aptest to bear with immoderate Grief, the ill Humour, or unkindness of
their Husbands: But it is pitty that such, who (in an Age wherein the
contrary is too often practis'd) have more Vertue than to think of
returning the Injuries they receive, should want so much Wit as not to
repay unkindness, with a just contempt of it: But instead thereof,
foolishly sacrifice their Lives, or the Comforts of them (which is our
All in this World) to those who will not sacrifice the least
inclination to their reasonable Satisfaction: And how much wiser and
more becoming Christians would it be for such Ladies to reflect less
upon what others owe to them, and more upon what they owe to
themselves and their Children, than to abandon themselves, as too many
do, to a fruitless Grief; which serves for nothing else, but to render
them yet less agreeable to those whom they desire to please; and
useless in the World: Diseases, and, in time, constant ill Health
being the almost never failing Effects of a lasting Discontent upon
such feeble Constitutions. But I take leave to say, that the fault of
those who make others thus miserable, and the weakness of such who
thus suffer their Minds to think under Adversity, are in a great
measure both owing to one and the same Cause, viz. Ignorance of the
true Rules and Measures of their Duty; whereby they would be taught
to correct every excess; together with the want of such other
Knowledge (suitable to the Capacity and Condition of the Person) as
would both usefully and agreably employ their Time: This Knowledge,
tho' not perhaps of a Nature immediately conducing to form, or rectify
the Manners, yet doing so, in a great measure, by restraining or
preventing the irregularities of them. For as ill natur'd and vicious
Men, if they know but how pleasantly and profitably to employ those
tedious hours which lye upon their Hands, would be generally less
Vicious, and less ill Humour'd than they are; so Women of the most
sensible Dispositions would not give up themselves to sorrow that is
always hurtful, and sometimes dangerous both in their Honour and
Salvation (excess of Tenderness, when abus'd, too often producing
Hatred, and that Revenge) if they were not only very little inform'd
as to what God requires of them; but also very Ignorant in regard of
any kind of Ingenious Knowledge, whereby they might delightfully
employ themselves, and divert those displeasing Thoughts which
(otherwise) will incessantly Torment, and Prey upon their Minds. She
who has no Inclinations unbecoming a Vertuous Woman, who prefers her
Husbands Affection to all things in the World; and who can no longer
find that pleasure in the ordinary Circle of Ladies Diversions, which
perhaps, they gave her in her first Youth, is but very ill provided to
bear Discontent where she proposes her greatest satisfaction, if she
has nothing within her self which can afford her pleasure,
independently upon others: Which is what none can lastingly have,
without some improvement of their rational Faculties; since as
Childhood, and Youth, wear off, the relish of those pleasures that
are suited to them, do so too; on which account the most happy would
not ill consult their advantage, if by contracting betimes a Love of
Knowledge (which is ever fruitful in delight to those who have once a
true taste of it) they provide in their Youth such a Source of
Pleasure for their Old Age as Time will not dissipate, but improve; by
rendring their Minds no less vigorous, and its Beauties yet more
attracting, when the short Liv'd ones of their Faces are impair'd, and
gone. Whilst those whose Youthful Time has been devoted to Vanities,
or Trifles, Age does inevitably deliver over either to melancholy
Repentance, or (at best) to the wearisome Languishings which attend a
Life deprived of Desire and Enjoyment.
Now in the pursuit of that Pleasure which the exercise and improvement
of the understanding gives, I see no Reason why it should not be
thought that all Science lyes as open to a Lady as to a Man: And that
there is none which she may not properly make her Study, according as
she shall find her self best fited to succeed therein; or as is most
agreeable to her Inclination: provided ever, that all such Knowledge
as relates to her Duty, or is, any way, peculiarly proper to her Sex,
and Condition, be principally, and in the first place her Care: For it
is indeed very preposterous for a Woman to employ her Time in
enquiries, or speculations not necessary for her, to the neglect of
that for Ignorance whereof she will be guilty before God, or blameable
in the Opinion of all Wise Men; And to do this, is plainly no less
irrational and absurd, than for one destitute of necessary Cloathing,
to lay out what should supply that want upon things meerly of
Ornament. There is yet, methinks, no difference betwixt the Folly of
such Learned Women, and that of Learned Men, who do the same thing,
except that the one is the greater Rarity.
But it is not perhaps very seasonable to propose that Ladies should
have any greater Accomplishments or Improvements of their
Understandings than the well discharging of their Duty requires, till
it is thought fit for them to have that: The advantages of which to
Men themselves, and the necessity thereof to a right Education of
their Children of both Sexes are too evident, when reflected upon, not
to obtain Encouragement of so much Knowledge in Women from all who are
Lovers of Vertue, were it not true that Conviction does not always
operate. The Law of Fashion or Custom, is still to be obey'd, let
Reason contradict it ever so much: And those bold Adventurers are
look'd upon but as a sort of _Don Quixots_; whose Zeal for any
Reformation puts them upon Combating generally receiv'd Opinions, or
Practices; even tho' the Honour of their Maker be concern'd therein:
Or (what is nearer to most) their own Private and Temporal Interests.
I am sure that a just consideration of both these furnishes every one
with very cogent inducements to make what opposition they can to
Immorality, both by amending their own faults, and by indeavouring to
prevail upon others to correct whatever has contributed to the making
us a vicious People. For, not to say that it is a rational as well as
Pious Fear that God by some signal Judgment upon such as have abus'd
many Mercies, should make an example of them for the deterring of
others, it is more certain (tho' usually less reflected upon) that it
is no way necessary to the punishment of any Wicked Ungrateful Nation,
that God should interpose, by some extraordinary act of his
Providence, to inflict upon them the due Reward of their
Disobedience, and Ingratitude: Since so fitly are all things dispos'd
in their Original Constitution, and the order of Nature to the
All-wise ends of their Maker, that (without his especial Interposition
in the case) the establish'd course of things does bring to pass the
effects that he sees fit in respect of the Moral, as well as of the
Natural World; nor scarcely can any People from the avenging Hand of
the Almighty, in the most astonishing Judgments which can render them
an eminent example of his Displeasure, receive any severer
Chastisement, than what they will find in the Natural result and
consequences of their Moral Corruption when grown to an Extremity.
It would be to enter into a large Field of Discourse to shew how
experience has always attested this. And we perceive, but too
sensibly, that Vice proportionably to its measure, carries along with
it, its own Punishment, to need that we should search for Foreign, or
Remote examples in proof hereof.
A general Contempt of Religion towards God: Want of Truth and Fidelity
amongst Men: Luxury and Intemperance, follow'd with the neglect of
industry, and application to useful Arts and Sciences, are necessarily
attended with misery, and have been usually also, the Fore-runners of
approaching Ruine to the best and most flourishing Governments which
have been in the World. And as in the same proportion that these
things do any where prevail, so must naturally the unhappiness of such
a People; it is evident, that for any Prophane, Debauch'd, or Vicious
Nation to expect a durable Prosperity, is no other than to hope that
God will in their Favour (who have justly incur'd his Indignation)
withhold the natural Effects of that Constitution and Order of things,
which he has with infinite Wisdom Establish'd: A Conceit too
contradictious to Reason, as well as too Presumptuous for any one, I
suppose, to entertain.
FINIS.