean their Affections, and take ill Courfes, by difhoneft Shifts, to fupply their Neceffities, for Want of fufficient Allowances, or competent Portions: That, of fetting them a good Example against Lying, Swearing, and Drunkennefs, as well as all other fafhionable Iniquities of ill-bred Sinners, and modish Vices of the Age; which catch like a Contagion, infect the Soul, and poifon the whole Mafs of Blood in a Family: That, of bleffing them with their Virtues, and praying daily, duly and earnestly, not only for their prefent Protection, but future Felicity, both in their fpiritual and temporal Eftate, by his divine Providence; and, if therefore, as the heavenly Author of the Whole Duty of Man religiously advises, Parents have any Bowels, any Kindness towards their Children, any real Defire of their Profperity; let them take Care, by their own godly Life, to intail a Bleffing upon them, and their Pofterity: Finally; That, of not oppreffing their forward Children with unreasonable Burdens, or immoderate Commands, only to exercise their own imperious Aufterity, especially in croffing their youthful Affetions, by a magifterial Morofenefs, or ill-natur'd Authority of breaking-off an old-fix'd fettled Love perhaps, and forcing them to marry against their own virtuous Inclinations, for Wealth, Honour, or the most Money in the 2 Market, according to a Smithfield-Bargain. Such

a

a difagreeable Marriage has no Royalty in it, nor Religion and may prove fatal, but never fortunate. However, in fhort, fuch inftructive, affectionate, and indulgent Parents, as punctually perform thofe Obligations requir'd Above, both by divine and humane Laws, highly deferve the greatest Blefings of their indear'd Children; and otherwife may certainly expect, how unreasonably, or unjustly foever, their bittereft Curfes and Maledictions.

BUT I cannot conclude this Remark, without reflecting upon a general Fault of educating the Children of great Quality, with fo much unhealthful, and effeminate Indulgence; as I find it ingeniously exprefs'd, and as fatyrically exploded in The Guardian's Inftruction, p. 65. to this Effect: Cure the Mother, if you can, fays he, of the Difeafe call'd Fondness; otherwise the Child will be bred fo tenderly, as to be good for little or nothing but Laziness. Every Door must be shut, and a Fire made in his Chamber upon Midfummer-Day, while my young Mafter is a dressing, for Fear of catching Cold: fo that many Times, what with Chocolates, Jellies, Dainties, Tea's, and other Mother-like Tenderneffes, he does not prove hardy enough at last, to be either healthy or wife. But give me a curl pated Boy from a Beggar's Side, (the phlegmatick Offspring of Butter-milk and four Cheefe) who runs bare-headed all Day, and fnoars all Night upon a Bag of Straw. Take this rational Clod, I fay, and Spirit him into Turky: And after a Courfe of Hardship, in the Compafs of Thirty or Forty Years Travel, you may, perhaps, meet him at the Head of an Hundred ThouSand Men, matching Politicks with all the witty and civiliz'd World. Certainly Gentlemen are born with better Blood, Spirits and Parts, than fuch a

Fellow

་

Fellow of mean Extract: But thus you see what Wonders good Difcipline can do with fuch an one & while by too much Warmth, Laxity or Luxurioufnefs, the very Soul of the other tranfpires and wafts through the Softness of his Skin. This is the

magnificent Character given of a promifing Youth well-educated and brought up to Hard Meat, ler his Extraction and Pedigree be what it will, noble or ignoble in the World; under all the wholefome Severities of Scholaftick Difcipline: either in the Studies of difficult Learning, the Labours of afpiting Fortune, or the Rigours of a growing Genius. In fine, a ftrict Education feldom fails of making him a great Man in the Event, or a victorious Cafar in good Time.

VERSE XXIX.

¬MANÝ Daughters have done virtuously z but thou excelleft them All.

B

PARAPHRASE.

1

LESSED be God! that we are not fo barren and deftitute, either of honeft, virtuous, or honourable Women! There are many excellent Perfons of Nobility, Quality, and Distinction among the Fair Sex; many devout Ladies of great Integrity and Religion, as well as noble Extraction; many deferving Maids of Honour and invincible Chastity, from the Court to the Cottage; many indulgent Mothers of the niceft Concern, Affection, and Tenderness for their Children; many indearing Wives of the

Z

moft

moft dutiful Inclinations, both in Words and Actions, towards their Husbands; and finally, an innumerable Multitude of very obedient Daughters to their tender Parents, who brought them up with the best Education: As all these, without doubt, have done virtuously, by living up to the laudable Character of Grace, Goodness,and Wisdom in their feveral Conditions, either in a fingle or a marry'd State of Life. But this incomparable Queen of Love and Virtue here fpoken of, hath excell'd them All, and exalted her Praifes above any common Exception or vulgar Competition of Glory. They have behav'd well perhaps in the Choice or Treatment of their respective Spouses of a lower Degree; but fhe much better, by fixing her Affections and Fortune upon her Royal Confort of a higher Character, in the general Opinion of the World. They may have acted the Part of induftrious Daugh ters, by their good Conduct and commendable Housewifry, in their feveral Vocations of domestick Business, or Stations of the Conjugal Life, as well as in civil Concerns of Humanity, Dealing, Management, Converfation, or Correfpondence Abroad: but nothing like to the Care, Prudence and Frugality of this virtuous Wife in thefe facred Proverbs. For of all the modern Wives that have done worthily, or mightily advanc'd the Welfare of their happy Families, Thon haft ftill the Preheminence, by way of perfonal Emphasis or folemn Allocution: as who hould fay exprefly, there never were any marry'd Women yet to be compar'd to Thee for Excellency; and thy Firtues wonderfully tranfcend their greatest Glories. In a Word, according to the Judgment of the Wife, and Wisdom of the positive Text, the Merits of the most illuftrious Ladies among

them

them of these later Generations, have hitherto come far fhort of her fuper-excellent Deferts and fuperlative Endowments of Mind.

C

"

OMPARISONS are all odious with fuch a virtuous Lady's Understanding, Humility and Holiness. The fublimeft Flights would only leffen her facred Character. They' would extenuate her Worth, depreciate her Value, and diminish her Dignity. It would look like putting a precious Jewel upon a Level with Peble-Stones. Where the Sun is the Theme, we fhould have a Care of fullying its Glory, or lowering its Sublimity. However, we may be al low'd to admire what we cannot reach, and praise her wonderful Wisdom in all the extraordinary Offices either of Divinity or Humanity, of Morality or Religion, of facred Communion or fecular Society. We muft, in Duty at least, acknowledge her bright internal Beauties and external Embellishments; which appear with fo much dazling Luftre throughout her whole Compofition. We cannot deny, with Submiffion, her visible Graces that fhine in the dark like Diamonds; fparkle in the most difmal Dungeon of Confinement, and burft through the blackest Clouds of Affliction, Adverfity, or Oppreffion, with the more furprizing Splendour. Her diffufive Charms cannot be hidden from humane Eyes. Her glittering Glories can never fuffer a total Eclypfe by any overshadowing Misfortunes, Troubles, Terrors, Tribulations or Dif couragements of this World. 'Tis true, they may overcaft, but never overwhelm her Virtue for Fortune is far below the Greatnefs of her % 2

Souty